Okay, let’s get something straight right off the bat. This might sound like a rant, and yeah, maybe it is. But it comes from a real place of frustration with the mountain bike (MTB) industry. For too long, MTB riders have been fed a line, especially by the very magazines that are supposed to guide us. The core message being pushed? It’s all about the bike and the parts, not the rider. This is complete nonsense and it’s not actually helping you enjoy your time on the trail.
This feels like déjà vu because the fitness industry pulled the exact same trick. Flip through any fitness magazine, and you’re bombarded with ads for supplements and the latest exercise gadgets. It’s the same money-driven game we see in Bike Mags. Advertising dollars are the engine of the MTB world, just like fitness. And bike magazines? They’re more than happy to print whatever those advertising dollars want you to see and believe.
Let me give you a quick example. Years ago, I knew a bike company owner who was bringing some cool European bikes to the US. He was furious after meeting with an editor from a major bike mag. He wanted to get a bike review, but was basically told the review depended on how much advertising he’d buy. Plain and simple: pay to play.
Sure, some smaller bike brands might sneak in a review without massive ad spending, but that’s rare. It’s no accident that giants like Cannondale and Trek get every new bike model featured in bike mags. They also happen to be the ones dropping big money on those double-page ads every month.
Magazines need ad revenue to survive, so they cater to the advertisers. Now, I’m not saying it’s some grand conspiracy where everyone knows they’re selling you a dream. Maybe they just don’t know any better. It’s just how things have always been done in the bike mag world, business as usual.
But here’s the reality: we all know riders who can shred on anything. I’ve seen guys on beat-up old bikes absolutely smoke everyone else, regardless of their fancy, new rides. Think about Fabien Barel winning DH World Championships on a Kona Stab. Was the Stab the most cutting-edge bike out there? No way. Fabien was just an incredible athlete who trained hard.
Take Rich Houseman too. Yeti makes awesome bikes, no doubt. But did the bike alone win him his first Pro title? Nope. Rich put in years of hard work. He could hop on almost any bike and still be a contender.
Top riders get it. Give them any bike, and they’ll kill it because they have the most important thing: superior physical skills. And guess what? Training can give the average MTB rider better skills too. You might not become Fabien Barel overnight, but you’ll get closer to your potential by focusing on yourself, not by chasing the latest shiny part in bike mags.
Seriously, what will improve your riding more: adding 75 lbs to your deadlift or getting a carbon handlebar? A skills camp or the newest XTR groupset? Living in Fruita, I see riders on top-dollar bikes struggling on trails because they’re weak and lack skills. You can’t even appreciate those high-end bike upgrades unless you’re physically fit enough to push them.
Now, I’m not saying you should ride a clunker from Wal-Mart. You need a decent bike suited for your riding style. Downhill on an XC bike? Not fun. But once you have a solid bike for your type of riding, the best way to boost your trail enjoyment is to focus on your physical skills and fitness.
But bike mags don’t get ad money from training programs. So, they won’t “waste” space promoting something that doesn’t pay them. They also fear being different from other bike mags, a kind of lemming effect that doesn’t help our sport progress.
So, what’s the takeaway? First, check your priorities. Do you really want to be a better rider and have more fun? If yes, what are you doing about it? If your answer is “saving for a new [insert component here],” you might be missing the point. If you’re serious about getting the most out of your ride time, your answer should involve investing in yourself through skills training or physical training, ideally both. If not, that’s fine, but realize you’ll probably be riding at the same level next year, even with that new crankset.
Second, if you are serious, take action. Invest in yourself and tell your favorite bike mags you want more skills and training content. If they think readers want it, they’re more likely to include it.
That’s my rant. My mission now is to help shift the MTB mindset and help riders understand the huge benefits of investing in themselves. Hopefully, some of you will join me.
-James Wilson-
