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As I finished up my last ride of 2020, I rounded a corner and headed into a descent down a road in a nearby park. Picking up speed, I looked left on the parallel piece of singletrack and watched a mountain biker start his descent. He was wearing jeans, athletic shoes, a jacket, and no helmet. With his right hand holding the bars steady, his left held a phone vertically and recorded his descent, with freshly dried trail unrolling in front of him.
Safe? Probably not. Amazing? Most definitely. Presumably, the rider was new to mountain biking and having such a good time that he couldn’t help but whip out his phone, and record the oncoming dirt so he could export the experience to friends on social media.
Last year caught the mountain bike world off guard, myself included. As I noted in a story from last year, I posted a full-suspension bike of mine for sale in March before the pandemic got real. When restaurants and ski resorts closed up shop, and people around the world started losing their jobs, I assumed that I’d be hanging on to my unwanted bike for a while, but the opposite quickly proved true. A day after the Colorado governor announced the first stay-at-home order, I got three or four offers and the bike sold.
Our corner of the world always seems like a privilege and a luxury. For many, it is. Premium, full-suspension mountain bikes are a Ford Raptor, when a busted up Corolla would get us from point A to B. Nice bikes are completely unnecessary, yet absolutely vital to those who make it a lifestyle.
As we know now, bikes became a hot commodity after we settled into our hermit routines. Riding a bike is easy to do from home or close to home, it’s a low risk activity for virus transmission between others on the trail, and far more fun than sitting in a stadium next to annoying drunkards, watching other people play sports.
Like Jim Hodgson told Jeff Barber last month, “If you asked me a year ago what was keeping people from riding, I’d have said, well, maybe they don’t feel fit enough, maybe they don’t want to spend thousands on bikes, maybe they don’t know where to go.
I think we’ve learned from the pandemic that cycling was never competing with any of that. It was competing with bars and sports.”
Therein lies the assumption, that when sports balls start flying again, when silver screens see the glow of a projector, when bartenders can legally serve up celebration shots after doctors hand out the last of their shots, the mountain bike and cycling world will return to normal. Unless of course, busier trails and sold out bike shops are the new normal.
Before 2020 finished, I spoke with a marketing rep from a bike brand who thought this could be the case. They had had a record number of sales in 2020 and couldn’t order any extra bikes for 2021, because their factory time had been booked long before they knew they would need more. Before 2020 was over, the company was booking their production time for 2022, confident that the “bike boom” wouldn’t be a bust the following year, and that the cycling world will retain many of the new riders we saw on the trails.
Now, there are certainly downsides to this, but by and large it feels mostly positive. I have a handful of friends, if not two handfuls, that bought their first mountain bike this summer and were stoked to start a new sport. If you, like me, have always tried to convince friends that mountain biking is as cool as you say it is, you know that the conversation got much easier this past year.
The downsides of course include busier trails, and poor etiquette, as well as a more complicated experience trying to shop for bikes, bike parts, or getting into a shop for a repair. The positives though surely carry more weight. Assuming land managers are paying attention, we should expect to see an increase in trails in the coming years to spread out traffic and mitigate overuse. If they aren’t paying attention, make them.
After the supply chain strains that are currently increasing costs on mountain bikes subside, the market as a whole should become more affordable with a greater base of customers. Hopefully the carbon “super bike” brands see the value in this, and they can eventually lower prices, as a reflection of scale and competition, just like the car world. If we can get 15 different variations of a Mustang these days, with seven different motors, we should (eventually) be able to get more than three build options on the same carbon frame.
In 2021, veteran mountain bikers can set the tone for new riders and the industry alike. Take a friend out who just bought a new bike, and be patient with them for goodness sake. Stop and ask them if they’d like to session a feature they’re having trouble with, but avoid being the mansplainer and put the decision in their hands.
Show them how to yield to hikers and uphillers, and give mountain bikers a positive reputation. Invite them out on a dig day. If more mountain bikers understand the amount of work it takes to get a trail built and keep it in good shape, there’s a good chance that mountain bike organizations will have more money to build more trails.
Most importantly, share the excitement. Like many, I’ve been upset with the increase in traffic on the trails this year. No one wants to kill their flow, turn after turn. But, positivity begets positivity, and how disillusioned is it to hope that other people don’t find the things that give you joy?
Pandemic restrictions are still alive and well for most of the world and it doesn’t look like things will get much easier in that regard until later in the year. I’m positive though, that it will be another good year for mountain bikers and bicycle riders as long as we can keep pedaling.
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It’s a good perspective Matt and I honestly wish I shared it. I’d like to think that the influx of new riders will be good for the sport leading to more trails, cheaper bikes, etc. but I have to say I’m a bit skeptical given my experiences over the last 9 months. Trail systems in the areas I ride have been inundated with new users. Now I totally get that these users have every right to use these trails as I do, or anyone else for that matter. But it’s the lack of etiquette by so many users – and in some instances complete disregard for other users as well as the trails themselves – that concerns me. The behaviors I’ve witnessed don’t just imperil the new rider but other trail users as well. The example you cite of the helmetless rider with the iPhone in one hand is a classic case. This individual is risking serious injury to himself as well as others. Is the physical act of doing so impressive… sure. But it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.
