From Dangerous Sport to Fun Activity – Reframing Mountain Biking

And what is called “gravel riding” these days was mountainbiking years ago.

For some, there’s others of us who’ve always been throwing ourselves of the edges of things to see what will happen since the 90’s. Bikes now just mean that it’s more likely it’ll be in one piece when you hit the ground.

TJ

And what is called “gravel riding” these days was mountainbiking years ago. IMO its due to MTBs becoming so much more capable that bridleway bimbling becomes no challenge / fun on a modern MTB

Agree … the actual risk element hasn’t changed as such.

I remember decades ago on a fully rigid Claude Butler Hire bike (before helmets) going down what would today be a bridleway (Wenslydale) and no fun at all on even my 100mm XC HT… being totally on the edge. Thing is even on my FS Enduro blowing the front wheel would lead to the same crash as 40 yrs ago…. only at least now I’d be wearing a helmet!

But … that’s a different sport/activity GRAVEL???… or whatever.

No. It’s not. It’s been mountain biking since before the term was even invented. You don’t get to redefine it.

Mountainbiking used to include what is now considered gravel riding. Now its considered a different pastime

Yes because it’s evolved but the risk element hasn’t actually changed. If you go down a rutted fireroad at 40mph and have a front wheel blow out the result is still the same.

The emphasis on pretending its some sort of “extreme sport” puts off many folk who would benefit from and enjoy a bit of wandering around the scenery on MTBs.

Erm… yep that’s now called gravel or whatever … all depends what you call “extreme”… is a 4′ gap or 2′ drop extreme? How about a 100km marathon ride or London to Brighton???

The thing is I’m not seeing that emphasis…. even my YT algorithm results aren’t seeing that.
What I am seeing is people using it as a term to ruin other people’s fun for no reason than wanting to ruin other peoples fun.

In reality the extreme side of it is very much a minority pastime even amongst MTBers

Again depends what you call “extreme”… Hardline is extreme…. 50:1/oakley line …Cape Epic is extreme… BC endurance is extreme … so yes all minority pastimes. Totally optional lines with tiny drops and jumps isn’t extreme its trail diversity.

Steve – is that not a bit elitist? The trail was there and used by folk. Someone else comes along and modified it so that those folk no longer feel safe riding it. What gives the modifiers that right?

What gives them the right? Other than being designated the official trail crew by the trust that operates the land .. they own tools and that’s all they need.

If people are saying they don’t feel safe because of the modifications then they are liars.
The jumps were obvious you aren’t hitting it by mistake … they were rollable AND by-passable… all options you can do it slow and roll, you can do it fast and bypass or you can do the jump..

We took my mates 6yr old beginner down on her 16″ wheel BSO and she rolled them… so people feeling threatened just by the existence of these tiny gaps makes no sense. The only way they could make them feel unsafe is if they have uncontrollable urges..

I’m only saying that as a coverall… I don’t believe the mere existence of these totally optional jumps makes people feel physically unsafe… they are just pissed there is something they personally can’t/won’t do so they want to ruin it for everyone.

Its not a sport unless you are in a competition

Other than the assertion in the article I’m not seeing this “extreme sport” … I’m just seeing people (I don’t mean you) looking to spoil everyone else’s fun. If people don’t want to do these tiny jumps they don’t have to…. but trying to label a small and totally optional 6′ gap as “extreme sports” to get it removed (which is what they did) is pathetic.

scotroutes

No. It’s not. It’s been mountain biking since before the term was even invented. You don’t get to redefine it.

I’m not the one invented “gravel riding” or the term it’s just something that happened with the evolution of (mountain) biking.
If you met me on the trails and asked me how did I get to the trails I’d probably say “gravel riding” because I use the sustrans routes… and bridleways to differentiate it from “road”.

Other than the as close to totally flat bit at the start (River Towpath) it’s all perfectly possible/pleasant on a shopping bike … in winter the river towpath is sloppy… so something with knobblier tyres… whatever bike I’m riding though it’s not “MTB” …

I’m all for whatever its called btw…. I don’t really care if people want to call it MTB so long as they don’t want to change what I call MTB. If however people want some perceived “safe” pastime I think there is value in setting expectations….

I’m all for whatever its called btw…. I don’t really care if people want to call it MTB so long as they don’t want to change what I call MTB. If however people want some perceived “safe” pastime I think there is value in setting expectations….

