[tabletop84]

so are we a minority? After all I thought we are the epitome of mountainbiking?

I'm arguing that the average dentis joe wants to look like the image portrayed in the media

http://www.singletracks.com/blog/trail-advocacy/mountain-biking-has-an-identity-crisis-and-it-affects-us-all/

 

[StiHacka]

so are we a minority?

Like 1% of 1%?

(Edit - not me, I can't bow legged whip)

 

[jstuhlman]

it's always black and white, eh? i am neither a technical climb loving recreational xc dentist, nor a redbull hucking berm schralper. i build jumps and berms on local trails and seek the steepest, ruggedest, sketchiest terrain i can find in the mountains and boost off of whatever's there while riding as fast as my 41-year old brain and body will let me. i hoot, holler, scream and laugh like a 6 year old when i'm having fun. idgaf what it's called. "mountain biking" is being set up as a straw man here. 99% of joe q. public never see the stupid skidding down a hill crap videos that passes for freeriding these days. and i'm willing to bet that a much higher percentage of "aggressive" riders dig than your average xc schmo. in the end, people should just be able to do what they find fun, and be civil to each other about it. eh?

 

[FlipFantasia]

I tend to agree with the sentiments of that piece, although it's kind of disjointed and a bit all over the place. As someone actively involved in local advocacy, this is exactly the thing I have to deal with...Mr. and Mrs. Old Hiker see rampage video or hucking photos, and literally oppose trail development for cross country riding because we'll "be freeriding off-trail, destroying the environment!" seriously, it happens, a lot, and it's fucking annoying as fuck.

 

[jstuhlman]

I tend to agree with the sentiments of that piece, although it's kind of disjointed and a bit all over the place. As someone actively involved in local advocacy, this is exactly the thing I have to deal with...Mr. and Mrs. Old Hiker see rampage video or hucking photos, and literally oppose trail development for cross country riding because we'll "be freeriding off-trail, destroying the environment!" seriously, it happens, a lot, and it's fucking annoying as fuck.

agree re: disjointed. however: chances of Mr. and Mrs. Old Hiker seeing a shreddy vid (what, do they hang out on pinkbike?) and being alarmed by mountain bikers: .001%; chances of Mr. and Mrs. Old Hiker being yelled at to "clear the trail" by a Starva-crazed xc racer boi: much, much higher. Let's think about who the pricks likely are: the speedster tearing it up on higher-volume local trails or the more freeride type dude deep in the woods with many fewer people around?

 

[StiHacka]

From what I have seen here, trail Nazi will actively seek evidence of bad behavior of their enemy if they feel it will advance their case. Random consumption of shredding videos - no. Searching and using them when they have axe to grind - absofuckinglutely.

 

[Bikael Molton]

agree re: disjointed. however: chances of Mr. and Mrs. Old Hiker seeing a shreddy vid (what, donthey hang out on pinkbike?) and being alarmed by mountain bikers: .001%; chances of Mr. and Mrs. Old Hiker being yelled at to "clear the trail" by a Starva-crazed xc racer boi: much, much higher. Let's think about who the pricks likely are: the speedster tearing it up on higher-volume local trails or the more freeride type dude deep in the woods with many fewer people around?

You have a point, though Rampage is on network TV and therefore, has the largest coverage of any MTB event, and I'm pretty sure there are highlights on news shows all over the world.

Rampage is really the only thing uninterested, non-riders who I talk to know about our sport, besides maybe that one viral Danny MacWackskill video from 3 years ago or whatever.

 

[kidwoo]

I quit reading at this point

Heck, let’s make it really simple: how many of us even so much as drift our rear wheels around the corners of our local trails? That’s actually more doable by the average Joe, but for the vast majority of us, we respect our local terrain, and we respect the work that it takes to build and maintain the trails—probably because we actually help to build and maintain said trails.

Anyone who actually knows how to build trails knows that drifting doesn't hurt trails. It tailors the grade. Of course I actually know the difference between drifting and earth based kickouts.

 

[jstuhlman]

earth based kickouts.

 

[iRider]

earth based kickouts.

Freeride flick?

 

[marshalolson]

I quit reading at this point

Heck, let’s make it really simple: how many of us even so much as drift our rear wheels around the corners of our local trails? That’s actually more doable by the average Joe, but for the vast majority of us, we respect our local terrain, and we respect the work that it takes to build and maintain the trails—probably because we actually help to build and maintain said trails.

Anyone who actually knows how to build trails knows that drifting doesn't hurt trails. It tailors the grade. Of course I actually know the difference between drifting and earth based kickouts.

But do you know the difference between drifts and locking your rear wheel and skidding all over the place?

 

[Tom Ritchey's Moustache]

Most of the articles that guy writes are rife with hyperbole and straight up bullshit. This one is no exception.

 

[jonKranked]

the media portrays biking that way because that's what sells. media, advertising = fantasy. not reality. nobody wants to see an middle aged slightly overweight weekend warrior stuffed like a bratwurst into his team replica kit, while he's huffing up a moderate climb on his 50T cassette cog.

 

[jonKranked]

I quit reading at this point

Heck, let’s make it really simple: how many of us even so much as drift our rear wheels around the corners of our local trails? That’s actually more doable by the average Joe, but for the vast majority of us, we respect our local terrain, and we respect the work that it takes to build and maintain the trails—probably because we actually help to build and maintain said trails.

Anyone who actually knows how to build trails knows that drifting doesn't hurt trails. It tailors the grade. Of course I actually know the difference between drifting and earth based kickouts.

if you stopped there, then you missed this nugget of gold:

"have you read about our weed-smoking history recently?!”

 

[WestCoastHucker]

the media portrays biking that way because that's what sells.

not that i buy into advertisements, but i agree that seeing some booner shralping a berm makes me wanna go ride a lot more than seeing a dentist in some majestic scenery...

