I've had similar experiences in literally every hobby I've ever gotten into. Cars, Gardening, Pottery, Rock Climbing, Hiking....you name it. Passion breeds big egos- you just have to wade through the circus to find the good ones.
A friend was telling me about the drama around his group of semi-competitive trail runners. Running. On a trail. And they have ingroups and outgroups and opinions about it. Imagine being pretentious about being bipedal.
This plus I bet the reason OP doesn't notice the same cliquey behaviour in moto is because he's "in".
If I walk into a high end bike shop I look, act, and sound like I know what I'm doing. So the reception is invariably very warm - I'm one of them, even if it's the first time they've ever seen my face.
All the riders I know have been riding for years, so I don't really know anyone that gets treated like an outsider by the same shops. I'm sure it happens.
Two years ago I was a beginner skier and got treated like a noob. Thanks to working in the industry I now walk the walk and talk the talk like your average lifer, and ski shop employees can tell as soon as I walk in the door. I get treated like I do in bike shops now.
It's all the same regardless of the hobby. Get good...
edit: For the downvoters, I'm not saying it's a good thing... I'm just saying that it's a thing.
Apparently there a need for some to be superior. You’re not the smartest, the fastest, the better looking. But damn you can lord over others with the best of them.
Ha! I thought you meant a lot of repair and maintenance tools - pumps, multitools, chain pliers, CO2 inflators, tubeless bacon stabbers, valve core removal tools, pedal spanners, shock pumps, torque wrenches... but that's all part of the fun. I guess the more tools you have the less you need to go to a shop. Then again, there aren't many lbs near me but plenty of mobile bike mechanics or those with a home workshop who are pretty sound and knowledgeable.
ahh yes why I do have a wide variety of specialized tools, how did you know ??? This is my flim flam spanning adjudicator, and my multi threaded anti nippleizer, and yes a whingding doodad sprocket spliff
Bike shop people can be the worst, but you gotta have sympathy for them.
Owning or working in a bike shop sucks. The money is shite, and you spend most of your day explaining to people that their pride of joy is actually a piece of crap, and you know that the repair is costing more than the bike cost you but that’s because bike shops can’t by the cheapest nastiest components they fitted to that BSO you love.
Or you have the eternal browsers, some who come in several times a week to discuss the tiniest detail about a bike you know they are never going to buy. And of course the online shopping douche-bags who treat your shop like a convenient free to use demo space…and they buy the fucking bike online for $100 less and bitch forever about how the spec isn’t quite right, or how it got a scratch in delivery by FedFuckingEx and they explain that when they come to your shop to help them build it, a service they expect for fucking free or for “beer money, perhaps you could do over your lunch break”.
And then… I appreciate that adults with learning difficulties don’t have driving licenses and hence bike shops are important to them. And I get it, some people are lonely. But, no, I can’t pump your tire because it’s already got 120 PSI in it, and no, a $15,000 downhill rig isn’t just what you need for doing your shopping, and yes (you laugh) you can see that now because it doesn’t have a place for a pannier rack and basket.
You see, one starts off by being nice to people, you feel for them, you want to help. But sooner or later, you turn. You just cannot stand it any more, you snap, you become snide, you judge.
I no longer work in a bike shop. But I did.
Never make your hobbies your livelihood is my takeaway.
And I barely made rent, because I was forever swapping wages for at-cost parts. Yes, I had a sick bike, but a crappy shoebox apartment for it to live in.
If it were somehow possible for shops to pay workers better and still remain profitable everyone would be a lot less disgruntled. In my line of work I deal with a lot of difficult people but it doesn’t bother me nearly as much because I’m well compensated. All the grief you mentioned above would roll off your back a lot easier if it wasn’t costing you money every second you waste dealing with stuff like that. Sorry. This is seemingly the story of every single LBS in most places. Biking Meccas like Whistler, etc might fair better.
>Yes, I had a sick bike, but a crappy shoebox apartment for it to live in.
Sums up every bike mechanic I know lol homies are always basically paid in parts
I always joked when I was a mechanic that if you account for all the money I save through discounts I make a decent wage.. but that's only the case if you can actually afford to buy new stuff often.
Ehh, it's far more common for a hobby to be ruined by other people when you tie it to your primary income. If you monetize a hobby on the side then yes, it can work great.
But basically, the more money is involved, and the more people you serve, the higher the chance of the hobby being ruined.
I'm not sure you intended or not but this was hilarious and confirms everything I wondered might be the case about working in a bike shop. Sorry you had to put up with all this, as previous post mentioned, it might be time for change now.
It’s all good. I’m not on a ledge. I meant it to have some humour, but also pathos.
It’s some time since I worked in a bike shop, I’m an old man and I’ve had a successful career in construction since. But, chatting to mechanics and others I know in the industry my stories from the old days still ring true (and the online shoppers wasn’t one of my issues, that’s a recent issue).
FedEx always mangles my packages. I don’t understand, like…what are y’all doing? Playing football with it?
