What IS the Future of Mountainbiking ?
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velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
You need Scotlands responsible access rights. I can have a great time on any of my steeds from my doorstep. Lobby parliament to get the Scotland model for the entire UK. I can even ride 90% off road from my front door to Glentress Trail centre which is about 15 miles away due south 
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Agree with the above posts. Stop worrying and go for a ride!
Trail Centers are ace and not all about 'jumps' and 'skidz'. Perfectly ride-able on retro too, especially mid 90's on. Gisburn is my local one and before the trail builders moved in it was a series of dull fire-roads with the odd 10/20m run off road. We used to only go there when all other routes were under water.
Plenty of people out exploring as well. A 140mm full suss bike is perfectly capable of cross country and in my case lets me get further before I get tired. Win.
Agree with the above posts. Stop worrying and go for a ride!
Trail Centers are ace and not all about 'jumps' and 'skidz'. Perfectly ride-able on retro too, especially mid 90's on. Gisburn is my local one and before the trail builders moved in it was a series of dull fire-roads with the odd 10/20m run off road. We used to only go there when all other routes were under water.
Plenty of people out exploring as well. A 140mm full suss bike is perfectly capable of cross country and in my case lets me get further before I get tired. Win.
The world of today being described above is foreign to me. In our little city (SJ, New Brunswick, Canada), riding is very much similar to what it was back in the early/mid '90's, with a few notable exceptions.
Most riding does indeed take place on the purpose built singletracks in the city's Rockwood Park. They're mixed use trails, and for the most part the various users get along very well. The bulk of trail maintenance is done by members of the local cycling club, and I think that helps. I've yet to have a negative interaction with any park users.
The big change at Rockwood has been the growing influence of the cycling club and their cooperation with the city. Good relationships are important.
The biggest change I've noted is that BITD, the mountain bike was, for me and my mates, a vehicle to explore the almost unlimited ATV/dirt bike trails in the backwoods that surround us. Long, relatively untechnical, exploratory rides were the rule back then... Driving to the local park's constructed trails was a relatively rare treat.
I don't know many MTB'ers today who will point their steed down a random fire road just to see where it leads. For me, those are the best rides. 4-6 hours in the woods, not sure of your destination, packing enough tools to make a trail side repair, lunch in a pack, wondering if you'd brought enough water...
It's not, I think, all doom and gloom in the Canadian scene. Rather, with the rising organization of local groups, I see new singletracks being opened, and new riding opportunities arising.
Anyway, I'm hopeful for the sport. I'm working with a local shop this summer to run beginner's/family rides at our city park, with the aim of getting new kids into the sport. Without them it cannot last.
J
Most riding does indeed take place on the purpose built singletracks in the city's Rockwood Park. They're mixed use trails, and for the most part the various users get along very well. The bulk of trail maintenance is done by members of the local cycling club, and I think that helps. I've yet to have a negative interaction with any park users.
The big change at Rockwood has been the growing influence of the cycling club and their cooperation with the city. Good relationships are important.
The biggest change I've noted is that BITD, the mountain bike was, for me and my mates, a vehicle to explore the almost unlimited ATV/dirt bike trails in the backwoods that surround us. Long, relatively untechnical, exploratory rides were the rule back then... Driving to the local park's constructed trails was a relatively rare treat.
I don't know many MTB'ers today who will point their steed down a random fire road just to see where it leads. For me, those are the best rides. 4-6 hours in the woods, not sure of your destination, packing enough tools to make a trail side repair, lunch in a pack, wondering if you'd brought enough water...
It's not, I think, all doom and gloom in the Canadian scene. Rather, with the rising organization of local groups, I see new singletracks being opened, and new riding opportunities arising.
Anyway, I'm hopeful for the sport. I'm working with a local shop this summer to run beginner's/family rides at our city park, with the aim of getting new kids into the sport. Without them it cannot last.
J
highlandsflyer
Retro Wizard
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I see so many cars/vans with MTBs hanging off them, I reckon the future is fine. Maybe more will discover walking is even better fun.
I see so many cars/vans with MTBs hanging off them, I reckon the future is fine. Maybe more will discover walking is even better fun.
fagin":2nyxum5g said:
Exactly. Just go out and do what you love whether it's single-track and exploring or a trail centre burn-up. I like both, I do both, I happen to ride both on older bikes and if I had a new bike I'd probably do the same.
catf":3t2j7582 said:
I doubt if many of the banned areas had legal or legitimate access - therefore the landowner decided to enforce rights. Most FC woodland never had open access for cycling for example.
Personally I suspect that the late 90's mags' encouragement to build trails in woods turned a lot of landowners away from relaxed tolerance.
legrandefromage":3r7tg86c said:
I agree ... its all about that - and, modern sport today is all about sensationalism, extremism, pushing the limits and lines, and the wild 'new' undo-able frontier ...
for after all, the portable video camera, the Go-pro camera, tele screens in every home ... and who doesn't want to see themselves immortalized on the big screen while doing something radical ('Kodak courage', its called) ... or what voyeur doesn't love the prospect of witnessing potential carnage and blood ...
Its the only way the hottest, new, young athletes an get sponsorship (money/money/money ... and self-centeredness).
The world has been shunted a long way over, from its long-gone, more traditional/conservative moral and ethical values and protocols. Now, it seems that there isn't even one honest politician left in the world any more ... just lies, lies, lies.
maybe the Trumpster, with all his brazen/brash rough edges, is calling it as he sees it (I am NOT saying I agree with all, or even much, of what he says!!)
And here, in Vancouver, BC (Canada) ... what went from somewhat reasonable trails and descents over on our infamous North Shore ... after the inception of f/s ... morphed into single-track madness that is so steep and gnarly, the routes are virtually undo-able/impassable on foot ... and to add even more radical-ness ... 30' high ramps, ladders, 3" wide see-saws ... and the risk of almost certain death or mutilation, should one screw up ...
Great fun, I guess. I'm glad I'm old enough to have just missed the really crazy/dangerous stuff!
There was a good piece in Bicycling echoing your point k-rod - that people were doing the most hideous things to get noticed and getting severely injured. The public side of the sport now has a self-destructive edge as insidious as performance-enhancing drugs.
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