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Seems like we’ve been talking about mountain biking becoming the new golf for some time now but today, more than ever before, I feel like this is really true. Bikes are expensive, luxury MTB travel options are cropping up everywhere, and mountain bikers (seem) to be getting older. So what’s next?
I guess the rise of slopestyle and enduro could be seen as a response to this. XC/Trail riding is for the new golf crowd so the original XC/Trail guys decided to step up their game and go bigger and faster. Or maybe it’s something else entirely… kite surfing? parkour?
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It should be wingsuits. I don’t think we have enough gopro videos with Sail as the soundtrack.
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I thought it depended on age: downhill for the young who still bounce instead of break when they hit the ground; enduro for downhillers who have wised up a little; XC for those older and wiser; and ultra endurance for us tough stringy stew meat old men that even mountains can’t chew.
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When you look at it, prices haven’t really changed that much. In 1998 I bought a Schwinn Moab for $700, it was a lower range HT. In 2000 I bought a Rocky Mountain Element for $2k, the bike was a decent lower end FS. In 2004, I bought a Kona Coiler for $3k, it was a solid mid-range bike. That is still about where the price points are today.
I think it’s more perception than anything, especially in this media heavy time.
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Hmmmm, no pricey membership involved, anyone is welcome to hit the dirt, no dress code, no lounges, no bike boys telling you the best gear to use use climbing this hill, no foul for flying off trail, no replacing the turf you just shredded, no yelling FORE but another four letter word is commonly used when the chain drops off, no ball washers on the trails though it would be nice after a sweaty ride. I would call the new mountain biking the old mountain biking, nothing new just more scars.
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Disc golf.
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Hmmmm, no pricey membership involved, anyone is welcome to hit the dirt, no dress code, no lounges, no bike boys telling you the best gear to use use climbing this hill
So there are definitely different levels of golf (par 3 courses, driving ranges, etc.) Mountain biking started out as a sport for dirt bag riders (not offense to the Repack guys) but today there are much higher end offerings (like this and this.) Not sure how the pricing on $10K Specialized bikes compare to their top-of-the-line offerings 20 years ago so that one could go either way…
I guess the good news is that these high end travel and bike offerings don’t really take away from the “low” end–anyone can still hit the trail and run what they brung. Then again, resort-style riding is picking up where daily lift tickets are akin to greens fees.
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True on the lift tickets. $52 at Northstar in Tahoe. Can’t do that all they time, but it is definitely fun once or twice a year!
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