What is a "normal" mountain biker?

Symbolbild «normale» Mountainbiker

Ride is positioning itself in a technically demanding environment. This is no coincidence, as this is where the future lies. The definition of "normal" mountain bike routes will change significantly, explains Thomas Giger in his blog post.

It's a request that keeps popping up in my inbox and in the comment columns on Ride: "Do something for normal mountain bikers!". They usually use the term "normal" to refer to themselves. The Ride tours are too challenging for them and they would like easier routes for "normal" mountain bikers like them.

Too diverse for normal

However, it is not really possible to apply "normal" to the sport of mountain biking, the range is far too diverse for that. From anxious beginners to freeriders with backflip ambitions: The shades are more diverse among mountain bikers than in any other sport. What's more, the individual "normal" has changed considerably in recent years. This is because the average ability is continuously increasing, supported by ever better mountain bikes. What used to be considered unrideable is now standard. What was considered normal fifteen years ago now often only elicits a tired yawn.

Those who please everyone, please nothing

From the very beginning, we have focused on the challenging singletrail experience with Ride. Initially primarily in the magazine, and today especially with the tour database. We were ridiculed for years because we weren't geared towards "normal" mountain bikers. But as you know, I have a hard head and we stuck to our convictions. Twenty years after the launch of Ride, we are now confirmed that the future of MTB lies in crisp single trails. While most touring platforms have piled up irrelevant gravel road tours for "normal" mountain bikers, the trendy singletrail focus is and remains Ride's DNA.

With this strict approach, however, we also lost readers from time to time who didn't recognize themselves in this positioning. That's okay. Because in mountain biking, the following applies more than ever: if you please everyone, you please nothing. That's why Ride is still at home in the technically demanding singletrail segment.

Kids' skills determine the demand of the future

The development of mountain biking is clearly pointing in this direction. The average skill level is increasing unabated and once today's kids, who are learning to ride on trails and not in parking lots, get a taste for touring, they won't want flat, boring trails. They will define the new "normal". And exactly where Ride has made a distinctive name for itself for years.

Ride tour database: ride.ch/tours