It's safe to say that all of us have at least one or three guilty pleasures, things that we're into but maybe we'd rather not broadcast to the world. You know, like how you can't stop watching Bachelor in Paradise. Or drinking fizzy energy drinks at 7am. Or insisting that Erector Set-looking linkage forks are surely the future. Wait, that's just me? Today's episode sees us put our guilty pleasures out on the table to be judged by all.
Kazimer's list includes sugar, e-bikes, and napping, while Sarah Moore admits to loving top-40 music, driving to the trailhead, loving loamers, and making the odd assumption that we're probably all guilty of. I'm happy to say that I probably skid too much, spend too much time on Zwift, and ride short-travel bikes too much, while UK Content Manager James Smurthwaite is Mr. MTB TMZ, enjoys a chill ride, and can watch roadies pedal for hours or get sucked into the YouTube vortex.
What are some of your guilty pleasures?
THE PINKBIKE PODCAST // EPISODE 42 - MOUNTAIN BIKING'S GUILTY PLEASURES January 20th, 2021
"I'm just shuttling my e-bike up to a loamer that ends at the gas station so I can buy candy to eat while watching reality television all night."
Hosted by Mike Levy (usually) and featuring a rotating cast of the editorial team and other guests, the Pinkbike Podcast is a weekly update on all the latest stories from around the world of mountain biking, as well as some frank discussion about tech, racing, and everything in between.
Waking up at 11am, calling it a morning ride
Eating chocolate bars, not energy bars
Entering private land to build jumps without asking
Decking out my bike in poorly designed stickers
My guilty pleasure: The excitement of justifying new bike parts, buying said bike parts, receiving bike parts, then staring at bike parts for a month until I have time to install them, then forgetting I bought them. Then remembering and having so much joy again installing. Dad life.
Getting a rigid bike to ride in the winter mud while I fix all the pivot bearings on my squishy bike. Then bragging about how easy it is to clean with no suspension. Then riding rigid on rough trails and realizing that I need a fork. Then buying a real fork. It should be delivered today.
Jumping every rock I see and going as fast as I can.
Saying good bye to bad news and saying hello to a brighter future for all!
... and eating yummy food, pizza, lots of sweets, can't get enough of gourmet pastries ...mmm cinnamon rolls.
I think one of the reasons we can all carry a lot less backpack filling swag is that our bikes don’t break the same way as they used to. I still hide a hanger inside my bike tho....
@mikelevy: Tell that guy to watch the Dakar coverage from this year. Price fixed a slashed tire with duct tape and zip ties and then bashed it through the desert at speed.
Also, why would anyone feel guilty for riding a bike just to ride. The whole 'I need to jump, skid, drift, whip everything on the trail' is super lame.
My bike is too "much" for my skill level. Based on my skills I should be cruising the pathways on a Trek FX. But, I have a BIG fork, BIG brakes, aggressive geometry, all the newest stuff! More, more, more!
It's a guilty pleasure (overbiking) and I like it.
Unpopular opinion, but I think overbiking makes you a better rider! The more confidence inspiring your bike is, the more motivated you are to push your limits.
Not sure if it's a guilty pleasure but on my 10 minute ride home from work I just love absolutely destroying roadies who are clearly out for like a 100km all day ride whilst I'm on a mtb wearing jeans
@heatproofgenie: Clay comes from the ground, usually in areas where streams or rivers once flowed. It is made from minerals, plant life, and animals—all the ingredients of soil. Over time, water pressure breaks up the remains of flora, fauna, and minerals, pulverizing them into fine particles
@unfknblvbl: This is what I've been trying to tell everyone that talks about loam, it's actually Duff, back in the old days we called it that. I've recently been on an annoying crusade on social media correcting people about this, they love it. I suppose that's my guilty pleasure.
For fucks sake kaz. you need to try an actual motorcycle, a powerful offroad motorcycle. They are really fun! but not in the same way that actual mountain bikes are fun. After zooming around for... several months... you'll understand.
Any advice for bringing a dog on a ride? I'm not sure what the safest way to bring a dog, or how to get him started. He's large enough and fast to ride alongside me, but I don't know what's the best way to train him to follow me on my bike. Any recommendations?
