Ben03
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Did popularity kill the soul of MTB?I don't know whether its just me, but somehow biking doesn't seem to have what it once did. 10 years ago, when RST were head to head with Rockshox and owning suspension was special, biking seemed to be about having fun, escaping the mainstream way of life.
I can't help but notice this is missing somewhat in todays bike scene. What has happenned to the soul of MTB?
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Barney
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I kinda know what you mean.... maybe change your bike for a while, give it a break or go abroad for some off road fun?
I'm old....50 last year, fortunately don't look it, but started mountain biking on a all rigid steel GT bought for £300 from Edwardes cycles in Camberwell and they're still there. Stopped cycling for a bit then moved to East Sussex 10 years ago and bought an aluminum hard tail - they have got to be the most uncomfortable ride. Progressed to a full susser 4 years ago and guess what? Gone back to a steel hardtail (with suspension)and it's bought back some real enjoyment. Funny how there is an increase in the number of steel frames availble? For single track riding round here it's ideal. Thing is main stream manufacturers have got carried away 120mm/140mm forks on XC bikes, look at bikes a few years ago when 80mm forks was the norm. The plus side is technically bikes are much better and the prices have come down in relative terms. You only have to look at some of the downhill bikes to see the advancement but I'm too old for that and the bruises now take months not days to heal!
One thing thats really getting my goat nowadays is the moaning from the public and the ever growing no go areas! Did'nt use to get that maybe cos there is just more of us out there?
Nice thread though and I've still got the GT.
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Wiener Schnitzel
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I’m fairly new to mountain biking but it was obvious from the start to me that the sport doesn’t have the culture and therefore the soul that some of the core and more established ‘extreme’ sports have, like skateboarding or bmxing. Every skater/bmx you talk to is also a artist, musician, writer, photographer, videographer or whatever else and because of this the culture of say skateboarding moves forward so much faster creating the soul of the sport.
Mountain biking due to the products nature is tied to big business. These bikes cost big bucks to develop and the rider owned/built in a shed outfits (where the souls of other sports still thrive) are very quickly swallowed up by their rivals, designs copied, bikes get manufactured in Taiwan and then accountants run the show from there on in. But then if they didn’t we couldn’t ride the bikes we want to ride. So are we all responsible? Maybe…
In my opinion, development will some day peak, technology will be come cheaper and then the 'build a bike in ya shed' guys will put the soul back in to mountain biking again. Find a few more people in the sport like the Collective and it won’t take long to develop a true culture.
Just my opinion.
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Pires
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Popularity shouldn't matter a thing.
Like Weine I've not been MTB'ing that long, but from what I've seen it seems that the scene is constantly trying to identify/find itself.... Why!!??Just let it grow and see what happens, the more you try and force it the less organic it becomes!
It naturally takes things from BMX, Motocross, Skate boarding and other extreme sports and because of this doesn't seem to have its own natural identity, well maybe that is its identity.... does it matter?! Probably not!
IMO who cares if its no-longer the sub culture it once was, who cares if its becoming more popular.
It's about you, your bike and buddies riding (or falling off  ), nothing else should matter!! 
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kona crasher
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I agree with Pires , riding is about getting out there and enjoying it with your mates .
I recently raced at the Chicksands mini downhill , and most of the people i spoke to were friendly and would sit and talk about there bikes ,setup , etc. Everyone seemed to get on have a laugh , it was a great day and made me want to do it again . Is this not the what it is all about ?
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Ben03
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Some good responses (welcome too barney!). I was scared I'd get the 'never mind, just ride' reaction.
Wien you have a good point. I do reckon technology has pretty much peaked (going beyond the current stage would be pointless?) so hopefully it will begin to form something again.
As mentioned the original collective is a good showing of what real mtb is about. That's people living and breathing the sport.