 

[rockofullr]

"have you read about our weed-smoking history recently?!”

I have not!

This revelation is deeply disturbing to me. I plan on doing some hands on research asap.

 

[StiHacka]

nobody wants to see an middle aged slightly overweight weekend warrior stuffed like a bratwurst into his team replica kit, while he's huffing up a moderate climb on his 50T cassette cog.

That's why I ride mostly at night.

 

[StiHacka]

How about this isht? I don't think Giant lizard people are very smart here...

 

[Tom Ritchey's Moustache]

RS-1 is a stupid ass fork, but that Carl Decker is a real beef tassel in that tight costume.

 

[mykel]

Never understood the "Why?" behind the flick/kickout.
Never understood to the point of never even trying to do one.
I wonder if after 45 odd years riding footcycles in the dirt, if I'm missing something....

Anybody wanna lay some schoolin' on this old dog?

 

[kidwoo]

But do you know the difference between drifts and locking your rear wheel and skidding all over the place?

Nah too complex for me.



Honestly I haven't seen much in the way of videos with dudes locking their rear wheel up. Just a bunch of dumb ass wiggles. That's usually what people think who have never slid their tires anywhere: "well he MUST be locking up his rear brake because that's the only thing I can relate to"

Kamloops/Utah open erosion faces aside, but those aren't trails

 

[kidwoo]

Never understood the "Why?" behind the flick/kickout.
Never understood to the point of never even trying to do one.
I wonder if after 45 odd years riding footcycles in the dirt, if I'm missing something....

Anybody wanna lay some schoolin' on this old dog?

My theory is this. There was a generation of videos in the late 2000s with people actually riding fast. Sometimes your wheel kicks dirt when you rail the living shit out of a turn. A bunch of 12 year olds (now 20-ish) grew up trying to emulate that, not realizing that it was g-forces and commitment to the hardest leaned turn of your life causing it. Emulating the effect not the cause.

Also that spaz semenuk just started doing flailing spastic shit to look 'busy' going down sections of trails. That was one of them.


I'm thinking of starting a gofundme account to get an entry in the rampage this year. The premise is that I'll do a run doing nothing but freeride flicks and earthbased kickouts all the way down. Nothing else. There have to a be a few small mandatory drops I'm sure and on those I'll do that stupid tucky tucky bar turn thing that also looks incredibly forced. All in the hopes that every one of those guys there that are actually really good riders can maybe see how stupid it looks when they do it. It's the equivalent of Danny Hart doing kickouts when he's capable of some of the raddest whips ever.

 

[ianjenn]

Aussies don't mess around.....

 

[jonKranked]

My theory is this. There was a generation of videos in the late 2000s with people actually riding fast. Sometimes your wheel kicks dirt when you rail the living shit out of a turn. A bunch of 12 year olds (now 20-ish) grew up trying to emulate that, not realizing that it was g-forces and commitment to the hardest leaned turn of your life causing it. Emulating the effect not the cause.

Also that spaz semenuk just started doing flailing spastic shit to look 'busy' going down sections of trails. That was one of them.


I'm thinking of starting a gofundme account to get an entry in the rampage this year. The premise is that I'll do a run doing nothing but freeride flicks and earthbased kickouts all the way down. Nothing else. There have to a be a few small mandatory drops I'm sure and on those I'll do that stupid tucky tucky bar turn thing that also looks incredibly forced. All in the hopes that every one of those guys there that are actually really good riders can maybe see how stupid it looks when they do it. It's the equivalent of Danny Hart doing kickouts when he's capable of some of the raddest whips ever.

i'd pay to see that. but you have to do it in your tighty whities.

 

[Dogboy]

There was a generation of videos in the late 2000s with people actually riding fast. Sometimes your wheel kicks dirt when you rail the living shit out of a turn.

Or more recently, this - http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Runnin-Wild-in-Queenstown,30779/970biking,307

 

[slyfink]

My theory is this. There was a generation of videos in the late 2000s with people actually riding fast.

don't forget this

there were two segments in there all about skids and a young (Jill Kintner's husband) doing "cutties". I'm sure that video had a lot of "kids" practicing those maneuvers...

 

[kidwoo]

^^^

"professional driver, closed course"*




*the techniques described in this video are to be performed in a controlled race environment and should not be misconstrued as what you hacks should try to look like in your sickwebedit™


Or something like that.

 

[William42]

I was at that berm Rennie bombed at Sea Otter, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my mountain biking life having dirt flung in my eyes. I'm not sure if I was crying because of the dirt in my eyes or the fact that I witnessed what was the most severe and complete destruction of a berm in my life.

 

[Da Peach]

What about that Bryn Atkinson cairns clip that just came out? Or the strobel evil videos?

Pretty gratuitous...

...-sly kickass!

But I'm Canadian...

 

[jonKranked]

 

[4130biker]

Never understood the "Why?" behind the flick/kickout.
Never understood to the point of never even trying to do one.
I wonder if after 45 odd years riding footcycles in the dirt, if I'm missing something....

Anybody wanna lay some schoolin' on this old dog?

I'm pretty sure it's just for fun, but then someone thought it looked cool and now here we are.

 

[4130biker]

Pretty soon someone's gonna walk in here and start bitching about how squaring off corners isn't riding fast, or how it only works for Sam Hill...

 

[kidwoo]

I'm pretty sure it's just for fun, but then someone thought it looked cool and now here we are.

There was a polygon video with Kurt Sorge last year with a mix of clips from a regular positioned camera and a pov on him. Not once did he flick in the helmet footage. Tons when the camera was pointed AT him. It pretty much explained it all.

 

[Westy]

I predict that Richard Cunningham will declare Velo-Drifting to be the future of MTB.