Does anyone actually really do ‘Freeride’ anymore?

of course they do, they just call it something else now.

Where does say a black graded trail centre fit in. Is that just trail riding or is it all mountain? Or do you need a mountain for all mountain?…Depends how you ride it not just the trail itself.

I’ve only ever ridden on the stuff in the photos (for the last year, before that I walked…) and have never ridden in the UK, but since (so) many UK riders’ benchmark is a black run at 7 Stanes or similar, there are invariably questions about how the riding here compares to this. On the rides in the photos, you don’t have jumps or bermed corners, and the challenge is getting down them with (minimal) dabbing. As one UK rider said:
“I rode Glentress a while ago. For me, it doesn’t compare as the exposure and tightness of yours turns are the challenge rather than the tricky rocky lines or north shore stuff. Ability to handle tight ‘alpine’ switchbacks is required rather than being a black run rider. Some of the rocky stuff in your other routes are more like a 7 Staines black run though. Your trails have a character all of their own. The sharpness and looseness of the rocks is not something we get in the UK.”
I disagree that “it’s all mountain biking” since people want to do riding that they find challenging for them. We see many XC riders/racers who struggle immediately on loose surfaces, just as I get dropped by UK black run riders just as soon as the trail opens up ‘cos I am used to much more technical, slower “Alpine” riding.
Here’s a photo from June’s MBAction
They just said, “Alpine descents by the sea, and rideable in winter!” for their northen Italian audience.
ciao Peter

I would have thought for something to qualify as Alpine it has to be in the Alps?

Uplift companies need to invent uphill riding. Its like Downhill but the opposite.

This means they could double their profits and efficency by selling Downlifts as well Uplifts.

scu98rkr – Member

Uplift companies need to invent uphill riding. Its like Downhill but the opposite.
Already been done, it’s quite popular in Austria, they even have special uphill bikes that weigh nothing and only have one brake. Personally I can’t see the point. Mountain biking without the fun.

As for what to call Sicktastic Enduro All Alpine Mountain technoflow downhill uphill with left and right turns… you guys can call it what you want. I just call it going for a ride.

Already been done, it’s quite popular in Austria, they even have special uphill bikes that weigh nothing and only have one brake.

Dear lord! 😕

Oh well, it takes all sorts I suppose.

I just call it going for a ride.

No you don’t 😉

Irs interesting that how much of real world riding is just akward rather than big drops

I use to be quite good at that sort of thing back in the day. At 7 stanes last week I felt quite rubbish at the low speed rocky stuff

Uplift companies need to invent uphill riding. Its like Downhill but the opposite.

roadies love that. a guy i know who i told about my white room chalet holiday laughed and said they got dropped off in the valley each day and rode up, got collected on the pass and did another climb in the PM.

MENTAL!

but then if you’re only on here to pick fights and have no interest in mountain biking, then I suppose it might well be like naval gazing

Good photos yes and of course I have an interest in mtbing but this further and further sub-categorisation is bullshit, marketing and an ego **** to make people feel hardcore.

roadies love that. a guy i know who i told about my white room chalet holiday laughed and said they got dropped off in the valley each day and rode up, got collected on the pass and did another climb in the PM.

MENTAL!

The problem is decending a properly steep pass on a road bike isnt much fun (IME), on nice flowing roads where theres oppertunity to pedals it is, but in the alps i imagine its just scary!

I’m surprised nobody’s suggested XXXXXXXXC or aggressive XC 😉

looks no different to mountain trails to be honest

looks no different to mountain trails to be honest

We took an award-winning Dutch journalist from Fiets magazine to ride the 1st stage of the Rally Sardegna MTB http://www.rallydisardegnabike.it/index.php?l=1 , a 6-day 70-km-a-day event, each stage has a technical “special stage” sandwiched between transfers, the stage finished with some big steps which are hard on a hardtail…he said, “I am an averagely-skilled Dutch rider, for me this is enduro…our readership would not expect to find this labelled XC.” So labelling is unfortunately needed, hence the debate about categories. Skiing is divided into alpine/downhill, XC, snowboard, skimountaineering, we’re just having the same discussion here. Bet you guys look for these labels when you’re booking a holiday? ciao

Skiing is divided into alpine/downhill, XC, snowboard, skimountaineering

Snowboarding and skiing are not different disciplines of the same sport, Peter.

At the end of the day, it is simple semantics. Call it enduro and be done with it.

Cross-frocore-jeymountain-downhill(lite).

Fo’ sho’.

looks no different to mountain trails to be honest

We took an award-winning Dutch journalist from Fiets magazine to ride the 1st stage of the Rally Sardegna MTB http://www.rallydisardegnabike.it/index.php?l=1 , a 6-day 70-km-a-day event, each stage has a technical “special stage” sandwiched between transfers, the stage finished with some big steps which are hard on a hardtail…he said, “I am an averagely-skilled Dutch rider, for me this is enduro…our readership would not expect to find this labelled XC.” So labelling is unfortunately needed, hence the debate about categories. Skiing is divided into alpine/downhill, XC, snowboard, skimountaineering, we’re just having the same discussion here. Bet you guys look for these labels when you’re booking a holiday? ciao

errr no i dont.
i look for where i want to go

IMO

All mountain / Enduro – Ride up a mountain and then bomb down a technical descent.

Trail / technical trail – Ride up a hill and bomb down a technical descent.

Marathon – Long distance or high elevation gain or both.

Shuttle run – Getting a lift to a trail head.

Jedi surely the phrase north shore attracted you to Whistler

no!!!! i wasn’t arsed about going there! bc trails for the win

i have the same problem describing to guests the nature of a ride.

free ride.
UK: jumps, drops, man-made bits ridden on a “big” bike
europe: riding high alpine single trails on a medium travel bike. the UK idea of “free ride” comes under “bike park”.

XC.
UK: dashing about the hills/in the woods on walking/single trails.
europe: up and down on wide tracks, e.g. fire roads, as fast as you can.

in germany trails riding is a genre itself. the idea that you don’t think riding on tight single track to be the norm is alien to me.

i think the norwegians (assumption made on those i’ve ridden with) tend to agree more with UK terminology. probably because there aren’t that many wide open tracks everywhere, just near vertical walking trails.

i can’t be done with the whole “enduro”, “marathon” (who wants to shag themselves out riding uphill only to ride on some wide track on the way back down?)

alpine riding for me encompasses everything natural that you are likely to encounter when on a mountain. that includes slow techy, almost trialsy sections, to nice flowy, swoopy trails.

i like riding.

“Alpine riding” is the best description, without a doubt. Yesterday two riders from N Italy, used to the Alps, exclaimed, “Wow, this is just like the Alps or the Dolomites, we didn’t realise Sardinia had mountains like these!” as we rode to the highest point of the island, the 1834m Punta La Marmora


The photo on top was taken by two Austrian walkers, and we pointed out to them the island’s many other mountain features you can see from there where we walk (they had the Rother guide we’d contributed to) and mountain bike. This was my last ride for the guide we’re writing to MTB Sardinia, and so I was very happy that it was such a nice day up there, even if a bit chilly!