Whilst rad, mountain biking isn’t all gnar, and by presenting it like that, lots of people are missing out an all the easy fun that mountain biking could offer them.
Matty Johnson is a former professional baseball player who now makes mountain biking content for his YouTube channel. He discovered mountain biking five years ago, and in that time has pushed himself to ride harder features.
In this video I will be talking about some misconceptions when It comes to mountain biking and how all the expensive bikes and difficult trails are not what mountain biking is all about.
The topics he covers have a lot of overlap with the agenda of Reframing MTB. What do you think? Is there room for all styles of riding? Do we see enough of ‘just riding along’? Or is it boring to watch, but fun to do? How would you encourage more people to give mountain biking a shot?
I haven’t watched the video, but anyway… I don’t ride much nowadays. When I do I would say it’s an xc/ wander around/ sort of ride where am trying to ride as much as possible in the time I have, but still hit as many trails as possible so it’s not just bridleways. My xc bike is 10years old now but still fine for this. I just don’t hit the big gaps the kids have built though. It’s wheels on the ground(mostly) xc not sending xc. Just riding a bike.Â
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MTBing seems to have a a general perception issue (for both participants and observers), presented as being non-stop Gnarr with people banging on about progression and adrenalin, when it can’t all be like that all of the time. I’ve got two very different flavours of MTB these days a bouncy one and a rigid one, and they cover quite a potential spectrum of uses between them from efficient long distance trundling to uplifted Gnarr. Hypothetically the bouncy one could “do it all" on it’s own, but where’s the fun in that? I’ve had various DH, Trail, Dirt jumper and XC bikes over the years the definition of an “MTB" or indeed “MTBing" is so broad now as to be almost meaningless. At the same time why do we think Gravel has become so popular? (got a couple of those too); It doesn’t seem to come with the expectation that participants regularly exceed their skills/ability and have to take time out for broken bones to heal, there’s a bit more of a focus on getting out and about and using a bike as a tool to see the world, rather than finding new and exciting ways to cheat death or serious injury. That’s clearly got some appeal to quite a lot of people too… Of course the curly barred bikes will never compete with the fun of battling your way through a bunch of lose turns, drops and jumps to successfully clean a tricky line on a machine that is a bit more equal to the task (and is only really limited by the meat sack in charge of it). I guess the key is balance and recognising you don’t have to spend all of your time on a bike trying to dance on the edge of calamity, some times it’s nice to scare yourself a little, but nobody can live like that all the time… Not really very profound is it?
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Kind of starting from the assumption that Gravel bike riders are all just “Roadies" with a new hobby. I’m not so sure that’s the case…Â
I don’t think anyone is lying to me about mountain biking, but it has evolved around me whilst my preferences have largely stayed the same.
I was 26 when I got the bug and I’m now 51.
Back then, the 90s were drawing to a close and unless you were a DHer you were an XC rider or a trials rider. I was a trail hacker then and I’m a trail hacker now, just an older, less fit and more skilled and experienced one.
The marketing and trail centre culture that has grown up in the intervening years has lead to less expectations on physical effort actually cycling and more focus on jumping, drops and flat out speed down some kind of gradient, but all the other iterations of what mtbing is or has been are still out there but aren’t as fashionable right now.
You just have to choose the one you like doing.
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For you? Cool. For others, maybe it’s not about balance.
For me it’s either local gnar, or the uplifted gnar. Regularly hitting the adrenaline button is something that serves a purpose for me.
I don’t do gentle routes or scenic bimbles on the bike, I get more enjoyment from walking them with Ms. RM and the hound.
But what I’m not going to do, now or ever (nor should anyone else) is tell others how they should define what MTBing is for them.Â
I watched the video and felt it was a bunch of self-indulgent tripe which pops out via such mediums every now and again.
MTBing is what you make it, want it and/or need it to be for you.Â
There endeth my sermon.
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I always do unfashionable mtb now days, but you do get to see some nice wildlife.
My favourites are mountain hares, adders and weasels.
Scenery is often nice as well.
Huh, the article got no comments for a few days but apparently I opened a modest floodgate with mine today.
I don’t know that I had a particular point, it was just that the video had some moments that struck a chord with me where I’ve been questioning what I enjoy about the pastime lately, along with having a few competing interests making it so I get out less on the bike anyway. Might just be a longish loss of mojo interlude, might be a permanent change, I dunno. Interesting to see all these thoughts about what the industry and trends are doing to people’s perceptions though. It feels like the clickbait title is a little counterproductive in that sense but that seems to be the way of the world now.
