A mountain bike or an all terrain bike which are also known as MTB or ATB in abbreviation, is a bicycle that is designed for use on any kind of track, be it rocky or mountainous, paths with steep gradient, dirt trails or any other unpaved environment. Mountain bikes are quite different from ordinary road bikes or racing bikes. They are designed to be more rugged so that they could withstand the different adverse impacts of off-road use. The frames of such bikes so designed that could surmount different obstacles like logs or rocks. Most of these mountain bikes use 26 inch bicycle wheels with wide tires with treads to provide extra traction as well as better capacity to withstand shock. Newer mountain bikes are provided with front wheel suspension. This feature has been introduced in 2000. Also, the provision of full front and rear suspension has become more less the standard for these bikes. Some of the Mountain Bikes are provided with bar ends on handlebars to provide extra leverage while climbing hills. The sport of mountain biking is developing since the 1970s. With the development of this kind of sports different types of mountain bikes have been developed. They include cross-country bikes, all-day endurance bikes, endurance bikes, downhill mountain bikes and various other types developed for participation in different varieties of track and slalom competition. Each of these different types of mountain bikes makes different demands on the bike and the cyclist. So, different designs of mountain bikes are being developed to suit different conditions of bike riding. Some mountain bikes are now being manufactured with wide range of gears giving 21 to 27 different speeds to provide help in both uphill and downhill bike ride. More and more higher-end mountain bikes are now being provided with disc brakes instead of cantilever or V-brakes that used to be used earlier. Provision of the disc brakes provides better ability to stop under extreme conditions. Riding mountain bikes also carries the higher risk of getting injured for the riders, especially while going downhill. The injuries could be caused because of drops or jumps over rock tracks. Therefore, to reduce the risk of getting injured, the bikes are now wearing protective gears like helmets, gloves and padding. Such protection is taken mainly avoid injuries caused by concussion, abrasion and cuts. The kind of protective gear needed would definitely depend on the kind of terrain of the bike ride. With the introduction of these mountain bikes, the thrill of bike riding has definitely increased providing more adventure to the rider
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