"Mountain biking as an entity is at an undoubtedly precarious place these days. For the better part of the last decade, the industry has been driven by big brands and big budgets. Marketing teams ditched athletes for influencers and chased virality as a legitimate strategy for growth. Product teams traded genuine innovation for marginal gains. Things like creativity and artistry have been dumbed down to how it will perform on TikTok."
"On the whole, the mountain biking industry seems to have lost the plot-all in an endless pursuit of more. But before I get into a full-on rant that ends in some teenage kid calling me 'unc,' I want to let it be known that even as misguided as the industry can be at times, I truly believe there is still hope."
"Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." While the global-scale corporations all duke it out over who can sell the best $10,000 bike to the 0.0001% of the population that can even think about affording it, I think they have largely failed to support the things that drive the industry itself."
Mountain biking has become precarious after a decade dominated by big brands, big budgets, and scaled corporate models. Marketing prioritized influencers and virality over athletes, while product teams pursued marginal gains instead of genuine innovation. Creativity and artistry have been reduced to TikTok performance, and culture has turned performative, shapeless, and boring. The global-scale business model now appears unsustainable as companies struggle to maintain overextended operations. Corporations focus on selling ultra-expensive bikes to a tiny wealthy fraction while neglecting the grassroots elements that inspire participation. Cultural, community-rooted approaches offer a viable path forward.
Read at BikeMag
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