May 28, 2014, 2:30 p.m. -  Pete Roggeman

#!markdown I hope it didn't sound elitist when I wrote it like that, because the disdain I have for calling it Enduro riding comes from a place far removed from elitism. What we are discussing is simply riding. Mountain biking started as a sport where people would ride up (less enjoyable - at least for most of us) and then bomb down (more enjoyable - again, for most of us). Having it be pointed out that 'Enduro' is about riding up slow and riding down fast doesn't change anything. The only reason I mentioned it at all is because saying that you're going on an Enduro ride with your buddies (tongue and cheek and sense of humour aside, because I do joke like that, too) is insinuating that for some reason giving it a label makes it different or better than what everyone has been doing all along - riding up, then riding down. Ten years ago we'd be having the same discussion about Freeride: we sure as hell didn't say we were going "freeriding". It's just riding. But yes, do take it seriously because whatever you call it, it's seriously fun. And be matchy match, too, because it's important!