Would you be a MTBer now?

[dirttorpedo]

Hard to say - its definitely a different sport. Back then I was able to get a decent mountain bike for about what I spent on a month's rent, and it was flexible enough that I could use it to commute and tour. It might be more a sport I got into after I graduated and got a decent job. Gravel riding might be of more appeal to me. I tried to keep up when the whole freeride thing came along, but I sucked at the jumps, drops, skinnies, teeters, etc. and was tired of hurting myself.

 

[Cristian-T]

I’m also 48. First bike 89’ I’ve ridden ever since, non stop.

If the 14 yr old me saw was today was like.. my god .. I would have exploded with excitement!

The sport, the tech, the trails, are all absolutely amazing. Im not blinded by nostalgia, I LOVE my retro stuff, and feel way proud I was there bitd (blah blah blah)

But I’m totally in love with one FACT;

the 40 yr old me, was a million times better rider than the 20yr old me. And that’s because of the bikes, tech & trails.

 

[Prodigal Son]

If I was in my 20es now. Not seeing a lovely Trimble, Marin Team Ti or Klein etc to buy. But the rubbish 29ers that are on offer now. Then I'm certain I'd be a road rider. Every thing about MTBing now just leaves me cold and un interested. From the clothing they all seem to be wearing to the language they use. And it seems all to be focused on down hilling.

I see beautifull 29ers everyday and they roll better than 26ers. Mountain biking is FUN.

 

[warpedboy2]

Yes, for sure.

Because although I love my bikes, it always been more about the sense of freedom riding gave me. I still prefer long rides over the hills to a cake shop to chucking myself down a rooty single track hill (although that is fun too of course). I don't need a super bike to do that.

 

[Prodigal Son]

I see beautifull 29ers everyday and they roll better than 26ers. Mountain biking is FUN.

 

[legrandefromage]

Tricky one to call.

Sunday was the 2nd big roadie event, a wooosh and the thrum of carbon fibre road wheels, not one person adding to the local economy (the Tour of Cambridgeshire closed local roads leaving residents either hemmed in or shut out of the villages en route). Sunday's was a 'bicycling festival' - as long as you looked like you were on le tour of course



20 year old me was a recycler; car boot sales today would still have given me a half decent 'something' to ride so I don't think I'd be much different - road bikes, off road tourers and mtbs sit in my shed. But I don't think I would have travelled around the UK anywhere near as much as I did without Retrobike. I would be stuck on that feedback loop that is the internet suffering an amplified version of reading MBUK and that whatever I'm doing is wrong, totally wrong...

*Ebay and Marketplace, now there is something that would of helped!

 

[Tootyred]

Would I become a mountain biker if I were young today?

Err no.....because it's not on a screen, in your house, connected to the interweb thingy.....

So thats literally "game over" for everybody under 20 I know.

 

[longun]

I can't remember being 20......


Don't know tbh, I'd like to say yes but it ball depends on environment including peers, I was fortunate to have the development hills and coastline, my friends ooooop north didn't but still rode and I share the same passion so......... probably




I hope,



I'll let you know next time round

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I started MTBing when I was 20, after coming from a BMX and then road background. It was a combination of being a cyclist, and loving nature and bushwalking and wanting to be out there and explore and see more of the bush near where I live. I'm 53 now.

Would I take up MTB now if I was 20? For sure. It looks nuts, those guys are out there on long travel carbon bikes with 160mm travel and 2.6" tyres throwing down mad stylee moves and hanging out at the bike parks with their bikes slung over the tailgate of their trucks and chugging craft beer and building jumps and wow man.

Would I take up MTB now at the age of 53? Dunno. Probably not if I wasn't already a bike person. Looking at it now it's all a bit of a wank. Though I would probably like the idea of bike packing and gravel riding to get out exploring, which I do as well.

I look at MTB when I was out of uni and had the means to get into it. Bikes looked different, they had an identity, you could add anodised widgets and it was all fresh and fun. The industry was dudes in their shed building stuff and companies like Hope, King, Paul Components etc were things to drool over. Companies like Mountain Cycle and Foes made exotic stuff that I aspired to.

I look at it now and the bikes all look the same, the marketing departments seem to have taken over. Companies have been killed off by big players.

But, it's hypothetical because I am 53 and I do ride. The industry might be a wank but the bikes are fun and riding is still fun and I'm bloody glad I do it.

Grumps

 

[MattiThundrrr]

the pikey with an obviously stolen bike that doesn't have brakes riding towards the shop with a fag hanging out his gob and a can of monster in one hand doing none handed

Bwahaha This guy RUNS my town!