Hey guys, I'm 42 years young! And just bought myself a new mountain bike to hopefully hit the trails with my Son. Got myself the new Marin Alpine Trail Carbon FUN from The Trailheads. Might need to get some lessons first 🤔
I am riding better now and I will be 60 in November. I just seem to have a lot more fun now and I think after purchasing my Canyon Spectral I ride more often because the new geometry is excellent and I want my wife to know the cost was worth it 😁
Feels like the study Martyn quoted (from VitalMTB, presume?) has problems with representation. Simply put, youngsters have better things to do than "be an audience of a magazine".
I'm 55, my brother is 63, Pops is 78 ( we are also the trail build crew ) & the majority of ppl I see at the trails are 30+. There is a group of XC kids, somewhere around, but I rarely see em. Muscogee Mountain Bike Trails in Florida Cheers
I used to mountain bike in the late 80's to the mid 90's. I came back to the sport about 10 years ago aged 60. I'm now approaching 70 in August and I'm still having fun.
Cheers to that and same here at age 64, I am enjoying my rides more than ever and everyday rides at that as no time or money for vacation destinations and that's okay, yesterday it was errands around town on a bike and tomorrow it'll be a total of 30 miles of commuting to and from work in glorious summertime sunshine and heat on two-lane roads. Plus, a 42-ounce fountain soda during the day, a reward for facing the heat and the miles with a smile. 😀
I love hearing stories like yours. My mother is 76 and still rides daily. I met a lady in a bike shop that was 93 and she was buying a new bike. Y'all give me hope and may God bless you.
Ditto. The 80’s & 90’s Northshore trails were hard on the body. I equate the development in mountain bikes to the development in skis. Thanks to the new shape skis I can ski better than when I was in my “youth”. Now in my mid sixties riding full suspension bike parks and black runs are fun and doable. One big change is I made an agreement with the doctor to wear protection from head to toe.
Thanks for posting this response. I never thought would contemplate riding at my age. Today I’m 53 so I’m not old or very young. But I’m glad to hear people like you who are in their 60’s still riding. I love the sport and social part of riding.
I never tried mountainbiking when I was younger ,but got too old for boxing ,got injured powerlifting,didn't enjoy roadbiking got allergic to chlorine swimming,can't run ,as knees are bad ,,tried mountainbiking at 46 ,and absolutely loved it ,now 53 ,still going strong ,so far ....
Age redefines your goals and tempers your ambitions. When older you break easier, and heal slower. At 61 I'm not interested in hucking the gnar, or shredding the trails at DH speeds. It's all about maintaining fitness and enjoying the outdoors. Think bikes cost a lot? Consider the cost of healthcare treatment when injured or have a chronic illness. It's cheaper to stay fit and ride another day.
Same here. I’m in my 50’s so healing is a bit slower than when I was 30, in my prime riding days. However I do like to bomb down trails (at controlled speeds) and ride technical trails. Most of all I like the social part of it, sharing riding stories, and eating tacos after the rides 🙌🏽
I think something missing from your show which could be a real help to mountain bikers in the UK, would be for you to go and review a different bike trail or trail centre each week. There's plenty here to choose from! You could design a rating system covering various attributes of mtb'ing so we can compare and decide where we'd like to go next.
I am 59 and have just started riding over the last year. I live in North Vancouver and I ride a normal enduro bike( no battery powered bikes for me). My riding buddy is 79 he started last year as well, he is better rider than me now because he retired and has way more time to ride. Why are we seeing older riders. In my opinion is because 40+ people are generally healthier and fitter and younger in spirit, and more health conscious than people as little as 30 yrs ago, at the same age
46 years old here. Lived and breathed mountain biking from 1989 until 1998. You're spot on, at 18 I bought a car, got busy with relationships and making money. Biked less and less, bought a bike that sat in my garage for 10 years. I got fat. Wasn't until my son was born that I started riding again, and as he progressed, I did too. 3 years ago I quit my job, found a new career at my LBS, and bought a modern bike. At first I thought it was a mistake, slack angles, massive travel, big price tag.. It took me 3 months to learn to ride it, and now I'm totally immersed. Live and breathe it again. Feel like a little kid. Lost weight and filled with joy. I can't imagine a better life. I get to fall in love with every bike I wrench on. I'm surrounded everyday by the best people, and I get to work on amazing trails every week here in Alaska.
Re: independence and what we'd like to see for the future, I'd love to see more videos about having fun around town and on the trails. Some of the best GMBN videos are just a couple riders making their own challenges up, playing BIKE, and getting the most they possibly can out of sessioning weird spots.
WTF?!?!?!?!? "Steel coming back" ..... Even the most enlightened sometimes cannot see. Steels NOT coming back, Steel NEVER went anywhere m8!!!!! ITS ALWAYS BEEN THERE ...................... Just to set the record, am not a steely fanboi, haven't touched a steely since the mid 80's. But facts are facts.
My wife and I are both in our 50’s - still mountain biking although we’re picking up or first eMTB’s on Tuesday…. Is this a sign of what’s to come for us 😂
@@Roaming50 Thank you !! I’ve bought two Haibike AllMtn 10’s - on paper they should be a good ride (limited budget when you’ve got to buy two at the same time 🙄😂)
What's going on with the Bike Vault!!! you're not even saying nice or super nice for V69HMV9MS7's Specialized Stumpjumper or is this Hacks And Bodges on the Bike Vault!! d(~_~)b
I seriously doubt this will get any attn, but Ill still add it. So I like the show, the channel etc and I also really wanted to buy a copy of the MTB Maint Book. Upon adding it to cart, I see for the $27 book usd, I have a $22 shipping charge. Thats steep for a book, even from another country. I had a computer part, much heavier and larger than that book shipped to the USA from Lithuania and it was far cheaper than $22, so hmmm... After I saw that, I thought Id see if I could find something else to buy to make the shipping worth it, so I added the Road Bike Maint Book as well, another $27. With that the shipping went up to $29. Oh but wait, it offered for me to get free shipping if I spent another $90 ($150 total for free shipping)... So the ultimate result is CANCELLED order. You might want to rethink shipping charges if you want ppl from outside the UK to be patrons, which I did? If I was buying a fork or something ok, but its mildly thick books. Thanks if anyone bothers to address this. Maybe Im missing something in the shipping world but thos prices seem remeniscent from the 90's shipping costs.
At 77yrs I ride my two mountain bikes two-three times per week, my owned from new 1998 Kona (much upgraded) and Atherton AM.130. love improving my skills, being smooth and spotting good lines.
I’m 49. Started riding at 45. In my 20’s I was into gym. In my 30’s I was building my career. In my 40’s I realised I was overweight and had to do something about it and MTB made me feel young again.
I am 70, I had 4 heart attacks and 4yrs ago my cardiologist advised me to get an e-bike. Reason being I can use the e-assistance when going into wind on the flat or riding uphill. I live close to Alps and I find easy trails to be a great boost to my well being. So an e-bike set me free no more heart attacks, My wife (66) often comes with me. We can take a ski lift to the top, I am no way racing, but I regularly 45 -50 Km per hour downhill.
