Throughout the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, mountain biking moved from a little-known sport to a mainstream activity. Mountain bikes and mountain bike gear, that was once only available at specialty shops or via mail order, became available at standard bike stores. By the mid-first decade of the 21st century, even some department stores began selling inexpensive mountain bikes with full-suspension and disc brakes. In the first decade of the 21st century, trends in mountain bikes included the all-mountain bike , the 29er and the singlespeed. All-mountain bikes were designed to descend and handle well in rough conditions, but still pedal efficiently for climbing, and were intended to bridge the gap between cross-country bikes and those built specifically for downhill riding