I’ve got a blue heeler I ride with, the first step for us was teaching her to heel at any point, no matter what else is going on. Step 2 was to teach her “leave it”, meaning whatever she’s stopped for she’s got to give it up and come along. We started with leash training, off-leash training, short rides in open fields then to trails. I took the same steps with a lab previously too, he was a little harder to train but got it in time. The training and end experience are both well worth the effort.
@okiecalvin: Thanks for the tips! How old was your blue heeler when you took her riding? My dog's about a year old. I'm not sure if he's too young to come with me.
@timotheysski: It's a small group of verrrry dedicated individuals. My partner does the more traditional races on bikes and skis (skijoring). But I've found myself as part of an even smaller group of folks who are more into mountain biking and bikejor on singletrack. You don't know how hard you can rail a corner until a dog is pulling you through it!
@amrosen: haha! I don't have a dog but I have a couple of friends who do and I bet they don't know about that; i'll tell them on our next group ride. thx for sharing!
@jf94: Ours is a rescue so unsure of the age but we’re guessing around 2-3 years old. Your dog may be a bit young but definitely old enough to start the basic training. (Sorry for the late reply)
"3000 feet of climbing is a solid ride, but it's not big ride" -- Now I'm curious what the typical ride for people is. I'm usually happy with 2000 feet in a ride and I've only done 4-5000 feet a few times. Usually 3000 ft for me on a weekend is a good time and I'm exhausted.
I'm mostly joking/talking shit on that, but I do sometimes seem to get some number stuck in my head that I need to reach. Depends a lot on where you live; you can get 3k here relatively quickly, but it's way harder in some other places.
yeah, I think It is really location dependant.
I am used to doing laps on a 900ish foot ridge line with tons of fall line trails coming back down to a collector road. doing 3-4 laps on a weekday and the occasional 6-8 lap day on a weekend with all the mates and a cooler of beers at the car for mid ride hydration.
other places I have ridden, you feel like you rode 4000ft and you check your GPS and it tells you 2100 and you feel like a tub of shit. lol
Question for debate: What will be the next market trend? Fat bikes,plus bikes, e-bikes, gravel...they all were niches brought to mainstream by the marketing,so can anyone predict what's next?
Thanks for the podcasts,really help on the long hours at the night shifts at work.
E-bikes will become popular among people who got the money for one.
32 inch front wheels will be the next thing for sure. It's probably gonna start with Greg Minaar and maybe some XC riders, then it will become the norm (for tall riders at least)
power napping is effin' great. 20 to 25 minutes at the middle of the day.. effin perfect.
also, trying to hate xc riding... selling my bikes, taking the piss on the guys(buddies, friends) I know who do xc.... but, secretly, knowing that I live in the flats and a gravel or an bike would be much more appropiate for my regular riding; then there's the acceptance, buying again an xc bike, using for the spring to early summer... then starting to dislike the xc riding and bikes again.. and the cycle keeps repeating.
For me buying a bike would never be directly related to race results but a good racer on the bike definitely helps legitimise the brand, look at when Gwin was on YT and Sam on Nukeproof. They're both decent manufacturers but would definitely be a bit further in the back of my head when choosing a bike if it wasn't for race winning performances.
First time leaving a comment to give Sarah props for watching XC ski racing. I'm a longtime XC ski racer and I love the sport even though I know it's pretty inaccessible and boring. The commenter advocating for biathlon ain't wrong. All the skiing with more drama and far better production quality.
Unpopular opinion: watching most XC skiing is more fun than most World Tour cycling. Sprints on skis skis > bunch sprint finishes on skinny tires.
I am so excited that there are two XC ski lovers in these comments! XC skiing was the first sport I competed in before switching to XC MTB and I still absolutely love it.
@sarahmoore: I love when you bring up XC skiing on the pod. Skinny skis don't get much love, especially in the action sports world, so it's fun to hear about rad riders who appreciate spandex and uphills. XC skiing actually introduced me to mountain biking and there's a rich history of folks excelling at both. Carl Swenson, Nathan Schultz, and Evelyn Dong all raced at the top of the XC ski scene and mountain bike scene. Carl spent summers racing NORBA for the Gary Fischer team, I think, before switching to World Cup XC skiing in the winter. Wild. Pretty sure the legendary Adam Craig raced pretty high level junior XC skiing as a kid in New England. Y'all Canadians have 2010 Olympian Gord Jewett who was pretty sick at both XC disciplines.
