Mountain bike orienteering (MTBO) appeals to both orienteers who like the challenge of navigation and mountain bikers who want to inject a new, fun aspect into their mountain biking.   Route choice is just as important as fast riding.   MTBO often takes place in areas which are not normally accessible to the public.

As with foot orienteering you are usually required to visit controls in a sequential order with the fastest time winning.   Most events will include courses with a range of lengths and difficulty so that there is something suitable for most riders.   Starts are usually staggered at 1, 2 or 3 minute intervals.

MTBO maps are usually less detailed than standard foot orienteering maps.   Trails and tracks are marked on mountain bike orienteering maps based on their width and riding difficulty, with four classifications: fast, medium, slow, and difficult to ride.

Score or rogaine type MTBO events, allowing controls to be visited in any order, are also popular.   The aim is to maximise your score, with controls being worth a different number of points. In this format you have a predetermined time to return to the finish and if you are late back penalty points are deducted from your score.   Strategy in estimating how far you can ride and planning which controls to visit, and in which order, is very important.