Pinkbike Poll: Mountain Biking Unplugged
Think back to the last few mountain bike rides you went on. Did you have your phone with you? How about an MP3 player? A GPS unit? Or maybe a smartphone that has all of these feature plus the internet? It's easy to stay connected these days, but getting away from it all can be the real challenge. Technology has become such an ubiquitous part of our daily lives that it can be difficult to fully unplug and get off the grid – we often don't even realize how much we are tied to our electronic devices.
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Can you be too connected? Do electronics affect how enjoyable a ride is?
Before the advent of cell phones (yes kids, there was such a time, and no, we didn't hunt wooly mammoths or live in caves) heading out on a mountain bike ride felt like more of an adventure, an escape from civilization and into the wilderness, even if the wilderness was nothing more than a tract of abandoned land surrounded on all sides by block after block of suburban sprawl. Now, it's possible to check your email, pay bills, post blurry photos and more from nearly every corner of the globe, even in locations that used to be considered the middle of nowhere, miles from any visible civilization. I'm no Luddite, but part of me is nostalgic for the days before status updates and Instagram posts, before every activity needed to be documented and shared. If you divulge every detail of your latest adventure in real time, what story is there left to tell when you return home?
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With scenery like this, who cares how fast you're going?
Give it a try – leave all the electronics at home, hop on your bike and go for a ride. Can't function without that heart rate monitor? If you start seeing red and it feels like your head might explode, ease up the pace a little bit. Wondering what time it is? Well, when you can't see the trail in front of your tire, that's a sign it's time to head home. Or start gathering leaves and branches to make a nest to sleep in for the night. And what about those KOMs and personal bests you're missing out on by turning off the GPS? Strava will survive without your presence, and you'll probably end up feeling more relaxed by riding for the pure enjoyment of it instead of trying to beat a ridiculous time some energy gel swigging mutant put up.
Shedding the electronic leash every once in a while helps bring things back to focus, clarifying what really matters – riding your bike.
Before the advent of cell phones (yes kids, there was such a time, and no, we didn't hunt wooly mammoths or live in caves) heading out on a mountain bike ride felt like more of an adventure, an escape from civilization and into the wilderness, even if the wilderness was nothing more than a tract of abandoned land surrounded on all sides by block after block of suburban sprawl. Now, it's possible to check your email, pay bills, post blurry photos and more from nearly every corner of the globe, even in locations that used to be considered the middle of nowhere, miles from any visible civilization. I'm no Luddite, but part of me is nostalgic for the days before status updates and Instagram posts, before every activity needed to be documented and shared. If you divulge every detail of your latest adventure in real time, what story is there left to tell when you return home?
Give it a try – leave all the electronics at home, hop on your bike and go for a ride. Can't function without that heart rate monitor? If you start seeing red and it feels like your head might explode, ease up the pace a little bit. Wondering what time it is? Well, when you can't see the trail in front of your tire, that's a sign it's time to head home. Or start gathering leaves and branches to make a nest to sleep in for the night. And what about those KOMs and personal bests you're missing out on by turning off the GPS? Strava will survive without your presence, and you'll probably end up feeling more relaxed by riding for the pure enjoyment of it instead of trying to beat a ridiculous time some energy gel swigging mutant put up.
Shedding the electronic leash every once in a while helps bring things back to focus, clarifying what really matters – riding your bike.
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But then comes the second step, "into the wild" kind of thing, once you are fully aware of the first issue you might want to bring additional element of "risk" and "disconnection" to the ride (or you just fkn hate electronics) If you are smart, you might know various ways of Bear-Gryllsing yourself out of various situation, just be aware of the risk and have plan B.
Myself, having my own family, I prefer to be on the leash...
There's a place in Charleston, WV that I rode once while I lived there, and I didn't even go two miles on the trail I was on before retreating.
Why?
No cell signal, and I ride alone.
Not to o hard to figure out why that's REALLY dangerous!
Just not a smart move IMO, and I know and fully understand the risks of outdoor adventuring.
For instance: if I know, there are mooses around my trails, and they can be aggressive, and terrain is difficult, lots of rocks, I am wondering how can I run away from one if it charges at me. If I haven't put such thought through my system, I might try to ride out, which would be stupid. So I must put into my brain, that if I see a fkng moose, I get off the bike and I run, because I will be faster sprinting than riding. What if I meet wild pigs. Thing nr 1 to do: look for a tree to climb. You have to have those things in your head. If I'd go riding in big mountains, where I don't know the area and weather patterns, I would always take rain jacket, light wool fleece and hat, lots of snacks, iodine tablets, no fkng SPD shoes. Shit that will allow me to stay the night or weather break down. Phone would be lower down on the list.
Hello! I have a broken leg and wrist, then chest pains, I fell into a creek, I am all wet, and temperature is already below zero, when can you pick me up? - Where are you sir? - I don't know, that Vodafone is shit, you know, I have no 3G, so I can't upload my position to my FB page. - do you have any map? yes but I can't download it, don't you understand? - I mean do you have a paper map. No, who the F uses that?!
Can get three different brands of the item at Cabela's alone, much less the internet...