I couldn’t be arsed with watching it or that reason, it’s like all the videos about why XVZ ‘is a con’ – Gore-Tex is a classic. Or plus-sized tyres etc. Why ice cream is the biggest con ever etc
I just like riding bikes. No-one’s lying to me about it because I’m not gormless enough to confuse social media or advertising with reality.Â
Is this an example of the tribe/ club attitude of cycling in the UK. Here you are in or out depending on the bike you ride.
European cyclists are different they are a united sport/leisure group, perhaps that’s why cycling is well supported by the governments.Â
Also tell me why XC biking is different from gravel or bikepacking, isn’t it just going out on unprepared trails? Racing is a different story.
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That’s sweet 🙂
There was a thread some time ago where I think I suggested we rebrand off-road riding as “wild cycling" to align with swimming, camping and any other fashionable, Guardian-friendly outdoors activities.
Personally I’d like to see (even more) middle-aged women out on bikes.
Click bait is how a Film-maker with 43K followers gets a 125K views on a video – Not saying it’s right, but it’s how the YouTube algorithm works.Â
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I’m broadly sympathetic to what Matty is saying. For most film makers maxxing the gnarr is what works for them, and the development of mountain bikes over the last 3 decades means that you can go and buy the same bike that Metallier or Barelli rides, but very few of us live in Washington State or the Sea to Sky corridor. Riding a 160mm travel bike in any terrain that doesn’t need it (as most folks quickly find out) a bit of a pain, and even if you do have that terrain, the speed at which you can do shit at now, even as a regular Joe can lead to some pretty impressive 3rd law moments.Â
I like riding the 50 miles along the TPT to the coast and back, along the canal/river side on my Hardtail barely breaking 300m of climbing, but then I also enjoy scaring the shit out of myself at places like Revolution or Antur Stiniog . There’s space for both.Â
when I first got into MTBing as a teen in the early 90s, I was partially attracted by the sort of ‘rad dude’, outsider kind of imagery.
But when it came down to it, I was a bit of a wuss and didn’t really have the cojones to be doing the huge dropoffs and big jumps that some of my peers were.
in the 2000s I looked at the rise of trail centres, uplifts, and driving your bike to ride it with a sort of disdain I couldn’t put my finger on, eventually realising that what I really liked about MTBing wasn’t the gnar at all, but ‘getting away from it’ and having a little adventure. Exploring, getting lost, pushing your bike across a bog in the rain, hacking through the woods, finding a good bit of singletrack you’ve never done before, seeing somewhere new, telling your mum you were going out and coming back 6 hours and 50 miles later, cold and covered in mud.
Which, now, feels like ‘gravel’ riding to me. Back then, a 50 mile ride would involve at least 25 miles of road, and it would be done on a bike with 1.95″ tyres and no suspension. That’s still what I’m interested in now, albeit with additional pub action.
I do love to challenge myself, and that often means trying to ride stupid enduro trails at the Golfie or whatever.
But my favourite riding is whatever is just over the limit of what a gravel bike can handle. Give me a long flowing hilltop with some chattery rocks and bumpy bits, or a big mountain, or just a big loop in the wilderness. There does seem to be a race to make every ride as technical and sendy as possible whereas I just like going faster than walking away from the city generally.Â
I used to want to only ride DH/park and didn’t really enjoy pedally rides at all. It was all about going bigger each time, ended up getting a bit sick of the pressure of constantly pushing myself. Had a few years mostly off MTB when my kids were younger which kind of put a stop to all that. I’ve lost my bottle a bit now and I don’t really enjoy that kind of riding any more. Up until recently I still wanted to get back to where I was on jumps etc, but suddenly something just changed in my head and I’m not really interested.
What excites me now is just getting out and putting some miles in, riding up/down some hills, finding some good bits of singletrack and enjoying the scenery. I still favour the descents of course but enjoy a challenging climb too. Maybe the DH and trail centre stuff will come back at some point but for now I’m enjoying the “classic xc" type of riding more. Still not sure whether I’m ready for a gravel bike though, I want to actually enjoy the descents still. Have been thinking of swapping my trail bike in for something more xc/downcountry but not sure if I want to commit to that yet in case I regret it being more compromised downhill!