MTBing is definitely an old people's game, think about it, the guys who embraced the uk MTB boom of the late 80's and early 90's are still out there riding and were pushing, or in my case now over 50 years old. Now our kids are all grown up and we've got disposable income to spend on shiny new bikes.
i am 52 years old and for the last few years my friends finally got me back into biking as i spend alot of time out fishing. i feel so alive and free when i mountain bike every weekend and was doing great until this year, the last week of May where i suffered 3 TIA strokes in one week. on meds and stuff and tomorrows ride will be my first ride since. very nervous as my right side of my body doesn't feel the same. the reaction on the right arm seems a touch slower then the left so i am kinda scared since my rear brake is controlled by my right hand. these strokes really shook my confidence and not sure why but going biking again i am a bit scared. PS since you didn't give the white stumpjumper a nice or super nice i'm calling it a SUPERNICE lol
I'm 41 and I went through a bad time and getting back into mountain biking has been the best thing I could of ever done keep up the good work and creativity
Did my first downhill races in the last year, I'm 51! It's a really competitive category. Also trying to keep up with my 14 year old mountain bike lad has pushed me far beyond anything I thought I could do.. mtb is age agnostic. Ride on! Falling off hurts more though 😂
I’m 77yrs and ride my Atherton and or 1998 Kona every week, entered gravel bike races on my Shand and have competed successfully in Kayak endurance races. Love riding more than ever, always looking to improve.
My old friends are picking up golf but I'm looking at picking up the new trance x asap and getting ready for the best adventures of my life. Im so glad to find there's a huge amount of support and community, just visiting bike shops everyone has been so nice. It's absolutely refreshing.
Get ready for costly repairs like my neighbour found out with his Giant Talon ebike . Ebike consoles/displays are "NOT" waterproof unfortunately . The electric motor is IP4 rated , not IP6 submersible . This applys to all mid drive motors .
That's actually not true Ive a specalized the the display has an IPA rating and I live in Ireland I've already rode through a winter here of heavy rain
I’m 55 years old and I enjoy riding at Bike Park Wales with my 18 and 19 year old sons. Most of the other dads tend to be in their early 40s though. I’ll keep doing it for the grey beards and riding with my sons for as long as I can. Thanks for the show guys! Ian
I'm 62, rode bicycles throughout my childhood, raced MX until 20, but has to sell up to buy a car, then work took over until I was 35, buying 3 full sus Specialized bikes until EBikes arrived, on my 2nd Levo. Focussing on work enabled me to finance the full sus bikes, but in retrospect I'm now trying to maximise the time I have left, so have told my boys not to put anything off until next year as I regret it. If your into bikes it never leaves your system, you always come back, sometimes with more £££
I’m 57, hadn’t been on a bike since I was 16 and discovered motorcycles. Two years ago I started leisure biking with the wife and it wasn’t long until wanted a mountain bike and I love it as I have lots of local trails…ironically those are the same trails that the fire police would chase me off of in the 70’s and now those fire trails are what we use to get to the machine made trails that cover the mountain.
My MTB career began in the early 80’s. The ski company I was a rep for jumped into the mountain bike arena. My first bike was pre shocks but I later added Rock Shox. I am retired now and thankfully invested well to be able to support my continued MTB career. I am 68yrs old and now ride a Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy. The group I ride with is unique but we are all adrenaline junkies. One of my buddies rides a 3 wheel assist bike made by Nuke and another rides a Bowhead RX. We ride Whistler every September. The development of e-assist is keeping the old guys in the game.
Mark - I'm 52. Began racing BMX in the early 80"s in the NBL/ABA series. Quit in early nineties (shame on me). Resurrected my love for the sport during covid and now race in XC and Enduro every weekend. Loving every minute of it, even after going over the bars several times😂
i’m 59. used to ride my road bike till mid nineties. rode xc mtb for about 10 years. then rode ss mtb for another ten years… and for the past few years i’ve been riding park and enduro. … so i can’t say i really left or came back, but i am having fun.
Hey guys. just turned 41 last month. I've been mountain biking for about 7 years now. It seems the older I get, the more time I spend on my various bikes. I just picked up a new specialized chisel comp for my 1st race in the Leadville 100! Wish me luck.
I'm 73 and five months ago I began looking seriously at E-MTBs. Then I started analyzing my condition, loss of strength and endurance, and asked myself the question "is it too many years or too many beers?" I stopped drinking beer, which I really love, and began lifting weights. I gained strength and lost weight. Riding has become less work and more fun! Maybe in my eighties I'll start considering an E-MTB.
@@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker thanks for the reply, if I stay riding, I'm ok and love doing the work. it's those 4 months off that are getting harder to come back from. and the extra 50#'s from my hay days. not an ap guy and have none on my phone, my buddy just bought an e-bike that shows tire pressure and shock pressure, it's a freaking bike Lol.. looking at a major stripped-down e-fat tire bike with only an ap for the motor, I'll still be riding my old 08 Specialized Enduro, but you're singing my song.
At 57 year-old I still do my mountain biking because that is my only travel and it's also a best way for me to get out on my weekends to do bikepacking photography I never stopped 46 years and I've never stopped and I'm 57
Have been a roadie for 20ish years. I started coaching High School (NICA) mtb 3 years ago and I love it. Age 54. BTW, you guys need to come to the states and do a show on NICA, ages 13 to 18, junior high and high school mountain bike racing. A great community of people helping young people love the sport and just be better people.
I have come back into it. Back in the 90's I used to race - loved it. I used to do nothing else but think MTB. Most evenings during the week me and my mates went out training.....then the weekends were spent preparing the machine for a race. Then it was the time spent maintaining the bike after the race. One day I realised that it was becoming an obsession! So, I decided to give it up, and then spent more time with family -wife, kids etc. It wasn't until 3 years ago - ish and then 61 years old that the bug came back. I'm now 64 (65 Aug 1st), and loving the buzz of the MTB world. I live in Cornwall..... plenty of hills - and haven't given into the e-bike world yet. I intend to keep going as long as my body allows me too. Happy cycling to all of you out there.
South Africa. Raced road in my late teens and 20's. Went off it for a few years and came back to mountain biking. Mostly trail and marathon at the age of 53.
I had my training wheels off at 3, mainly grew up biking just to get around places, like school and such. Occasionally dad took us to a dirt jump track in town. Didn't really mtn bike till I was in my teens. Went to an academy in castle valley , UT. Had an absolute blast. But after high school I wound up in Indiana. Didn't have many good trails, so I fell out of it. I'm 40 now, got teenagers who have gotten me back out on the trails down here in tennessee. I think I've been more daredevilish now than ever. It's really fun getting back out there, and it's insane what they've accomplished with the bikes of today. Absolutely love this channel! Everything you guys do. But I especially like the presenter challenges/games, and when you guys get out and do enduro races!
I started mountain biking back in the 90s and raced in the veteran's class. I'm now 64 and still put the miles in, getting out on the trails 2 or 3 times a week. I don't race anymore but I'm not slowing down any time soon!
I think your right on MTBing being and old man's game 😂 I think your right with the fact of cars/girls 😂 getting in the way we'll it is in my case plus I didn't have the money to Iam 37 👍
I'm 63 and still riding strong...well somewhat. I remember getting my first MTB. A Specialized Stump Jumber. Solide Stell Frame ($300 USD, in 1985) with 26 inch Fat Wheels. It was fun. Nothing like my Santa Cruz Tall Boy I just bought ($4000 USD). That could be the reason younger people are not getting into the sport.
I’m 54. I grew up with mountain biking getting my first bike in the early 90s. I think the people riding now are the ones that always ride and loved the evolution of the sport over time. Yes, it is true that we are also the demographic that can afford to drop $10k on a bike and have it be just one on our collection. The biggest thing I love now is the ride of eMTB. I’ve ridden with quite a few quits in there 70s that eMTB gave them a new lease on life.
