to me the lines are way blurred XC in a racing context is just that - serious cross country racing. but the when you speak about racing you also get XC fun rides, and marathon / stage racing XC in recreational terms could mean an easy ride out for some (jeep track mainly) for others a seriously fast training ride Bike wise you're looking at hardtails and short travel full sussers Trail ridinng could either refer to what 9 out of 10 riders do recreationally i.e. they go and ride trails OR if you want trail riding could be when you're riding, but the goal is to hit up miles and miles of singletrack. Bikes would be hardtails, and short (100) to medium (120) travel full sussers (even up to about 140mm) AM is where trail riding gets a little more extreme - I see AM as the type of riding where you are prepared to crank it up the hills, with the goal of bombing back down and hitting everything in your path (except perhaps bigger jumps like road gaps, etc - although many AM riders will hit these as well). Protective gear would include something you could easily carry with you - like a pair of kneeguards - but still an open face helmet (though probably one with some decent rear coverage). Bikes would be full sussers - anything from 140 - 180mm travel. Freeride is where you're hitting such big stuff it's time for tons of travel and a full face helmet. Typically you'll be shuttling up, because your bike and gear would be too cumbersome for pedalling up a hill, and the hill you're going up is probably steeper than most. Freeride is also about hitting anything and everything Downhill is a more focussed version of Freeride - same idea, but with an even burlier bike and on a set course, sometimes competitively Take contermanskloof for example - do the main loop at contermans and you could call it a trail ride OR if you want a XC ride. But include the top part of the downhill track (the blue route) and the old lower black route, and you could call it an AM ride. Take the gnarliest, faster route down the mountain and you could call it a Freeride ride. Bomb the downhill track and you're riding downhill. Now I know that's not the best description out there but that's how I see it. What's important is that you get a bike you like, find some trails you like, get some buddies you like riding with and RIDE YOUR BIKE! Whether you're clad in lycra shooting across a XC course or loaded with armour bombing down the gnarliest hill you can find, who cares what you call it AS LONG AS YOU'RE HAVING FUN!
