The Many Noises Of Mountain Bikers: B&M

For an outsider, the noises that us mountain bikers make can be slightly confusing. Describing a trail, celebrating a ride or complaining about our bikes can all often have very similar noises and so, as a public service, I have put together a brief summary of the some of the most prominent sounds in mountain biking. 

Whoop – as demonstrated in the video above, mainly used as celebration of good riding (beauty is in the eye of the beholder), either from yourself or your buddy. 

Schralp – A on-trail move that has become a way to describe cornering or how a corner felt (regardless of if the corner was schralped or not). See Kade Edwards for many examples.

Creak – The dreaded noise that comes from a bike when something isn’t quite right. Once a bike reaches a certain use point, the game of ‘chase the creak around the bike’ becomes of the most frustrating things in the world. 

Of course, the boundaries between these noises are not clearly defined and that’s where experience comes in. Knowing when your buddy is celebrating your schralp by whooping or complaining of a creak from his headset is the first step to mountain biking freedom. 

HG