I just don't get it.
Most mountain biker's cut their teeth on XC bikes, right?
The North Shore was founded by a bunch of true XC hammerheads: when a ride wasn't considered a ride until the post 4 hour mark.
Everyone wore "spandex", lowering your saddle was for sissys and the king of the heap was the North Shore's crown jewel Alison Sydor.
(BTW Alison is still BY FAR the richest, most successful and most acclaimed rider to ever ride the shore, period).Not that i don't love freeride and DH. i do. i just don't understand why the XC crowd is greated so poorly. some of the most talented riders i know are still full on XC. not just lungs, great riders.
if you've never tried a saddle up, no pads, 3+ hour rip on a skinny bike, not only shouldn't you knock it, you should try it.
When you've been around a little while you will realize that riding trends tend to be cyclical (no pun intended). In the eighties, I rode nothing but my road bike. Speed was everything and I thought I looked hot in my tighties. When mountain bikes started showing up in the mid to late eighties, I dissed them. Fat tires will slow you down fo sho. I got one for commuting to university when I lived in Saskatoon and I discovered the world that fat tires opens up to you. No flats (relatively speaking) and I could go off-road. When I moved to BC I discovered xc racing and again, speed was everything. Soon during my rides, friends on hardtails were egging me on to jump off of things. A few years, some broken frames and broken bones later, I had my first big rig. My 4 foot drop threshold exploded. I was hucking my meat like a monkey hucks poop. Most recently I have discovered the blast that is dirt jumping and urban assault. So I have ridden everything over the years. The constant? Despite what I am presently "in to", I continue to ride road and xc with regularity. Why? Because the feeling of raw power and speed generated by your own body is matchless. So while the trends shift, being fit, and feeling empowered by xc and road riding is timeless. And guess what? Being fit makes you a better rider regardless of what gets you off….
"Walk a mile in another man's shoes. Then, you'll be a mile away from him and have his shoes."