I'm 73 and five months ago I began looking seriously at E-MTBs. Then I started analyzing my condition, loss of strength and endurance, and asked myself the question "is it too many years or too many beers?" I stopped drinking beer, which I really love, and began lifting weights. I gained strength and lost weight. Riding has become less work and more fun! Maybe in my eighties I'll start considering an E-MTB.
Love you guys! Will be 60 in February. I just bought a Stumpy Evo Elite to replace my 2004 Specialized Epic and now I am hooked again! I Love bikes and especially the newer trail bike... Awesome tech.
I'm 37 and just picked up a bike after 20 years of cars, working and then finally having children hwo wanted to explore some trails on their bikes got me going again. I've been going through the mill with PTSD and my counselor said "remember when you were younger, what did you do that made you deep down happy" and during my teens it was being out at the local jumps from 8am untill dark, shovel in hand and riding with friends... After being back on the bike for a couple weeks I already feel 16 again, both mentally and physically, such a mental release hitting the trails and learning to jump all over again
Yeah it’s mad loads of MtB seamed to happen 90s and early 00s I personally have been addicted to most disciplines over the years but took a decade off just coming back in started 2023 I’m 38 utilising my trials skill learnt from watching all the great riders Akrigg, Ashton, Hawyes, Leech loving being back now taking it easy and enjoying riding again.
I started mountain biking at age 41 and have been riding 32 years. At 73, I still enjoy riding single track. Over-the-Hill doesn't mean Over having Fun!
49 years old here. Was riding MTB in the late 80s, early 90s, but I was a skateboarder mostly. Then 10 years ago I quit smoking, bought another MTB, and haven't stopped since. Still skateboarding too.
Started at 62 now 69. Still cranking no e-bike as of yet.. maybe at 80 I’ll switch. I just keep trying to improve. Entered my first enduro. Love this sport.
I am a 60 year old rider, i got back into the sport three yrars ago. I race BMX in the late 70s and got into mountain bikes in the 90s before family and work got in the way. I would love to see more content like the GAME OF BIKE and CHALENGES.
I am 44 now, ive been mtb'ing since i was 12. I love the rush of sending it. Apart from the Atherton clan, Martyn , Bleke and the rest of the GMBN crew, Matt Jones, Sam Hill and Sam Pilgrim keeping it real. i think the sport has become a money making venture. Bring back the absolute legends......i would love to see Sam hill against The LEGEND that wasJason McRoy that would be amazing!!! Not forgetting Hans "No Way "Ray and Rob Warner. I still have a signed poster by Jason that i got at Bike 95!!!! (uk event at olympia hall london) Yes the modern MTB tracks have got knarlier, faster and the tech has got a lot better. but we have all come a long way since Marin was using Manitou front suspention forks , built in to the rear triangle as rear shocks!!! Reynolds steel tubing was amazing.....and Orange and VooDoo frames were just that ....frames!!!! Where has the pick a frame and build it up gone??????? You canr even get a frame only option now unluess you wanna spen £5k plus!!!!! Now you can buy full VooDoo bikes at Halfords, as well as Chris Boradman. I think strip back the money aspect and lets get back to building good bikes for people who will ride them, let Ralligh and Carrera deal with the masses.
I'm so happy to hear that you guys are independent again... Especially from Warner Bros who've ruined DH coverage, at least in Canada (and I assume around the world)
I used to dirt jump and race BMX when I was a kid. Rode hard until about 18 to 19. Then. Girls, night life, having fun, took over in my 20s, lol. Then other hobbies had my interest for a while. 1 year ago, I got back into MTB. It's still super fun and all the old skills came back fast. 40 btw ;)
46, started when I was 42 thanks to my Son who is 18 and loves to ride but I see college, gf, and anything else getting priority. I will keep him involved. Great to hear the independence. You guys should make your own EDR coverage since WBD sucks at it. #ASKGMBN Come to the U.S. more and let us know when you are coming, you have fans, we would love to meet you. What I would like to see is stuff I have already asked for: Neil to finish the triple black diamond on a hardtail. Presenter competition on the Hardline course. Episodic series training up a novice/intermediate to tackle single, double, triple black diamond trails. If it won't mess with sponsorship, review/compare other bikes/gear. Love you guys, thanks for asking.
38 years old here. Started in BMX pretty young, jumped to MTB in my late teens, it’s funny but I am part of the 20s riders gap, I barely rode in my 20s (University, parties, woman, professional engineering and then I moved to NZ). Man, did my comeback in my early thirties but then my little one came. Hahaha I am definitely a old cool dog on the trails.
Victor Rivera started off as a roadie in my twenties and switched over in my '30s to MTB, NRN (No Road Needed!!) age is just a number!! 47 years old and I'm planning to ride until they bury me. Ride or Die!!!
36yo been riding all disciplines for 20+ years (my family have been bike racing in the USA since 1918). With a 19mo and another one on the way I’m not slowing down any time soon. Though I can definitely see my next mountain bike will be an EBike so I can keep up my little shredders. Though I won’t be buying another bike for at least 5 years.
I think there is something to be said about it being tough to keep up during the upward part of one’s career and then with family, especially young kids. The problem with mountain biking in that part of your life is that, for most people, you can’t just squeeze it in in an hour from your home. It takes a lot of time packing, getting to and from trails, unpacking. And then there is the maintenance time, etc. As a trial lawyer with a family and a kid I only had room in my life for one recreational pursuit and for me it was Rugby. Ironically I got back into mountain biking in my late 40s to give an achilles injury a chance to heal while still staying in shape, but the mtb bug bit me again and shortly thereafter finally hung up the Rugby boots for good. So now at 52 mtbing is my passion. Hopefully through to the end.
Martyn's bang on about fast cars/motorbikes and life taking over in 20s and 30s. I rode BMX as a kid into my teens, then got into Sports Mortorbikes plus got married+kids in my 20s, finally sold the motorbike late 30s and got an MTB instead; 51 now, still loving MTBs and just getting in to Enduro events 😁
44, ex pro judoka. Never did it before - I’m from the flattest part of the country and there still aren’t any tracks or parks there. Discovered it accidentally last year. Always thought it was boring, because there are no mountains here, and assumed people here thought mtb-ing was what is actually gavelbiking. And while there is a difference, even here, most people do gravelbike when they think they’re mtb-ing, I’ve had to change my assumption; mountain biking is not gravelbiking and boring. So at 44 I am hooked. It helps me relieve stress from work, and I just generally love it. Even the fact that I’m usually hurt by my sharp pedals, from some fall, or even stupid things, like hitting doorposts on my way inside the garage, does not stop me. Of course I’m used to falling and reasonable (or unreasonable) amounts of pain from broken bones or torn muscles, so I’m not exactly a good example.
I’m 57 still riding mountain bikes since starting in 1990. Moved to an ebike after a knee replacement aim October. It’s been brilliant for my recovery and I now expect to use both manual and ebike in equal measure going forward. 🍊5 and 🍊phase. Hope to keep going into my 70’s at least.
I rode in my 20's. Started back up in my mid 40's. (20ish year gap). Why the gap? For me, it was cost and location. Location - got into water sports due to the environment. Now I am back into riding and enjoying it!
Also being poor as a hairdresser, My hub is the mechanic and I buy everything on pink bike and local shops .my most recent purchase was a Giant Glory that was thirty two pounds! 27.5 with200 mm travel, I just had the best days at my closest bike park, beyond funand joy,it keeps you young!!!