At times I find myself more than ever wanting to not be indentified with the sport. There did used to be a real 'feel good, anti establishment' thing about being a biker. You can still have a laugh and there's good people in the sport but also it seems the majority of new generation 'bikers' seem to be about trashing other peoples spots and judging other people's riding rather than enoying themselves. Can't help but notice it and its a real shame.
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yorkey
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I totaly agree with tim and pires its about getting out with your m8 and trying to do something new and fresh hitting a differnt line or a new jump and picking you up when you fall off.
Im also quite new to the sport and most of the people ive met have been friendly there has been the odd well if you cant do doint ride hear attitude and guess what they was riding BMX's!!
I think films like the collective or drop in tv show just a groupe of guys having fun and guess what thats just like us minus the huge amount of skill and tallent (speaking for myself of course)
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robbo
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If this a question about MTB or society at large? Most extreme sports are driven by youth. The alpine one's are off limits to all but the wealthiest families. You dont hear of many pro snowboarders who went from robbing grannies to discovering snowboarding. Bit different in MTB as we do have a few hills but the cost is still high for bikes etc.
The entry level for BMX is low at a few hundred quid for a half decent bike, skating is even lower and these sports attract some undesirables as a result. Some of them go on to help develop the sport and give something back but many just go from one drug deal to the next, using these items as modes of transport.
The extreme or action sports that have a homegrown side are often very different in other countries. If we lived in the alps this thread would probably not exist. If I see a scallywag riding down the street on a nice MTB bike, spitting everywhere and swearing his head off, it makes me want to take the bike from him and kindly ask him never to ride an MTB again, its giving us a bad rep!
The fact is we live in a society where children are often dealt a raw deal, one parent, no structure, schools failing them and so on. If they find some hope in our wonderful sport then that's great. For the rest of us that want a quiet life, face facts, better hang out with the old boys as we just know how to have fun.
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rider101
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I guess being new to the sport doesn't help knowing what was once there?
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Ben03
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Very true Rob!
Just the other day noticed some riders had visited the trails, rode some of the timber drops and then trashed one of the sections before leaving. They would have had to have been riders to have ridden the stuff in the first place. (low. life).
Sorry for the depressing topic heh heh.
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jake-snake
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mtb has no soul
you lot think too much
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JAW
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Interesting thread.
| kona crasher wrote: | | I agree with Pires , riding is about getting out there and enjoying it with your mates . |
But is it? That's the point of this thread (I think) It seems to be more the younger generation; who if not the pikey sort that just ride, trash and leave are the sort that take themselves far too seriously, have four grand bikes at the age of twelve and relish in riders not as 'talented' as themselves. I think older riders, who have passed the test of still riding after discovering beer etc, do still do the sport for what it's meant to be.
Interesting what you said about the mini dh race kona crasher - that's what it's all about. And - oddly enough - Dirt happened to describe it as an 'old school' 'no frills' race!
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Metalibiker
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| JAW wrote: | Interesting thread.
I think older riders, who have passed the test of still riding after discovering beer etc, do still do the sport for what it's meant to be. |
Yeah man! I passed! lol.
i just let other people buy me beer, and when im down the pub with mates or at thier houses its easy enough, you just gotta get there a little later than them ;P
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Ben03
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| JAW wrote: | Interesting thread.
| kona crasher wrote: | | I agree with Pires , riding is about getting out there and enjoying it with your mates . |
But is it? That's the point of this thread (I think) It seems to be more the younger generation; who if not the pikey sort that just ride, trash and leave are the sort that take themselves far too seriously, have four grand bikes at the age of twelve and relish in riders not as 'talented' as themselves. I think older riders, who have passed the test of still riding after discovering beer etc, do still do the sport for what it's meant to be.
Interesting what you said about the mini dh race kona crasher - that's what it's all about. And - oddly enough - Dirt happened to describe it as an 'old school' 'no frills' race! |
Well put. That was the idea of the thread.
On that note about racing check the Whistler diaries column in issue 86 of Dirt (last month page 60). Had a good chuckle and is a similar line of thought.
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