by Mike Finlay

Created on: May 28, 2008

With the vast improvement in bike materials and design, something that once covered a broad array of biking styles and needs has become specialised.
With the introduction of front suspension (or 'hard-tail') bikes in the early 90's, many manufacturers for the masses saw the marketing potential of becoming the first to provide a standard mountain bike with front suspension forks. Raleigh's version became the most sought after kids' bike within weeks of its launch in 1992 and they went on to produce a vaster range (though all with only around 1.5 to 2 inches of 'travel', or movement up and down). The question was, what were the advantages and what was the pro circuit using?

By 1993, cross country riding saw the majority of the top class riders on specialised front suspension frames with only three or four riders sticking stubbornly to their skinny rigids.
The proof was there for all to see. Interviews in magazines and on the rarely transmitted TV coverage of the events saw riders discussing the huge benefits to performance. By all accounts, the lessened vibration and better control on downhill sections meant that riders were getting a higher speed out of bikes with a lower build up of lactic acid in their forearms (something which in turn eased long uphill sections where riders pull hard on the bars).

Downhill racing had begun back in the 70's, with riders using modified cruiser bikes with balloon tyres to pelt down fire tracks in the forest. The ride was rough and large obstacles such as boulders were only attempted by the brave (or insane) few.
With the introduction of hard tails came the opportunity for the daredevils of the riding community to attempt faster descents over slightly more rugged terrain and the downhill race began to evolve into something resembling today's tough courses. It was, however, the introduction of full suspension bikes that really revolutionised the sport in a way that had a huge knock-on effect across all mountain bike disciplines.

Early designs (and indeed many of today's creations) were incredibly heavy but gave riders a huge scope for hitting large obstacles and gap jumps with ease. Despite many other teething problems, such as 'bottoming out' (landing so hard that the suspension reached its limit, onften flinging riders over the front bars), the front suspension evolved to meet the high speed demands of the rear suspension and tracks became impassable for the general amateur rider. This huge leap forward had set downhill aside as

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