I’m 61yr. I learned to ride when I was 5 and rode to school every day as well as across town. It was always my transportation until I learned to drive. There were not many cars on the roads when I was young. We started cycling clubs and rode for exercise 20’s-40’s. I made a single track trail about 20 yrs ago to get off the roads due to heavy traffic and cars hitting cyclist. I just recently started visiting Bentonville to ride their trails. The idea of “bike parks” seems new to me, but we did ride dirt trails in the woods when I was a little kid. We just didn’t know we were mountain biking. Ha ha! My children don’t ride bikes much because of the poor infrastructure to allow them to ride away from the traffic. The roads are crowded with cars and aggressive drivers. So many more cars now! Young people around here have too little experience with bikes and not enough space to ride them. Places like Bentonville, Arkansas (USA) can help young people in that area learn the fun of cycling. I assume there are more opportunities in UK, Europe, Australia, & NZ?
Used to ride a bmx in 80's then a very short stint on a road bike. Came back to mountain biking 15yrs ago. I now ride a full sus MTB or for longer rides my Gravel Bike. Only regret is that I stopped riding & got fat! I'm 51 next week.
I’m 40. Started when I was 38. I don’t see being able to participate in MTB in my 20s due to cost, still playing competitive team sports, and where I was living at the time. I wasn’t really exposed to MTB until I was on a summer family trip to a fancy MTN resort village where I was encouraged to give it a try.
I biked everywhere in my youth, over evry terrain. When I started driving I dropped off significantly. I got into cycling a bit for health in my 20s and didn't start mtn biking until well into my 30s, when I started working at a bike shop. It's way too expensive for full retail prices.
Think about it like this: You ride bikes when you're a kid but they're generally pretty low-end hardtails. It's fun but super tech is kind of not an option: for one, you can't drive to a bike park on your own (no car, no supervision) and even if you could, your bike won't handle it. Then you become a teenager and life is like WOW with friends and girls and school, etc. You get to 18 and you start driving, partying, university, etc. Money is tight because your weekend bar job barely pays for groceries. Time passes, you start your career and get a few years of experience. Eventually you make enough money to buy a decent bike and you do - at around age 26. MTB re-captures your heart and you ride, ride, ride until it's time to upgrade to a full suspension. That's when things really open up - and you've just turned 30.
I'm 32 and I've been on a local enduro race recently. Seeing the starting list made me go grey like Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan. Out of 100 riders maybe 3-4 were born pre 2000 so no, mtb is not an old person's sport. At least not gravity mtb. It's just us getting old, boys.
46 here. Been riding since the early 90s. Never really quit, but riding time is less now, with work and family commitments etc. My riding style hasn’t changed much over the years, (average trail rider here and I’m fine with that).
Martin 59, I used to be a roadie in the 90s. Had MTB's for fun. Got back into it a few years ago with my son. I ride E-MTB, and normal. I just brought a new pedal Enduro bike the other day at age of 59
Just 65&3/4 still not the oldest last visit to Glentress. 15 years of MTB. Probably retire when the Dropper post can't get low enough to get my leg over :))
36 fresh... I start at 26 on 26" hardtail custom made ride xc. After 2 years made some upgrade and turn it into more trail capable and ride trails on it. Many times on edge of this bike 😅 At begining of covid save some cash and after 2 years of research buy enduro full sus 29" with 160 front and 150 rear.
I'm in my mid 40's. Honestly in my 20's I didn't have the cash for a decent bike, in my 30's I didn't have the time with little kids at home. In fact all of my friends and I have picked up MTBing in our 40s.
39 and fooled around on mtb in mid 90' to 2000. Started 6 years ago and keep progressing. Got a dual recently and mtb became even better and more fun. Enjoy the odd racing when I can. Best way to keep fit and in shape!
Mid to late 40s 🤫 and I’ve only just used my mountain bike in anger in the last couple of years with my bike mad 16 year old son (although I’ve owned it for 16 years).
My friend and I in our 40s have come back to MTB after 20 years to enjoy it with our kids, which I think is a huge movement. Your stats seem completely accurate too; at the hike park we go to we pretty much only see guys 30+ and youths under 20, very very few in their 20s.
Were i ride i only see younger people when there riding with there families. I see lots of 30 plus people. And the guys i ride with are in there 60s. Im 58 and still rock a full rigid Ritchey. Thanks for the great content.
To be fair most mountain bikiers are unsporty, unfit weekend warriors. Mountain biking is 10% biking and 90% talking about and watching geeky technical bike specs vids on youtube
Hey i really like the few videos you made about bikepacking trips. You made them well, describing the route, area, equipment, coffee and beer. And nice narration. Just fun to watch. I would like to see more of these.
I used to go scrambling when I was a kid on a bike my dad built from parts from a skip- mountain bikes didn’t exist (or at least not in high street bike shops.) I got into mountain biking in my late 20s but only very occasionally - favouring surfing. But the majority of the people I ride with, like me have got back into riding of because their kids. My son and I ride a couple of times a week together and always come away smiling. I’m 55 this year and have finally learned how to bunny hop (all be it sporadically) and despite tearing my Achilles last year I find mountain biking is better for my joints than running to keep active - and it gives me the same feeling I got as a kid scrambling round the woods I rode in the 70s.
Would love to hear more about the low end gear and bikes.... not 1000 euro low end, but the real cheap gear and bikes. I'm a low/no budget mountainbiker (not able to work/medical benefits but love riding my 150 euro mountainbike) and discovered that there is a lot of gear below the 'GMBN' price point and would love to hear more about it. I think there is a very big audience for that. And of course keep doing what you are doing! Al the high end stuf is great to see and know about. Love the show.
I feel like being in the latter half of your twenties or beyond is the part where you go back to MTB. Mostly because personal stuff like relationships and work, but also cost. If a capable bike is around 1k pounds/euro/dollars to race on, as mentioned on one other DSS by Rich, I don't know if you'd find many 25yo with a spare thousand laying around in the pocket, fresh out of school or in their first proper job.
Thanks for always providing awesome content! I turn 50 this year. I started riding 12 years ago. I had my worst MTB crash ever on the last Black Friday ride that I did. I'm mostly recovered now and getting back on the trail. I love it, it makes me young again. I haven't thought alot about it but at my local trails in Kentucky, it does seem like there are the teenage riders and then the 30+ year old riders. I agree that it seems like relationships and jobs tend to take priority in the early 20s. Keep up the great work. I love the challenges, the random tandem rides, the bike and product reviews, the race coverage, the how-to videos. Its all great stuff!
Is mountain biking an old person's sport? Let us know your thoughts in the chat!
Hey guys, I'm 42 years young! And just bought myself a new mountain bike to hopefully hit the trails with my Son.
Got myself the new Marin Alpine Trail Carbon FUN from The Trailheads.
Might need to get some lessons first 🤔
I am riding better now and I will be 60 in November. I just seem to have a lot more fun now and I think after purchasing my Canyon Spectral I ride more often because the new geometry is excellent and I want my wife to know the cost was worth it 😁
Feels like the study Martyn quoted (from VitalMTB, presume?) has problems with representation. Simply put, youngsters have better things to do than "be an audience of a magazine".
Mountain biking is the new golf
I'm 55, my brother is 63, Pops is 78 ( we are also the trail build crew ) & the majority of ppl I see at the trails are 30+. There is a group of XC kids, somewhere around, but I rarely see em.
Muscogee Mountain Bike Trails in Florida
Cheers
I used to mountain bike in the late 80's to the mid 90's. I came back to the sport about 10 years ago aged 60. I'm now approaching 70 in August and I'm still having fun.
