Pre 1997 date, how did that come about

[Cloverleaf]

Quiet! Nobody make a sound! No sudden moves! Shhhhh....

It's one of those Youtubers! See how they flow perfectly through the trails,on a digital 2026 prerelease! Dirt just isn't sticking! Wow! Such a rare sighting, look at that perfect chain line, and the chain! So shiny and chrome! See how a 2026 model really brings the trails alive!

We'll all feel inadequate now, our 2024 analog bikes are just, well, old shit.

Lads, there's no point in riding anything now

<chucks bike in hedge, throws helmet at Helmut>

Ow!

Sorry!

<clacks off to the pub, Spd cleats raising sparks, finds it closed down and boarded up, buys cheap cider from a newly opened Aldi, totters home, gets drunk, sprays one last blast of GT85, closes and locks the man cave for the final time... >

Remember, and repeat after me; social media (and media) isn't real, and the only person letting it impact what you're doing is you. And just because what others are doing doesn't align with what you like to do, or what you call fun, doesn't mean that they aren't also having fun in their own way. Although there is a reason I don't 'follow' any pro riders other than the few mates who still do it, anyone who calls themselves an influencer, or indeed any sporting people I don't know. I want to do stuff, not watch it.

My mountain biking is more mountain biking than your mountain biking is such a ridiculous thing.
Ride wherever and whatever makes you smile.

100% agreed. Nothing divides more people than the 1% of dissimilarity rather than the 99% of similarity, it seems to be human nature.

 

[CassidyAce]

Although if we didn't want to overbike ourselves, the technology and style would have little pressure to move forwards, and the 95
Cindercone, p7, 850, bear valley would still be on sale...

Except the market would have become saturated and there would be no demand for new bikes!

I'm not sure about that, although I suppose it depends on exactly what you mean by 'overbike'. The pressure to move forward can come from developments from which riders do actually benefit, not mainly or solely developments that they do not benefit from or that are even disadvantageous to their riding unless their riding is relatively extreme.

 

[brocklanders023]

(Ignore the fact that's as long ago now as retro was from that point.
2010 is 14 years ago, 14 years before that was 1996, near enough to the end of the Retro era.)

I'd not thought of that, I've been here since 2007! Taking this further, bikes have changed more post Retrobike than they had pre!!