[23lrupp]

I am wondering what defines an all mountain bike. I just got a new 2021 Trek Roscoe 8, and am wondering what category it would fall under. Is it enduro? Trail? Just curious. Thanks!

 

[cmg]

Its whatever you want it to be.......

 

[mikesee]

Being able to ride it over all the mountains is a good start.

Srsly, don't worry about what to call it. Just ride it a lot.

 

[Rocky Mtn]

As a general rule I classify trail bikes as something with around 130mm of travel

All mtn/enduro as 150 to 170

And downhill as something that would be absolutely miserable to have to ride uphill for any amount of time

 

[jeremy3220]

AM currently means a bike that sits between being definitely an enduro bike and definitely being a trail bike. Typically this means 140-150mm of rear travel and 150-160mm of front travel. It's a vague term so don't overthink it.

 

[d365]

All Mountain was a marketing category before there was Enduro as marketing, but I always considered it a bike in the 140mm travel range.

 

[WHALENARD]

Means different things to different user groups (including nothing) with LOTS of overlap. Someone may rip an aggressive hardtail on terrain another couldn't ride down on an all out DH bike. As post #3 says don't worry about the semantics, ride it.

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[fredcook]

I can still remember when "bike" stood for anything and everything with two wheels that was powered by a human. At some point, we started calling one particular bike a "banana bike". Then we differentiated between "bikes" and "ten speeds". Ten speeds turned into "road bikes", and anything that went in the dirt without getting a flat was called a "mountain bike". Those conventions lasted many years. As I recall, "down hill" came next, and that settled for another few years. Then the skies opened up, and we have as many terms for different types of bikes as we have people to ride them. And what was once a down hill became an enduro, then a trail, then an all mountain, and will probably soon be referred to as an XC. Kinda like the Eagles' rock music of the 70's would be considered country today...

My opinion, terms are used more for marketing, and less for what a bike really does. What a bike does, or is capable of, is more up to the rider and what they want to do with it than the term associated with it.

 

[plummet]

I think this sub forum title sums it up.

All Mountain
More than XC, less than FR/DH.

AM covers trail bike to enduro bike and fall short of hard hitting bigger travel park/freeride bike.

To be fair though. The lines are getting pretty darn blurry and as big travel bikes get more efficient you can have a 160-180mm bike that pedals like a 120 mm bike that you can use for general trail use.

 

[mnigro]

I think plummet hit the nail on the head. IIRC the term was coined back when suspension was really starting to pedal well... AM was a bike that was bigger than XC but not free ride (you wouldn’t see it at Rampage) which could be pedaled to the top and then bombed back down. I think DH was always DH since I’ve been riding.

Now “Trail Bike” has taken over and is about as ambiguous as AM was. Hence all the “long travel/short travel/mid travel” trail bike designations you read about online. Light duty trail bikes vs heavy hitting trail bikes, yadda yadda yadda.

 

[str8edgMTBMXer]

yeah, I consider my rigid steel Surly Krampus an "all mountain" bike because it can ride on all of the mountain, in all of the weather, during any time of the year, and day.

So it does just pertain to your bubble....

 

[Muddy-Runs]

All mountain bike can handle everything from long climbs and flow trails up to DH runs in bikeparks (as well as enduro racing), and will be around 140-160mm of rear travel.

Santa Cruz 29" Hightower (145mm) and 27.5" Bronson (150mm) are great all mountain bikes.

 

[Lone Rager]

All-mountain is to trail as downcountry is to XC.

Just funnin'

 

[GKelley]

IMO, the way the market defines "All Mountain" is just an enduro bike.

More than trail, less than downhill.

 

[JMac47]

This^^^^^. Good to know. So at 60+ years old riding a 140/150 rig I can safely consider myself an "AllMtnEnduroBro!". Albeit I don't ride to that designation! Lol

 

[targnik]

I am wondering what defines an all mountain bike.

The rider sitting on it

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[cookieMonster]

Categorization is all but meaningless.

It pretty much only depends on the rider. I guess I would call my Honzo (an aggressive hardtail) an all-mountain bike. Sometimes it’s an XC bike. Sometimes it’s a DH bike.

I have a good time in both situations and everything in between.