this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2026
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Mountain Biking
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Mountain biking is gradually arriving at the same place skiing has been for decades. Manicured trails and cushy, predictable, long-travel bikes make the sport more accessible. A lot of people enjoy the flow and the exercise but don't want to rattle through a loose rock garden or pick a line over slippery roots. Just like a lot of folks want to go to a ski resort to casually cruise groomers. And that's fine.
I agree it's basically becoming summer skiing. The resorts are building these trails and getting them approved because they say 'look at the money we can make.' All the investment is going into one type of riding because that's where the returns will come from.
And that's where the money is. Upper middle class people who can afford to travel, spend money on gear and bikes, and rent a condo and go to restaurants.
The PRO line at my mtb park, has virtually nobody on it. It's a cool for videos on for YouTube to promote the park, but the people riding it aren't weekend warriors with two groms who are renting out the condo at the base of the mountain for 500/night.
I think more people are getting into it and there might be some nice trails that attract a lot of beginners and families, but there's still a lot of numb nuts hitting worst trails in their local area.