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And if the Atherton’s on mopeds annoys you, you don’t want to look on Bernard Kerr’s instagrIn at the moment 😀 but I’m not going to complain, because I’m honest, and did exactly the same thing as a teenager abroad.
It does annoy me, in any other sport at that level and as role models to the future generations of their sport they would be getting sacked, losing sponsors etc, but it seems like if your in an extreme sport then its accepted behaviour.
Hooligans?
Watch out for the Santa Cruz Suicide Squad, they ambush single riders and sort out their tax returns for them.
Cotic Youth were a big crew with a few top lads, always travelled away. Bit slack these days. They once took all four corners of Llandegla from the Marin Young Guv'nors.
Really trailwagger? Do you not read the news? Put next to the accusations of serious sexual misconduct, at best, by various football and rugby players recently, being a dick on a moped is a minor problem.
Really trailwagger? Do you not read the news? Put next to the accusations of serious sexual misconduct, at best, by various football and rugby players recently, being a dick on a moped is a minor problem.
I didn't say it was the worlds biggest problem, but this is primarily a mountain bike forum, therefore we are discussing the behaviour of top riders and role models in our sport. I stand by my comment that manufacturers in other sports would not tolerate that kind of "hooligan" behaviour from their sponsored stars, so why do MTB brands not mind?
manufacturers in other sports would not tolerate that kind of “hooligan” behaviour from their sponsored stars, so why do MTB brands not mind?
It's a matter of target audience and marketing returns. I'm sure Ratboy sells more bikes for SC than buyers who are alienated by hooligan behaviour.
I would think that these videos are watched by a large number of kids who subsequently think “this is how we should ride/behave”
A large number of kids who already ride mountain bikes maybe, and are probably already aware of where they can build a sneaky trail. The chances of a wider audience are pretty slim; there's so much completing for everyone's attention these days, I doubt this gets much viewing outside it's narrow target .
In other sports, teams and sponsors still support people after some horrible crimes. Have a look at Joey Bartons rap sheet. He'll, look at most of the England team in the eighties. Barry sheen and James Hunt were hardly angels, but don't worry, well sack a couple of mountain bikers for the horrible crime of doing some skids and pissing about on mopeds.
If you want bad examples to kids, I suggest you look at most main stream sports, or politicians for that matter.
I saw a 14 year old hooligan rip a boris bike from its dock the other day and proceed to perform a perfect 100 yard wheelie - I have to confess I was impressed!
I agree, its hardly crime of the century but don't we want our top sports stars to be good role models for our kids? Or do we want them to promote a sense of "do whatever the F you want cause there wont be any direct consequences to your actions."
<span style="display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">A large number of kids who already ride mountain bikes maybe, and are probably already aware of where they can build a sneaky trail. The chances of a wider audience are pretty slim; there’s so much completing for everyone’s attention these days, I doubt this gets much viewing outside it’s narrow target .</span>
I wasn't suggesting it does have an influence outside of the target audience, I just think as role models with the ability to influence future generations there are much better messages they can send out than, "its all about having a laugh".
I just think as role models with the ability to influence future generations there are much better messages they can send out than, “its all about having a laugh”.
What is it about, then? It's cycling ffs.
there are much better messages they can send out than, “its all about having a laugh”.
I think "it's all about having a laugh on your bike" is a great message to kids.
Spent majority of my free time between 10 and 16 doing exactly that.
Having fun on your bike is a fair aim, not everyone even understands why sufferfest is a thing outside of ‘specialist clubs’ for instance - but having fun doesn’t need to include destroying stuff or making it unusable for others...
Apart from a very select few, who make a decent living, what is mounting biking apart from having a laugh. Yes some riders act like dicks, (not the athertons) but I still say the message of, get outside, with your mates, and have fun riding bikes is a pretty good one for kids.
If it's not about "just having a laugh" what is it about?
Poor kids; damned if they do and half a dozen of the other, told off for riding in the woods (like most of us did) told off for not getting out into the woods and spending too much time on screens I think on balance, tearing the arse out of a scrappy piece of woody hillside is probably better than sitting on yer bum on the sofa.
Just wanted to say ta for the heads up op really enjoyed the vid and I'm firmly in the "kids having fun on their bikes isn't a bad thing" camp.
I was quite worried about the bodywork on the range rover pickup but it was pretty clear those roads were deserted.
Anything fun these days and there's someone getting upset about it. Sex? Drugs? Booze? TV? I'm against gambling myself but loads of people enjoy it so I'm a massive hypocrite. We're tribal judgemental ****s the lot of us, and a bit less of that would make the world a better place.
I stand by my comment that manufacturers in other sports would not tolerate that kind of “hooligan” behaviour from their sponsored stars, so why do MTB brands not mind?
Have a look at mid nineties surf and skate culture if you really believe that. Plenty of the videos had footage of stars completely wasted on booze, blatently smoking drugs etc.
