the scene

[trail worker]

i'm sick of this stupid scene.
i pedal around on a peice of machinery worth 20 times more than that of some of the poorest coutries' family's make in a year.i feel guilty for being so priveleged,and to spend my money on something like a bike.i work hard for all my stuff,it's not just dropped on my plate.
i can't stand the MTB attitude of having to have the best, of being better than skater's or BMX'ers or anything. freeriding is such a rich man's sport it's sad.
i feel embarrassed as hell when some of my friends ask how much my bike is worth,and i don't tell them because they would never believe me.
i'm not nearly as happy as i should be with my bike.
I'm sick of having to have a nice bike,and paying more than that of a used car just so it doesnt break on me.

but i still like riding:) ,the feeling of ripping through the woods is second to none... hopping big gaps on urban rides...

discuss please

[wilkez]

thast why we build trails as well as ride. gotta do some hard manual labour for free to feel more like a slave

[m33p]

The "Scene" as I see it is a bunch of rich kids that cant ride there m1's, guys on 24" $2000 bmx's denying they are bmx's, And some people who just don't care riding what ever they want on one bike that barely works.

[Aircorp]

I agree somewhat, Freeride in general is a sport that is just developing, 9/10ths of the people on the street don't know that such a sport even exists. Currently it is almost "underground" except maybe a bit more popular in B.C. With new genres of the sport branching off (Urban, DJ) I believe it will become more appealing to some people. It is not necessary to have the best of the best to enjoy it unlike years passed, manufacturers are putting out products that won't bust your wallet. This will also make the sport more appealing. I believe in years to come, Freeride in general will become more mainstream and may even gain some public acceptance. At this point, there is not much of a "scene", we are the scene and we can change it. Riding an expensive bike is a privilege but if it is something you worked hard for, then you deserve it. Don't always care what other people think, you know the enjoyment of the sport, and if that is something that they can't accept, then they are the ones who are missing out. I don't know who's attitude that is about being better than skaters and BMXers, where I am from, we all generally get along.

[NickS]

I feel alot of the same. Bike parts are way to expensive then ill save up enough money to get a part and i ride for a day and it breaks.

[pete]

well scrounge. i haven't bought a bike part for over 4 months. my stuff is either off warranty or traded for beer or got through friends last thing i bought was brake pads.

[Millstone]

bmx is expensive too if you're serious about it.

i just buy what does the job day in day out for me.

[inshane]

Originally posted by m33p
The "Scene" as I see it is a bunch of rich kids that cant ride there m1's, guys on 24" $2000 bmx's denying they are bmx's, And some people who just don't care riding what ever they want on one bike that barely works.

Look at my old vps for example :lol:

[m33p]

Originally posted by "inshane"
Look at my old vps for example :lol:

May we never speak of Inshanes old vps ever again.:lol: *shudders*

[fr33k]

Does it realy need to be as expensive as it is ? Are riders getting the shaft or are bike manufactures loosing cash ? Do I realy need to buy the best bike or part to have as much fun as a guy who rides a 200 buck Costco bike ? Whats more fun..bombimg down Burnaby mt. or hucking 20 feet ? I gues the real answer depends on the person you are. Its all about the riding not about the spending . And ya I feel embaresed sometimes when people ask about the cost of my ride.

[Faithless]

there making bieks affordable around 1 grand gets you a good solid hardtail.

[inshane]

Originally posted by m33p
May we never speak of Inshanes old vps ever again.:lol: *shudders*
ahahah

My new bike looks so odd, theres nothing wrong with it yet :eek:

[snortpickle]

Meh...scenes are fictional. There's only you and your peddly bike. You don't have to do anything for anyone. Nor do you have to compete with anyone. That's all in your head and not to blaim on some scene. I'm sick and tired of the "expensive bmx" argument. Have some of you checked the prices on a highend bmx these days? It's not that a hardtail frame is anymore expensive than a good bmx frame. It's pretty much the fork and the brakes doing the damage overhead wise. For the rest we build our street hardtails up with..uh oh...BMX parts. Sheesh and still that expensive eh? That can't be right..bmx is dirtcheap! Pssha. Bull. But hey don't let me ruin whatever tough guy act you're getting off on. BMX riders don't whine about this stuff, MTB riders that just "discovered" bmx do. Not to mention overinflated freeride elitists. But I'm drifiting.

