[Homer Simpson]

I'm sitting here with the History Channel on in the background. I hear something about mountain biking. I look and it's just about Rocky Mountain Bikes and free riding on the north shore in Vancouver. That has no relevance to where I ride or anyone I know who rides. I think this sort of thing hurts our sport when these 5 minute extreme segments are shown on TV. I can't count how many people came in the bike shop and said "I want a bike but I don't want to ride like what they do on TV." People think all riding is like that extreme stuff they see on TV, not what our sport is really about, mainly XC for most of us. I'm not bashing any type of riding, just how our sport is portrayed on TV shows and how the public perceives us. If more people saw what XC is like and how much fun it is, our sport would explode, which would mean more racing, more trails, a more healthy America, etc. Downside is more crowded trails, which in some areas is already quite a problem. I have no answers to my own take on MTBing on TV shows that do not portray our sport as it really is for the majority of us. Time for me to shut up and just go ride, cause that's what it's all about, just riding.

 

[trailrash]

I mostly ride XC, so I'm not downing on it by any means, but have you ever watched an XC race on TV? It's more boring than watching paint dry. The reason the only MTBing you see on TV is the big stunt stuff is because it's visually stimulating/exciting.

If you could somehow make XC riding LOOK exciting to people, they would get off their duffs and ride. Unfortunately, the only way most people will realize the joy/thrill of XC riding is if they just get out and do it.

 

[Warp]

I would say canuck are getting their MTB exposed. Once I watched a TV show on the Discovery about the DeVinci bikes and their "instrumented" R&D bike.

I agree with Trailrash. XC (what I do but not at race level) is boring to watch. Events like Super D, 4X, Dual Eliminator and Downhill are more likely to make it to the TV someday.

I disagree with the MTB being discriminated from Extreme sports shows/events too. For example, the X-Games of ESPN. I find boring the skate contests which would be easily replaced by 4X racing or even Downhill events. Not to mention the TV Audience the Red Bull Rampage or Red Bull Downtown events would have.

Snowboard xtreme??????? Give me a break!!! Try to do some Downhill.

Yes, unfortunately it would attract a bad publicity to the sport but a responsible broadcasting would make it possible.

4X is the one I find more suited for TV... and it has potential sponsors and a lot of Big Name idols, like Brian Lopes, EC, Cedric, etc.

 

[Fuelish]

I mostly ride XC, so I'm not downing on it by any means, but have you ever watched an XC race on TV? It's more boring than watching paint dry. The reason the only MTBing you see on TV is the big stunt stuff is because it's visually stimulating/exciting.

If you could somehow make XC riding LOOK exciting to people, they would get off their duffs and ride. Unfortunately, the only way most people will realize the joy/thrill of XC riding is if they just get out and do it.

Exactly !!!!!

 

[Berkeley Mike]

4x

is a great example of TV distilling the essence of what people will watch. Money is the ultimate focus and promoters made it intersting and worthwhile for the great and talented riders of XC and Downhill to do Slalom.
This, however, misses the point of the initial comment; that this sort of "extreme" riding exposure is bad PR for our sport. This sort of riding scares the bejesus out of trail users and creates a disconnected image for potential MTB riders.
A few of my High School Riders came back from Sea Otter and the thing that they noticed most was the lower quality of course sharing and trail etiquette found amongst a remarkable number of racers there. As we were riding along the trail we were talking about why that was. What became clear quickly as we rode was that, as racers in training we ride 80-85% of the time with each other where mental preparation, safety and smart riding benefits us all. When we put together 170 racers all trained in that fashion, many of whom can outride most people you know (1º30' laps, and under 3º for 2 laps at Sea Otter), stupid and thoghtless moves on the course are uncommon. As we train on shared trails we practice a very strict discipline concerning sharing with other trail users and our reputation, as that of neighboring teams who train in the same area, is fantastic.
The XC form of MTB may be boring to watch but it is how most riding is done and the new wave of High School Racers are establishing a standard for trail behavior that bodes well for the future of our sport and trail access.
What does that have to do with "extreme?"

 

[TobyNobody]

DH/FR on TV is good

Exactly !!!!!

I have never seen recreational downhill skiing on tv - only the 'extreme' sport of downhill racing. Downhill ski racing has big crowds, good tv coverage, big sponsors, and is similar in many repects to downhill bike racing.

The problem is not that they're showing 'extreme' mtb, but that the play up the 'extremeness' of it all. But the commentary of the mtb that I have seen is totally unprofessional. We should demand more biking gets seen ot TV, and at the same time that they do a better job with the commentary.

And xc racing should never ever ever ever ever be shown on tv.
zzzzz-zzzzzzz-z-z-z-zzzzz-zzzz

 

[Warp]

This, however, misses the point of the initial comment; that this sort of "extreme" riding exposure is bad PR for our sport. This sort of riding scares the bejesus out of trail users and creates a disconnected image for potential MTB riders.

I agree with you bro.

But OTOH, you don't drive on the streets tha same way Paul Tracy or Kenny Roberts Jr. do on the track, do you?? You should be in jail if you do so.

We gotta separate the recreational (the gross of the sport) and the sport/competition face of MTB. That is what I was referring to with "responsible broadcasting".

4X, DH and FR should be exposed as they are : EXTREME and Competitive.
XC and leisure riding are different animals.

The outsiders to our sport are the ones who don't understand that difference and we gotta make everything in our hands to remark it.

