Last weekend, I took my 26" hardtail with 100mm fork for a ride with 4 very prominent riders, each on carbon Spec E29s. I can tell you... it was not cool. I hated every single minute of the ride... a month earlier I rode the very same bike on almost exactly same trails with slower riders on worse bikes. And I was a God. Elitism? Maybe. But chosing your riding friends can be crucial... if you don't expose yourself to elitists, you may have a rather good time. I personally have never ever experienced more exclusive group of people than 15-25 year old Joeys on poor or medium specced bikes being into gravity riding. I experienced it both in Poland and in Sweden. Their unfounded guilt of being poor riders not owning top bikes is so big they just can't help themselves to give shit to people who have worse bikes than theirs and they will roast the sht out of anyone who owns an expensive bike and doesn't ride well. This summer I've been hanging around a few riding spots across Poland with my super unique, boutique, pretentious carbon bike, and it was drawing attention, but on one occasion, three students were virtually sucking my balls for owning it. Later on I overheard their conversation as they were talking rather hideous things about an owner of a fresh Ibis parked nearby "rich fat basterd", then laughing at a dude on DJ hardtail with a quite long seat post. "is he going to ride up and then down this mountain on that?!"
Choose your riding group wisely... as simple as that... don't let idiots drag you down. I could not care less if there is a BMX made of gold... nobody should. It's our own responsibility to control our reactions to triggers (yeah, I know, not a popular opinion)
Cheers!
Nov. 10, 2017, 10:56 a.m. - Wacek Keepshack
Last weekend, I took my 26" hardtail with 100mm fork for a ride with 4 very prominent riders, each on carbon Spec E29s. I can tell you... it was not cool. I hated every single minute of the ride... a month earlier I rode the very same bike on almost exactly same trails with slower riders on worse bikes. And I was a God. Elitism? Maybe. But chosing your riding friends can be crucial... if you don't expose yourself to elitists, you may have a rather good time. I personally have never ever experienced more exclusive group of people than 15-25 year old Joeys on poor or medium specced bikes being into gravity riding. I experienced it both in Poland and in Sweden. Their unfounded guilt of being poor riders not owning top bikes is so big they just can't help themselves to give shit to people who have worse bikes than theirs and they will roast the sht out of anyone who owns an expensive bike and doesn't ride well. This summer I've been hanging around a few riding spots across Poland with my super unique, boutique, pretentious carbon bike, and it was drawing attention, but on one occasion, three students were virtually sucking my balls for owning it. Later on I overheard their conversation as they were talking rather hideous things about an owner of a fresh Ibis parked nearby "rich fat basterd", then laughing at a dude on DJ hardtail with a quite long seat post. "is he going to ride up and then down this mountain on that?!" Choose your riding group wisely... as simple as that... don't let idiots drag you down. I could not care less if there is a BMX made of gold... nobody should. It's our own responsibility to control our reactions to triggers (yeah, I know, not a popular opinion) Cheers!