most of the fun is in the going up

Surely this is a troll! I don’t mind the challenge of a climb but it’s nothing compared to going back down the other side 🙂

and was wondering if this sport is now getting too dependent on tech and gear

No. It’s optional, you know. You can ride whatever the hell you like. If you want to be all Amish about it then go ahead, makes no difference to anyone else 🙂

Then the marketeers will start telling us that we need to buy 11-speed

So why not just ignore them?

A fair few of us started when it was all rigid and cantis. We all had a great time, none of us held out of riding until the technology became better. Though for me yes it does. I remember doing my first decent on a full susser and whilst it was quicker I arrived at the bottom not shaken or stirred, kinda dulled it a bit for me.

It makes it different. Rather than having to hang on being rattled about at 15mph, you can take the swoops and curves at 25mph. It makes trails different. I personally like seeing the trail’s lines more than the bumps in it, but it’s all good. No-one’s stopping you riding a fully rigid with cantis.

It would appear to me that as the bikes get better the trails have to get more difficult to get the same level of thrill

True – stuff is being built in the woods now that only pros would’ve attempted 20 years ago. That’s fine though. Progress, since more is now possible.

Balls to the wall fast and I had to really work on my technique to let me carry the speed I gained on the straights through the corners. It also opened up different line choices, and the ability to use trail features in different ways – doubling up over multiple crests etc

Spot on.

Suspension is a skill compensator

Wrong. It’s an enabler.

This debate seems to be entirely caught up with marketing. People seem to consume the marketing and either believe it or react against it. Personally I ignore it completely (made easier by not reading mags) and just ride my bike. If I break something or something’s not performing as I want, I research for a new one (or more likley, see what’s on special offer and then read up about that).

I ride my SS rigid almost exclusively now – thats cos i have more fun on less demamding trails that I normally ride and have access too

This is the main point IME. Some people say that their local trials are boring and this is why they need to drive 2 -3 hr to Wales to go riding to find a challenge but tamer trailers become a challenge and exhilarating on the correct bike. I still have never needed a different bike to ride any trail I’ve ridden in the UK. Wanted for short stretches but then 95% of my other riding would be boring on big bongy bike. Given the money I would have one hanging in the shed for those handful of ride a year.

The point about big bikes isn’t to ride them at the same speed in greater comfort…

I never said it was ….

I’ve ridden with Cantis and fully rigid moved to a HT with V’s and now ride a 5 inch FS with discs.

I am having approximately the same amount of fun but my arse hurts less.

Arse hurting less is good in my book.

Oh and I can stop better in the wet and I don’t get as bad arm pump or as many pich flats and I ride far far more quickly downhill without crashing as often because having suspension is wise off road. .

Wrong. It’s an enabler.

You say potatoe, I say potatoe
🙂

Molgrips

Yup ,I agree.

I gave an HT SS (v-brakes)a go over the winter cause one of my mates was trying it. Then the forks needed looking at so I made it rigid.
Riding it made me remember what it used to be like in the early days (feeling everything)and some of that was a good thing,but mostly I found it too annoying .
On the plus side ,it felt great to get back on my usual HT again.

I floated about on my 6″ overbike today and had a hoot.

I got my teeth and eyes shaken out on my rigid yesterday and also had a hoot

Having come back to this there has been a good response. However, I am no luddite and the point I made was not that I want to go back to the old days, cantis, rigid etc just that the performance of suspension etc is taking the sting from the trails. So is the fun going faster over the same stuff or the same speed over harder stuff or faster over tougher stuff. For what it is worth, I don’t think I ride any differant terrain now than I did 20 years ago on a rigid GT. Not much in the way of trail centres needed living in Calderdale. Yes, the bike stops better and is more comfy but aside from an annual jaunt to the alps, the fun factor is probaly the same…I think. Maybe not actually, the fast bumpy descent on the FS is more fun now than then with the speed factor. But how much do I want 29’r wheels and longer travel forks to absorb the bumps. Probably no more than I have with the system I have. Maybe the post should have been, “what is the definition of mtb fun?”
Anyway, a good response all round.

“So is the fun going faster over the same stuff or the same speed over harder stuff or faster over tougher stuff.”

Be careful not to confuse challenge and progression with fun – they may be the same, but they may not.

Fun is mates, beer, trails, sunshine, no matter what you ride

so for the racer, tech is good is it gives a performance adavntage. For casual riders we have all we need???

I think the question really is…..why do you ride a bike?

I think it is, see this thread: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/i-was-happy-now-im-unhappy-and-undecided-ibis-hd140-sl-r-content

exactly.

beanieripper – sometimes I ride a bike for reasons that are more to do with challenge and progression, and the training rides to get there are not exactly fun.

That’s a road bike though 🙂

Of the four things I listed above I would say mates beer and sunshine are more likely to provide fun than how much travel your bike has. I was out on a ride for a mates 40th today and there was every bike, rider shape, fitness level, etc conceiveable on the ride, it didnt matter, it was sunny, trails were dry we had some beers and a laugh and a lot of FUN.

I couldnt agree more with you. I’ve been riding too long to admit to, the guys i ride with that are worried about their tech on 3k bikes have less fun than my non biking mates that come on their 300quid claud butlers for a blast and a pint. peace. and ride how you like.

If worrying about what technology to use is the only problem we have, we are truly spoilt 🙂

Vive la difference!

5thElefant – Member

“Technology” doesn’t make it any easier it just makes it faster. More faster = more funner.

Try a MX bike and you’ll see what I mean

Funny that as I come from an MX /Enduro background and find low tech MTBs much more fun than any of the MX races, British Championship Enduros, European Championship Enduros and ISDE’s I did. Though getting on the British team twice for the ISDE was a bit of a buzz. 😉

my first mountain bike was a 1988 dawes ascent (fully rigid,15 speed,sis thummies,cantilever brakes,grips harder than a Glaswegian bouncer 😀 i loved riding it,offroad and on.i still ride the same trails that i did all those years ago,but now have a lovely giant anthem x2 bike to do it on.i loved riding the dawes,but thank heavens for technology (would never want to go back to the dawes now) my anthem just makes trails more fun to ride (and i thank it when it saves my arse.in more ways than one 😉