Posts
373
Joined
7/24/2009
Location
Los Angeles, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
8/18/2014 12:38am
What's some of the trends that you are glad to see done and gone the way of the buffalo in mountain biking? (Which is to say, perhaps still seen, though rarely and typically in spectacle situations like a zoo or Canada).
Examples:
-Use of a Swollen Members song is no longer mandatory for all mountain bike videos released worldwide.
-130mm stems. When were these ever a good idea regardless of a rider's height?
Discuss.
Massive body armor matched with really short riser bars- this falls into the hucker category but its still worthy of mention.
the urban downhill bike- the guy who would try to see how many stairs he could huck down in full DH gear on a DH bike. haha really?
the freeride bike in the skatepark- that is why skaters and bmxers made fun of us. the fullface and body armor isnt really necessary when jumping out of a quarter.
fixed
double fixed
On a more serious note: cutties/berm slashes/attempted drifts in videos attempting to add flair and/or steeze to visually appease the viewer. If you are going fast/taking the faster line, awesome, but a kickout in a turn is not the same thing. Go faster and actually get loose.
The Mixing of brand names in the groups in under 3k bikes.Cant I just have a XT group?
-dudes wearing armor with nothing over it.. ok, maybe it's hot out, but nobody wants to see your ass crack hanging out..
-Motocross helmets.. yeah, they are safer for those who smack up their heads hard, but you look like a mountain biking Bobble head.
-Napoleon Dynamite skid outs.. 'nuff said
-XC clip-in shoes for DH.. it just looks silly, like bear with ballerina shoes on..
-Expensive-ass DH Tires.. really $70 for a piece of rubber, how much could it possibly cost to make a tire?
-DH Bike Weight Weanies.. Ok, this has probably been beaten to death, we all want light bikes, but getting your Session88 down to 32lbs is only making you cool on the internet.
Kinda silly stuff that has more to do w/aesthetics than anything else..
Trends I hope don't die:
-White components (or any color other than black components)
-Components that are light and strong.. thank god the days of huck-bikes and their overbuilt builds are over.
I don't think anyone is wearing tight jeans because they have to, some people just prefer tighter jeans.
So you wear the typ of jeans that you like and the people who want to wear skinny jeans do that. And stop complaining!
Nike shoes, can we admit that they bought there way in the front door but now there welcome to leave out the back door.
Im indifferent to the skinny jeans, I guess there a little funny, but do they have to be red, purple, teal and white. Stop stealing your little sisters pants!
Trend I love, kids picking up there parents video cameras and going to town making really decent little films......keep em comin!
- white components
- 29 inch wheels
- rapid rise
- dual control
- tapered head tubes/ steer tubes
- patterned components/ frame graphics (cough TREK cough)
- coloured tires
- Tapered steer tubes (wtf?)
- industry standarts changing every season just to make an easy buck
- cheap ass, repetative, boring, super slow mo, ultra dirt jump mtb videos = started watching ski and snowboard vids... so stoked on em! (nwd is not a loss for the scene)
- the possibility alone that you can go out and buy a 3500$ mtb frame is the evil deed of hypocrits, thats a compact car or half a year of rent for some people
- mountainbiking is still a sport that is underfunded, lacks media coverage, trys to divide itself between certain disciplines whenever possible
- the merging of mtb and bmx
Trends that are met with pleasure:
- colored, light and well designed components at every pricepoint
- well constructed suspension platforms, stimulating graphics, sturdy frame constuctions that dont weigh a ton
- stylish clothing (sombrio, dakine)
The lycra vs loose debate
29ers
Shimano vs sram
Skinny Jeans (so you will not wear lycra to DH but you will lube yourself up to get into jeans so tight your 12 year old sister can't get into them to walk the parking lot after)
People who think 29ers are cool. Really? Those bikes are only good for people who have stopped progressing and pushing themselves and want something different. A 29er is always some d-bag's fourth bike anyway, or they are just a dirty hippie.