Cheers to that and same here at age 64, I am enjoying my rides more than ever and everyday rides at that as no time or money for vacation destinations and that's okay, yesterday it was errands around town on a bike and tomorrow it'll be a total of 30 miles of commuting to and from work in glorious summertime sunshine and heat on two-lane roads. Plus, a 42-ounce fountain soda during the day, a reward for facing the heat and the miles with a smile. 😀
I love hearing stories like yours. My mother is 76 and still rides daily. I met a lady in a bike shop that was 93 and she was buying a new bike. Y'all give me hope and may God bless you.
Ditto. The 80’s & 90’s Northshore trails were hard on the body. I equate the development in mountain bikes to the development in skis. Thanks to the new shape skis I can ski better than when I was in my “youth”. Now in my mid sixties riding full suspension bike parks and black runs are fun and doable. One big change is I made an agreement with the doctor to wear protection from head to toe.
Thanks for posting this response. I never thought would contemplate riding at my age. Today I’m 53 so I’m not old or very young. But I’m glad to hear people like you who are in their 60’s still riding. I love the sport and social part of riding.
I only started proper MTB trail riding in my 50s and now, at 68yrs, I'm back to ride the blues and reds at BPW next week👍
I never tried mountainbiking when I was younger ,but got too old for boxing ,got injured powerlifting,didn't enjoy roadbiking got allergic to chlorine swimming,can't run ,as knees are bad ,,tried mountainbiking at 46 ,and absolutely loved it ,now 53 ,still going strong ,so far ....
I'm 55. Takes a bit longer to get back on my feet after each crash. 🤪
Age redefines your goals and tempers your ambitions. When older you break easier, and heal slower. At 61 I'm not interested in hucking the gnar, or shredding the trails at DH speeds. It's all about maintaining fitness and enjoying the outdoors. Think bikes cost a lot? Consider the cost of healthcare treatment when injured or have a chronic illness. It's cheaper to stay fit and ride another day.
Wise words
I'm 58 and I still love shredding the trails at DH speeds...definitely hurts alot more when you die tho!😂
Same here. I’m in my 50’s so healing is a bit slower than when I was 30, in my prime riding days. However I do like to bomb down trails (at controlled speeds) and ride technical trails. Most of all I like the social part of it, sharing riding stories, and eating tacos after the rides 🙌🏽
I'm 45 in Pennsylvania USA and I'm not slowing down any time soon
I think something missing from your show which could be a real help to mountain bikers in the UK, would be for you to go and review a different bike trail or trail centre each week. There's plenty here to choose from! You could design a rating system covering various attributes of mtb'ing so we can compare and decide where we'd like to go next.
I am 59 and have just started riding over the last year. I live in North Vancouver and I ride a normal enduro bike( no battery powered bikes for me). My riding buddy is 79 he started last year as well, he is better rider than me now because he retired and has way more time to ride. Why are we seeing older riders. In my opinion is because 40+ people are generally healthier and fitter and younger in spirit, and more health conscious than people as little as 30 yrs ago, at the same age
46 years old here. Lived and breathed mountain biking from 1989 until 1998. You're spot on, at 18 I bought a car, got busy with relationships and making money. Biked less and less, bought a bike that sat in my garage for 10 years. I got fat. Wasn't until my son was born that I started riding again, and as he progressed, I did too. 3 years ago I quit my job, found a new career at my LBS, and bought a modern bike. At first I thought it was a mistake, slack angles, massive travel, big price tag.. It took me 3 months to learn to ride it, and now I'm totally immersed. Live and breathe it again. Feel like a little kid. Lost weight and filled with joy. I can't imagine a better life. I get to fall in love with every bike I wrench on. I'm surrounded everyday by the best people, and I get to work on amazing trails every week here in Alaska.
30-07-24.... I'm 47 and coming back after weighting myself at..... 15stone.... WHERE THE HELL DID THIS COME FROM. That damn chocolate
Re: independence and what we'd like to see for the future, I'd love to see more videos about having fun around town and on the trails. Some of the best GMBN videos are just a couple riders making their own challenges up, playing BIKE, and getting the most they possibly can out of sessioning weird spots.
WTF?!?!?!?!? "Steel coming back" ..... Even the most enlightened sometimes cannot see.
Steels NOT coming back, Steel NEVER went anywhere m8!!!!!
ITS ALWAYS BEEN THERE ......................
Just to set the record, am not a steely fanboi, haven't touched a steely since the mid 80's. But facts are facts.
My wife and I are both in our 50’s - still mountain biking although we’re picking up or first eMTB’s on Tuesday…. Is this a sign of what’s to come for us 😂
You’re going to love it. I’m 54 and my Orbea Rise makes me feel like I’m 30 again.
@@Roaming50 Thank you !! I’ve bought two Haibike AllMtn 10’s - on paper they should be a good ride (limited budget when you’ve got to buy two at the same time 🙄😂)
What's going on with the Bike Vault!!! you're not even saying nice or super nice for V69HMV9MS7's Specialized Stumpjumper or is this Hacks And Bodges on the Bike Vault!! d(~_~)b
I seriously doubt this will get any attn, but Ill still add it.
So I like the show, the channel etc and I also really wanted to buy a copy of the MTB Maint Book. Upon adding it to cart, I see for the $27 book usd, I have a $22 shipping charge. Thats steep for a book, even from another country. I had a computer part, much heavier and larger than that book shipped to the USA from Lithuania and it was far cheaper than $22, so hmmm... After I saw that, I thought Id see if I could find something else to buy to make the shipping worth it, so I added the Road Bike Maint Book as well, another $27. With that the shipping went up to $29. Oh but wait, it offered for me to get free shipping if I spent another $90 ($150 total for free shipping)...
So the ultimate result is CANCELLED order.
You might want to rethink shipping charges if you want ppl from outside the UK to be patrons, which I did? If I was buying a fork or something ok, but its mildly thick books.
Thanks if anyone bothers to address this. Maybe Im missing something in the shipping world but thos prices seem remeniscent from the 90's shipping costs.
At 77yrs I ride my two mountain bikes two-three times per week, my owned from new 1998 Kona (much upgraded) and Atherton AM.130. love improving my skills, being smooth and spotting good lines.
I’m 49. Started riding at 45. In my 20’s I was into gym. In my 30’s I was building my career. In my 40’s I realised I was overweight and had to do something about it and MTB made me feel young again.
I am 70, I had 4 heart attacks and 4yrs ago my cardiologist advised me to get an e-bike. Reason being I can use the e-assistance when going into wind on the flat or riding uphill. I live close to Alps and I find easy trails to be a great boost to my well being. So an e-bike set me free no more heart attacks, My wife (66) often comes with me. We can take a ski lift to the top, I am no way racing, but I regularly 45 -50 Km per hour downhill.
MTBing is definitely an old people's game, think about it, the guys who embraced the uk MTB boom of the late 80's and early 90's are still out there riding and were pushing, or in my case now over 50 years old. Now our kids are all grown up and we've got disposable income to spend on shiny new bikes.
i am 52 years old and for the last few years my friends finally got me back into biking as i spend alot of time out fishing. i feel so alive and free when i mountain bike every weekend and was doing great until this year, the last week of May where i suffered 3 TIA strokes in one week. on meds and stuff and tomorrows ride will be my first ride since. very nervous as my right side of my body doesn't feel the same. the reaction on the right arm seems a touch slower then the left so i am kinda scared since my rear brake is controlled by my right hand. these strokes really shook my confidence and not sure why but going biking again i am a bit scared. PS since you didn't give the white stumpjumper a nice or super nice i'm calling it a SUPERNICE lol
Surely going independent means you can bring back The Body Bin feature
I'm 41 and I went through a bad time and getting back into mountain biking has been the best thing I could of ever done keep up the good work and creativity
Did my first downhill races in the last year, I'm 51! It's a really competitive category. Also trying to keep up with my 14 year old mountain bike lad has pushed me far beyond anything I thought I could do.. mtb is age agnostic. Ride on! Falling off hurts more though 😂
I’m 77yrs and ride my Atherton and or 1998 Kona every week, entered gravel bike races on my Shand and have competed successfully in Kayak endurance races. Love riding more than ever, always looking to improve.
