I’m a bit meh about it these days.
I stopped years ago then came back to it, but am less impressed now with the whole techy emphasis, the tons of travel which have led to heavier and heavier bikes which get pushed up things, the uniform of baggies and a massive Camelbak stuffed with crap. I don’t get the way it is pushed as an extreme sport, dude, when it’s about mucking about in the woods.
What brought it home was a day when I was out on my cross bike and joined a group of mountain bikers for a bit; they spent 10 minutes pushing up a hill, then sat about for 15 minutes eating gels, then rode downhill, and sat about for 5 minutes, then rode on the flat to another climb, then sat at the top of that for 15 minutes and so on.
I worked out that they had been out for 4 hours from the carpark where they met and done about 10 miles, whereas I’d been out for 3 hours and done 30 odd, ridden from home.
All very personal and not representative of most mountain bikers I’m sure, but it’s just not what I want to do when I ride a bike.