Back in the good old days when mountain bikes looked like well, mountain bikes and no one liked us and we diddnt care, specialized and tioga farmers were the tyre of choice and everyone either had a muddy fox, stumpy, canondale or an orange we went on rides. such as a ride up box hill, a ride over the south downs, the odd cross county bit through the lake district and so on.
Then something happened, I must have been asleep at the time as i obviously missed the event but places called "trail centres" suddenly appeared. ok i get that, i even took my chute to p.o.r.c. in the late 90,s but that was where you go if you were insane.
Then hydroforming happened, ok I get that as well, its evolution innit. But having a "trail" thats 500 meters long and calling it something like "the devils underpants" or similar and then rolling around the car park on the lapierre bouncing up and down before pulling on the fox body armour and full face with oakleys and having another "ride" on the "widowmaker".
Two things have occured to me.
1. retro is as welcome as a fart in a space suit at these places.
2. Mountain biking isnt well....mountain biking any more.
is it?
Then something happened, I must have been asleep at the time as i obviously missed the event but places called "trail centres" suddenly appeared. ok i get that, i even took my chute to p.o.r.c. in the late 90,s but that was where you go if you were insane.
Then hydroforming happened, ok I get that as well, its evolution innit. But having a "trail" thats 500 meters long and calling it something like "the devils underpants" or similar and then rolling around the car park on the lapierre bouncing up and down before pulling on the fox body armour and full face with oakleys and having another "ride" on the "widowmaker".
Two things have occured to me.
1. retro is as welcome as a fart in a space suit at these places.
2. Mountain biking isnt well....mountain biking any more.
is it?