Is it me or are there less people taking up Mountain Biking?

[cce]

you can spot the time-served roadies. They're the ones with open pros and SKS chromoplastics.

 

[PurpleFrog]

Re: Re:

I still don't even understand what enduro actually is.

It's like a Depression era dance contest: a vast group starts and the winner is the last guy to collapse of exhaustion.

 

[EggyBum6969]

ducati sales are down
tdf replica bikes are up :mrgreen:

i read some guys post on somewhere on the interweb saying he converts hybrids to road bikes
an makes about £200 profit on selling them on

i have no idea if hes joking or not but it would not supprise me if thats true

 

[highlandsflyer]

Re: Re:

The last time a cyclist died on one of the roads I use it was because he was commuting at night in the rain on a bike with 25mm tyres: he hit a a small ding in the road that was hidden beneath a puddle and then an HGV mushed him. He'd have been just as fast on 40mm tyres and he almost certainly wouldn't have died.

I don't know you can jump to that conclusion. Surely you could equally posit that, had the HGV been at a safe distance, there would have been time for the driver to react and avoid the crashing cyclist?

 

[MADJEZ]

Just sold my hybrid (hoorah !), don't like to be on any bike I can't jump over a kerb or a tree stump on !
Country roads are real rough round here so can't understand anyone riding a road bike on em.

 

[cce]

Just sold my hybrid (hoorah !), don't like to be on any bike I can't jump over a kerb or a tree stump on !
Country roads are real rough round here so can't understand anyone riding a road bike on em.

Because it's much MUCH faster?

 

[jimo746]

Just sold my hybrid (hoorah !), don't like to be on any bike I can't jump over a kerb or a tree stump on !
Country roads are real rough round here so can't understand anyone riding a road bike on em.

Because it's much MUCH faster?

This is true.

However, I recently sold my road bike, and bought slicks for my MTB
I reasoned that riding a road bike was too easy, and that I should punish myself more by riding a MTB on slick tyres
The aim is to get as close to the speed/distance I did on my road bike, but on a MTB instead.
If I achieve that then the next step is going singlespeed.
And after that, I'll lose the NDS crank and just cycle one-legged


Back on Topic..... I know several friends who have bought MTB's in the last year or so, some nice ones too, but never actually use them off-road :?
They ride to work, to the shops, along the pavement with their children, but trail centres are too far away, too much like hard work, too muddy, you "need" special shorts and gloves and suchlike...
But the guys who have bought road bikes use them as intended, its easier, roll off your driveway onto the road, lots of road bike clubs around, organised rides, even if they only ride once a week.

So to answer the question, yes, I think less people are taking up the sport of Mountainbiking, but sales must still be high, its just people use them for other purposes.

 

[paulswheels]

Re:

Having just ridden today, trails were overflowing, but the crowd was +- 10 years from 40
so. crowded trails mostly with the retro crowd age wise, but all on modern bikes.

 

[MADJEZ]

I'm over 40, outright speed is not important.
In fact if it's harder I burn more calories !

But as above you can take an MTB on road & off road.... you can't do that on a road bike !

 

[cce]

Re:

When you get into multi hour rides the multiple positions drops allow are a real boon. Tools for jobs. Riding an MTB on the road is just a bit cack compared to a road bike