Mountain Biking - Is mountain biking on the decline this decade?

???

I wouldn't say it's in a decline, just have to remember mtbing is still the newest discipline of cycling. It's just having it's growing pains just like the other disciplines did when they were fairly new.

It's also a given that on a cycling forum that caters to many different types of cycling the majority of the posts will be from road, ss/fg, commuting forum since there are alot more people that stick to the roads than go ride in the woods.

Activity wise here, it's a bit more active during the late fall/winter/early spring here.

It takes about a day for an answer to come around here but the info that is given is normally top notch. If you are wanting more information or just maybe more views I also frequent http://forums.mtbr.com/ Sorry I can't be more help I am just now getting into the more tech side of things and am still learning.

Recently, I purchased a 10 year old M2 Stumpy hardtail and need help with restoring it. A lightbulb lit up and BF popped in my head. "The geeks on BF would have answers to everything. I just need to use the search function" I thought to myself.

Well, that didn't work. Couldn't find useful/relevant info.


What is it exactly that you needed help on?

There is no correlation between the activity in this forum and actual mountain biking in the real world.

All 4 bolt patterns except for one generation of xtr is 104mm.

Check out an issue of Decline Magazine or any of the other MTB magazines and you will see that it's alive and well. There are so many niches in MTB'ing that have spawned, that I don't think you really can clump it into one label anymore - many are very different like XC or Cyclocross vs. DJ or freeride. Have you checked out the "Roam" videos? Incredible riding.

Also, the components have gotten SO good, I feel in all aspects of bicycles that we are truly in the Golden Age, and MTB'ing has soaked up all that glory in a big way.

I've noticed incredible road riding gains since I got back on the dirt with some serious intent, and then my BMX skills totally being used in tight single-track stuff. It's kinda like going off-road motorcycle riding and the gains you get when motorcycle road racing: things like traction that you have to contend with on a MTB end up being child's play when on the pavement.

Any roadie who doesn't take MTB'ing seriously is really missing out - especially when unfavorable road riding conditions start coming into play in the winter. I say put away that stupid indoor trainer and bust out the knobbies!

What you need is what is called singletrack or perhaps fire trails. Good start for beginning in dirt.

YouTube - Alum Creek P1 Mountain Bike Trail Review HD

The Roam vids are what to work up to.

YouTube - ROAM Mountain Bike DVD Teaser

It's just because we're to busy riding and racing to be online all day
=p

Mountain biking has been in a state of decline ever since riders discovered vehicle shuttles and lift-assisted descents.
Mountain bikes will all eventually be little more than non-motorized MX machines.
I blame Red Bull.

There is no correlation between the activity in this forum and actual mountain biking in the real world.

yep.

This subforum is pretty much done. I see more & more people on mountain bikes all the time.

^^ Going to wait for Dminors respons on this one..
lol

OP:

MTB technology is progressing at such an alarming rate...your M2 Stumpy has one foot in the grave. Compared to today's Stumpy...the geo is uncomfortable, suspension archaic, and shifting is spotty.

There are a scant number of hold-outs who deliberately buck the transition of modern technology who would froth at the mouth in regards to your few threads...but there are plenty of people out there on the trail mountain biking. If people don't respond right away...give it time. They may just be holding back the "lol's" at your wanting to heat up and straighten your rusty bent to ****e middle ring.

My bad...you wanna save some money...skip the Brooks B17. You can get a WTB RocketV at Jenson these days on closeout for $20. Good comfy saddle. You mentioned that the fork may be shot. That thing is also screaming for a Kona P2 fork.

I have to admit that I've never ventured out to this part of the forums before. I usually read the road/SSFG/commuting forums as I do all three.

Maybe you should spend a bit more time in the MTB forums.. ;)




I'm sorry to say, but this section of the forums is pretty weaksauce! Do you guys know of another forum out there that would have a larger mountain biking population?

Then you come in and start dissing the forums that you don't even take part in... :50:



So my question is.....why is mountain biking seeing a decline?

Then make an assumption that MTB is in a decline, and it is not as you have seen by the response to this post. Get out and learn a bit more about what is happening in the MTB community..


There's a reason why I purchased a 10 year old bike. I don't have $$$ for a newer bike. There's a reason why I don't want to buy new chainrings.....it has something to do with $$$ (or lack thereof). You can LOL all you want. But being down & out financially doesn't mean one shouldn't be able to ride a bike. I'm confident I'll bounce back. But right now, times are hard for my family & I in this economy.

