# Enduro vs All Mountain Vs full suspension



## Alan Farroll (7 Apr 2015)

Hi,

To complete my set of bikes in the future I will be buying a full suspension MTB - I have a hard tail already. I have been looking at some magazines and it seems to be in 3 or even 4 categories. Enduro, all mountain and full suspension. Then there is downhill bikes but I believe they are only useful for downhill and nothing else. But what are the differences between enduro, all mountain and full suspension?

Thanks in advance

AJF


----------



## Citius (7 Apr 2015)

Alan Farroll said:


> But what are the differences between enduro, all mountain and full suspension?



Not sure you've got that right - 'full suspension' can relate to any type of MTB.


----------



## Jody (7 Apr 2015)

Alan Farroll said:


> enduro, all mountain and full suspension?



All mountain and enduro are styles of full suss. Like XC and Downhill. AM/Enduro is a light ish medium travel (5-6"+) full suss with a head angle that is slacker than XC but tighter than a downhill. Should have good pedaling properties so can climb well but also fast on the downs.

Short version is its best of all worlds. Depends what you want out of your full suss


----------



## Cubist (7 Apr 2015)

Have a read of these posts
Hardtail RACE MTB???

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/rigid-vs-ht-vs-full-sus.173087/#post-3495439


----------



## Cubist (7 Apr 2015)

Basically @Alan Farroll , the term s "All Mountain" and "Enduro" relate to two very similar types of bike. 

It depends what you want to ride them on. A full-suss bike can be a race whippet XC bike with short travel ( 120mm or less front and back) and light weight, designed for smooth and fast climbs and descents, only really useful in the hands of a bridleway basher or XC racer. 

Mid-travel trail bikes, between 120 and 150mm travel are great for long days out in the Peaks and so on, or thrashing round red and black runs at trail centres. Good at descending, not bad at climbing, decent weight (up to 14 kg) 

Enduro bikes are the new evolution of the trail bike, 140-170mm travel, slack angled, great for descents, but sedate climbers, 'cos coming back down fast is more important than riding back up. Tend to weigh a bit more than trail bikes,


----------



## Alan Farroll (9 Apr 2015)

Citius said:


> Not sure you've got that right - 'full suspension' can relate to any type of MTB.


Okay. I apologise. By full suspension I do not mean rigid or hardtail. I mean suspension front and back

Thanks


----------



## Alan Farroll (9 Apr 2015)

Jody said:


> All mountain and enduro are styles of full suss. Like XC and Downhill. AM/Enduro is a light ish medium travel (5-6"+) full suss with a head angle that is slacker than XC but tighter than a downhill. Should have good pedaling properties so can climb well but also fast on the downs.
> 
> Short version is its best of all worlds. Depends what you want out of your full suss



Thanks. So basically enduro and all mountain are roughly the same thing.


----------



## Alan Farroll (9 Apr 2015)

Cubist said:


> Basically @Alan Farroll , the term s "All Mountain" and "Enduro" relate to two very similar types of bike.
> 
> It depends what you want to ride them on. A full-suss bike can be a race whippet XC bike with short travel ( 120mm or less front and back) and light weight, designed for smooth and fast climbs and descents, only really useful in the hands of a bridleway basher or XC racer.
> 
> ...



Thanks @Cubist. So trail bikes can be full suspension too then? Forgive my lack of experience but I previously thought XC and trail bikes were very similar and were of the hard tail category.

Regards

A Farroll


----------



## Citius (9 Apr 2015)

Alan Farroll said:


> Okay. I apologise. By full suspension I do not mean rigid or hardtail. I mean suspension front and back
> 
> Thanks



Like I said - it can relate to any type of MTB. FS bikes can come in all shapes and sizes.


----------

