Are you feeling left out?

sspomer
Posts
4235
Joined
6/26/2009
Location
Boise, ID US
2/3/2010 9:34pm
i ride XC/trail way more than i downhill if we're analyzing percentages.

taking that poll in MBA and having those results is no different than taking that poll in decline with results that say 90% ride downhill, ya know?

every riding type is great, there's no intentional "leaving out" of one riding type or another on vital (sven's south africa photo gallery had a lot of xc/trail goods in it).

the forum activity is growing and i'm stoked members like you are here consistently, bringing up good discussions!

think of it like trail building...it takes time to build a quality community just like it takes time for a trail get really ridden in.
bloghogs
Posts
94
Joined
8/1/2009
Location
Olympia, WA US
2/4/2010 12:32pm
Well,I could see where this could be taken wrong,but really it's a good natured conversation starter and not some pissy rant thread.
I would think Decline would have a more lopsided poll result than MBA.No I don't think MBA is the know all tell all,they just have more variety in thier coverage.
It just seems to me there would be more people doing the loop so to speak than people who have access to a chairlift or a truck to take them to the top of the hill on every ride they go on.
I like all types of bikes.I just find it strange that xc and trail riding get so little coverage anywhere.Oh and we all know this is the best mtb site on the net regardless how fast the boards move.
Simcik
Posts
289
Joined
8/1/2009
Location
Loma, CO US
2/4/2010 1:22pm
I don't think Spomer was getting defensive or took it the wrong way, just pointing out where the skew may come from, the actual audience of riders. I think this is a really good topic for discussion. I hope/dont think Vital has the pompous/condescending voice that would keep anyone from sharing their passion about riding, whatever the type.

Decline has in the past three years significantly uped the amount of trail bikes and products they have reviewed and included. I read Decline because of the audience they tend to address, where MBA doesnt cater to my major interests in riding.

I love trail riding and do it just as much as my other types of riding. The past few years at Angel Fire for example had more than double the number of gravity riders as the endurance side of the sport. There are also a huge number of gravity groms here in Colorado and the western states and that number grows every year. Gravity is growing, but is still small compared to XC/trail riding.

I am a mountain biker, I dont fit into the categories listed by MBA because I ride everything. I think a HUGE number of gravity riders are the same way. To each of us, being on our bikes in the woods or desert is like nothing else out there and the grade of the slope and travel of the bike doesnt really matter, to us, if it has 2 wheels and is outside, its the best ride/day of our lives.

Why does the gravity side get so much attention? There are way more videos made about the gravity side than the trail/XC side, that being said, Voreis section in Disorder 10 was essentially a trail ride, it was awesome! XC and trail riding would be hard to show how cool it is in a video unless the majority of the movie was about the descent. Watching someone climb just isnt that exciting. Gravity is easy to translate the excitement and adrenaline.

Go to just about any major manufacturers website and you will see a few gravity/DJ types of bikes but dozens of hardtails and trail/XC bikes. Yes, gravity is a blip on the screen compared to the millions of "regular" bikes out there. I would absolutely agree, there definitely are more riders out there ripping up local loops and singletracks than those out shuttling or hitting up the lift.

I think of it as the silent majority and the vocal minority.
2/5/2010 5:17am Edited Date/Time 4/21/2016 10:18am
I think its more like this. Trail and XC riding is what YOU yourself want to do. You would rather go for a good trail ride than watch videos / photos of others trail riding.

But the imagery you get from good DH/Freeride/DJ photos/videos with top riders and shooters is something you don't mind or want to look at. Obviously you want to be out there riding too but it also is a way to live vicariously thought the aspirational images. Make sense?


Where besides the actual scenery on a good XC/Trail ride, its the action, blood pumping and flow of the trails that keeps you stoked, even at your scrappy local XC loop.


But that all said; its great to see a niche for everything as Bike Mag seems to consistently deliver top notch trail and XC action, even though sometimes its too often heavily skewed to NW locations.


If people want it, I'm sure you will see more trail action shown here on Vital in the future.
2/5/2010 4:34pm
I ride primarily DH/DJ stuff, so I suppose that puts me in the minority. Either way, its all mountain biking, and presses my stoke button. But I am looking to get a rippin "mountain bike" ASAP to get back to my roots and shred some trails with. Trail riding for me is all about the adventure; exploring new zones, filling your soul up with some incredible vistas, and pumping and flowing your way down ribbons of singletrack. Away from the crowds, civilization, and all that noise and ugliness...just you and your bike, having fun. Plus all that training will pay off in any other form of riding that you do.

Long story short, I think these sort of "epic" rides are rarely portrayed to their fullest capacity in the mountain bike media. Its certainly not as easy as capturing the energy of a slopestyle run or World Cup race. And I would love to see more. Singletrack goods, even if remote, are usually a lot more accessible to the average rider, and never require an invitation or lift pass.
Rdot84
Posts
6
Joined
6/30/2012
Location
Clementon, NJ US
6/30/2012 10:01am Edited Date/Time 4/21/2016 10:21am
I know this is an old post but thought i would give it a bump. This video definitely captures the "epic" feel of trail riding.
bhalpin47
Posts
8
Joined
6/29/2012
Location
Modesto, CA US
10/18/2012 10:02am Edited Date/Time 4/21/2016 10:22am
I want to start off by saying Vital is my first stop when my computer turns on to start my day. Especially on days when I will not be able to ride, because it provides that little adrenaline boost that I live for. I think everyone has touched on the same points and I agree with the fact that the majority of the media here is focused on DH/FR.

Being an XC/Trail rider myself I like to watch an occasional video of some nice single track, but nothing can capture the thrill of exploring new places and the beautiful views when you reach the peak of a new mountain. With videos and photos of DH you can definitely get more of a feeling for the speed and challenges flying through the woods dodging trees and rocks. It's like just eating the frosting off the top of the cake... you just get the sweet stuff!

I also think vital does an excellent job of staying away from the stereotypical attitudes of each style of riding in all of their coverage, as well as promoting an overall positive environment for anyone with a passion for rolling on two wheels and exploring new places. I think the growth of the enduro riding style is doing, and will continue to do, wonders for bridging the gap between XC and DH riders.

Like sspomer said, let's build the XC forums and community to be representative of the riders we are!

Post a reply to: Are you feeling left out?

The Latest