I don't know about you, but when I see someone less fortunate than I am, I don't have the urge to point & "LOL" at them. I'm thankful for what I have and I'm glad someone less fortunate is able to work with what he has.

So...unless you're going to offer to buy me an crankset with your hard earned cash, I wouldn't worry too much with what a guy on the internet does with his bent chainring. Maybe there are higher priorities in his life than spending money to get his mountain bike to operate in tip top condition.

When you're a little worried about a roof over your head & feeding small mouths, bending back a chainring to see if it'll work before spending $$$ on a new one is a pretty viable option IMO.


Lighten up....

We all make choices, if you spent a bit more time in the MTB forums you may have learned something, and not got your self into a MTB that needed a butt load of work. Heck you may have been able to save some money if you came in here asking the right questions. Any way good luck with you's and yours roof and other life challenges.

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire... [ Just had to put that out there..] ;)

Nope...I don't recall what they were. I just remember how they felt when I was riding them. Sorry.

Ya, my friend has an olde Stumpjumper M2, a year or two older than the OP's. He's always gotten pissed cuz my Mongoose rides so much better, but was a couple hundred dollars cheaper.

I don't think MTB is in a decline. Seems to me like it plateaued several years ago and I figure it will stay steady as we go forward. Maybe the plateau seemed like a decline compared to road bikes becoming popular again due to the Lance effect. Kinda like in the early 90s when you couldn't give away a road bike, but MTBs flew out the door. When I saw a road bike in Target a couple years ago, I just about spit Starbucks all over the place.

As for subforum views, most SS/fixed riders type WAY more than they ride, it's a fact.

Go to mtbr.com.

So that means mtn bikers aren't as internet savvy or as social as hipsters? Would that be a fair statement?

I would not go a far as saying the mountain bikers are not internet savvy, come on we are using it to have this conversation as I type. :D

As for the social/hptsters thing, I have found that mountain biking is built up from people of all walks of life, and styles of social behaviors.

What were you riding in the 90s that made you dislike the Stumpjumper's geometry?

DBR, 'Goose, Rockhopper, Stumpy, GT LTS, Super V, Level Betty, Trek "Why bikes"...I didn't dislike them back then...for sure. I just can't fathom riding one compared to today's entry level tank even.

Go to mtbr.com.

:lol: Awesome first post! Welcome to Bike Forums!! :thumb:

So that means mtn bikers aren't as internet savvy or as social as hipsters? Would that be a fair statement?


Do you know what Google is?


I typed in "Manitou SX manual" and the very first hit was the .pdf service manual for your fork.

http://spoke-n-word-cycles.com/TechnicalDocuments/Manitou/Manitou%201999/Manitou%201999%20SX%20Service%20Manual.pdf

With respect to some of the other posters in this thread, I disagree that mountain bike geometry and frame construction has radically changed in the last decade. Most of those changes have come in the area of all-mountain and FS bikes, which is not relevant to a discussion regarding an old Stumpy.

The M2 was specced very very well. It is a much better bike than anything you can buy new under four figures, with the possible exception of the fork. Regardless, the fork is completely adequate.

If this is your first mtb, I think it's safe to say it is a much better bike than you are a rider. I say this not to offend you, simply to put your mind at ease - just fix it and ride it.

Buying an old Stumpy instead of a new or newer Hardrock was probably a good move. The comment about an M2 being better than anything new under 4 figures is just plain incorrect. As an example, the new Rockhopper is an M4 and under four figures. (Duh!)
Obtaining info on BF to restore an old bike is no problem. The problem is, your bike is not old enough. The C&V forum will help anyone restoring an old bike, but an M2 is just not considered old. Maybe a steel Stumpy might make it.

It's always nice to have that handy.

Where did I ask about servicing the fork? But thanks for the linky. I'll save it for future use.


Dude, or Dudette, you edit your posts so frequently that I have stopped paying attention to you. Go back to Fixie forums. I don't care for your broke-I'm-trying-to-feed-a-family-BS. I have earned exactly $0 this year, but I don't feel that it's necessary to whine about it. I make do with what I have and I improvise when needed. You are a cry-baby.

Yet, it's ironic how you have to tell the world you made $0 this year? And you're calling me a cry baby? Who's whining now? :)

You spelled winning wrong. Feel free to edit.

Mountain biking has been in a state of decline ever since riders discovered vehicle shuttles and lift-assisted descents.
Mountain bikes will all eventually be little more than non-motorized MX machines.
I blame Red Bull.

Wow. What a particularly clueless response.


Go to mtbr.com.

