Agreed. And I’ll add that I see a direct connection between ‘shred’ culture and bike prices.
I started Mountain Biking in 2009 with a $300 used 26” hardtail… and guess what? It was fun. But riding that same bike on modern black diamond trails would not be much fun. Making sure trail networks include some more approachable ‘green’ trails also allows folks to enter the sport with cheaper equipment while still having fun.
I think there’s an important difference between growth vs. evolution. A sport can evolve in ways that make it more accessible… or more exclusive. I’d be happy to see a gradual demographic shift with comparably small ‘growth’. And none of this will come at the expense of great advanced trails / more capable bikes.
So > no, I don’t want growth for the sake of growth in the capatilst paradigm. But I’d be happy to see some modest growth for the purpose of building a more inclusive and welcoming community within our sport.
March 23, 2024, 6:48 a.m. - Vincent Edwards
Agreed. And I’ll add that I see a direct connection between ‘shred’ culture and bike prices. I started Mountain Biking in 2009 with a $300 used 26” hardtail… and guess what? It was fun. But riding that same bike on modern black diamond trails would not be much fun. Making sure trail networks include some more approachable ‘green’ trails also allows folks to enter the sport with cheaper equipment while still having fun. I think there’s an important difference between growth vs. evolution. A sport can evolve in ways that make it more accessible… or more exclusive. I’d be happy to see a gradual demographic shift with comparably small ‘growth’. And none of this will come at the expense of great advanced trails / more capable bikes. So > no, I don’t want growth for the sake of growth in the capatilst paradigm. But I’d be happy to see some modest growth for the purpose of building a more inclusive and welcoming community within our sport.