I don't agree in growth for growth's sake, or for more money to line anyone's pockets, but the scarcity of trails and resources argument is a straw man - we only have the advocacy and access we enjoy now thanks to growth and the efforts and energy of those who swelled our ranks and lent their voices, time, expertise, and sweat equity. To say "I don't want anyone else crowding the trails" is arbitrarily deciding that you're in and happy NOW and screw the others who haven't had the fortune of discovering MTB yet.
Although this argument varies greatly depending on where you live and ride, the biggest issue is parking in North Van - once you're on the trails it's never crowded.
Anyway, I don't think the argument Richard is making is for growth, it's for access. Letting more people have the opportunity to discover MTB is different than focusing on increasing numbers, even if the end result is similar.
This is not a capitalist argument. More riders doesn't mean higher prices, it means the opposite. And MTB isn't at the bottom of cost - downward pressure has been placed on brands lately and it's entirely possible that could continue. Bikes cost too much, I agree, but making MTB more exclusive - or not making it less exclusive - is not the answer if the cost of bikes is a major concern.
March 22, 2024, noon - Pete Roggeman
I don't agree in growth for growth's sake, or for more money to line anyone's pockets, but the scarcity of trails and resources argument is a straw man - we only have the advocacy and access we enjoy now thanks to growth and the efforts and energy of those who swelled our ranks and lent their voices, time, expertise, and sweat equity. To say "I don't want anyone else crowding the trails" is arbitrarily deciding that you're in and happy NOW and screw the others who haven't had the fortune of discovering MTB yet. Although this argument varies greatly depending on where you live and ride, the biggest issue is parking in North Van - once you're on the trails it's never crowded. Anyway, I don't think the argument Richard is making is for growth, it's for access. Letting more people have the opportunity to discover MTB is different than focusing on increasing numbers, even if the end result is similar. This is not a capitalist argument. More riders doesn't mean higher prices, it means the opposite. And MTB isn't at the bottom of cost - downward pressure has been placed on brands lately and it's entirely possible that could continue. Bikes cost too much, I agree, but making MTB more exclusive - or not making it less exclusive - is not the answer if the cost of bikes is a major concern.