Yes. Far more breadth of technical knowledge over there, purely as there is a larger number of mtb specific folks making up the brain trust. Several other online forums will (usually) get you more/better/faster/more correct mtb specific info than BF will, purely because of said brain trust.



:lol: Awesome first post! Welcome to Bike Forums!! :thumb:

Yeah, sure, you're being tongue-in-cheek there, but c'mon. See above.

MTB vs. road bike sales fluctuate from year to year. I'd hardly say mtb is in any sort of decline, at the very worst case it's staying static.

The important question is can you trackstand on your mtb?

dickdack, I'm not going to argue with your assertion that making no money sucks. I already know that. I just haven't let it bring me down. Get over it.

Ride the damn bike to your hearts content. Don't sanitize the trails. Go through, not around wet/muddy spots. When something on the bike breaks, replace with something newer/nicer/whatever. Ride it until it dies. It's a capable bike, it just has the potential to become a money pit vs. buying a newer bike if you aren't careful. Be respectful of other trail users.

It ain't rocket surgery folks.

Those mtb dudes cant decide if they want 26 inch wheels, 29 in the front and 26 at the back (looks like a hyena) or 29 or round.

Having said that, I'd like to get another MTB. Try forums.mtbr.com.

mtb has fewer hard and fast "rules" about fit and sizing because of so many differing trail types and riding style/types/marketing categories.

hmmm. road can be sketchy as well. riding in a tight pack or line at high speed? all it takes is one person to screw up and take down the whole group, or a large portion.

IMO, you're getting all hung up for no reason on the semantics of things. they are just bikes, man. ride what you like, how you like.

for info, there are a crapload of various sites out there devoted to all aspects of mtb fit/fashion/culture/racing/and just plain riding. some get just as geeky and techy if not more so than many road specific forum. go check out some suspension design and performance tweaking stuff. and there are many, many variations on geometry - tons of info to geek out with in that area as well.



IMO, mountain biking is so technical & requires a crap load of skills (compared to riding a road bike).

Being such a technical "sport" I would've thought there would be many threads on bike fit & bike sizing.

But it doesn't even come close with the anal guys in the roadie forum. They think you'll die if you buy a bike 2cm smaller or larger than the "ideal" size.

Where as in mountain bikes, bike sizing seems so lenient.

I was going to start a new thread asking about bike position (KOPS, hand, elbow, back angles, etc.)....but didn't want to get everyone pissed off.

I think I have an idea of the responses....it'll be something like this: "you moron, you don't sit down when you ride on a trail, you're off the saddle most of the time and you're making body adjustments on the fly".

Yea yea yea....I know. But.....how about when I'm sitting on the saddle riding on the road to trails?

Buying an old Stumpy instead of a new or newer Hardrock was probably a good move. The comment about an M2 being better than anything new under 4 figures is just plain incorrect. As an example, the new Rockhopper is an M4 and under four figures. (Duh!)
Obtaining info on BF to restore an old bike is no problem. The problem is, your bike is not old enough. The C&V forum will help anyone restoring an old bike, but an M2 is just not considered old. Maybe a steel Stumpy might make it.

The only M2 that came with that fork I'm familiar with was all XT/XTR. If that's the case here, you're better off with old top-shelf stuff than new mid or low grade.

Maybe that's not this bike, there aren't a whole lot of details here.

It's weird. My stumpjumper came with an XTR RD, but with LX shifter & FD. I guess they aren't OEM and were replaced. The RD is a little beat up as you can see here. It was also hitting the spokes when I first brought the bike home.
The only reason why I got this bike over a brand new Hardrock or Rockhopper is because of the reviews I found here. It was tough to say no to a bike with such great reviews.

not weird at all. up-speccing the rear and a few other parts while leaving the other stuff at a lower level is very common for OEM spec with bike companies. "ooh, shiny! it's got xtr in the back!" yeah, but lx or whatever sort of house brand stuff elsewhere. "yeah, but it's got xtr in the back!"

what you've got there is a nice retro ride, and it was a nice mid-level ride back in the day, but it wasn't and isn't anything particularly spectacular.

again, ride it until things die, then replace as needed.