I realize we were all newbs once and probably did things we didn’t realize were poor etiquette. But once issues were pointed out to us – or we educated ourselves because we were genuinely interested in the sport of MTB’ing – we adapted our behaviors… at least most have. It’s one thing to say that it’s up to seasoned riders to help educate the new riders but I can’t tell you how many people either don’t care or actually take exception even when issues are pointed out in very diplomatic ways. This has become particularly troubling recently with the onset of the freeze thaw cycle. Local advocacy groups and seasoned riders have posted numerous articles about the negative impact of riding trails during this time. I can’t tell you how many individuals have responded negatively to such articles with a strong sense of entitlement. Some have gone so far as to post their “mud videos” as if wearing (i.e. destroying) the trail (as well as their drivetrain) is a badge of honor.. like they just completed a mud run. This has resulted in a number of parks taking the extreme measures of closing their trails until spring which adversely affects all other users. I don’t mean to paint all newbs with this one brush – some are extremely courteous. But there is a new breed within this group that only cares about themselves… and what gets the most “likes” on social media. Rant over.
Hey Rmap01, I totally understand your perspective, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated about the same issues. I hate to see trail braiding, poor etiquette, and a lack of education too, as I’ve been on the receiving end of it more than I count the past year, and beyond. For myself, I just haven’t found it useful to resent poor riding choices by new MTBers, and want to look beyond for something more productive. I’ve tried calling out poor etiquette before and it almost always results in an argument with a stranger and feeling like shit the rest of the day. We don’t have the ability to stop and educate outside of bike shops, or at the trailhead. People are buying more bikes these days, and mountain biking more, so what choices do we really have? I guess that’s where I’m at with the new ridership.
This too has been my experience with the recent influx of new riders. Encountered a rider going the wrong way on a one way today. Informed them nicely of their misdoing and was told to shut the fuck up, because they knew what they were doing. Also have had a lot of riding closed trails whether for rain or maintenance and said riders being proud they did so. Add in parking issues, and its been a complete shit show. Hope things return to normal.
I am guessing many of us riders started with poor trail etiquette. I remember seeking out puddles to see how dirty I could get in my teenage years. If we had social media back then I’m sure I’d be all over it. It took me a long time to realize my behavior had impacts. The world has plenty of A holes but most people just don’t know and sometimes it takes a while to realize you are being an idiot. So I’m with Matt, all we can do is try to educate.
I’m in the front range of Colorado too and packed trails were a reality before the pandemic. You can let it ruin your ride or make peace with it (or wake up insanely early, ride at night or in the snow). A few years ago, I made an effort to talk and be friendlier out on the trail. I’ve always been a loner on the bike and riding is “my” time. It was hard to reconcile getting my personal space with sharing the trail. But after embracing a more social approach to riding, I find myself less frustrated with the crowds and having more fun. It’s much better to connect with the people who are there to genuinely have fun than spend time fighting with the idiots.
Matt, your article on Tuesday regarding supply chains meshes well with your outlook on lower prices and more models following the pandemic. I would like to offer an alternative perspective–the bike industry maintains higher prices, slow down bleeding edge technology rollout, and sponsors more community-based efforts. This approach focuses more on the activity rather than on the bicycles. From a journalistic perspective, your platform may become an outlet for more advocacy rather than primarily product reviews. Yes, I enjoy buying a new anything for my bike (or new bike!), but I ride my bike more than I maintain or upgrade it. I want to connect with people who are doing the same, which is why your platform appeals to me. So consider using the downtime from fewer product reviews this year to showcase all the great effort riders are putting forth out there.
Thanks, enduroexpert78. Advocacy and access news are really important to us and something we try and cover as often as possible. It’s hard to completely avoid gear reviews for us, but covering those stories of trail builders/orgs and access issues is something we want to lead on, so it’s great to hear that you appreciate it!
A good article Matt. Thanks. Crazy times in the biking world.
The crowding that a lot of trails are experiencing is hopefully a short-lived issue. New users on the trail can be frustrating to veteran riders, just like playing behind a first time golfer or a student driver.
Until the current situation eases, I have decided to embark upon a few different tactics to ease my personal congestion. Guggino88 has one of the best ideas about arriving early, very early. No parking issues, no crowding on the trails and I have more of my day available when finished. Too early to have a post ride beer though.
I have also decided to try to go find new places to ride. A little effort in traveling can pay off with a different riding experience and a lesser used set of trails. Grab a topo map and explore on the pages before you head out. You may also meet new people to ride with. Although it may not be your normal, awesome trails, make the best of it until the crowds disperse.
As for the idiots on the trails, I’ve come to the conclusion that they shall always be with us. All of you who attempt to educate are heros to the rest of us. Most of the time I just continue on and don’t worry about it. jrmcc79’s experience is nothing new and you just have to let those people go and hope natural selection catches up with them.
Here’s hoping that 2021 is indeed The Year of The Mountain Biker.