The Ultimate Mountain Bike Quiz

Advances in sprocket technology make changing gears on mountain bikes easier.

The number keeps increasing -- now you can get a bike with 27 gears.

Use the highest ratio to make the bike go the fastest.

A good speed for biking up a steep hill is 3.8 mph (6 kph), which is also a good speed for a nice walk in the forest.

For peddling up hills, you want a low gear ratio.

The latest mountain bikes have front and rear suspension.

The spring and damper together compose the shock absorber -- essential to suspension systems.

Cars also have oil-filled dampers.

The suspension fork on the mountain bike is similar to that on a motorcycle.

Older mountain bike styles have welded frames.

New technology has made carbon fiber material available for frames.

Bike frames have most of the stress from the up-and-down direction when riding.

Frames made with material having a rectangular shape will be better able withstand the up-and-down stress.

To hydroform the metal, the material is pressurized with water.

Carbon filters frame are light, strong and can be most any shape.

Some mountain bikes use disc brakes -- just like a car.

Rough riding on high-speed downhill races are tough on bike suspensions and also on the riders.

Wear and tear of the front and rear suspension also stresses the bike frame.

Older style bike frames use steel or aluminum tubing.

Round tubes handle up-and-down and side-to-side stress equally.