_"This is why, even though I've ridden mountain bikes for years (hard tail in Ontario) I don't ever see myself getting into it here in BC, because you NEED a decent bike to ride here and it's prohibitively expensive."_
The other factor limiting people from getting into mountain biking here is the skill needed to ride that expensive bike in technical terrain.
Despite hard work having been done by local advocacy groups in the past few years, there is still no truly beginner-friendly trail network within biking or short driving distance from Vancouver. There are snippets of trails, often with sections that require getting off and walking, and basically no opportunity for a walk-free, continuous beginner riding experience on singletrack.
Sure, some can ride North Shore blues on a hardtail, but most can't. And the same terrain that most mountain bikers would like to have a capable dual suspension bike to ride is simply out of reach for people looking to get into the activity on a casual basis.
The equipment outlay is just money, but the skill needed is a huge hurdle for many potential users.
Nov. 8, 2017, 8:57 a.m. - Morgan Taylor
_"This is why, even though I've ridden mountain bikes for years (hard tail in Ontario) I don't ever see myself getting into it here in BC, because you NEED a decent bike to ride here and it's prohibitively expensive."_ The other factor limiting people from getting into mountain biking here is the skill needed to ride that expensive bike in technical terrain. Despite hard work having been done by local advocacy groups in the past few years, there is still no truly beginner-friendly trail network within biking or short driving distance from Vancouver. There are snippets of trails, often with sections that require getting off and walking, and basically no opportunity for a walk-free, continuous beginner riding experience on singletrack. Sure, some can ride North Shore blues on a hardtail, but most can't. And the same terrain that most mountain bikers would like to have a capable dual suspension bike to ride is simply out of reach for people looking to get into the activity on a casual basis. The equipment outlay is just money, but the skill needed is a huge hurdle for many potential users.