People ruining the "scene" are those chestknocking apes that go around claiming they're the shit. That form little elitist clicks. That spew bullshit rhetoric simply to annoy and piss people off, or insult their rides. That make people feel inferior for not riding something that's up to their standard, for always critisizing and never supporting. That see it as some bullshit testosterone filled ball weighing match. I don't give a fuck how fast you can roll your couch down a-line. I do give a fuck about you being an asshole. And that's how the world and consequentially every rider in it should be defined. Whether they're an asshole or not. You can have all the skill in the world, talk shit to me and I won't hesitate to take you down.

I refuse to be part of any scene. Christ I like riding bikes. What the fuck is complicated about that? I know you ride a toy as well. Yeah I invested a good amount of cash in my ride. That happens over time and only becomes alot of you add it up. Ask any real BMX rider, so no "hihi I mtb and have a wallmart bmx to build "skill""-weenies, how much they've spent on their ride over the past year. Their stuff breaks just as much. Do I regret it? No. Do I feel the need to explain myself to anyone? No. Do I enjoy riding? Yes.

At the end of the day it's you who decides what you buy and what you ride. Go full rigid. Singlespeed. Slap some V's on. See if that breaks. Have a time. Oh wait, the freeride fashion police won't let you..we all should get a bmx. I'm sick and tired of those ignorant turds commenting on things they just don't get. But for crying out loud. We're talking about riding a bike here...spend as much as you want to spend. And if you don't want to...for fucks sake..don't. For me it's one of the very few things I'm passionate about in a world that's filled with mediocre mindnumbing unchallenging crap. And for me my ride is pretty much the only tangible thing that I hold dear. They can burn down everything I own if the bike was ok. And I mean that with all of my heart. But hey..at the end of the day we're at the cheap end of the freeride spectrum. Just imagine what those poor full suspension people must go through. Nice bmx? Nice dirtbike.

[Zaskar]

i worked for every dollar of my bike (dually). it's my one bike and if i dont ride daily i go nuts. so....no bike. killing spree ensues. i'll leave it at that :rolleyes: :lol:

but seriously. "scenes" are really just trends about what is in and out. 4 years ago it was all about the shore then 3 ago it was the drops. 2 ago it was DJ/street and now its mixing all that in to one.."slopestyle"? I dunno. Scenes can change, my love riding doesn't. That's why I go whenever I get the chance.

even if it's just me pedalling my DH pig around town doing wheelies it's a ride. i dont need a huge mountain or aline to have fun. i need a bike and some chill people.

[snortpickle]

Note to self..bas should not rant in the morning. Sheesh.

[J dot]

my bike somewhat works.. i payed for all my bike stuff on all my bikes that ive had.

[willett]

Originally posted by "inshane"
Look at my old vps for example :lol:
hey mine too!
christ that thing was noisy

[trout]

Originally posted by snortpickle
Meh...scenes are fictional

People ruining the "scene" are those chestknocking apes that go around claiming they're the shit. That form little elitist clicks....

That make people feel inferior for not riding something that's up to their standard, for always critisizing and never supporting.


well said.

[M13]

tell me about it,.

i dont think i ve spent that much money on my bike compared to many other riders, but the leisure money i spent on bikes could feed hundreds of kids some where in this world for months!

sometimes when i think about the stuffs like those, i feel sad but also feel how lucky i am to be here, at the "better side of the world".

freeriding may make some of us feel sad for the poors but it also makes us think back and thank what we have in our lives compared to many others and enjoy life.

[Dude]

I disagree, 100%. I understand the sentiment though.

Regarding the prices of bikes and bike parts: they are as expensive as they are for one reason: we pay for it. We have created this pricing structure ourselves, going back to the original Shimano component group. We told them we needed better than SIS, so they came out with premium quality components, and various price levels. We continue to push the limits of the ride. Riding cross country faster and harder created the demand for XTR, and the demand for a competitive edge brought on the use of exotic materials: high grade steels, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber.

Yes, the better bikes and components costs a lot, but only because we ask for them, and we are willing to pay. Supply / demand laws. We can’t bitch about it because we chose to pursue this sport, and we make the decisions to buy new parts after we’ve broken them.

On the guilt front: I’ve never felt guilty about living in such a great country and province. Lucky: absolutely. But never guilty. If you’ve paid for your rig with your own money, you shouldn’t feel guilty about that. You’ve earned it.

Funny, in this country we bitch and moan about increased medical premiums, rising insurance costs, and water restrictions…all the while children are being raised as militants in Iraq, if they don’t starve to death first. That said, we have to remember that the reason countries like Iraq are in the position they are is 100% due to the governments / dictatorships ruling those regions. Feel fortunate, but don’t feel guilty.

