ciclismo de montaña
/θiˌklismo de monˈtaɲa/masculine
Mountain biking in Spanish is ciclismo de montaña.
The term refers to the sport of off-road cycling using a mountain bike.
Meaning: off-road cycling using a mountain bike (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ciclismo (cycling), de (of) and montaña (mountain).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you will often hear ciclismo de montaña or bicicleta de montaña. In Spain, the sport is frequently referred to as MTB (Mountain Bike).
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the sport as a general concept within a sentence, it is common to use the definite article el before the phrase, resulting in el ciclismo de montaña. The default form is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/θiˌklismo de monˈtaɲa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse ciclismo de montaña with montañismo, which refers to mountaineering or mountain climbing.
Did you know?
- The word ciclismo comes from the Greek kyklos meaning 'circle' or 'wheel', making it a distant relative of English words like 'cycle' and 'cyclone'.
- In Spanish, the word montaña is a collective noun derived from the Early Medieval Latin montānia, which was used to describe a range or group of mountains rather than a single peak.
- While ciclismo de montaña describes the sport, a person who practices it is called a ciclista de montaña. In Spanish, adding the suffix -ista typically denotes a profession or a dedicated practitioner.
Examples in context
- Me encanta el ciclismo de montaña.I love mountain biking.
- El ciclismo de montaña es mi pasión.Mountain biking is my passion.
- Mañana practicaremos ciclismo de montaña en el bosque.Tomorrow we will practice mountain biking in the forest.
- Me gusta el ciclismo de montaña por el ejercicio.I like mountain biking for the exercise.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are discussing their weekend plans at a cafe.
- Daniel¿Te interesa el ciclismo de montaña?Are you interested in mountain biking?
- LucíaSí, me encanta salir a la montaña.Yes, I love going out to the mountains.
- DanielPodemos ir este sábado juntos.We can go this Saturday together.
- Lucía¡Perfecto, me parece una gran idea!Perfect, sounds like a great idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mountain biking” translations and entries ciclismo de montaña, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, montaña, CC BY-SA 4.0.