Well, I'm 62 and seeing how more I ride ta my younger friends I'd say it's the spare time that allows me to do that 🙂
My old friends are picking up golf but I'm looking at picking up the new trance x asap and getting ready for the best adventures of my life. Im so glad to find there's a huge amount of support and community, just visiting bike shops everyone has been so nice. It's absolutely refreshing.
I'm 53 got back into about a year ago had to go the emtb route due to disabilities but loving it more now than ever before
Get ready for costly repairs like my neighbour found out with his Giant Talon ebike . Ebike consoles/displays are "NOT" waterproof unfortunately . The electric motor is IP4 rated , not IP6 submersible . This applys to all mid drive motors .
That's actually not true Ive a specalized the the display has an IPA rating and I live in Ireland I've already rode through a winter here of heavy rain
@@antdod1 I have seen condensation with a few displays .
I’m 55 years old and I enjoy riding at Bike Park Wales with my 18 and 19 year old sons. Most of the other dads tend to be in their early 40s though. I’ll keep doing it for the grey beards and riding with my sons for as long as I can. Thanks for the show guys! Ian
I'm 62, rode bicycles throughout my childhood, raced MX until 20, but has to sell up to buy a car, then work took over until I was 35, buying 3 full sus Specialized bikes until EBikes arrived, on my 2nd Levo. Focussing on work enabled me to finance the full sus bikes, but in retrospect I'm now trying to maximise the time I have left, so have told my boys not to put anything off until next year as I regret it.
If your into bikes it never leaves your system, you always come back, sometimes with more £££
I’m 57, hadn’t been on a bike since I was 16 and discovered motorcycles. Two years ago I started leisure biking with the wife and it wasn’t long until wanted a mountain bike and I love it as I have lots of local trails…ironically those are the same trails that the fire police would chase me off of in the 70’s and now those fire trails are what we use to get to the machine made trails that cover the mountain.
My MTB career began in the early 80’s. The ski company I was a rep for jumped into the mountain bike arena. My first bike was pre shocks but I later added Rock Shox. I am retired now and thankfully invested well to be able to support my continued MTB career. I am 68yrs old and now ride a Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy. The group I ride with is unique but we are all adrenaline junkies. One of my buddies rides a 3 wheel assist bike made by Nuke and another rides a Bowhead RX. We ride Whistler every September. The development of e-assist is keeping the old guys in the game.
Mark - I'm 52. Began racing BMX in the early 80"s in the NBL/ABA series. Quit in early nineties (shame on me). Resurrected my love for the sport during covid and now race in XC and Enduro every weekend. Loving every minute of it, even after going over the bars several times😂
i’m 59. used to ride my road bike till mid nineties. rode xc mtb for about 10 years. then rode ss mtb for another ten years… and for the past few years i’ve been riding park and enduro. … so i can’t say i really left or came back, but i am having fun.
Tell us what changed as far as content direction is concerned.
Started at 68 now 72 Pacifica California . I don't know if it's a sport I just love to ride downhill on trails,chutes, drops and jumps!
Well turning 60 this Year, the Emtb got me really ON again, started in the early -90 Riding more than ever 😁
At 69 years old.... Yep!
Hey guys. just turned 41 last month. I've been mountain biking for about 7 years now.
It seems the older I get, the more time I spend on my various bikes. I just picked up a
new specialized chisel comp for my 1st race in the Leadville 100! Wish me luck.
68 and still M/T biking, and still doing the pedaling. e-M/T bikes are starting to look interesting at my age.
I'm 73 and five months ago I began looking seriously at E-MTBs. Then I started analyzing my condition, loss of strength and endurance, and asked myself the question "is it too many years or too many beers?" I stopped drinking beer, which I really love, and began lifting weights. I gained strength and lost weight. Riding has become less work and more fun! Maybe in my eighties I'll start considering an E-MTB.
@@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker thanks for the reply, if I stay riding, I'm ok and love doing the work. it's those 4 months off that are getting harder to come back from. and the extra 50#'s from my hay days. not an ap guy and have none on my phone, my buddy just bought an e-bike that shows tire pressure and shock pressure, it's a freaking bike Lol.. looking at a major stripped-down e-fat tire bike with only an ap for the motor, I'll still be riding my old 08 Specialized Enduro, but you're singing my song.
At 57 year-old I still do my mountain biking because that is my only travel and it's also a best way for me to get out on my weekends to do bikepacking photography I never stopped 46 years and I've never stopped and I'm 57
Have been a roadie for 20ish years. I started coaching High School (NICA) mtb 3 years ago and I love it. Age 54. BTW, you guys need to come to the states and do a show on NICA, ages 13 to 18, junior high and high school mountain bike racing. A great community of people helping young people love the sport and just be better people.
I have come back into it. Back in the 90's I used to race - loved it. I used to do nothing else but think MTB. Most evenings during the week me and my mates went out training.....then the weekends were spent preparing the machine for a race. Then it was the time spent maintaining the bike after the race. One day I realised that it was becoming an obsession! So, I decided to give it up, and then spent more time with family -wife, kids etc. It wasn't until 3 years ago - ish and then 61 years old that the bug came back. I'm now 64 (65 Aug 1st), and loving the buzz of the MTB world. I live in Cornwall..... plenty of hills - and haven't given into the e-bike world yet. I intend to keep going as long as my body allows me too. Happy cycling to all of you out there.
I mean, just look at skiing. What’s my point? I don’t know, there’s skiing, just look at it
South Africa. Raced road in my late teens and 20's. Went off it for a few years and came back to mountain biking. Mostly trail and marathon at the age of 53.
Great news that GMBN will keep the track of following the soul of mtb . Greetings from Chile
I had my training wheels off at 3, mainly grew up biking just to get around places, like school and such. Occasionally dad took us to a dirt jump track in town. Didn't really mtn bike till I was in my teens. Went to an academy in castle valley , UT. Had an absolute blast. But after high school I wound up in Indiana. Didn't have many good trails, so I fell out of it. I'm 40 now, got teenagers who have gotten me back out on the trails down here in tennessee. I think I've been more daredevilish now than ever. It's really fun getting back out there, and it's insane what they've accomplished with the bikes of today.
Absolutely love this channel! Everything you guys do. But I especially like the presenter challenges/games, and when you guys get out and do enduro races!
I started mountain biking back in the 90s and raced in the veteran's class. I'm now 64 and still put the miles in, getting out on the trails 2 or 3 times a week. I don't race anymore but I'm not slowing down any time soon!
I think your right on MTBing being and old man's game 😂 I think your right with the fact of cars/girls 😂 getting in the way we'll it is in my case plus I didn't have the money to Iam 37 👍
74 pushing 75…still at it
I'm 63 and still riding strong...well somewhat. I remember getting my first MTB. A Specialized Stump Jumber. Solide Stell Frame ($300 USD, in 1985) with 26 inch Fat Wheels. It was fun. Nothing like my Santa Cruz Tall Boy I just bought ($4000 USD). That could be the reason younger people are not getting into the sport.
