MTB snobbery / fashion

t0pc4t

not really about the bike

I nearly crashed into some boys on orange 5s this weekend (love that bike) as they were pushing their bikes up a trail I was coming down.

So I showed them the way out (which they were looking for) and smiled in smug disdain as they then started to push up a hill little more than a slight incline.

The smugness and smile disappeared as I followed them onto another trail and they promptly f*cked off at a great rate of knots.

UpTheWall

Aye, I've seen this kind of snobbery a lot. One prime example was when me and a few mates flew past some chaps on a hill. One of them was wearing the red polka dot king of the mountain jersey, and so my mate started scoffing saying he had no right to wear it.

I guess that means that only people who've ever got the jersey on the tour can wear one, not simply fans who enjoy cycling??!!

Silliness.

It's all relative anyhoo. I'm of middling ability, but I love cycling. i took a year our to cycle simply because I love it, but I couldn't win any competitions. So when I got back to the workign world I saved up to get a 3k beauty. It's wonderful to ride, and makes it a joy to be out on the road. A good 30% of people on a sportif could drop me, and maybe even be jealous that i've got such a nice bike.

What are the people on the other side of the argument saying? That we should have a strict ability test at all bike shops, and allocate bikes accordingly?!

Thewaylander

What i love is i said dislike seeing people new to the sport on hugely bounce full sussers, where i think they would be better of practicing and learning on a hardtail befoer spending the real readies, and it's been tunred into a really bad snob thread lol.

Brilliant show's how much people read, or how bad my typing is lol.

bails87

Thewaylander wrote:

What i love is i said dislike seeing people new to the sport on hugely bounce full sussers, where i think they would be better of practicing and learning on a hardtail befoer spending the real readies, and it's been tunred into a really bad snob thread lol.

Brilliant show's how much people read, or how bad my typing is lol.

No, you said you

Thewaylander wrote:

despise people who ride expensive full sus bikes

I can't understand why you'd hate someone you don't know who's just out enjoying riding a bike.

Thewaylander

I still despise people who ride expensive full sus bikes with 0 ability.

Actually this and taken in reference with the rest of the post points at new riders who haven't learnt to ride because it's there first bike hey ho

Thewaylander

otherwise I'd despise myself argh!!!

bails87

Thewaylander wrote:

I still despise people who ride expensive full sus bikes with 0 ability.

Why?

toasty

Thewaylander wrote:

What i love is i said dislike seeing people new to the sport on hugely bounce full sussers, where i think they would be better of practicing and learning on a hardtail

Better how? The majority of people ride for fun. I'm not talking a full on race bike here, your average 5" trail bike is pretty newbie friendly.

Thewaylander

Ok i may not have typed clearly but from the following conversations its obvious what i was getting at.

Toasty, I have seen so many people progress by learning howto rail on a hardtail then transfer the skills they have gained onto a full sus and fly, and they have enjoyed there riding way more. So i hate seeing people riding poorly when they could have just spent 6 months learning to float the bike better than smashing through on a trail.

I can personally dislike New riders jumping in at the deep end of the bike market and i have provided a fairly reasonable reason, though my first statement wasn't very clear but then my elnglish is terrible (can only use a calculator as an accountant).

pastey_boy

many older mtb,ers started out on hardtails or fully rigid as thats all there was at the time, as time has progressed so have peoples riding habits. any young person starting out now would make a bee line towards full suspension and disc brakes. i remember perving over a sintesi bazooka dh bike in a shop many years ago (the blue and green one) and wanting it badly even though i was a pure xc rider and trying to pedal that beast up anything would have been a nightmare. ive tried full sus but always go back to hardtails purely for my personal preference. if hardtails didnt exist then people would hone their skills on full sus and get just as good.

Anonymous

pastey_boy wrote:

if hardtails didnt exist then people would hone their skills on full sus and get just as good.

this is how i see it,

i reckon gettng "better" at riding is more about having time in the saddl on any bike as opposed to the fact that that bike was a hardtail or whatever.

After 10 yrs on a fs, i reckon anyone would get good at bike riding.

ten yrs ago though the affordable fs bikes werent all that special, things have moved on and so have peoples riding habits. learning on a ht may have made sense when fs bikes werent as good

as far as im concerned, the old "you should learn on a ht" is getting to be a more and more outdated idea.

pastey_boy

i do recall david hemming winning a dh world medal on a fully rigid klein attitude, he must have been very excited at the advent of full sus

supersonic

The only people I despise are those who look down on others for whatever reason. I don't care what people ride when I bump into them, I talk to anyone and anything (including squirrels and bats).

In all sports you get a minority where for them it is a style choice - and in that group you get that annoying few who look down and scoff at others for not riding the latest names or tech. Be it golf, snowboarding or biking, they exist and really annoy me.

Anonymous

Thewaylander, there is no reason people can't learn to ride on a full suss. You reek of jalousy to me. Just because you couldn't start off on an expensive bike doesn't mean other people should suffer.

stubs

I think we should all learn to ride on a unicycle with a sharpened steel spike for a saddle 2 wheels is just too easy

Thewaylander

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Thewaylander, there is no reason people can't learn to ride on a full suss. You reek of jalousy to me. Just because you couldn't start off on an expensive bike doesn't mean other people should suffer.

Started of on 1k worth of dale actually which I'd scrimped and saved, about 13 years back now.

I think I chose my words wrongly but I still maintain you can learn a lot on a hardtail that you wont pick up on a full susser. And that a begginer is always best starting this route.

Just like skate boarding or most sports you start with a sensible piece of learning gear and then move on. I mean to start with how the hell do you know what style of bike your going to enjoy riding? I've seen people blow 2k then decide oh I don't like that type of bike now. seen it all over Flee bay and any where you see 2nd hand expensive full bounce bikes.

