Well depending on who’s sounding off here the point of MTBing may be:

[list][*]Proving you’ve got a bigger willy than those guys in pads and full facers who are riding 6″ travel trail bikes by riding the same stuff they’re riding while on a bike with less travel while carrying less stuff. That’ll show them.[/*]
[*]Having as a minimum the sort of survival and navigation skills that would have in an earlier age marked you out as a polar explorer. But not trailquesting as that’s boring and only for beardy Marin owners.[/*]
[*]Refusing to consider that any trail designed for use by mountain bikes could be better than any trail originally worn in by sheep wandering around a hillside.[/*]
[*]Being so well prepared that if your frame were to snap while out on a ride you’d be able to improvise a basic forge, mine some iron and get it working again before riding on your way, whistling a jaunty tune.[/*]
[*]Etc…[/*][/list]

Whereas I’m pretty sure that the point of MTBing is to ride a bike (probably a mountain bike), offroad. Surely everything else is just detail, or personal preference?

Whoooosh!

<sigh>

whatever.

Whatever makes you smile.

*that’s* the point of mountain biking.

I’m guessing point and reason are fairly interchangeable here.

So a reason for mtbing?

Mid life crisis.
The SO does it.
Fitness.
Fun.
Money.
Friends.
And a thousand others, it depends on who you are.

oooooohh! I get it. its a dig at trail centres?

They have their place.

Its just messing about on bikes.

Sometimes its about nailing a descent. sometimes its about the view, sometimes its about the craic. A good ride has a mix of all three.

Whatever makes you smile.

I thought about that, but given its racing past and present, it’s not just that. Some people do it for fun, some to win.

Samuri has hit the nail in the head. The reason that as a grown man I still ride, read about and dream about bikes and cycling is cos it makes me smile.

I’m smiling just writing that and my wife is looking at me funny!

WTF?

probably a mountain bike

You’ve missed the point, I once took a raceing bike down hagg farm, up the beast, and down the roman road (I think, it was many years ago).

I was mountain biking, I was also blisfully unaware that my steerer tube had snapped untill the next morning, could have been nasty………….

You forgot:

Refuse to accept that modern suspension designs are an advantage so ignore them. Make up some nonsense about “feeling closer to the trail” to justify your position. Take is one step further by riding a rigid singlespeed while fantasing about growing a beard

Tj and samuri has it spot on there. Realman, what are you on about?!

Realman, what are you on about?!

Surely everyone has different reasons to go mtbing?

Obvious parallels to the never less than tedious world of music snobbery.

Thousands of people were off to see Linkin Park here the other night, not to my taste, but I bet they all had a good time.

I’m going to see Health in a rather more down at heel venue with maybe 150 others soon. Everyone’s different, everyone’s having a good time…horses for courses.

You don’t need a Class 3 Hipster Licence to enjoy yourself.

Some people do it for fun, some to win.

And??

Whats wrong with that, I know plenty of people who enjoy winning.

I will always laugh at the stormtroopers that ride round trail centres, but i’ll always say hello and be pleased to see other riders.

Its people who diss other riders that get on my wick.

realman –
Mid life crisis.
The SO does it.
Money.

those are reasons for cycling? I mean, you can explain your bullshit right?, or I guess you can just have fun and ride yer bike.

Some people do it for fun, some to win.

And??

Whats wrong with that, I know plenty of people who enjoy winning.[/quote]

Nothing’s wrong with that. 🙂 I meant that if we’re looking for one over-arching “point” to MTBing, then it can’t include smiles, because that’s not always why it’s being done. Fair enough.

The intention of my post was to suggest that the “point” of MTBing differs for everyone, so you can’t apply your own interpretation to everyone else and then berate them for failing to follow it. If there’s going to be a single point, then it has to be a pretty factual, stripped-back one: riding bikes (often, but not necessarily MTBs) offroad.

EDIT – It seems that nesting “quote” blocks works in the preview but not when posted.

Whatever the point of MTB’ing is……its NOT this!

I’m deffo missing the point of this thread

absolutely!

I guess there is no point to it. But this is why I do it, and i expect most others.

Enjoyment

To get a bang out of To derive pleasure from, to get a thrill from, to get a charge out of. In this common American expression, bang carries its slang meaning of intense exhilaration.

He seems to be getting a great bang out of the doings. (Damon Runyon, Guys and Dolls, 1931)

get a charge out of To become physically or mentally exhilarated; to enjoy greatly; to get a kick out of. This expression, derived from the physical jolt caused by an electric charge, is commonplace in the United States, but is somewhat less frequently heard in Great Britain.

