[bsieb]

I'm finding I don't really care if mtb goes anywhere anymore, more and more just another group of entitled users. I have been building mtb trails since the mid 80's, officially since the mid 90's. I have watched mtbing go from a simple back to nature oriented movement to a heavily commercialized international industry for the wealthy and entitled. Eff that... :skep:

 

[chazpat]

There are plenty of us around that are not riding the latest expensive super bike. My main bike is a 2014 Santa Cruz Superlight I paid $1600 for four years ago. My most recent bike is a 2017 Kona Unit, SS rigid that I bought last year. And plenty of us that love backcountry singletrack over groomed flow trail. The wealthy entitled just make the most noise.

 

[the-one1]

You find that with any hobby, its becomes a heavily commercialized international industry for the wealthy and entitled.

Look at the recent stories about Everest. Climbers dying because of long lines to get to the top of a rock. Climbers complaining about long lines.

Or the "overland" fad that's going around. Buying the latest gear to put on their lifted 4x4 to drive to work. Huge array of LEDs....for city driving. RTT to carry around just to carry around.

At the end of the day, you do you and do what makes you happy. Ignore the people who follow the latest fad. Go back to your roots and ride the way you have always enjoyed riding.

 

[rockman]

Personally, as a trail advocate I see "what we ride" and "where we ride" as two completely different things.

No groomed flow trails in my neck of the woods. The environmental lobby is too strong. Not that I want those anyway. We can do much better.

 

[evasive]

Nothing wrong with changing or evolving passions. Burnout is real. Nobody does this for the money in it, so if you’re not inspired anymore you won’t be doing anyone any favors, least of all yourself. Walk away or take a break before you become bitter and disillusion the next generation.

 

[plummet]

You need a new passion to chase. That could still be in mtb, but might not. Perhaps choose something that complements mtb. I delved heavily into kitesurfing for 10 years. I still kitesurf now. I kitesurf when conditions are right for kiting and bike when conditions are right for biking.

Its glorious. Mtb gives me the leg strength and aerobic, kitesurfing gives me a rock hard core.


Side note. Who cares about the prentous wankers. Get out into the forrest away from them and blissfully ignore them.

 

[slapheadmofo]

I'm finding I don't really care if mtb goes anywhere

Sounds like a breakthrough to me.

Just build and ride for fun.
Way more enjoyable.

 

[Kolchak]

Silliness. You might as well go crawl under a rock if you can't handle people having fun the way they want because they might have better things than you. You sound like the kid who loved Green Day until they made a hit song and became more famous.

 

[Miker J]

I'm finding I don't really care if mtb goes anywhere anymore, more and more just another group of entitled users. I have been building mtb trails since the mid 80's, officially since the mid 90's. I have watched mtbing go from a simple back to nature oriented movement to a heavily commercialized international industry for the wealthy and entitled. Eff that... :skep:

Maybe just back off for a while.

Are you talking mtb in general or just your involvement with trail building?

Personally I'm digging riding as much as ever, probably more. Trail building , well I lost interest. Mostly due to disagreements due to having a different philosophy than some other builders. In the past I had a huge passion for building, cared too much, then got soured, backed away for a bit, settled down, and now I'm back at it in a more healthy way but much less intense about the whole building thing. Point is, letting it go for a while cleared my head, reset my brain if you will - and now I'm back in a much better way.

 

[unrooted]

I'm only digging because I don't like the trails I have available to me despite there being great terrain that could be built the way I want to ride.

I'm also not a huge fan of the bro/brah jock mentality that mountain biking has been heading towards in the last few years. . . but I love riding the type of trails that those frat types are drawn towards. . . who knows what the future holds, but for now I'll just enjoy building and riding trails that make me smile and enjoy the good people in the sport.

 

[11053]

No one likes a quitter.

Stay off the intrawebs and stravas for a few thousand miles.
Pedal what you like even if you didn't build it/maintain it.
Go ride new places.
Then, go back to the stuff you built and maintained and see what the new kids say.
Getting stuck between the now and the glory days can be frustrating.
Ride for yourself, but build/maintain for the future?

 

[shekky]

i was a volunteer radio DJ at a college/community radio station from 1999-2016.

one day, sat down to gather music for my show and just couldn't do it. producing radio shows had been one of my top three passions for that many years and i just walked away. it became too much work and was no longer adding positive energy to my life.

so i feel what you're saying. and you know what? do what YOU feel is right for YOU.

another thought along the lines of MTB'ing becoming commercialized--that might be the case for some but not for all. mountain biking is what we make it for ourselves.

my two cents.

 

[11053]

I'm only digging because I don't like the trails I have available to me despite there being great terrain that could be built the way I want to ride

Et tu, Brute?