If you feel guilty, do something about it. Give some of the money you allocate for mountain biking to Unicef. Get together with a group of friends and sponsor a poor family for Christmas. Donate your time to charity. That should help you feel a bit better about the fortune you’ve been blessed with by being born a Canadian.

[patrolskid]

hey trail , as long as you don't get caught up in the "gotta have the best , gotta have the latest " thing , don't worry about your ride .
you were put here to be a good , happy person , and if riding a (any) bicycle helps to make you a good , happy person , that is what is important

[davet]

Originally posted by snortpickle
Meh...scenes are fictional. There's only you and your peddly bike. You don't have to do anything for anyone. Nor do you have to compete with anyone. That's all in your head and not to blaim on some scene.

Very nice, the "scene" is whatever you want it to be. Just go out and have fun.

[Lady Gravity]

you know something...i work damn hard for my toys. if someone wants to call me a poser, or criticize me for the way i ride, or what i ride - then so be it. i ride to have fun, keep my sanity and push my limits. and yes i have guilt, but it's fleeting :lol:

[davet]

Originally posted by snortpickle

People ruining the "scene" are those chestknocking apes that go around claiming they're the shit. That form little elitist clicks. That spew bullshit rhetoric simply to annoy and piss people off, or insult their rides. That make people feel inferior for not riding something that's up to their standard, for always critisizing and never supporting. That see it as some bullshit testosterone filled ball weighing match. I don't give a fuck how fast you can roll your couch down a-line. I do give a fuck about you being an asshole. And that's how the world and consequentially every rider in it should be defined. Whether they're an asshole or not. You can have all the skill in the world, talk shit to me and I won't hesitate to take you down.

.

I think I know who you're directing this at. I don't read much more into his posts than it's just guys being guys. He picks onhis buddies more than anyone else.

[snortpickle]

Oh nevermind my rants..that wasn't directed at anyone in particular. Allthough there's plenty of people on here who fit that stereotype. The 2000$ bmx bits were inspired by m33p's comments yes. I was just in a foul mood..nothing a little street on my overpriced bmx couldn't fix. 'Tis all good.

[freeeeeerider]

Originally posted by m33p
And some people who just don't care riding what ever they want on one bike that barely works.
Hahahah... that's exactly like me.

[freerider guy]

I understand your rant buddy but I would have to say that I have worked very ard for my bike and the parts I need. I have had to save for a whole month just so i could go to the pne. The only thing that I havent had to pay for was my pads and they were always presents. I figure we work for it so we have earned it. Then again don't judge me and think i'm spoiled cause there isn't one day when I'm not grateful that I live in our great country and not in a card bord box in a garbage dump in a third world country.

[trail worker]

no one here seems to have understood what i meant by the scene.i was not reffering to how much money i have spent on the sport..or the prices of things.
i just hate how there is always such demand to have new stuff,or be better or have better equipment...freeriding is an evil sport in that aspect.
if you don't have money,you can't play..simple as that.:(

[patrolskid]

yeah trail , i understood exactly what you meant , that's why i wrote what i wrote . feel good about the life you're living . let your riding be a positive aspect of your life . do what you can to help others . be satisfied with the things you have and replace them as they need to be replaced with items that will do the job you ask of them . no more , no less .

[Rat]

1. you can pick up pretty nice used gear for cheap, If you have to have the latestest greatest shit thats your own problem.

you need to rethink your priorities.

2. The real scene is being able to hook up at the bottom of a mountain and ride with people you have never met before then go for beer after like you are old freinds having a reunion.

[the bicycle boy]

Originally posted by m33p
And some people who just don't care riding what ever they want on one bike that barely works.

thats me

[barry]

Originally posted by trail worker
if you don't have money,you can't play..simple as that.:(
freeriding wouldn't be the only sport that this works with. most sports cost a shitload, because ppl know that others love sports and are willing to pay fat cash to participate. there are a few exceptions tho. take bouldering for example. i live in the bouldering destination in north america, and only $200 will get you going for years and years. biking on the other hand you could spend $2000 a year...

interesting topic

[looneyman]

There are other "scenes" just as expensive as biking. Think about motocross, skiing, snowboarding, and wakeboarding (gotta buy the boat). Also those *street racers* who pour money into their Honda Civics and what not...that seemed to get quite popular after The Fast and the Furious.

