I'm sure you don't intend this to be some grand all encompassing law of nature or anything. So, my critique might seem a little unfair and I'd like to say from the outset that your point makes sense so long as you don't stray too far from the lower-middle through upper income brackets of your audience. However, if you were to consider this much more broadly, say the entire global population, it's pretty obvious that there are legitimate, practical reasons that could preclude someone from being able to fully commit to the hardcore MTB lifestyle. So, taking that into consideration, there are probably similar reasons that might affect people who are within your audience here. So much so that it's hard to avoid calling Peter Egan's point of view on car racing, at best, privileged.
I might be a bit like the Kona rider from your piece here (though not worthy of respect), and I have little to complain about in my life. My annual budget for upkeep of my '09 hardtail is $500 max, and I'm pinching pennies to make that happen. Whatever, I make it happen however I can. I commute on this bike too, which is one of the ways I save a little for upkeep. My financial situation makes it clear to me how precarious my ability to ride a working bike is. Failure of the frame or a major component means I might not be able to ride for some time. Sure, there are choices I've made that put me in this position, but they don't necessarily reflect on my commitment to ride. If it's as simple as putting riding above everything else, then I'm not sure that's a good thing for society.
Nov. 8, 2017, 8:44 p.m. - natbrown
I'm sure you don't intend this to be some grand all encompassing law of nature or anything. So, my critique might seem a little unfair and I'd like to say from the outset that your point makes sense so long as you don't stray too far from the lower-middle through upper income brackets of your audience. However, if you were to consider this much more broadly, say the entire global population, it's pretty obvious that there are legitimate, practical reasons that could preclude someone from being able to fully commit to the hardcore MTB lifestyle. So, taking that into consideration, there are probably similar reasons that might affect people who are within your audience here. So much so that it's hard to avoid calling Peter Egan's point of view on car racing, at best, privileged. I might be a bit like the Kona rider from your piece here (though not worthy of respect), and I have little to complain about in my life. My annual budget for upkeep of my '09 hardtail is $500 max, and I'm pinching pennies to make that happen. Whatever, I make it happen however I can. I commute on this bike too, which is one of the ways I save a little for upkeep. My financial situation makes it clear to me how precarious my ability to ride a working bike is. Failure of the frame or a major component means I might not be able to ride for some time. Sure, there are choices I've made that put me in this position, but they don't necessarily reflect on my commitment to ride. If it's as simple as putting riding above everything else, then I'm not sure that's a good thing for society.