Article: The Culture of Mountain Biking Has Gone Astray

[rockmoose]

Areas will get shut down. It will happen suddenly, opaquely, and deceptively.

I see parallels between rock climbing and MTBing, whereby the user groups are viewed as a non cash cow.

This won't happen in areas like Derby, where non-government land is used to build an enclosed industry, that the whole community can monetize. But anywhere that trails are built on government land, and (what are viewed as) cashless loafers are able to come and use the facilities gratis, will at some point end.

Parks Victoria are leading the charge, with their edict changing from 'protect the assets' to 'monetize the assets'.

Whether they get clear evidence of endurbros damaging the environment, or whether they just invent evidence, will make no difference. They will already have a plan, and no arguing, evidence, or hand wringing will change their desired outcome.

Sorry to say it, but PV just don't view MTBers as an effective means to cash in on their asset.

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[Oddjob]

It's as if Shaun Palmer and Mountain Dew never existed.

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[caad9]

Sorry to say it, but PV just don't view MTBers as an effective means to cash in on their asset.

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Realistically, they are not wrong.
Issue now is they have a lot more people using the asset and still no way of cashing in.

 

[Scotty T]

It's as if Shaun Palmer and Mountain Dew never existed.

Beat me to it but I was gonna say Richie Schley.

 

[clockworked]

Dude, move to Tassie, well hobart in particularly. Still plenty of rides you can do where you will scarcely see another rider, oh and mountains, yeah we've got mountains.

Shhh! As a recent immigrant i don't want any more of my kind coming down here and wrecking up the joint!

 

[nathanm]

Shhh! As a recent immigrant i don't want any more of my kind coming down here and wrecking up the joint!

meh, all the terrorists go to Derby and Maydena and St Helens. No-one knows what a Mtn Run is any more let alone the climb from GMBP to the springs.

 

[Kerplunk]

Areas will get shut down. It will happen suddenly, opaquely, and deceptively.

I see parallels between rock climbing and MTBing, whereby the user groups are viewed as a non cash cow.

This won't happen in areas like Derby, where non-government land is used to build an enclosed industry, that the whole community can monetize. But anywhere that trails are built on government land, and (what are viewed as) cashless loafers are able to come and use the facilities gratis, will at some point end.

Parks Victoria are leading the charge, with their edict changing from 'protect the assets' to 'monetize the assets'.

Whether they get clear evidence of endurbros damaging the environment, or whether they just invent evidence, will make no difference. They will already have a plan, and no arguing, evidence, or hand wringing will change their desired outcome.

Sorry to say it, but PV just don't view MTBers as an effective means to cash in on their asset.

Park’s only recently acknowledged mtbing as legitimate user of the land they manage. I was chatting to one ranger in Melb and found it interesting that before then it was a gain trail permission and tolerate deal..
Something has changed within park’s cause of this I think, they maybe allocating land for mtbing and perhaps limiting access exisitng that is sensitive. I have no idea what their plans are but there are plenty of rumors flying around about youies and lysty having issues they didn’t before..

 

[moorey]

No-one knows what a Mtn Run is any more let alone the climb from GMBP to the springs.

You don’t strike me as a buy seeking a good, tough climb. Maybe you’re referring to the UGF?

 

[nathanm]

You don’t strike me as a buy seeking a good, tough climb. Maybe you’re referring to the UGF?

Took me over a decade to complete that climb without having to stop and has to be one of my greatest cycling achievements. Is a really nice steady climb which took me around 90 minutes, then you can turn around and bomb down it in 30. Best thing unless its a weekend you hardly even seen anyone and even at it's peak you maybe yield to 1/2 dozen groups.

That was 4+ years ago though then I got divorced, tinder whored for a while, met the UG, got happy fat and didn't ride for 3 years and am now starting the bike fitness rebuilding process again to hopefully be able to do that climb again.

 

[Scotty T]

This feels like a good follow on article about the last ten years of evolution in MTB:

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/ten-years-of-innovation-gone-wild.html

I would add tubeless. I guess it was around prior to ten years ago but not on my bikes. It's the one thing that will make any bike much better IMHO.

 

[safreek]

It's as if Shaun Palmer and Mountain Dew never existed.

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Mad photo

 

[moorey]

Is a really nice steady climb which took me around 90 minutes, then you can turn around and bomb down it in 30.

Hopefully you can do it with one brake.

Too soon?

 

[stirk]

I get the general sentiment of the article but to point the finger at all of us being to blame for what now?

I just rode my local single track and its bloody awesome, tough little track and well built, not the kind of trail the hoards would know about nor want to ride and that suits me and all the people who ride there just fine and the culture here is just as it was when MTB started.

Except for @hazza6542 not sure he has any culture

 

[born-again-biker]

Shhh! As a recent immigrant i don't want any more of my kind coming down here and wrecking up the joint!

Here Here!

 

[frenchman]

Unsanctioned trails are the best trails

Go ride the dirt jumps ya squids.

 

[Paulie_AU]

Blah blah blah...... Kinda

Btw this article is pretty old remember reading it a while back.

If MTB blew up and became unpopular I would still be rinding the super fun non sanctioned trails I ride every week. But I am also happy to ride vanilla tracks if that is what I know I am heading to.