I'm sure there are others like me out there in the mountain biking world that are confused as to who is riding these bikes that appear in the magazines that we as enthusiasts so avidly read. I cannot help but notice that the magazine world of mountain biking is grossly out of touch with the world that I see out on the trails. I have biked extensively in the southeast and also a bit in the Rockies and I rarely see these long-travel, high tech, "all mountian" tanks that appear on every page in our beloved mags. I have nothing against these rigs and I know they are a blast to ride but I'm still seeing hardtails all over the trails and the occasional short travel FS. I recognize that these publications try to stay on the cutting edge of all the tech and hype but should there not be more space devoted to the bikes that really appear on the trails. I'm not a die hard hardtail holdout but I would like less space devoted to bikes that are not endorsed by the bulk of mountain bikers.
