Doesn't matter really - call it whatever you like.
Wear what you like, ride what you like, put as much body armour on as you like, who gives a f***, as long as your enjoying yourself.
Bike Forum
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FREERIDE!!!!!!!!! it's mostly bollox, isn't it?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Freeride is basically not getting sweaty, but still riding offroad while wearing armour and a full-face.
Chicksands is probably the best place I know for it; 4X, dual, northshore, jumps, packs etc - all on a small hill with decent parking, a Food van and a good atmos.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@ BigDummy!
Posted 2 years ago # -
BigDummy - my arse goes five pence fifty pence whenever I get to anything higher than the kerb. I've got a big hit 3 in the garage covered in cobwebs (sadly, I'm not joking), and the one time I used a full face helmet, I thought I was going to drown in my own sweat. I'm just too old for all the radical dude sh**e, and much prefer being out on my Cannondale hardtail, but at the end of the day, it's all about riding isnt it?
P.S, my bomber hand is getting mighty twitchy!Posted 2 years ago # -
I thought it was all about just getting out and riding your bike. I ride in Hebden Bridge and I would call that freeriding. Were not doing 25 foot steep downs or riding North Shore but then again it's not made for XC riding. What you have to remember is people are suckers for marketing if they see an add saying all mountain/freeride bike they think by buying such a tool they immediately become shredders.
With regard to riding on the Alps I would say a full face lid is a good idea mainly because the descents are so long it just gives you that added bit of insurance oh and there's a lift at the bottom to get you back to the top.
All said and done though the title should be
'Singletrack on rocks'
Posted 2 years ago # -
HTTP404 - Member
you've obviously never seen UK's No.1 freerider have you?
yup, saw him the other week out on the tiles....
as for what is a decent vid, CHECK THIS OUT. the scenery is awesome, the riders are nice a clean and skilled. and, they're just riding along, to boot.
Posted 2 years ago # -
a mate of mine used to think he was a 'freerider' with his big fork, full face, leg and arm protection. i think he's slowly realised that most of the riding he did was just that, riding. we've weaned him off the full face and the double crown fork
have to say i find this attitude almost as repulsive as the marketing bollox at the opposite end of the scale. The only difference is the marketing guys are paid to think up ways to sell bikes, you just like to think you are better than those around you. thats just sad.
Posted 2 years ago # -
as for what is a decent vid, CHECK THIS OUT. the scenery is awesome, the riders are nice a clean and skilled. and, they're just riding along, to boot
And a classic "pop francaise" soundtrack to boot- those frenchmen are so much more sophisticated than us brits when it comes to the fairer sex eh Juan?
Posted 2 years ago # -
What a bunch of miserable old **** you lot are. Let “The Kids” have their own bloody Niche FFS!…
Funny how keen some people were to point out how “Slopestyle” is an actual discipline the other day, yet we can’t use the term “Freeride” to describe and sort of legitimise basically arsing about on a mountain bike… don’t see much wrong with it as a term myself…
Obviously if “Freeriding” wasn’t about, what would sour faced, Lycra clad old gits on rigid, SS, bikes of boredom have to look down their noses at, so it serves a purpose at least…
As they say Variety is the spice of life, if MTBing had stalled in 1988 (like many of this Forum’s members seem to) then to be honest it would be a shit, boring, single discipline sport today, as it is I would say mountain biking covers a rich and diverse range of cycling disciplines and cultures from endurance athletes to Downhillers and dirt jumpers and everything in between competitive and non-competitive.
Yes from day to day I feel a bit dismayed at the somewhat over marketed, over hyped, MBUK driven crap knocking about, but then I think you need a little faith in the modern MTBing youth, they’ve chosen a relatively non-mainstream sport to get involved in the first place, not football or bolting fibreglass to their mum’s Saxo, maybe they are a little more discerning than the merchants of misery on here gives them credit for…
Posted 2 years ago # -
alpin great vid - just a couple of really skillfull kids having fun in a stunning place and top tunes too
would love half their skills gPosted 2 years ago # -
What cookeaa said.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think cookeaa has nutshelled it.........
