Has the modern focus on shuttles and bike parks killed the MTB adventure? We head to the Peak District for a gruelling 55km loop to prove that the true spirit of mountain biking is all about the big climb and the earned descent. Watch as James and his brother, Charlie, battle the headwind and each other to find that original stoke.
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
00:00 Intro: Has the Adventure Died?
01:21 Old School Ride Prep & Nostalgia
04:09 The Massive Climb Begins
06:06 The Gate & Dab Challenge
09:20 Haribo Snack Stop Tradition
10:37 The Reward: Earning the Descent
12:00 Why You Should Ditch The Uplift
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33 Comments
Hey everyone! Thanks for all the lovely comments! A few people have asked for the ride route, so I've attached it below. The route is from the Peak District MTB guidebook, which is definitely worth checking out! – James – https://gmbn.eu/PeaksLoop
were still riding in Golden, Colorado, partner. cheers, everyone keep crushing!
No it cost to much money to breath these days at least over here in America anyway
Youre right! I ride routes in the north which used to be busy but now I virtually see nobody…and if I do it's another old fart like me. I did 80 miles around Windermere and Coniston at the end of summer, including a section of Grizedale and did not see one other rider!
Spot on – Adventures the word , getting away from it all. So lucky in UK to have such a great network of bridleways and OS maps
Epic! Nicely done. My riding back in 1993 in proper north on the border in the Cheviot’s I would do what you did. I see a ride in the magazine’s , cut it out and off by myself and just ride. Still riding an analog bike or as I prefer to call it, a muscle bike. 57 just riding in a different location over the pond in Oregon. Cheers 🍻
Loving videos like this. Will go on a ride after work.
Great video. I think one of the things about bike parks is that they're quite intense. That can be great if you're feeling fit and confident, but it also comes with a degree of pressure and it can be quite a humbling experience. With an old school mountain bike ride it doesn't matter if you do the whole thing without your wheels leaving the ground. You might take different things from different parts of the ride and it's not so focused on the specific skills you need for bike park terrain.
What's a bike park? 😂
It indeed feels like MTB (as portrayed in this video) is dying around where I live (east of France). I feel that the change from messageboards to instant message apps has divided MTBers between older ones (like me now, who used to use messageboards) and younger ones on apps. Youngers go for enduro spots or DH parks, they don't do much trail/all-mountain like we used to 10-15 years ago. There was no "passing" of the "spirit" of how we used to MTB so while MTB it's still a thing, it's done differently. Consequently it feels that if you're close to mountains with some enduro spots and get to connect with those that ride there you may find a group to ride with, but if like me you're a bit further (about 30km by car) pretty much no one rides anymore here, and I'm not good at messaging apps. I was on a messageboards and we had rides of +30 people, but over time this has split in many small groups of 2, 3, 4, rarely 5 guys. Consequently now it just takes one guy to move for a new job or something and it's your micro group that dies. Also many have moved to trail (running), road or eMTB (gravel is not that popular here I think), and covid has changed habits. Almost starting to feel like selling my bikes but one, or moving myself. Just yeasterday I was watching another video with that same feeling. And messageboards are dying, no more sharing of the knowledge.
In the city I live in, there are quite a lot of super nice trails. Most of the sart points of the decents are about 1 hour from my flat. That is why my first mtb I bought in over 20 years, is a trail/enduro bike. It climbs suprisingly well given t is about 17kg in my size and the 150mm travel is big enough to rip in the park a few times a year.
I think it's just the bubble you find yourselves in, I never really knew what a bike park was until I got back into riding a few months ago! What a discovery that was, you can go up a bloody ski lift and then just ride all the way down is like everything I dreamed of as a kid, someone then did it and never told me 😂 I am trying to do a bike park once a month but the rest is my local woods as that's the reality for a Dad life
yeah I do, my channel is about riding on a budget, no shuttles, not even a lift or drive to the park I cycled from coalisland to davagh forest trails and back just to get out to a bike park 😂
This is pure motivation for me. I have not even started but looking at a Canyon on al 7 now. Is that a ok starting bike ?
Love experiencing a proper day out of riding a trail with friends and planning new routes
Well, life is happening on my side of the globe.
Prices are bordering on premium hence mandatory spending doesn't involve biking.
Healthcare is also unbecoming. Injuries aren't worth the time down and money lost in exchange for lessons learned.
Also the simple polarizing truth that the best components ensure the most exciting of rides has just turned most of us away.
We'd rather spend on owning motorbikes or cars to get to wherever we need to go.
But, I hope with this, we will recognize the vision behind Mt. B. or cycling for that matter.
What's bike park ? What's a shuttle van? What's an e bike?
Old School mountainbiking is barely possible in The Netherlands since it's no more allowed to just ride your bike through the forest. Instead of that we got around 300 designated trails now.
Exactly, this is the sport. Not ebikers who simply take the easiest way out and then call what they do mountain biking.
Awsome video!
Wilson Creek in WNC y’all… proper rides is what we do! Hella climbs up Roseboro Rd to come all the way down Yancey Ridge… on analog bikes 😂 #yesplease
Great video. Exactly what mountain biking should be – fun and adventure.
I didn't realize people DON'T do this. I love the climb. I love getting lost. Map? Who needs it? Bring some water, maybe a snack, watch out for rattle snakes and bears
55klm is huge ride
Does anyone mountain bike anymore? 2.05million Subscribers do
Knowing that area quite well the issue is for the time investment and climbing you could ride heaps of amazing single track hidden away in the woods! Just ordered a short travel XC bike for days like this 🥳
Big XC, lots of tech, but ups and downs. It’s the only kind of riding I do. I prefer to earn my turns.
I've ditched the road bike to go back to Mtb'ing in the wild. The roads are clogged and getting worse. Where I live in the SW I've noticed the big swing to road biking away from Mtb'ing. Strange.
Epic Video! This is just the type of riding I do, only with more gravel roads and less gates. It's a lot of fun and keeps me in really good shape!
Blimey I feel old, this is the only way I ride still… all that modern stuff you mentioned made no sense to me lol
More of this mate👍
Literally the only riding i've ever done – bike parks have never appealed to me in the slightest.
Nice…..but don't ride natural shared tails like you would a bike park 🥺