This morning I came across a group of Emtb fatties in fullface helmets arguing with a group of traditional mountain bikers about trail access. I was riding my Stumpy EVO and I decided not to chime in, not just because the Emtb riders looked like a pack of Whistler bike park Joeys, but because I am growing weary of having the same arguments. I just rode on by and didn’t say a word.
A half hour later the Emtb riders forced their way past me on a narrow technical climb. Two of them I have sold bikes to. No etiquette to speak of and one of them said to other buddy as if I wasn’t there
“We just kicked his ass!”
That flipped a switch in my brain and found my body’s turbo button. I decided to hang off the back of their group until the last section of singletrack opened up to a doubletrack and then give it everything I had till the top.
Strategy paid off and I reeled those last two fuckers in, made the pass and beat them to the top. Their smugness wore off and while I was catching my breath, they decided to drop in on this long downhill section. I gave them a couple of minutes and took the same trail. I figured they would be finished by then and to my astonishment, three of them were dragging brakes and gingerly crawling along. I hung behind them until there was a suitable place to overtake them. They were really mediocre riders. For all of their flashy bits, big talk and expensive carbon helmets, they were absolutely piss poor riders. It was weird to observe from the other side of the argument. I took a dislike to the group of Emtb riders and could see what the traditional acoustic analog clockwork riders seem to always see in us.
Now I have been reflecting all day about how I can change the other sides perception of Emtb riders in general.
But maybe I have become weary of the whole experience and am tired of fighting battles that are pointless to fight. What do I gain by being right?
A wise man, much wiser than me, one said
“I would rather be happy than right any day”
Beating those Emtb riders up the climbs and down the descents didn’t make me feel any happier. The fact that there is this whole “Us vs Them” mentality permeating mountain biking in the first place is becoming disheartening. Reminds me of why after 28 years of mountain biking, nothing is as satisfying for me than riding solo.
That’s what annoyed me today.
Fat guys in fullface
A half hour later the Emtb riders forced their way past me on a narrow technical climb. Two of them I have sold bikes to. No etiquette to speak of and one of them said to other buddy as if I wasn’t there
“We just kicked his ass!”
That flipped a switch in my brain and found my body’s turbo button. I decided to hang off the back of their group until the last section of singletrack opened up to a doubletrack and then give it everything I had till the top.
Strategy paid off and I reeled those last two fuckers in, made the pass and beat them to the top. Their smugness wore off and while I was catching my breath, they decided to drop in on this long downhill section. I gave them a couple of minutes and took the same trail. I figured they would be finished by then and to my astonishment, three of them were dragging brakes and gingerly crawling along. I hung behind them until there was a suitable place to overtake them. They were really mediocre riders. For all of their flashy bits, big talk and expensive carbon helmets, they were absolutely piss poor riders. It was weird to observe from the other side of the argument. I took a dislike to the group of Emtb riders and could see what the traditional acoustic analog clockwork riders seem to always see in us.
Now I have been reflecting all day about how I can change the other sides perception of Emtb riders in general.
But maybe I have become weary of the whole experience and am tired of fighting battles that are pointless to fight. What do I gain by being right?
A wise man, much wiser than me, one said
“I would rather be happy than right any day”
Beating those Emtb riders up the climbs and down the descents didn’t make me feel any happier. The fact that there is this whole “Us vs Them” mentality permeating mountain biking in the first place is becoming disheartening. Reminds me of why after 28 years of mountain biking, nothing is as satisfying for me than riding solo.
That’s what annoyed me today.
Fat guys in fullface