 

[Photo-John]

Downhill Forum

Check out the downhill forum here and the downhill photos in the Sea Otter gallery. The DH forum is the biggest one on the site and more people look at the DH photos than the XC ones. People really do ride that stuff. I've been to North Vancouver and those trails are busy. And not just with huckers. There are go-arounds for most lines and all kinds of people are riding them. The truth is, XC racing is on the decline and freeriding is growing. It's better equipment and younger riders with better technical skills that have made it happen. I love XC riding. But freeriding is where the action - and money - is right now. When customers come in and tell you they don't want to ride the stuff they see on TV, don't worry about it. Just tell them they don't have to and offer them a nice XC bike. Don't fight the flow.

 

[Christine]

I like how xc looks from a helmet cam, though!

Why can't they have an xc course that features several crazy sections, and put the cameras there? I'd watch. Even if it's one person per lap going for time....like skiing. But then, I'm an addict.

 

[iviguy]

Exactly !!!!!

Make it look extreemly scary or make it look extreemly boring. I don't care as long as it doesn't start bringing people out of the wood work to go start riding the trails. Am I the only person here that would like to have "some" exposure but not too much? The sooner you start getting the trail full of a bunch of bubba's and newbies without helmets, the sooner you start getting a bad rap for trails getting torn up, people getting hurt, etc... If it is kept as somewhat a secret, not a huge secret, but somewhat, that is ok by me. I like having some people out on the trails to ride with but I sure as heck don't want them to become intensely popular either.

JMHO

 

[uofabill]

Seems like evoloution of the sport

I'm like most of the other posters, strictly a XC guy and an old one at that. But what I see in my local mtb scene is that the freeride/downhill scene has kind of exploded and the XC numbers have kind of dropped off. All the young kids getting into the sport are into freeride/urban assult/DH. They are into the adrenaline rush and to them XC riding is boring, not watching it, doing it.
The inventories at the LBS' reflect this trend too. Five years ago there wasn't a DH rig to be found in our town, now there are plenty of long travel bikes and road bikes and fewer mid to high end XC bikes.
Ditto what everyone else has said about $ being the driver for what's on the tube.
Another thought about XC racing on t.v. Seems like most XC courses that are shown are pretty bland as XC riding goes. Probably doesn't accurately reflect true XC riding.
For the past 3 or so years I have heard much dissatisfaction with NORBA, that in turn hurts XC racing.
Endurance racing and 24 hr races have taken up the slack. But again, I'm not sure watching coverage of a 24 hr race on t.v. would be that exciting. Having said that they had the Montezuma's Revenge on a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed watching it. There seemed to be a lot more drama than a normal XC race.
My $.02
Wild Bill

 

[JeffRouse]

The show was about extreme sports...

I just finished watching the show. It was "Modern Marvels - Extreme Sports." It covered a lot of different types of sports, but was not representative of them as a whole. It focused just on the extreme levels some people take it to and the evolution of the sport to that level based on technological developments. I thought it was well done and would recomment it to others.

 

[Homer Simpson]

I agree that cubic dollars drives the sport on TV. I too enjoy seeing the extreme aspect of our sport, they should just tell the public how much these people really train to do what they do. All that said XC racing on TV is boring are wrong, its "incredibly boring". They show maybe two or three sections and focus on just a few riders. What they show now (4x, short course, downhill) is probably all that we will get to see. At least I get to get on a bike and experience the thrill of XC riding and don't rely on the TV to experience sports like most of America does.

I have seen helmet cam footage of riders on cool singletrack, that's pretty cool to watch, but probably not for the general public. I know OLN used to show mountain biking and have a few biking shows, but these have become extinct now.

Just look at how long it took for road bike racing to get any coverage here in the U.S. Now the Tour de (day ala Bob Roll) France gets live coverage.

 

[Bike Nazi]

Yep another XC rider here and I also find XC races

I mostly ride XC, so I'm not downing on it by any means, but have you ever watched an XC race on TV? It's more boring than watching paint dry. The reason the only MTBing you see on TV is the big stunt stuff is because it's visually stimulating/exciting.

If you could somehow make XC riding LOOK exciting to people, they would get off their duffs and ride. Unfortunately, the only way most people will realize the joy/thrill of XC riding is if they just get out and do it.

on TV a tad bit boring, I guess they tried short track or smooth track so spectators can watch the whole race but that is a yawner to watch also.

Here is what I think would make for good racing and spectating,
have aggresive XC time trials with about 1 nasty mile of single track up and 1 nasty mile of single track down, bike selection would be paramount and reflect the kind of bikes a lot of us real world riders own or should own.

 

[nc-rider]

How can anyone say that XC racing is boring when the shows that replace it (on OLN) are so stupid? Which would you rather watch, XC racing or Hunting with Hank? Or any other show that deals with guns, bows, hunting, 4x4s, snowmobiles, or even BULL RIDING! Now THAT'S thrilling to watch.
I'll take XC racing (or even paint drying) any day.

 

[FISHLEG]

Nothing wrong with XC riding, but it just isn't TV friendly. Even footage of a DH race must be of the crazier sections or it would be boring.

 

[cmv96]

Publicity of stunts, etc hinder us in efforts to keep trails open with the political powers

 

[richeyr]

The other night on the Travel channel they had a show called most outrageous campgrounds. 1 was just outside of Moab and they did a 6 minute segment on moab mountain biking with some good trail footage.