An Opinionated View of Mountain Bikes

When I was eight years old, I begged my parents for a three speed Mustang bike with cable brakes, and I finally got one for my ninth birthday. Gears and cable brakes were innovative and progressive at the time, and I wanted them. When I was thirteen I bought my first 10 speed bike, which was kind of a new thing at that time. It was a big thing to go from three speeds to ten – and I had to have it. I rode that bike on dirt trails everywhere, riding over rocks and small logs, and bent many a rim and flattened many a tire. I remember wondering why there was no such thing as a fat-tired bike.

In 1981, en-route home from a 2 year European trip, in California I saw my very first Mountain Bike. I could hardly believe my eyes; finally somebody had invented a full size, rugged framed, fat-tired bike! Innovation. Progress.

Fast forward to 1990, the year I moved to Whistler. Front suspension was only just appearing, but you had to pay a premium for it. The majority of bikes were rigid on both ends. Center-pull brakes were state-of-the-art. Bikes had bar-ends for climbing. Some guys were getting SPD (or clipless) pedals, which seemed like real progress; they kept your feet connected to the pedals. For my friends and I they were a must-have accessory. Then came V-brakes – we got them. Suspension became affordable – we got that too. Then came disk brakes – we had to have those as well.

And now, for some reason, the innovation and progress seems to be going retro. Today you rarely see climbing bars, they have virtually disappeared. As soon as rear suspension finally became affordable, hard-tails have become king again. Seems like only the downhill guys want it now, but we’re talking motorcycle-grade suspension on those bikes, and they weigh 80 pounds or more. Clipless pedals? Strictly old-school. All the new bikes have flat pedals.

I understand the reasons why; hard-tails are lighter. Bar-ends add weight, and riser bars have replaced the need for them. Flat pedals are safer, and today’s extreme riders easily demonstrate that their feet can stay glued to their pedals, even while getting massive air-time, although it seems to defy the laws of physics.

But I have a need to continue with progress. I LOVE my rear suspension cross-country bike. Sure, it’s a bit heavier, but why split hairs over a few grams? If I want lighter, I can always lose it off my body. I would never trade in the comfort, let alone the greater control, of pedalling over small roots and bumps without having to lift my butt off the seat. Pedaling while standing on the pedals saps energy way faster than does the extra weight of suspension in my humble opinion. And I still want my riding shoes to be connected to my pedals.

Speaking of downhill bikes, what’s with all those squeaky, dirty, under-maintained drive-trains? Many of the new-age downhill warriors, who all look like Darth Vader in their full body armour and full-face helmets, don’t even bother with chains anymore. Why should they? They get an effortless ride up and they don’t need no stinkin drive-train. But is this really mountain-biking? Don’t get me wrong, the park is lots of fun and immensely popular, but rusty, squeaky drive-trains are just not cool. A well-tuned bike, and knowing how to do it yourself, is what really separates the men from the boys.