Has MTB Become too Serious?

After weeks of busy schedules, canceled plans, and rainy conditions, the highly anticipated group ride had finally arrived. Just a couple of dirt bags letting loose after work to play around in the dirt and risk their health for a few minutes of intense adrenaline rush. This is, and always has been, the core of mountain biking to people who enjoy hitting the trails and ripping singletrack in their free time.

But is the sport changing for the better? There is no question that the level of riding has greatly improved since the days of ripping down the local fire road and hoping our rim brakes had enough power to slow us down. I’m sure we have all seen the groms ripping it on our Instagram feeds and the constant flow of pro riders doing insane stunts filling everyday mountain bike media. So yes, the riders are better, but I believe that the overall “product” of mountain biking has declined in the past few years. Factors like the major cost of entry and the intimidation that you won’t be good enough to enjoy the sport have contributed to this. Mountain biking has become less entry and intermediate-level friendly and is now more geared toward the hardest stunts or the gnarliest riders.

So, how do we, as mountain bikers, stop taking ourselves so seriously? Go out and ride with your buddies or find a chill weekly group ride in your area. Stop worrying so much about setting a Strava KOM or pushing yourself to beat your PB, and just go out and have fun. Remember, mountain biking was created for anyone to have fun out in the woods on their bike and should be a fulfilling and enjoyable activity. So, don’t take yourself too seriously—just go out, ride your bike, and cherish the good rides and good times!