I have 2 youngsters. One likes riding bikes but only if it’s relatively flat and “not bumpy". The other asks me at least twice a week when he can “get a downhill bike". As far as he’s concerned, that means dual crown. There is an element of coolness in this (from his POV), combined with a good measure of neurodivergence. However, get past that and fundamentally he loves riding bikes, which as far as I’m concerned is a win as it is far better then spending is whole time playing Fortnite, and also a win as I get to spend quality time with him. As a consequence I’ve had a reason (excuse?) to buy my first full suspension bike to try to keep up with him (long story short his neurodivergence can be a barrier to riding with kids his age), and I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone a bit. Whilst this hasn’t always been smooth sailing, my skills have improved and benefited my usual riding, I’ve met new people, and had some fun. At the end of the day, it’s all riding and better for well-being than staring at a screen.
Whilst he prefers riding on built trails (we are fortunate to live close to Descend/Hamsterley), when we have gone out into the big wide world he has also had a great time (the Borrowdale Bash last year being a good example), so the lines are definitely blurred when it comes to the types of riding he enjoys, and I hope that as he matures he’ll develop more of an appreciation for other types of adventure.Â
Personally I prefer the big expedition to explore the wider world and get satisfaction from multiple things (the physical effort, the technical challenges of non-built trails, the mental health boost from seeing the world from a different perspective, the random conversations you have with strangers). I also derive satisfaction from having built my bike (including the wheels) and from maintaining my bike (there’s a current thread about that!). ‘Zen and the Art of MTB Maintenance’ etc. I don’t think it really matters what your regular bike is classed as, how many you have, or where you choose to ride. As long as you enjoy riding it/them and get out of the house for a few hours it’s a win, both from a mental health and physical perspective.
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Media (magazines and VHS videos back then) certainly played a part for me back in the day – Dirt, JMC and the boys, Peaty racing a Kona HT were all alluring. Even preceding that era though, I always wanted an MTB. I loved the idea of a bike that could ride rough tracks, going back to my Raleigh Bomber.
The 90’s scene saw riders doing stuff that seemed way beyond my skill level, but not totally out of touch with reality. We all rode Fort Bill WC early 2000’s and albeit slowly, we made it down ok.
These days, I don’t really have any interest in watching massive jump lines – that’s not MTB to me. And Red Bull Rampage – it’s ok for a few minutes for the wow factor, but none of it is relatable to me in a sense of anything I’d even want to try.
Lets not try and pretend we aren’t influenced in some way by social media though. From reading reviews (often with a pinch of salt) about something you might want to buy, to viewing ride pics on here and thinking you’d maybe like to ride there.
I know the type of riding I like – an actual ride with some tech features and nice downhill. A lot of the local riding if with one of the groups has moved towards sessioning steeps. It’s fine for a bit, but I’ll generally avoid if I know that’s what the whole ride is geared towards.
With bikes and kit (as with most expensive purchases of anything), I tend to find something I like and feel I want THEN read reviews, trying to take them in objectively and seek personal views through online platforms too. I think maybe my Kona in ’97 was swayed by Peaty, but I can’t think that any of my other bike purchases have been massively influenced by the media – including my ebikes. Although Rob Rides walk around vid of the 2019 Kenevo did help with my final decision prior to walking into JE James to see it hands on
I get where he’s coming from. I watched a few of his videos a while back, and the video in question. Sure the title is a little click-baity, but that’s just the times we live in currently. I thought he seemed like a genuine bloke just trying to encourage ordinary people into mountain biking by showing that it’s not all just Redbull Rampage type riding, you don’t have to be a supreme athlete to ride mountain bikes, and that you don’t have to buy an expensive bike to hjave fun. I’ve met people who, when I tell them I ride a mountain bike, start talking to me about “proper" mountain biking, despite having never ridden a mountain bike in their lives. They’re the type of attitudes he’s trying to combat I think, encourage people into riding who are interested but just see barriers in the way.
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I’ve not seen it mentioned in this thread but I see many, many more women out cycling now that gravel bikes are a thing. All ages, groups, pairs solos and also a more even balance of sexes in mixed groups. Perhaps the drop bars signify a lower expectation of the need to be gnar/rad/whatever term you want to use. Maybe @stwhannah could get some feedback from the women’s section of the forum and present them over here?