MrChuck

in that group you get that annoying few who look down and scoff at others for not riding the latest names or tech

Maybe, but you don't seem to see them on here much. The reverse snobbery is far more common and just as lame. Some people just need to go and do their own thing and not get hung up on what other people are doing or riding.

Where are my stabilisers?

I think this is more to do with the person "being judged" rather than the person who's apparently "judging". Why would anyone on a nice bike give a rats danglies what you're riding? Unless someone actually says "You shouldn't be here because your bike's rubbish" then don't assume they're judging.

I ride a £1k hardtail. If I see someone on a £4k superbike, I think "fair play, if I had that kind of money lying around, I'd buy something like that.". Likewise, if I see someone on a 10 year old, 7 speed, rigid ATB I'll think "Fair play, if that was my only bike (or I didn't ride often enough to spend a lot of money on a new one) then I'd be out on that". Because it's better to be out riding that sitting at home because someone, somewhere has got something shinier than you.

I agree with this. I don't judge and don't expect to be judged. Anyone judging me on the basis of what bike I'm riding needs to have a word with themselves. My personality is the same whether I'm riding my £400 hardtail or my £3000 full suss - So a bike really isn't an indication of personality :?

Anyway, bike satisfaction... It's a hobby, I love both of my bikes and there's nothing wrong with wanting to change bits. If I had the money, I'd change the wheel sets on both bikes. I can't afford to right now, it's not a major issue and I don't need to change them (I'm no pro ), it would just be nice. I'm as enthusiastic about my bikes as I am about riding them. You've just got the bug, that's all

Anonymous

Thewaylander wrote:

Started of on 1k worth of dale actually which I'd scrimped and saved, about 13 years back now.

Means nothing, ultimately.

Thewaylander wrote:

I think I chose my words wrongly but I still maintain you can learn a lot on a hardtail that you wont pick up on a full susser. And that a begginer is always best starting this route.

I don't agree at all. Any riding means you're learning. If you had to ride a crappy hardtail to become any good, then, ultimately, the stars of today's racing world would be unable to compete with Steve Peat, Rob Warner, and Dave Hemming, but that just isn't the case.
Being good at one kind of bike does not lead to being good at another, they're both different, and require a different approach.

stubs

Thewaylander You have dug yourself into a nice hole there I would put the shovel down

Thewaylander

Nah it's my point of view,

No one can argue with the fact you never know how you ride until you've ridden for a while so blasting your cash instantly before you even know what you may want is a bit foolish.

Otherwise I'm a ride what you like. Everything has it's ups and downs, and everyone has there budget.

pastey_boy

Thewaylander wrote:

Nah it's my point of view,

No one can argue with the fact you never know how you ride until you've ridden for a while so blasting your cash instantly before you even know what you may want is a bit foolish.

Otherwise I'm a ride what you like. Everything has it's ups and downs, and everyone has there budget.

but some people may spend £4k on a bike, that does not mean they have blown their money as they have purchased within their means. my mate spent over £4k on his first ever road bike but if he didnt like it ,it would not have mattered as he could easily afford it. by your reasoning your suggesting every mtb,er should start off on a hardtail for economic reasons although you can buy full sussers for the same price. does not make sense :?

hyperman

Thewaylander wrote:

Nah it's my point of view,

No one can argue with the fact you never know how you ride until you've ridden for a while so blasting your cash instantly before you even know what you may want is a bit foolish.

Otherwise I'm a ride what you like. Everything has it's ups and downs, and everyone has there budget.

I took this start off on a hardtail advise, bought one for £1k, sold it 2 months later because I didn't like it and bought a full suss, which I love....when I sold the hardtail I lost £400 on it, so basically your advise cost me £400....so I think you should give me it back, cheque will do....

pastey_boy

further more some people may try a hardtail and be put off from cycling because of a harsh ride whereas a first time ride on a full susser could make a difference. i took a girl round llandegla on a hardtail once and she hated it as she was banged about and hurt her ar5e, she never came again but if she had been on a plusher bike it could have made all the difference

Anonymous

pastey_boy wrote:

took a girl once, and she hated it as she was banged about and hurt her ar5e, she never came again

i know EXACTLY what you mean.

Griselda

What does it matter anyway? As long as you’re happy and proud of your achievement all is good. My Aspect45 has become a really good friend as it has allowed me to explore the country in a way that is only possible by bike. I work with many people that have much posher bikes. But when I tell them that I rode to work through the most beautiful countryside (Dorset, 22 miles one way) they all tell me that they would not be able to do that, especially riding back home again after a whole day of work. The one thing that must be said although is that good equipment makes it a better experience and more fun. But if your equipment is good enough for what you are doing and you get the fun from it, you’re the winner.

pastey_boy

yeehaamcgee wrote:

pastey_boy wrote:

took a girl once, and she hated it as she was banged about and hurt her ar5e, she never came again

i know EXACTLY what you mean.

twas a very hardtail too

Briggo

Thewaylander wrote:

Nah it's my point of view,

And its a rubbish one.

Oh and I got a nice comment the other day, some kid when I rode past said "wow nice bike", I looked down on his peice of crap and spat at him for even speaking to me whilst riding what he was.

How dare he.

Mickey Eye

Briggo wrote:

How dare he.

That got an involuntary chuckle out of me. Thank you.

MountainMonster

Who cares what your riding, it could be a 5k bike or a 259 pound bike. Either way, as long as your having fun and continue to maintain a smile thats all that matters. As far as parts go, i reckon i could have a 5* bike and still want more stuff for it. That just comes with things you love, theres always something to be done. Right now im working on fixing my cube to the exact spec i want it, then im saving for a full sjs frame and building it up. Theres nothing wrong with my bike, i just have more wants.