I’m 54. I grew up with mountain biking getting my first bike in the early 90s. I think the people riding now are the ones that always ride and loved the evolution of the sport over time. Yes, it is true that we are also the demographic that can afford to drop $10k on a bike and have it be just one on our collection. The biggest thing I love now is the ride of eMTB. I’ve ridden with quite a few quits in there 70s that eMTB gave them a new lease on life.
I'm 73 and five months ago I began looking seriously at E-MTBs. Then I started analyzing my condition, loss of strength and endurance, and asked myself the question "is it too many years or too many beers?" I stopped drinking beer, which I really love, and began lifting weights. I gained strength and lost weight. Riding has become less work and more fun! Maybe in my eighties I'll start considering an E-MTB.
Love you guys! Will be 60 in February. I just bought a Stumpy Evo Elite to replace my 2004 Specialized Epic and now I am hooked again! I Love bikes and especially the newer trail bike... Awesome tech.
I'm 48 and just hit BPW for the first time. Loved it. Last week I met a 71 y/o in the local woods still shredding (on eeb) .
I'm 37 and just picked up a bike after 20 years of cars, working and then finally having children hwo wanted to explore some trails on their bikes got me going again. I've been going through the mill with PTSD and my counselor said "remember when you were younger, what did you do that made you deep down happy" and during my teens it was being out at the local jumps from 8am untill dark, shovel in hand and riding with friends... After being back on the bike for a couple weeks I already feel 16 again, both mentally and physically, such a mental release hitting the trails and learning to jump all over again
Yeah it’s mad loads of MtB seamed to happen 90s and early 00s I personally have been addicted to most disciplines over the years but took a decade off just coming back in started 2023 I’m 38 utilising my trials skill learnt from watching all the great riders Akrigg, Ashton, Hawyes, Leech loving being back now taking it easy and enjoying riding again.
I’m 35 and I feel old when I go to the bike park and see 11-13 year old kids just absolutely crushing it
I started mountain biking at age 41 and have been riding 32 years. At 73, I still enjoy riding single track. Over-the-Hill doesn't mean Over having Fun!
49 years old here. Was riding MTB in the late 80s, early 90s, but I was a skateboarder mostly. Then 10 years ago I quit smoking, bought another MTB, and haven't stopped since. Still skateboarding too.
Started at 62 now 69. Still cranking no e-bike as of yet.. maybe at 80 I’ll switch. I just keep trying to improve. Entered my first enduro. Love this sport.
I am 76 and just got back into MTB. The thing to remember for senior riders is: Do not let your mind write checks your body can't cash...
I am a 60 year old rider, i got back into the sport three yrars ago. I race BMX in the late 70s and got into mountain bikes in the 90s before family and work got in the way. I would love to see more content like the GAME OF BIKE and CHALENGES.
I am 44 now, ive been mtb'ing since i was 12. I love the rush of sending it. Apart from the Atherton clan, Martyn , Bleke and the rest of the GMBN crew, Matt Jones, Sam Hill and Sam Pilgrim keeping it real. i think the sport has become a money making venture. Bring back the absolute legends......i would love to see Sam hill against The LEGEND that wasJason McRoy that would be amazing!!! Not forgetting Hans "No Way "Ray and Rob Warner. I still have a signed poster by Jason that i got at Bike 95!!!! (uk event at olympia hall london) Yes the modern MTB tracks have got knarlier, faster and the tech has got a lot better. but we have all come a long way since Marin was using Manitou front suspention forks , built in to the rear triangle as rear shocks!!! Reynolds steel tubing was amazing.....and Orange and VooDoo frames were just that ....frames!!!! Where has the pick a frame and build it up gone??????? You canr even get a frame only option now unluess you wanna spen £5k plus!!!!! Now you can buy full VooDoo bikes at Halfords, as well as Chris Boradman. I think strip back the money aspect and lets get back to building good bikes for people who will ride them, let Ralligh and Carrera deal with the masses.
I'm so happy to hear that you guys are independent again... Especially from Warner Bros who've ruined DH coverage, at least in Canada (and I assume around the world)
I used to dirt jump and race BMX when I was a kid. Rode hard until about 18 to 19. Then. Girls, night life, having fun, took over in my 20s, lol. Then other hobbies had my interest for a while. 1 year ago, I got back into MTB. It's still super fun and all the old skills came back fast. 40 btw ;)
46, started when I was 42 thanks to my Son who is 18 and loves to ride but I see college, gf, and anything else getting priority. I will keep him involved. Great to hear the independence. You guys should make your own EDR coverage since WBD sucks at it. #ASKGMBN Come to the U.S. more and let us know when you are coming, you have fans, we would love to meet you. What I would like to see is stuff I have already asked for: Neil to finish the triple black diamond on a hardtail. Presenter competition on the Hardline course. Episodic series training up a novice/intermediate to tackle single, double, triple black diamond trails. If it won't mess with sponsorship, review/compare other bikes/gear. Love you guys, thanks for asking.
I wanna see Martin doing some more crazy stuff on the Adaptive ! Trails , jumps, Progression, trials , Whatever !
38 years old here. Started in BMX pretty young, jumped to MTB in my late teens, it’s funny but I am part of the 20s riders gap, I barely rode in my 20s (University, parties, woman, professional engineering and then I moved to NZ). Man, did my comeback in my early thirties but then my little one came. Hahaha I am definitely a old cool dog on the trails.
Well about the age. I'm 66 and have been on a MB since 1987. No suspension to an Ebike. GOD bless mountain biking and exercise.
Victor Rivera started off as a roadie in my twenties and switched over in my '30s to MTB, NRN (No Road Needed!!) age is just a number!! 47 years old and I'm planning to ride until they bury me. Ride or Die!!!
36yo been riding all disciplines for 20+ years (my family have been bike racing in the USA since 1918). With a 19mo and another one on the way I’m not slowing down any time soon. Though I can definitely see my next mountain bike will be an EBike so I can keep up my little shredders. Though I won’t be buying another bike for at least 5 years.
I think there is something to be said about it being tough to keep up during the upward part of one’s career and then with family, especially young kids. The problem with mountain biking in that part of your life is that, for most people, you can’t just squeeze it in in an hour from your home. It takes a lot of time packing, getting to and from trails, unpacking. And then there is the maintenance time, etc. As a trial lawyer with a family and a kid I only had room in my life for one recreational pursuit and for me it was Rugby. Ironically I got back into mountain biking in my late 40s to give an achilles injury a chance to heal while still staying in shape, but the mtb bug bit me again and shortly thereafter finally hung up the Rugby boots for good. So now at 52 mtbing is my passion. Hopefully through to the end.
Martyn's bang on about fast cars/motorbikes and life taking over in 20s and 30s. I rode BMX as a kid into my teens, then got into Sports Mortorbikes plus got married+kids in my 20s, finally sold the motorbike late 30s and got an MTB instead; 51 now, still loving MTBs and just getting in to Enduro events 😁
44, ex pro judoka. Never did it before - I’m from the flattest part of the country and there still aren’t any tracks or parks there. Discovered it accidentally last year. Always thought it was boring, because there are no mountains here, and assumed people here thought mtb-ing was what is actually gavelbiking. And while there is a difference, even here, most people do gravelbike when they think they’re mtb-ing, I’ve had to change my assumption; mountain biking is not gravelbiking and boring.
So at 44 I am hooked. It helps me relieve stress from work, and I just generally love it. Even the fact that I’m usually hurt by my sharp pedals, from some fall, or even stupid things, like hitting doorposts on my way inside the garage, does not stop me. Of course I’m used to falling and reasonable (or unreasonable) amounts of pain from broken bones or torn muscles, so I’m not exactly a good example.