So there's one argument down...
EDIT: That said, any electronics I do have always stay in my pack until the ride is over, unless it is one of the rare occasions I use my helmet cam.
Back in the day we rode with walkmans, now it's MP3s, nothing like cleaning a rock garden while Danny Carey goes ballistic or railing a berm when David Gilmore hits the high notes. Have had recurring arguments about how music would not allow me to know if I'm being stalked by bears or cougars. If a wild animal is hunting you, chances are your not going to know until they are on top of you, same as surprising an animal.
kevroberts go kick this suposid "friend" in the nuts haha
Argument over can we move on now?
So if you get stuck, or lost with no way of contacting they know roughly where you are in case they need to send a search party. Especially if you are going alone.
Every region has their mountain rescue service that is in charge for 3-4 mountains in the region and there are stationed mostly in ski centers.
Have in mind, I'm not talking about trail centers or bike parks, I'm talking about unmarked wilderness and wild trails, where a chance of meeting someone is less than 4-5%, completely cut from civilisation, no cellphones, no signal.
what I usually take on epics are
1. Hi battery cell phone
2. Multi tool, 2 pairs of tubes, tube patches, spare link
3. Antiseptic or a dermo spray, bandages, clean gauze, headache pills (for sun strokes)/ sun cream (this is an absolute must on higher altitudes)
4. Knife
5. length of rope or straps (I have removable straps on my back pack) for immobilizing
6. Emergency blanket
7. Topographic map and compass (I don't own a gps and I know how to read maps)
8. Eye protection (a must for high mountains)
9. Helmet
10. Food rations, mostly hi mineral and hi protein food (vegetables, capiscum, cuecubers, tuna fish, dried meat)
11. A LOT of water (3l bladder + 750ml bottle on frame)
12. 0.5l of electrolytes
13. Notify someone (first of kin, mountain rescue service), if you visit a mountaineering home on your way up, leave your plan of riding.
14. Go rested, if you get tired rest, don't push yourself in the wilderness.
15. Matches or lighter or flint
16. Quick drying clothes, and a couple of pair (light jerseys) and change shirts often, don't ride sweaty
17. Battery light (usually head lamp) and spare batteries.
this is for day epics,
18. A camera sometimes
the list is much longer when I'm carrying a tent or a sleeping bag for multi day epics.
So basically, only technology I'm lugging is phone/camera and a battery lamp
As for the food, just my personal preference I guess. I don't eat a lot of carbs and when I go for a whole day ride I get up at 5, and come home at 21+, and I realized that carbs don't do me that much good, as proteins and minerals, minerals especially.
As for water, summer is a bitch here, most of the time it's 35+ deg, and for instance, on my last AM epic, I've travelled 40 km of off road without encountering a spring or a well. I guess it has to do something with the mountain called "Dry Mountain"
I have the iphone in case of emergency. I have the GPS to record my rides. Except for the heart rate, I don't look it at while I ride. I use it after rides to build a map of where I've been, that I look at when I'm not riding. It helps me understand the layout of the places I ride and plan better loops. I'm not sure I would need to do this out west; in the Eastern US where I ride, many riding areas are small with dense trail networks.
The only reason I ever look at heart rate, is to make sure my heart rate has slowed down before trying something technical that's giving me difficulty. I've discovered that if my heart rate gets high, I have a harder time on hard technical features. If I let it slow down, I'm much more capable.
So, I agree with the idea that one shouldn't use the instruments while riding... but I have no problem with using them before or after a ride.
1 smartphone with internet connection, gps and all the emergency apps u can think of
1 old phone which is practically unbreakable, for when my smartphone dies
1 gps to conveniently plot my way back to civilization, also for when my smartphone dies
1 sat phone...just in case
1 emergency foil blanket
1 emergency first aid kit
1 emergency rations kit for when ur lost an feeling peckish
1 emergency distress flare... for when ur really lost and ur gps, phone, smartphone and sat phone dont work...
a must for all serious bikers
you know what they say, never be under-prepared
But im with u mate;
they dont call it technology for nothing, use it when u have it but be prepared for when all the batteries are out.
(a postable solar panel or map)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F92CvRflk18
I'm sure 99% of us real rides have had to roll or carry are bikes out of the woods before. I prefure not having to do that with a broken leg.
Also a fan of Nightriding so I'm fine with having half a dozen lights and wiring everywhere. Also like a speedometer on the road and touring bikes.
Glad I also ride with people who are 'switched on' and know how to self rescue.
As long as we had 10p for a phone call is was all good. No risk no fun.
Having a phone is useful but its foolish to rely on one.
Maybe you should think about carrying tools?
Strava, what a better way to tell everyone where your secret trail is... never use it, never will, unless I"m searching to poach your trails....don't strava if you don't want people riding your secret trail. Just sayin...
My dumb phone also has my music.
I can easily ride out of service of my phone.
Once apon a time cell phones were huge! I did not bring my phone with me then and would have considered the idea ridiculous.
Im old.
Many people have taken very average pics of awesome things though
Always. And I have the pics on my cellphone to prove it.
But no music!? I'm always wired for sound.