Superlight components on DH bikes, and the retards who brag about them online. I've used them before, I feel I'm safer now. Eat a cheeseburger, let off the brakes more, lay off the keyboard more, and try to carry a bit more speed. Just think about it. Who's got more street cred: Kovarik, or that prick with the single crown fork equipped Ellsworth Dare and XC lid at the top of a DH trail? (you know you've seen that guy, he's got full body armor but doesn't care that his head isn't really protected by that Giro Switchblade)
People who complain about lift ticket prices at MTB parks. It is a good deal EVERYWHERE you go compared to the money that goes into it. You ride a bike worth thousands of dollars for crying out loud. Don't be a penny pinching whining child about a sub $40 lift ticket. If you were really concerned about money, you would quit.
Shimano's rapid rise. It's on it's deathbed already, the plug needs to be pulled.
Children on road bikes. They need a shovel and dirt and a bmx bike. No 10 year old want to be in spandex on the road. That's what the deadbeat parents want. And no, it is not worth it even if they become the next Lance Armstrong. Might as well start being a prick now, and save all the road miles. Your taint will thank you.
This is only a partial list. I hate forums too, and hypocrites.
- giving a shit what somebody else is wearing
- staring at eachothers bikes like a bunch of nerds.
- just riding trails and never doing any trail work
- asking what the geometry is on my bike. It either rides sweet or it doesn't.
- rubber shit on my gloves that doesn't do anything but add heat and make me look like a power ranger. Put that shit on the outside pinky knuckle of the glove where you actually hit trees. Carbon knuckles can go away too. Does anyone ever crash on their knuckles?
- neverending helmet cam shots. Snooorrrr.
- photographers not getting paid with they deserve.
- pro riders not getting paid what they deserve.
- yeah, for sure.. overpriced parts of any kind that fall apart just as fast as the lowend parts.
- people not knowing how gnarly shit is made over in taiwan. Yeah, this trend isn't going to go away anytime soon, but if you do some research as to what kinds of chemicals and work conditions are considered 'quite alright' over in taiwan, you'll probably think twice about your purchases. At least for now our fellow companies are getting a little richer by making everything a little bit cheaper.
Things I'd like to stay:
- Seeing more and more dot certified helmets
- watching the sport progress
- all the sick videos that the common grom is throwing into the mix. any music is fine. boy george, I don't give a shit if the riding, editing and filming is done right.
- better and better hd helmet cam footage. Holy cow they are getting so nice now! Just don't show us the hour long trail you rode you bobble head.
- more videos of people having fun riding.
- people building super fun trails that last
- people having fun riding. whether they pulled they're first schleyble top or pinned it out of their comfort zone. If they're having fun, that's the point. Skid like napolean.. jump like pedro, huck like bender, I don't care.
- People respecting Steve Peat, Kirt Voreis and the pros that have done so much for our sport with a good attitude we can only hope to have.
- Vital continuing to have the best content and crowd on the web!
- I don't care how tight you pants are...even if your own children will laugh as much about those pants as we do about 70's disco gear.
- 29ers...quit telling me that we need to build a 29er...Eurobike is 20 times the size of Interbike...26 is KING!
Thing to stay...
- We will keep pumping out the colors...loving orange components this year.
- Better forks from all brands. More choice and more brands will make for better products from them all...I really want X-Fusion, RST, and others to step up.
1.2) bars over 30 inches wide, unless you have the wing span on a condor you just dont need that big of bars, especially if you are 15 years old and only 5'2"
2) ridiculously colored and designed kits, i do not need to look like a highlighter when i ride downhill
3)everyone and their mom trying to ride gloveless because they think they look like blenki
4)flat bars on downhill bikes
5)dumb electronic songs in 80% of edits that get released on a daily basis (sometimes the songs do work though)
6) 29ers, they just wont be as good and versatile as 26s, we figured out the correct wheel size, just let it be
7) titanium bolts, you just dont need them
I, for one, want the trend of hating on 29ers to die.
Also, companies that void warranties when their products are used to ride aggressively...WTF?
Yeah, I dont see this happening anytime soon, as long as common sense is the guiding principle you can guarentee that people will be questioning the legitimacy of the 29" wheel. People are sick of the bike industry pushing stupidity down our throats in an effort to reinvent their product line. 26 is the real deal, don't fight it mang!
DIE: 15mm axles
DIE: planned obsolescence
All the usuals: 3" tires, 9"+ travel, 9"+ rotors, Hayes, Manitou, and Greg Herbold.
Post a reply to: Die Trend, Die.