It's weird. My stumpjumper came with an XTR RD, but with LX shifter & FD. I guess they aren't OEM and were replaced. The RD is a little beat up as you can see here. It was also hitting the spokes when I first brought the bike home.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3809056356_9731d7b109_o.jpg

The only reason why I got this bike over a brand new Hardrock or Rockhopper is because of the reviews I found here. It was tough to say no to a bike with such great reviews.
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/bike-hardtail/specialized/1999-stumpjumper-comp/PRD_350217_96crx.aspx



The newest review on that bike is 7 years old, 7 years ago it was a nice bike. The xtr components on it are like shimano alivo parts now. Your going to spend enough fixing it up to the point where you could have just bought a new one. Thats why most people dont even bother. Ive done it a couple time myself just for the joy of fixing up an older bike and taking it to the trails and seeing the respones of some of the other riders. Its like pulling into a parking lot of cars with a fixed up classic car. People go nuts over them , atleast thats the response ive gotten on the two bikes ive fixed up. When it comes down to it , if you like the bike and have fun on the bike who really cares what anyone thinks.

What you're missing are the Sex in the City types. Can't say "all walks of life" if you don't include the sex in the city types.

Sidi Bullet, FiveTen Impact, and Shimano M121W. And that's just mountain shoes. Plus my bike is just the right size and stiffness to be a great ride. There you go...Sex and the City type. I'm just a regular Carrie Bradshaw. :lol:

See....that goes to show how much of a newbie I am to mtn bikes. In the roadie world, I would, without a doubt in my mind, purchase a bike with 11 year old 9 speed DuraAce components (aka XTR of roadies) over to a 2009 9 speed Sora (Alivio/Altus level) equipped bike. And I'm making this claim with 10 (and even 11 speed) drivetrains available in the roadie world

I had a Ultegra 9 speed back in the days (equivalent to XT) and I can tell you that it shifts MUCH better than the 9 speed Sora or Tiagra you see today.

I guess things are different in the mtn bike world. I am still pretty amazed that 9 spd XTR/XT are about equivalent to 8 speed Alivio stuff on today's bike.


No.. you were correct. 10 year old xtr is still better quality than modern alivio..

The xtr components on it are like shimano alivo parts now.

That's wack!

No.. you were correct. 10 year old xtr is still better quality than modern alivio..


Really ? take them apart..the spring tension on the two is almost identical.

almost identical.

What does this even mean?

Have you measured the spring tension on both?

Is spring tension the only measure of quality you consider with a rear der.?

hilarious..

What does this even mean?

Have you measured the spring tension on both?

Is spring tension the only measure of quality you consider with a rear der.?

hilarious..



Yes i have , try it if ya dont belive me and the spring is just about everything in a rear derailleur when it comes to changing the gears . Look at that derailleur in his picture , it doesnt even come close to mathcing the xtr stuff on todays bikes ...now compare it to the low end stuff of today...amazing people cant figure this out....hilarious...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap! This thread rocks hard!

The xtr components on it are like shimano alivo parts now.

You got any old, OK condition rear derailers? I'll trade new Alivio for xt/xtr or Acera for Deore/LX

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap! This thread rocks hard!

shhhh. You are interrupting!

shhhh. You are interrupting!

.....and your point is????

Where did I ask about servicing the fork? But thanks for the linky. I'll save it for future use.

You started an entire thread about it: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=571017



What should I look for when looking at the front suspension? Any way to test it?

Does that ring a bell?

The xtr components on it are like shimano alivo parts now.


I get what you're saying --- that a ten year old ragged out XTR rear derailleur probably performs on the same level as a new Alivio component. But you're flawed in thinking that the M950/951 group can hold a candle to any of the lower Shimano groups today. That generation of XTR put an entire cottage industry of CNC MTB components out of business. Seen any Grafton brake levers or cranks lately?

But some of you seem to think a 90s Stumpy isn't a good bike compared to the technology we have today. So.....I guess with an inferior bike (and the lack of skills), I should re-arrange some of the rocks on the trail? If I move them to make the trail easier, should I place the rocks back in place after I'm done?

Someone please school me on trail riding etiquette.


:roflmao2::roflmao2: Nice !! :roflmao2::roflmao2:

There's a reason fixed gear riders are often labeled as hipsters. Most FG riders ride in a city environment. Most cities are relatively flat (which allows riding SS or FG). I think the environment dictates the type of bikes ridden.



I don't have the energy to get to in depth on this, but what I will say is that we have this 44 year old that rides with us on our Wednesday night rides, and he uses a SS/FG MTB. We live 16 mil. south of Mt. Mitchell the highest part of the U.S. East of the Mississippi at a elevation of 6,684 feet. We start out at 2,700 feet and climb to 3,419 feet on most rides, and he rocks on that bike.. SS/FG are not just for the city cat's...

Also in the newest issue of Mountain Bike titled "New Trails In Impossible Places [Mt. Tam, NYC, Chicago] cat's are building trails in the city to rid on, very cool !!! So there again MTB'ing is not just rural or suburban people.