What is a Mountain Bike?

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Re:

Hi petitpal,

I have no difficulty with the Marin origins of the term mountain bike as deriving from Kelly & Fisher's "MountainBikes" company.

However it has long since become a generic term for a bicycle whose design has been modified for off-road use, including designs that have little in common with the bikes that the company sold.

The French have adopted term 'Velo Tout Terrain' (VTT) and have therefore disconnected the modern bikes/sport form the Marin origins.

Within the umbrella of the French term all possible designs, both past and present can be accommodated.

It seems to me that some people for some reason want to limit the definition of 'mountain bike' to its original 1980s US meaning. While for the rest of us it has come to be represent a very wide range of diverse bike designs and activities. Many of which were never imagined by the Marin pioneers.

 

[Woz]

Most likely it's the G&T having an effect, but for some reason I can't help think of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7dYXVLPd6Y

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Re:

I guess that this is similar to the term 'hoover' being used in relation to vacuum cleaners.

As a generic term 'hoover' is fine and all inclusive. However, when used as narrow term relating to the products of the Hoover Company it can act to exclude the designs that came before and those developed since by other companies.

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Most likely it's the G&T having an effect, but for some reason I can't help think of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7dYXVLPd6Y

I think that wraps it up then:
Set A = all safety bicycles modified for off-road use (known generically as mountain bikes)
Subset B = what Frank Berto said (known as Mountain Bikes)

 

[Woz]

Voila!

 

[legrandefromage]

Fat bikes?

Audax?

 

[Woz]

Fat bikes?

Audax?

V2.0

Seriously, what is the differance between an Audax, Tourer and a Sportive?

For your reading enjoyment :facepalm:
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/i ... 159AAYwkE4

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Re:

Oh Yes! that's the answer we have all been looking for.

After all they do say that a picture paints a thousand words.

I am however slightly worried about the omission of a sub-category for MTBs fitted with a handlebar mounted wicker baskets? And I am not quite sure as to whether children's imitation plastic wicker baskets should form a separate sub-category.

Also is there some way of graphically ejecting mountain bikes fitted with tyres less than 2" wide, as this will keep the Marin MTB HoF people happy? :roll:

 

[firedfromthecircus]

Recumbents?

And Mountain Recumbents?

 

[petitpal]

Re: Re:

I guess that this is similar to the term 'hoover' being used in relation to vacuum cleaners.

As a generic term 'hoover' is fine and all inclusive. However, when used as narrow term relating to the products of the Hoover Company it can act to exclude the designs that came before and those developed since by other companies.

I think that wraps it up then:
Set A = all safety bicycles modified for off-road use (known generically as mountain bikes)
Subset B = what Frank Berto said (known as Mountain Bikes)

I think that about sums up what I was thinking yep. Interesting how many people do the 'Dysoning' now though... so these things can change!

(Sorry for the delay btw - try and force myself away from screens in the evenings!)