As far as racing goes, it is a big deal for me, at one end I stay much more motivated to progress my fitness and skill by participating in amateur races and wanting to beat my buddies, and on the watching-racing end I might not just buy the "winning bike" necessarily, but I won't buy a frame from a brand that isn't proven to be able to at least get good results in professional racing.
Question: At what point is suspension just worn out? How many miles/years, even with keeping up on service? It definitely seems to have an operational life.
Racing definitely influences my purchasing decisions. I think that world cup level racing is an excellent way for a brand to validate a certain minimal quality of their frame/part. If the geometry etc is complete garbage, a really fast rider can only hide it just so much. If I am looking for an XC bike, I really want to see that the bike is competitive at the top level even if I'll never race that hard...or even at all.
rewatching every single Singletrack Sampler, Berm Peak, and Jordan Boostamster video repeatedly. Also taking my bike apart and putting it back together for fun.
Riding rigid single speeds and then complaining about how my body can't handle it anymore after 12 years of abuse but refusing to put gears or a fork on because it isn't "core" enough.....
Buying used but still awesome bike parts for 'later' and then telling myself I need to save for those bike tools so when later comes along I can put 'em all together... and then when another Totem, 66, or another pair of shiny Hope brakes comes along buying those instead
On the topic of bike sales influenced by racing, I think it indirectly influences the average consumer. Anyone buying a bike in person is likely to buy it from a person, a shop employee, who likely cares at least a little or pays a little attention to racing. If that shop carries 3 brands and one of them has their favorite racer sponsored, they’re likely to sell that brand and that bike over another even in their own shop.
Mike (Kazimer) - get an acoustic chainsaw. No need for a battery powered bike if you don't have to carry a battery powered chainsaw. And it'll definitely serve your upper body better than riding a heavy bike. This is mostly a joke, but would be awesome.
Sarah - take your love of nerdy sport watching to the next level (read as: my level) and watch biathlon racing. Everything that's great about XC skiing with added suspense. Spoiler: the Norwegians still win.
Yes! Next level nerdy. I always love watching all the ski events during the Olympics, harder to watch them all during the rest of the time though! So cool to see the US Ski Team doing so well in XC skiing after so many years of Norwegian and Swedes trading wins.
The fat bike hated on em for years.....my buddy owns a shop and gave me a deal I could not resist , so I got the fatty to ride to work...... well ...... pretty fond of cruising the unridable beaches. The amount of hippy shacks and boats made into houses i have seen on my hornby island trips has sold me.
hauling on old doubletrack on a full suspension. The kind of stuff that is a little too rough or steep to be ridden on a gravel bike, but too boring to be trendy singletrack. Waterbars, oh-shit moments with the ruts, etc... Beginner MTB'ers don't know what they are missing while they fight with the singletrack
We all enjoy the media coverage for DH (some more than others (Sarah)) and I even am starting to like the XC races more. Do you think we’ll ever get as good media coverage for Enduro (EWS)? Is it the logistics of such a large course that is holding the coverage back? Discuss...
Question for @mikekazmir.. I am curious if your gripe on ebike marketing is the same as mine... I feel the industry is trying too hard to convince existing riders that ebikes are just as cool as regular bikes.. Those who are already riding will find them when they feel they need or want them...
I don't own one yet, but I've spent enough time on them to see where they can be fun...
@lumpy873, that's definitely part of it. It irks me when I hear people saying that 'regular' bikes will be extinct in X number of years. There's no denying that e-bikes are here to stay, but for a lot of riders I see them as more of a supplement rather than something that replaces a non-motorized bike.
@mikekazimer: isn't that the way of the industry? If something is hot and new, something must die... 29 is in, 26 is dead.. 27.5 is in, 29 is dead.. Oh wait.. 29 is hot, 27.5 is dead..
@mikekazimer I love me some angry music as I hadn’t ever heard of The Sword I was geeked like a kid getting a née bike at Christmas. And then unwrapping it and seeing it was a Huffy. Had to listen to some White Zombie to cleanse the palette.
Ha, at least you tried. They're sort of hit or miss - I think Warp Riders was their best album. I can appreciate some White Zombie too. Same with Pantera, Sepultura, Slayer - the classics.