Bloody good job there was no STW when Peaty, Warner, Palmer etc were up to their antics back in the day. It'd have gone into a full on handwringing melt down.
When did the 1st Sprung video come out? Must have been 20 years ago... skids in the woods, talented people having fun and enjoying riding bikes - very little has changed. Thankfully.
Not many helmets in evidence here, but on balance I’d still say it’s a good thing...
If it’s not about “just having a laugh” what is it about?
A fair number of the lads I went to school with regarded Twoccing and burning out a car of an evening as nothing more than having a laugh.
And wouldn't it had been better if they spent their time pissing about on bikes.
No the rut could have been visible for a week.
regarded Twoccing and burning out a car
Back to trolling by page 3, well done you.
It is well documented that pissing around on bikes leads to burning out cars. It is a slippery slope (no doubt made more slippery by those damned kids skidding all over it)
I fair number of lads on here view trolling and being annoying, as "just having a laugh" 😀
Weigh up the consequences of your actions for yourself and others.
Don’t bow to the unreasonable wishes of authorities or the rich and powerful.
Make your own judgement.
Crack on.
I was riding slowly on a footpath the other day (wide, armoured surface, clear line of sight). As a responsible person I stopped early and pulled over to let a pedestrian pass. I smiled and gave a cheery hello and in response got ‘This is a footpath you shouldn’t be riding here’. I politely and cheerfully explained that I wasn’t doing any harm. The answer was ‘It’s not about harm, it’s about the rules’. I rode off.
Some people feel the need for rules for their own sake; others don’t.
There is also a responsibility to show thought for your actions. 100% having fun but also show respect by by being polite, no litter, careful where and when you ride some places. Don't snake people's runs share the trails. Kids pickup in these things.
[provactive troll] In many wooded areas it's actually more responsible to ride cheeky trails if you want to ride at more than a walking pace than to ride on bridleways since the chances of meeting a horse which might startle hurting itself, the horse rider or the cyclist, is far far lower [/provocative troll]
The fun police are certainly out on this one!
I think on balance, tearing the arse out of a scrappy piece of woody hillside is probably better than sitting on yer bum on the sofa
Just watched the video and that's pretty much my opinion on it, while I agree about being careful where we build stuff with the exception of a few fresh bits most of the trails in that video look like they've been there a while so you would assume from that they aren't causing any problems to anyone. Wouldn't surprise me if the riders cutting up all the corners had actually built some of the trails either!
I know they are deliberately tearing up those tracks but any trail on soft ground that gets a lot of use in the wetter months will end up getting trashed like that anyway, a lot of my local stuff looks similar. Depending where it is it could all end being harvested and driven over by forestry vehicles and destroyed anyway which does more damage than a few blown out bike trails.
Like others have said there's plenty of worse things they could be doing, I've got a 3 year old and if the worse thing they do in life is skid a few corners on a dh track, let off some fireworks for the hell of it, leave some rubber on the road in their car (loved the old sierra bit) or throw a pie in someones face I'll be a happy person!
Don’t snake people’s runs
What does this mean? Is this the equivalent of dropping in on someone in surfing? If so, is it really an issue?
So it kind of falls into two groups then…
1. Managed woodland = do what you want, it`ll all be destroyed anyway when the logging happens.
2. Unmanaged/Public Access = Have some respect, don’t dig, don’t unnecessarily tear up the trail.
So we are all agreed within two pages, excellent!
Pretty much it - don't see any harm whatsoever in building stuff in FC forests. There's bloody loads of it in Cannock, and lots with jumps, drops, berms etc. It only lasts so long before it gets flattened by felling.
Private woodland, is a different matter although I'll admit to doing my fair share of digging in these types of areas as a teenager. Ironically, a lot of the spots around Beaconsfield where I grew up are still there, growing and being used by the likes of my teenage cousin for riding.
I started riding in '96 and we thought nothing of digging doubles, scratching out drops, chucking kickers in etc. As has been mentioned, it's always happened if you go back to the days of Sprung.
The Dudes build all their own stuff, in an area where folks are pretty open minded about access for all, motor bikes included. It really is a million miles away from the over populated south that those who judge on this thread reside in.
If you think thats hooligan culture wait till you see a skateboard or BMX edit.
I'm more amazed that dude lives in a narrow boat but has a bike I can only dream of.
The answer was ‘It’s not about harm, it’s about the rules’. I rode off.
I get that a bit as well, on occasion. Don’t even try to go down the route of rationalising why rules need to exist to prevent harm, and what harm is actually being done. It would literally blow their little minds.
The person that said that would most likely hold a driving license. If they obeyed traffic rules 100% of the time I would be most surprised, yet the consequences of not doing so are much more likely to be serious injury or death.
I’m more amazed that dude lives in a narrow boat but has a bike I can only dream of.
Priorities. If I sold my house and lived in a narrow boat I could ride a solid gold bike...