[trail worker]

Originally posted by Rat
1. you can pick up pretty nice used gear for cheap, If you have to have the latestest greatest shit thats your own problem.

you need to rethink your priorities.


I know that you can pick up used gear at a good price.i have bought nothing new except a shifter for my bike in 3 years(save for a few tubes and tires).i try to be as frugal as possible when i'm buying stuff.
i don't need to rethink my priorities,because i'm not buying anything new or being gouged on much product.i don't understand where that comment you made came from:???:

[Valo]

I tend to stay away from the whole seen....I spend most of my days riding alone but I do have a few people I enjoy riding with. these people ( blaine, Matt, Shane,) are out for the ride..not to compare bikes not to say oh my bike is better then yours or you spend to much on your bike. They may say hey your bike is looking nice but when I ride its all about riding. They don't presure me into doing stuff I don't fell like doing. I ride for myself and only myself..not to fit nicely into some scene

[trail worker]

Originally posted by m33p
The "Scene" as I see it is a bunch of rich kids that cant ride there m1's, guys on 24" $2000 bmx's denying they are bmx's, And some people who just don't care riding what ever they want on one bike that barely works.

agreed man..i fall into the last catagorie there. i used to be able to just revell in the feeling of having wind blowing in my face during a good ride...now,for one reason or another that feeling is becoming harder and harder to find.

call me old,but:
i used to love riding when i first started,back in '95..riding a 21" norco mocha with 2 inches of travel up front,hammering up hills and trying my hardest to hang on to the bike on the way back down.it seems too many people don't actually appreciate riding anymore,they just want to see how big you can jump or whatever.

[parts]

scene? nobody told me there was a scene. Here I've been having fun on my various (expensive) bikes for all these years just enjoying the fact I can hop into my backyard anytime (OK when there's not a trail ban) and go for a rip regardless of the weather or how many peeps wanted to tag along.

As for $$$:
hockey's not cheap,
A season's pass for skiing is major $$$,
boating, car racing- all $$$
parachuting- expensive

When you're biking it's all fresh air & fun with little organization & even less politics.

Don't feel guilty (unless you bought a stolen MTB (j/k)- ENJOY it because there's not much else like it (aside from surfing & boarding but that's a whole 'nother thread)

If that don't make you happy try soccer or baseball, I think those are still pretty cheap to get into.

[trail worker]

Originally posted by parts


If that don't make you happy try soccer or baseball, I think those are still pretty cheap to get into.
bahaha,both those sports suck..well,soccer is fun,but baseball is for americans,no questions.

I don't know why you people think i'm griping over the price of the sport,i've paid my cash for my letoy,and i like having the bike.
it just seem rediculous that there is such a majority of kids who have everything bought for them and yet,they don't even appreciate the sport,they just roll around hucking off of anything in sight,thinking they are better than someone else.
i guess i'm just not making sense in this post..nobody seems to know what i'm talking about.:( :S

[parts]

Originally posted by trail worker
.
it just seem rediculous that there is such a majority of kids who have everything bought for them and yet,they don't even appreciate the sport,they just roll around hucking off of anything in sight,

if it wasn't for all those dipshits, hydraulic brakes and dope forks n frames wouldn't be so cheap & hi-tech. You better than them while you can, cuz alot of those weenies won't be around a few years from now once they get bored w/ this whole freeriding thang.

I totally get where you're coming from, but it's all about perspective: lotsa goobers w/ fancy bikes helps the rest of us afford the cool shit.

[Bukkake]

I have a 24" wheel bike with a suspension fork and only a rear brake, it is singlespeed and yes it probably cost about 2000 dollars but I love riding it. It's comfortable, I haven't had to do one minute of maintenence on it since I got it and whenever I ride a BMX it feels like the most messed up unnatural thing in the world.

I'm not asking anyone else to buy a bike like mine or even think it's cool. I enjoy riding it. It's fun.

My question is:

Why on earth would anyone take offense in my choice of bike?
It is MY choice after all.

[the bicycle boy]

barak!
stop displaying that individuality!

[davet]

Originally posted by trail worker
no one here seems to have understood what i meant by the scene.i was not reffering to how much money i have spent on the sport..or the prices of things.
i just hate how there is always such demand to have new stuff,or be better or have better equipment...freeriding is an evil sport in that aspect.
if you don't have money,you can't play..simple as that.:(

There is only that demand if you think there is. If you are having fun riding what you have, the only pressure to have new gear is your own pressure. Don't blame in on a "scene", blame yourself for having to have the best to have fun.