Does your MTB include riding over straw men? Nobody has suggested excluding any type of MTB.

Here we go again…

IT.

JUST.

DOESN’T.

HAVE.

TO.

BE

DANGEROUS.

Does your MTB include riding over straw men? Nobody has suggested excluding any type of MTB.

Here we go again…

IT.

JUST.

DOESN’T.

HAVE.

TO.

BE

DANGEROUS.

Even boring gravel is still dangerous once you get above 10mph … every bit as dangerous as doing a few gap jumps…
How do you intend to police your risk free world? Hand out tickets to anyone going faster than 5mph ?

Even boring gravel is still dangerous once you get above 10mph …

no it is not  It really isn’t.  many many thousands of miles over many decades riding in the hills.  One minor injury

[tongue in cheek]

Mountain biking was invented by some hippy Americans trying to get down a mountain as fast as they could on bikes that were less than suitable. Being dangerous is in mountain biking’s DNA. And as it was a race, I guess that makes it a sport as well.

Riding around in the mountains on a bike is something different. I dunno; picnic-biking? Whatever, sounds dull to me.

[/tongue in cheek]

Nickc – and they were on doubletrack / fireroads 🙂

*scratches head*

so riding in the mountains is not mountainbiking but riding in the local flat woods is?

Nobody else?  I actually think this is a really interesting question ” How do you define mountainbiking?”

Any definition has to really encompass the early days of the repack lot – who were racing downhill on fireroads to the armour clad DH racers and redbull rampage guys of today

In the middle of that is the twisty trails in the woods and the wandering around the scenery stuff

this is my attempt:

” Mountainbiking is riding offroad on bicycles built for the task characterised by wide tyres, low gearing and wide flat bars, on tracks and trails where it would be difficult,  uncomfortable or dangerous to ride a road bike”

TJ, Tomac would take umbrage with your description, but I don’t. It’s pretty much all there is to it.

Ajaydoubleyou – mentioned people driving from home to honeypot spots and mum/wive/neighbour all thinking they are nuts. Out of those mentioned 2 were female and this is one of the problems of getting women into any form of ‘off road’ cycling, they do find this pastime ‘nuts’. I’ve never got any female I know into mtbiking, the only female mtbers I know were already riders when I met them.
Even when you spot females riding easy gravel trails such as canal tow paths or double farmers tracks, many look scared when you try and pass them. It just doesn’t look fun. I suspect it’s only females who enjoy a bit of an adrenaline rush who will find mtbing/wild cycling/off road riding fun.
I really don’t know how to get women into this wonderful hobby and out onto the trails. But, at a guess most of the daughters of stwers will hopefully be encouraged to have a go and carry on this sport from childhood into adulthood.

I don’t know what canals are like to ride on in Scotland,

We only have a couple.

the union canal and the forth and clyde which make up one that goes  between Edinburgh to Glasgow  and the Crinan canal across Kintyre which is a short ship canal.  Its busy in places and at times but does have a good towpath.  I use it quite a lot

It also amuses me that the Bridgewater canal has no horses signs. I think it might be interesting to borrow a horse drawn barge.

Same with ours, the fun police have been out and horses (the intended use when built) are banned and cycles “limited to a walking pave” due to elf and safety **** I’m surprised they haven’t yet put a fence up or drained the water for elf and safety

I would suggest that evidence might show that accidents on mountain bikes are often not as serious as cycling on the road. I dont actually know the figures but there must be more deaths and serious injuries on the road. If you watch the Air ambulance programs there appear to be more and more serious injuries from road cycling. I would guess that more people have died in SUP accidents than when riding off road this year. I don’t think SUPs are considered dangerous by most people, but there are significant risks for the inexperienced.

Steve – want to have a go at defining mountainbiking?  Or critique my definition?

After a bit more thought I’m gonna take a couple of words out of mine

” Mountainbiking is riding offroad on bicycles built for the task characterised by wide tyres, low gearing and wide  bars, on tracks and trails where it would be difficult or dangerous to ride a road bike”

The only reason to define types of bike is so you can be sold the “ideal” bike.

Often looking at photos in the great outdoors, you can’t tell how steep a trail is. A gnarly rocky descent on a steep hillside can come across as a flat track with some teeny rocks on. A big rooty drop off can look like a bit of a wood land trail.

BTW I’m too old now to call our sport/hobby/past time anything but mtbing.