I’m 57 still riding mountain bikes since starting in 1990. Moved to an ebike after a knee replacement aim October. It’s been brilliant for my recovery and I now expect to use both manual and ebike in equal measure going forward. 🍊5 and 🍊phase. Hope to keep going into my 70’s at least.
I rode in my 20's. Started back up in my mid 40's. (20ish year gap). Why the gap? For me, it was cost and location. Location - got into water sports due to the environment. Now I am back into riding and enjoying it!
I’m 57 and just started MTB this year. Loving it so far
56 and started in Febuary this year. Loving the freedom to go anywhere at anytime since Im retired now
Also being poor as a hairdresser, My hub is the mechanic and I buy everything on pink bike and local shops .my most recent purchase was a Giant Glory that was thirty two pounds! 27.5 with200 mm travel, I just had the best days at my closest bike park, beyond funand joy,it keeps you young!!!
I’m 61yr. I learned to ride when I was 5 and rode to school every day as well as across town. It was always my transportation until I learned to drive. There were not many cars on the roads when I was young. We started cycling clubs and rode for exercise 20’s-40’s. I made a single track trail about 20 yrs ago to get off the roads due to heavy traffic and cars hitting cyclist. I just recently started visiting Bentonville to ride their trails. The idea of “bike parks” seems new to me, but we did ride dirt trails in the woods when I was a little kid. We just didn’t know we were mountain biking. Ha ha! My children don’t ride bikes much because of the poor infrastructure to allow them to ride away from the traffic. The roads are crowded with cars and aggressive drivers. So many more cars now! Young people around here have too little experience with bikes and not enough space to ride them. Places like Bentonville, Arkansas (USA) can help young people in that area learn the fun of cycling. I assume there are more opportunities in UK, Europe, Australia, & NZ?
Used to ride a bmx in 80's then a very short stint on a road bike. Came back to mountain biking 15yrs ago. I now ride a full sus MTB or for longer rides my Gravel Bike. Only regret is that I stopped riding & got fat! I'm 51 next week.
I’m 40. Started when I was 38. I don’t see being able to participate in MTB in my 20s due to cost, still playing competitive team sports, and where I was living at the time.
I wasn’t really exposed to MTB until I was on a summer family trip to a fancy MTN resort village where I was encouraged to give it a try.
I biked everywhere in my youth, over evry terrain. When I started driving I dropped off significantly. I got into cycling a bit for health in my 20s and didn't start mtn biking until well into my 30s, when I started working at a bike shop. It's way too expensive for full retail prices.
Think about it like this: You ride bikes when you're a kid but they're generally pretty low-end hardtails. It's fun but super tech is kind of not an option: for one, you can't drive to a bike park on your own (no car, no supervision) and even if you could, your bike won't handle it. Then you become a teenager and life is like WOW with friends and girls and school, etc. You get to 18 and you start driving, partying, university, etc. Money is tight because your weekend bar job barely pays for groceries. Time passes, you start your career and get a few years of experience. Eventually you make enough money to buy a decent bike and you do - at around age 26. MTB re-captures your heart and you ride, ride, ride until it's time to upgrade to a full suspension. That's when things really open up - and you've just turned 30.
I'm 32 and I've been on a local enduro race recently. Seeing the starting list made me go grey like Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan. Out of 100 riders maybe 3-4 were born pre 2000 so no, mtb is not an old person's sport. At least not gravity mtb. It's just us getting old, boys.
46 here. Been riding since the early 90s. Never really quit, but riding time is less now, with work and family commitments etc. My riding style hasn’t changed much over the years, (average trail rider here and I’m fine with that).
Martin 59, I used to be a roadie in the 90s. Had MTB's for fun. Got back into it a few years ago with my son. I ride E-MTB, and normal. I just brought a new pedal Enduro bike the other day at age of 59
Because young people can't afford multiple $5k bikes for terrain variety.
Just 65&3/4 still not the oldest last visit to Glentress. 15 years of MTB. Probably retire when the Dropper post can't get low enough to get my leg over :))
36 fresh... I start at 26 on 26" hardtail custom made ride xc. After 2 years made some upgrade and turn it into more trail capable and ride trails on it. Many times on edge of this bike 😅 At begining of covid save some cash and after 2 years of research buy enduro full sus 29" with 160 front and 150 rear.
I'm in my mid 40's. Honestly in my 20's I didn't have the cash for a decent bike, in my 30's I didn't have the time with little kids at home. In fact all of my friends and I have picked up MTBing in our 40s.
39 and fooled around on mtb in mid 90' to 2000. Started 6 years ago and keep progressing. Got a dual recently and mtb became even better and more fun. Enjoy the odd racing when I can. Best way to keep fit and in shape!
Mid to late 40s 🤫 and I’ve only just used my mountain bike in anger in the last couple of years with my bike mad 16 year old son (although I’ve owned it for 16 years).
My friend and I in our 40s have come back to MTB after 20 years to enjoy it with our kids, which I think is a huge movement. Your stats seem completely accurate too; at the hike park we go to we pretty much only see guys 30+ and youths under 20, very very few in their 20s.
Were i ride i only see younger people when there riding with there families. I see lots of 30 plus people. And the guys i ride with are in there 60s. Im 58 and still rock a full rigid Ritchey. Thanks for the great content.
To be fair most mountain bikiers are unsporty, unfit weekend warriors. Mountain biking is 10% biking and 90% talking about and watching geeky technical bike specs vids on youtube
Hey i really like the few videos you made about bikepacking trips. You made them well, describing the route, area, equipment, coffee and beer. And nice narration. Just fun to watch. I would like to see more of these.
I used to go scrambling when I was a kid on a bike my dad built from parts from a skip- mountain bikes didn’t exist (or at least not in high street bike shops.)
I got into mountain biking in my late 20s but only very occasionally - favouring surfing.
But the majority of the people I ride with, like me have got back into riding of because their kids.
My son and I ride a couple of times a week together and always come away smiling.
I’m 55 this year and have finally learned how to bunny hop (all be it sporadically) and despite tearing my Achilles last year I find mountain biking is better for my joints than running to keep active - and it gives me the same feeling I got as a kid scrambling round the woods I rode in the 70s.
Would love to hear more about the low end gear and bikes.... not 1000 euro low end, but the real cheap gear and bikes. I'm a low/no budget mountainbiker (not able to work/medical benefits but love riding my 150 euro mountainbike) and discovered that there is a lot of gear below the 'GMBN' price point and would love to hear more about it. I think there is a very big audience for that.
And of course keep doing what you are doing! Al the high end stuf is great to see and know about. Love the show.
I feel like being in the latter half of your twenties or beyond is the part where you go back to MTB. Mostly because personal stuff like relationships and work, but also cost. If a capable bike is around 1k pounds/euro/dollars to race on, as mentioned on one other DSS by Rich, I don't know if you'd find many 25yo with a spare thousand laying around in the pocket, fresh out of school or in their first proper job.
Thanks for always providing awesome content! I turn 50 this year. I started riding 12 years ago. I had my worst MTB crash ever on the last Black Friday ride that I did. I'm mostly recovered now and getting back on the trail. I love it, it makes me young again. I haven't thought alot about it but at my local trails in Kentucky, it does seem like there are the teenage riders and then the 30+ year old riders. I agree that it seems like relationships and jobs tend to take priority in the early 20s. Keep up the great work. I love the challenges, the random tandem rides, the bike and product reviews, the race coverage, the how-to videos. Its all great stuff!