For those who knock what other people ride and how they ride, what the heck difference does it make to you? So someone has an M1 and can't ride worth crap. Who cares? He's got the bike that he (or his family) can afford, you have what you can afford. How does this affect your life in any way? Don't get pissy at him, it's not his fault you're not rich. It just sounds like petty jealousy to me. Just go out and ride what you have, who cares what the other guy is doing. It's supposed to be about riding isn't it.

The people who are whining about the "scene" seems to be the ones who are creating it. If your just out riding and having fun, there is no "scene"

Every sport takes money to play. Don't blame the sport if you can't afford it. Nobody says you have to have the best. Take up
chess if you're not happy. I think there's a vicious freechess (black-diamond chess?) club on this board. But they probably have a "scene" as well.

[J dot]

If you want it enough .. you can get there. no matter how much money you have.... you can always do whatever you want. just give'r and work a way around problems. not to hard.

[M.W.]

Originally posted by snortpickle
Meh...scenes are fictional. There's only you and your peddly bike. You don't have to do anything for anyone. Nor do you have to compete with anyone. That's all in your head and not to blaim on some scene. I'm sick and tired of the "expensive bmx" argument. Have some of you checked the prices on a highend bmx these days? It's not that a hardtail frame is anymore expensive than a good bmx frame. It's pretty much the fork and the brakes doing the damage overhead wise. For the rest we build our street hardtails up with..uh oh...BMX parts. Sheesh and still that expensive eh? That can't be right..bmx is dirtcheap! Pssha. Bull. But hey don't let me ruin whatever tough guy act you're getting off on. BMX riders don't whine about this stuff, MTB riders that just "discovered" bmx do. Not to mention overinflated freeride elitists. But I'm drifiting.

People ruining the "scene" are those chestknocking apes that go around claiming they're the shit. That form little elitist clicks. That spew bullshit rhetoric simply to annoy and piss people off, or insult their rides. That make people feel inferior for not riding something that's up to their standard, for always critisizing and never supporting. That see it as some bullshit testosterone filled ball weighing match. I don't give a fuck how fast you can roll your couch down a-line. I do give a fuck about you being an asshole. And that's how the world and consequentially every rider in it should be defined. Whether they're an asshole or not. You can have all the skill in the world, talk shit to me and I won't hesitate to take you down.

I refuse to be part of any scene. Christ I like riding bikes. What the fuck is complicated about that? I know you ride a toy as well. Yeah I invested a good amount of cash in my ride. That happens over time and only becomes alot of you add it up. Ask any real BMX rider, so no "hihi I mtb and have a wallmart bmx to build "skill""-weenies, how much they've spent on their ride over the past year. Their stuff breaks just as much. Do I regret it? No. Do I feel the need to explain myself to anyone? No. Do I enjoy riding? Yes.

At the end of the day it's you who decides what you buy and what you ride. Go full rigid. Singlespeed. Slap some V's on. See if that breaks. Have a time. Oh wait, the freeride fashion police won't let you..we all should get a bmx. I'm sick and tired of those ignorant turds commenting on things they just don't get. But for crying out loud. We're talking about riding a bike here...spend as much as you want to spend. And if you don't want to...for fucks sake..don't. For me it's one of the very few things I'm passionate about in a world that's filled with mediocre mindnumbing unchallenging crap. And for me my ride is pretty much the only tangible thing that I hold dear. They can burn down everything I own if the bike was ok. And I mean that with all of my heart. But hey..at the end of the day we're at the cheap end of the freeride spectrum. Just imagine what those poor full suspension people must go through. Nice bmx? Nice dirtbike.

I was gonna write a reply, but this is pretty much everything I intended to say, except probably with better spelling and grammar.

[M.W.]

Originally posted by Barak
I have a 24" wheel bike with a suspension fork and only a rear brake, it is singlespeed and yes it probably cost about 2000 dollars but I love riding it. It's comfortable, I haven't had to do one minute of maintenence on it since I got it and whenever I ride a BMX it feels like the most messed up unnatural thing in the world.

I'm not asking anyone else to buy a bike like mine or even think it's cool. I enjoy riding it. It's fun.

My question is:

Why on earth would anyone take offense in my choice of bike?
It is MY choice after all.

What YOU find comfortable doesn't matter. When you're buying your bike, it's MY opinion that matters.

And don't you forget it.