Posted 2 years ago # -
*/bow in front of cookeaa in a pure waynes world style/*
Posted 2 years ago # -
Eh?
No your supposed to tell me I'm wrong!
Then we argue for 3 hours about very little, get nowhere and knock off work having acheived nothing all afternoon.... That's how it works...
Posted 2 years ago # -
cookeaa you're wrong so ner. Freeriding isn't very free as them there freeride bikes are 'kin 'spensive!!!
Posted 2 years ago # -
No your supposed to tell me I'm wrong!
naah, saving that for the rad teejster dude
Posted 2 years ago # -
Lots of people allude to/are aware of the existence of "marketing bollox" but still buy into it. Why is that?
The sport/pastime of mountain biking has changed quite a bit since I first got into it almost 20 years ago. But the lowest common denominator remains the same: riding bicycles in/on dirt.
Any variation to that definition is just for added effect
Posted 2 years ago # -
Lots of people allude to/are aware of the existence of "marketing bollox" but still buy into it. Why is that?
.....because they want to 'belong' ?
Posted 2 years ago # -
SOOBalias - Member
"a mate of mine used to think he was a 'freerider' with his big fork, full face, leg and arm protection. i think he's slowly realised that most of the riding he did was just that, riding. we've weaned him off the full face and the double crown fork"
have to say i find this attitude almost as repulsive as the marketing bollox at the opposite end of the scale.
we used to find it 'replusive' that we'd all be waiting at the top of a climb whilst he pushed his bike up only for him to then moan that the trails were boring once we got to the bottom. they're boring if you can't feel what is happening beneath your wheels with all that suspension. they're boring if your bike is too bulky to slip along narrow singletrack because it weighs 18kg.
Posted 2 years ago # -
they're boring if your bike is too bulky to slip along narrow singletrack because it weighs 18kg.
Well if your mate can't pedal a 18 kg bike up a hil he seriously needs a diet of MTFU and pedal.Posted 2 years ago # -
juan, i'd agree with you. your bike, your choice, your problem.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Don’t worry folks, just because you’re getting old doesn’t mean the marketers have forgotten you….
Posted 2 years ago # -
And before reading this thread I always thought Freeriding was not paying for leaving your car in a trail centre carpark.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think I'm the first to point this out, but apologies if I'm not...
Fact: the definition of "Freeride" in France/Switzerland/Germany/probably others (Euro mainland, basically) is somewhat different to the definition of "Freeride" in UK/Canada/US.
I know this to be true because I've lived in Switz for 7 years, and EVERYBODY here who goes and does some big singletracky alpine stuff (with possibly some gravity assistance, that brits would probably call "all mountain") .... calls it "Freeride"
Probably not much use telling them they're all wrong is it?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Oy! I'm a premier subscriber to that last one.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ash, there is every reason for telling them they're wrong.... use their own **** words to define what they do. Freifahren, Paxalle (that's french).
that 'is everything shit or is it just me' is quite a good read. i agreed wih him on almost every point and i'm only 27. i was 26 when i read it!
Posted 2 years ago # -
personally i'd say the term freeriding came about because of the original Kranked film back in 1998. in terms of pushing boundaries and doing stuff that the majority of riders had never seen before those guys were second to none. freeride, in terms of skiing/snowboarding is pretty much riding freestye (hitting jumps, dropping tricks) but not in a park, so the term easily fitted into what these guys were doing. of course there were no freeride specific bikes or kit back then but as the sport has developed over the last few years, participation levels have increased and people are looking to be more specific with what type of riding they do.
yeah i'm sure there are loads of freeride wannabies who can't ride for $hit but have all of the gear; surely that's the same as some crap sunday league footballer who wears a man u shirt to practice in? and yes you can still go and have a game of football in jeans and a shirt or even your best suit if you really want. who cares if you're having fun?