It seems to me that people get a bigger charge out or their grandchildren than they did from their own offspring. (New York Times Magazine, May, 1963)

lick one’s chops To eagerly anticipate, especially in reference to food; to take great delight or pleasure in, to relish. In this expression, chops refers to the mouth or lips. Lick refers to the action of the tongue in response to the excessive salivation that often precedes or accompanies the enjoying of food. By extension, one can “lick one’s chops” over any pleasurable experience.

music to the ears Pleasing or agreeable news, good tidings, just what one wanted to hear; usually in the phrase that’s music to my ears. Good news is as pleasant to hear as sweet music.

tickle one’s fancy To appeal to someone, to please, to make happy, to delight, to amuse.

Such … was the story that went the round of the newspapers at the time, and highly tickled Scott’s fancy. (John G. Lockhart, Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, 1837)

Tickle in this phrase means ‘to excite agreeably’ and fancy is equivalent to ‘imagination.’ Figurative use of this popular expression dates from about the late 18th century.

warm the cockles of the heart To induce sensations of joy, comfort, or love. The cockle, a palatable mollusk, was often compared to the heart by early anatomists because of its shape and valves. Furthermore, the scientific name for cockle is the Greek cardium ‘heart.’ The phrase enjoys frequent use today, usually in reference to the kindling of pleasurable emotions.

An expedition … which would have delighted the very cockles of your heart. (Scott, in Lockhart, Letters, 1792)

those are reasons for cycling? I mean, you can explain your bullshit right?, or I guess you can just have fun and ride yer bike.

For some people, yes.

How about someone at a top level, who has to go out 5 times a week to train, no matter what the weather. Some of the time, they may not want to do it, and it won’t be fun. It will be for fitness/training, which in turn makes them win more, which in turn makes them more money. I’ve seen it in other sports, people who are only trying to get better. A lot of them never smile when they play.

Its a bit naive to think everyone is out on their bike just to have fun.

Its a bit naive to think everyone is out on their bike just to have fun.

OK, 99% of people riding about in the dirt are doing it for fun, the rest are earning money. Better?

i ride my bike cos i tend to be a right tw*t if i dont.

reckon that’s true for most of you uptight feks aswell.

People on here ride bikes? Are you sure?

ChrisL in trolling shocker

look man, just ride yer bike, and enjoy it. and then ride some more! and justify it on the internets.

Riding will never catch on. Its all about talking and collecting its a bulkier version of stamp collecting really.

i ride my bike cos i tend to be a right tw*t if i dont.

I ride my bikes all the time *and* I’m a right tw*t.

WIN!

step ahead samuri,i never realised i had that option.
wanders of to be a tw*t to someone.

OK, 99% of people riding about in the dirt are doing it for fun, the rest are earning money.

What about all the people who do it to maintain fitness? And the people who do it to gain a sense of achievement? I’m sure the majority of people do do it because they find it fun though.

Refuse to accept that modern suspension designs are an advantage so ignore them

What is “advantage”, and why is it good? Sometimes less is more. No?

Imagine if you had 10 feet of active suspension. Is this good? No! At what point should we stop mountain biking and take up dune buggies?

For some people riding their usual trails, 5″ feels like too much. For them, hardtails feel more fun. That is all.

# Proving you’ve got a bigger willy than those guys in pads and full facers who are riding 6″ travel trail bikes by riding the same stuff they’re riding while on a bike with less travel while carrying less stuff. That’ll show them.

well, it was very funny when I watched one of our novices ride past some blokes in full body armour as they pushed their bikes downhill on Garburn 🙂

But not trailquesting as that’s boring and only for beardy Marin owners.

I did find it interfered with taking photos and chatting 🙂

Refusing to consider that any trail designed for use by mountain bikes could be better than any trail originally worn in by sheep wandering around a hillside.

not better or worse, just different! No one else makes you ride anywhere in particular…

the point for me is i simply love riding bikes. they have got me to the see/experience the most beautiful things/places.
ridelife!

ride my bike cos i tend to be a right tw*t if i dont.

I ride my bikes all the time *and* I’m a right tw*t.

WIN!

that really made me lol! I’m nice really. do you wanna have a go on my bike?

I’m only in it for the cow punching.

Anyone posting on the internet about MTBing is missing the point, me included.

MTBing is out there, on here, you’re in here.

This all just peripheral.

you’re all weird.

X