Mountain Biking is at a Weird Place

Fully Rigid, 12/27/24: Part 1 of 4

If you’ve been following along closely here, you may have noticed that I haven’t posted a Fully Rigid column in a while. I owe you four of them by December 31st. Basically, I’ve been planning a 4-part series on why I think mountain biking is at a weird place in its history.

What is Fully Rigid? Well, it’s something like this, which appears as my byline:

Fully Rigid is a monthly column by James Murren about Mountain Biking Issues within the Mountain Biking Community.

I wrote this a while back, when Paseando MTB was MTBeer:

If you’re new to MTBeer, Fully Rigid is purposely called that because, as some of us “old-school” riders know, “fully rigid” isn’t something you’d actually say unless, perhaps, you’re new to mountain biking, which means we can be critical/joke a little/correct you. In short, the column is about how mountain bikers don’t agree on all-things-mountain-biking.

There we go. Now, let’s get on with it. Four parts of what is pretty much a rant-like statement saying that Mountain Biking is at a Weird Place.

Mountain Biking is at a Weird Place: What’s up with the “Industry?” (Part 1 of 4)

We all hear it, but what really is it? The mountain biking industry. The industry this and that. The industry …

The industry is this: people and their companies who make mountain bikes and mountain bike parts/components, as well as all of the people and their companies who make products that somehow are affiliated with mountain biking. You know, like …

You need to wear this shirt/jersey and this pair of socks while riding that “downcountry” bike which isn’t all that good for enduro riding, and if you enduro, as in the verb, you need to be sure you wear this “hip” not fanny pack, or maybe no pack at all, cuz all you need is a bottle, right?.

Get it?

There are industry insiders, too. Who are they? Maybe, just maybe, some of them are people involved in the mountain biking media landscape. I won’t say all “journalists” are industry insiders, as I know one who is not (!), but some of them are. Who are they? If they go on press trips, they might just be an insider, as one example.

Mountain biking organizations. Are they industry? Hmm?

Where is this going?

The industry needs to sell bikes and stuff. In part, they need media to help them do that. In reverse, the media needs industry to buy advertising space. Journalism doesn’t survive on subscriptions alone. Not possible. Note: the industry is less supportive of mountain biking journalism, from what I’m hearing. Where have all the mountain biking magazines gone? You gotta subscribe, too.

The industry raked in massive profits during Covid. They planned poorly, though, generally speaking. Some companies are hurting these days. Not all, but a good bit of them are. Bike shops, too, seem to be struggling. Again, not all, but some.

Supply chain? Poor planning? Overzealous? Uh, anyone have an exact answer?

Amidst this quickly summarized backdrop and new reality, the industry needs us to keep buying stuff. The industry needs more people on bikes, or at least more people thinking they want to ride bikes and so they buy stuff, maybe even buy what they think is a new “me” … a new “lifestyle” … keep the money flowing, right?

From my vantage point, though, the industry has taken the easy way out when it comes to mountain biking. How so?

Part 2 of 4 coming up next.

To support independent writing about mountain biking and indie beer, as well as receive discounts to MTB-related businesses and breweries, use this link below to get the $10.20/year subscription rate. Paseando MTB is sponsor and corporate free writing and photography. You’ll receive upwards of 75 newsletters in your email inbox throughout 2025, bringing it to about 14 cents for each email/musing/post:

https://mtbeer.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=0fd4133e

Fully Rigid is a monthly column by James Murren about Mountain Biking Issues within the Mountain Biking Community.