the bike manufacturer's have over this time developed specific bikes for various disciplines, they sponsor the top riders that people aspire to in the hope to increse sales. some of this money goes back into developing new and improved bikes which will then be sold to existing and new customers thus continuing their growth as a company. sales of these types of bikes are high because people are trying out new stuff because they see on MTB films what can be done, the posibilites are limitless. unfortunately, and as i said previously, some people think they're better than what they actually, they buy these bikes and kit themselves out as their idols in the films do.
in the meantime, the advent of youtube and the pop idol generation has meant that more and more people are putting themselves on the internet in the hope for their 5 minutes of fame. there are probably more crap riders doing this than there are good ones and the easiest thing to label these video's is 'freeride' as 'off-road' or 'singletrack' are a) not as cool and b) will not generate as many hits.
so in summise, i blame pete waterman and simon cowell.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@alpin seems you’re views on what sort of riding your “mate” should be doing are a little prescribed, why can’t he pop on the full face and armour mount his bouncy bike and Huck/Gnar^Rad if he wants?
Perhaps he should have gone riding with the people’s front of Judea, rather than you and the Judean peoples front…
The people I truly admire in cycling are not the ultra competitive super fit gits that get to the top of the hill 5 minutes before you, or the ones that rip down a hill at twice the speed you can manage, but the ones that encourage others, help, advise, motivate and pass on a bit of knowledge, without feeling the need to pass out put downs...
Not the ones that sit mumbling about you at the top of a hill, then go on a forum and bitch about their unfit, all the gear no idea “Mate”…Posted 2 years ago # -
As Ash said, those french lads are doing what the vast majority of europeans regard as freeriding. They are riding down a BIG hill and having fun (probably didnt have to ride up either).
Read Big Bike (french mag) and they have loads of articles on descents like this catagorised as freeride.
Posted 2 years ago # -
alot of the stuff in this vid i would call freeride.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think I'm the first to point this out, but apologies if I'm not...
Fact: the definition of "Freeride" in France/Switzerland/Germany/probably others (Euro mainland, basically) is somewhat different to the definition of "Freeride" in UK/Canada/US.
I know this to be true because I've lived in Switz for 7 years, and EVERYBODY here who goes and does some big singletracky alpine stuff (with possibly some gravity assistance, that brits would probably call "all mountain") .... calls it "Freeride"
Probably not much use telling them they're all wrong is it?
Humm tough one this one.
We use to rando (french terms fro hill/mountain walking). Then obviously we got to the point were the only bike able to cope with the slightly rocking south east of France were free ride bike (bless were the day where you could only buy 3 kind of bikes, XC/DH/FR), from there we still use to rando, but gravity assisted stuff in Italy were called free ride days. Then use use to refers to the most technical decent of the "rando" as a bit Free ride, you know like not your typical trail (for example the descent from le pas de la corne on the grammondo towards menton if you know it ash) but something that would rattle your teeth a little bit more.Now I have just given up in trying to understand the nice and sub niche of the bike market. But one thing is sure. If it wasn't for kids on expensive bike (i probably was one), I'll have no choice but ride a rigid steel frame with a crap geometry and a 43 mm fork wearing lycra...
Posted 2 years ago # -
As Ash said
The europeans call Freeride going up a hill in a van / chairlift most of the way and go down the mountain on bikes with about 180 mm of travel that can do a little bit of pedalling. i.e doing a 10 minute climb / traverse to get the main run.
Also the term "enduro" is very different here in Italy and France whereas in the UK its a 100km ride on fireroads on a wet welsh day but here its pedalling up steep mountains with timed special stages for the decents, using full face, armour and 6 inch bikes.
At the end of the day the UK's terrain is nothing compared to whats available in Europe and riding big hit bikes is probably overkill 90% of the time for normal UK trail riding.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Juan....
Could you e mail me please.. I have some questions about riding in Nice..
Posted 2 years ago # -
Bigman YGM
Posted 2 years ago # -
I AM Bearclaw!
Posted 2 years ago #
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