@TobiasHandcock: Yeah, it just feels better walking when it gets to a certain steepness.
Plus on my Cube with short chainstays, the chainline is just soo crooked on the 52 tooth cog that it feels like all my energy is just grinding away my chainrig teeth instead of moving me forward
Judging people who I think go overboard matching parts. Colored housing is a trigger. And generally people on Evils or Yetis. If those choices make them happy who cares but still cant help myself.
Mine is listening to the pinkbike podcast. I feel I need to do it in secret.
If my wife walks in the garage or wherever I've got it on I'll quickly pause it.
@groghunter: Right?! I thought the same. I've done enough years on a road bike and ain't going back... but this gravel thing is more MTB gongshow than fun road bike. Loving it.
try Disilliusion - back to the times of splendor that album has been on my daily playlist for at least 2 years, very melodic, very complex, a joy to discover.
Sad thing is, there is no new album, i guess it just felt like it's the best they could do and moved on....
I just use an original Wahoo Kickr that's still going strong (hope I didn't jinx it) and a smart fan, and we also have an Elite Direto in our "home gym" AKA the living room. I don't have one of those Wahoo Climb grade-changing things, but they sure look neat. Always dreaming of a gym room with a rower and all the things.
181 Comments
www.pinkbike.com/news/msrs-trailshot-pocket-sized-water-filter-review-2017.html
Also, why would anyone feel guilty for riding a bike just to ride. The whole 'I need to jump, skid, drift, whip everything on the trail' is super lame.
It's a guilty pleasure (overbiking) and I like it.
Clay is soil that is comprised of very fine mineral particles and not much organic material.
glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Duff
www.uwlax.edu/globalassets/academics/conted/wetland/pdfs/humus-types.pdf
Any advice for bringing a dog on a ride? I'm not sure what the safest way to bring a dog, or how to get him started. He's large enough and fast to ride alongside me, but I don't know what's the best way to train him to follow me on my bike. Any recommendations?
or is that just the people around where I live that do this???
What will be the next market trend?
Fat bikes,plus bikes, e-bikes, gravel...they all were niches brought to mainstream by the marketing,so can anyone predict what's next?
Thanks for the podcasts,really help on the long hours at the night shifts at work.
32 inch front wheels will be the next thing for sure. It's probably gonna start with Greg Minaar and maybe some XC riders, then it will become the norm (for tall riders at least)
also, trying to hate xc riding... selling my bikes, taking the piss on the guys(buddies, friends) I know who do xc.... but, secretly, knowing that I live in the flats and a gravel or an bike would be much more appropiate for my regular riding; then there's the acceptance, buying again an xc bike, using for the spring to early summer... then starting to dislike the xc riding and bikes again.. and the cycle keeps repeating.
Unpopular opinion: watching most XC skiing is more fun than most World Tour cycling. Sprints on skis skis > bunch sprint finishes on skinny tires.
Question: At what point is suspension just worn out? How many miles/years, even with keeping up on service? It definitely seems to have an operational life.
Sarah - take your love of nerdy sport watching to the next level (read as: my level) and watch biathlon racing. Everything that's great about XC skiing with added suspense. Spoiler: the Norwegians still win.
We all enjoy the media coverage for DH (some more than others (Sarah)) and I even am starting to like the XC races more.
Do you think we’ll ever get as good media coverage for Enduro (EWS)? Is it the logistics of such a large course that is holding the coverage back?
Discuss...
I don't own one yet, but I've spent enough time on them to see where they can be fun...
Feels good to stretch the hip flexors out and do what's natural. I've pushed my bike up ALLOT where there was no other option, so it feels quite good.
Plus on my Cube with short chainstays, the chainline is just soo crooked on the 52 tooth cog that it feels like all my energy is just grinding away my chainrig teeth instead of moving me forward
Mountain biking guilty pleasure: Stopping for a bit too long to get my Instagram shot right
Maybe time for a new page..... Pink’E and the Bike’E E-Bike reviews!
Longevity of Carbon Frame VS Aluminum frame please discuss.
thank you
My long time favourite (live) band!
no metal though ;D
try Disilliusion - back to the times of splendor
that album has been on my daily playlist for at least 2 years, very melodic, very complex, a joy to discover.
Sad thing is, there is no new album, i guess it just felt like it's the best they could do and moved on....
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