 

[bitflogger]

It's also become sustainable, the trail and products inventory lets me enjoy it in my 6th decade, and it's neat to see the way girls, kids and moms are into it like never before.

About every time I get burned out with the volunteering I also meet someone new who's had a great or transformative experience with the sport. For one spring work day this year my crew was more than 1/2 girls, young women and moms of the girls. It wasn't just cool that it happened that way. It was cool to see how they were so into it and best listeners ever for a crew that didn't have a lot of experience.

Racing has never been my thing but we have some NICA coaches and team leaders who are just amazing. Where I'm a trail leader the NICA team has nerds and autistic kids every bit as welcome and respected as the stars. Does that happen at in the gym or sports fields across town? No way.

The wealth complained about has funded what used to be a struggle and it hasn't stopped me from riding and enjoying it. I see people forget their politics on a group ride I help lead. Sometimes I count 4-5 moms out with or without kids on my ride from home trail. The more accessible trails we've built have meant all the world to two I know who've dealt with cancer.

I'm not going to give it up so fast. I'm not bothered by change. Some of it is just all too good even if most if it's not for me.

 

[S​​usspect]

I have watched mtbing go from a simple back to nature oriented movement to a heavily commercialized international industry for the wealthy and entitled. Eff that... :skep:

I relate to this, not that I've been around biking as long but always had a thing for the back to nature sports. Originally I got into backpacking/hiking, which is basically moving very slowly through the woods, "leave no trace" and all that. I like the quiet out there, and now that I bike I often ride alone.

MTB is a different animal, and the future does seem driven by community and industry recognition of the money at stake. Where I live in NWA, we have massive ongoing trail builds funded by the local Walton family.... sh*t, trails like this getting handed to us on a regular basis can make even the not-so-wealthy develop entitlement issues (about trails, at least). I'm loving all the access it has given to the woods.

I've had a little trouble fitting into the local bike culture of corporate men on bright carbon bikes, but like I said... I like to bike alone. Less friction.

 

[jeffw-13]

For me mountain biking and trail work is what I do to relieve stress and get away from the day to day BS that drags us down. If it gets to a point where it's causing me stress then it's time to reevaluate why I'm doing it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Harold]

Maybe just back off for a while.

Are you talking mtb in general or just your involvement with trail building?

Personally I'm digging riding as much as ever, probably more. Trail building , well I lost interest. Mostly due to disagreements due to having a different philosophy than some other builders. In the past I had a huge passion for building, cared too much, then got soured, backed away for a bit, settled down, and now I'm back at it in a more healthy way but much less intense about the whole building thing. Point is, letting it go for a while cleared my head, reset my brain if you will - and now I'm back in a much better way.

I resemble this in a lot of ways. Started digging on trails 20yrs ago, and have graduate level education in environmental science so I know a few things. Got involved in a club where a lot of the active builders were engineers who had a wildly different philosophy than me, and wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. The conflicts soured me in a bad way on building so I stepped away from it.

I've become involved in other ways. The main thing I've been doing for the past year is serving as a NICA coach, and I love it. Been getting a little more of a trail building bug lately, and primarily because even though I live in an area with no shortage of mtb trails in general, we simply don't have the kind of facility to be able to host a NICA race and I've started working with a group who's also interested in being able to do that. Being able to bring a NICA race to the area would go a long way, I think, towards getting more kids on the 3 local teams to just try it out, but also make the league more attractive to others in the general region and might help bring more teams online.

I've never fit in with the enduro-bro type of riders/riding all that well. I like riding for different reasons. Hell, I don't race, either, and I mostly enjoy coaching the kids on my NICA team who aren't all that interested in racing. They just sign up for the team for the group rides and skills practice with their friends 2-3 times per week. My favorite rides are the ones where I stop for the flowers, to listen to or observe wildlife, enjoy the view, enjoy a swimming hole, etc. I like long rides and bikepacking (though my fitness has needed improvement now that I live in an area with bigger elevation and higher fitness requirements). It's taken some time, but I'm finding people who like to ride the way I do, and that helps. I still ride by myself or with my wife most frequently, but having that crew with similar interests helps me to avoid getting jaded by the enduro-bros shredding the gnar.

 

[bsieb]

Just to be clear, I'm not giving up my rigid steel Coconino any time soon. More into bike packing, klunking.

 

[rockman]

Just to be clear, I'm not giving up my rigid steel Coconino any time soon. More into bike packing, klunking.

sounds like a lot of folks I know in this town. I know at least 15 folks still putting serious miles on their rigid 15 year old singlespeed Coconinos. Give me 5" of full squish but they seem quite content.

 

[Mr Pig]

Nothing stays the same, nothing. Life is a moving target. Adapt because the old days ain't coming back.