Originally Posted by
Bike Rat
I suppose it's because I'm not slow, my equipment is. It'd be different if I was slow because of inadequate skills...that's a challenge to embrace, but an equipment disadvantage is more difficult to overcome. But I get what you're saying, it's okay to be slow...I just don't like feeling as if the group is waiting on me to catch up.
For a point of reference, I recently started road cycling with a club. I'm easily the slowest in the group, but that only encourages me to become a stronger and smarter (more efficient) rider. Since equipment advantages in road cycling are marginal, a cyclist can overcome those disadvantages more easily than a mountain biker. Rather than blaming my slowness on toe clips, running shoes, heavier bike, non-aero wheels, etc., I attribute it primarily to deficient fitness and secondarily to inadequate group riding skills (inefficiency).
You are deluding yourself. Its not about the bike. You are slow because of inadequate skills or fitness.
Its probably 95% rider, 5% bike on trails like you posted the video of above. I'm not saying you can bomb downhill runs on your rigid, but with relatively smooth trails with a few tech features hear and there, it doesn't make that much difference.