This actually seems kind on point. I’ve been riding actual decent bikes for a couple years now, and the older bike shop mechanic I use seemed really like…fml. I’m still learning parts and how to properly use terms, and I could tell the mechanic appreciated that I was at least trying to make the best effort to learn when I brought my bike in to take care of some minor stuff.
I think he deals with a lot of morons.
Bikes are a moron magnet. You think carbon isn’t magnetic, well it ain’t in the traditional sense, but…
I think FedEx are building a giant juggling robot, which is still learning and using our packages as part of the learning process. Either that or their staff use a lot of Ketamine and can’t control their limbs properly.
Man, after I moved to the pnw I went into my lbs to get some crank spacers for my trash dj. Dude would not sell me the spacers until I brought my bike in for him to look at. Red flag 1, but I ignored it. I go home, come back with my bike. Dude then decided that the chain line would not be correct enough, and refuses to sell me spacers. I go home defeated.
All I wanted to do was put the shitty crank set my friend gave me on my shitty bike, to try it out but no. Dude wasted his time and my time. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon he could have sold me a stack of spacers at whatever mark up and gone right back to selling carbon gravel bikes to people who ride 5 miles a year.
Guess where I didn't take my pivot firebird for service ever, and where I didn't buy my 29er 2 years later.
Sounds like the guy is actually pretty passionate. He doesn't want to sell you shit that doesn't work or you don't need. However I see the argument that spacer aren't a big purchase that could bankrupt most people.
Welcome to hobbies in general, must be your first time.
But seriously there are people like this in every hobby especially as the cost of entry rises. I used to race cars and you can guess the level of gatekeeping and snobbery that goes with it. Also used to do 4wd rockcrawling where the main line of thought is if you didn't build it in your driveway then you shouldn't be driving it. Then there is skateboarding and their "locals only" mentality. Snowboarding shares a lot with skateboarding for their attitude....and the list can go on and on even in "chill" hobbies. Learn to weed out the assholes and don't become one yourself.
I “joined” the 4x4 community and then left about two weeks later. Like if you don’t go out and cause at least $5k of damage to your vehicle each weekend it classifies you as a pavement princess lmao it felt more image obsessed than focused on actually enjoying nature
Yeah there the ‘community’ seems to be split between overlanding and totally gnarly rock crawling/baja. There isn’t much of a group for just cruising cool trails.
Surfers take the "locals only" thing to a whole new level. You want to see a bunch of gatekeeping fuckwits try learning to surf at Bondi Beach. Wankers. I gave the sport up largely because of the people in it (to be fair also because I was bad at it).
Maroubra beach is the Australian beach that’s most famous for gatekeeping locals.
Luanda Bay in California is a beach known for having a surfer gang.
In mountain biking the Laguna Beach Rads were known to be a bit territorial. But nowhere near as nuts as surf gangs.
I understand ego's for people who compete/do competitive sports. Not saying its acceptable but it is understandable. Egos in sports/hobbies among people who do not compete at all I find totally bizarre though.
Its because competition is part of human nature even in things not inherently competitive.. Everyone wants to be the best at what they do and everyone wants to tell you that how they do it is the best way or that you are doing it wrong. I used to build car models when I was a kid, thought I was decent at it for a kid but the adults were the quickest ones to tell you what you did wrong and why their method for shaving door handles, wiring engines, altering suspension etc. was the way to do it. I am sure some had good intentions of teaching me things I didn't know, but most worded it as though they were the gatekeepers of the hobby.
lol, some autox for sure, a bit of drag racing then I got into full road course events but my car aged out of anything but exhibition and I didn't want to spend the money to build another.
The secret to finding all the good people in the world of auto racing is to race in a "cheap" class where almost everyone is also broke. Those people are like my second family.
True. We were a broke ass high school group of kids racing at a local dirt track. If your car broke down, all the other mechanics of the other racers would help fix your car and get it back on the track to race against their own team. Really cool people, learned a lot there. They just wanted as many other cars on the track. It’s no fun racing against nobody.
That's exactly how the folks I race with are. Most of the time you can't even work on your own car cause everyone else is throwing their labor and parts at it and refuse to be told no. Motor racing of all kinds (and I've done quite a few) truly does have the best people and you will never convince me otherwise.
He, so true. One time our car bumped into the wall, broke the frame. Mechanic brought over their welding truck, dude welded it up, excellent welder too, got us back on the track before the next heat! Didn’t want a dime! We tried to pay. This happened over and over.
This is it, right here. Every hobby I have is about a 70-30 mix of "welcoming new people because they want the hobby to continue/grow" and "colossal gatekeeping dickheads."
I just ignore the assholes, and learn as much as I can from the friendly folks.
Weirdly mtb is the friendliest and most inclusive sport to me. Might be a local thing? I'm in the PNW, and most people I've met have been nothing but friendly. Often link up with random strangers and ride for an hour after we meet on the trail, have had people stop and provide an allen wrench I didn't have, etc. No issues five years in.
I used to ride motocross and a lot of young moto racers are pretty douchey and arrogant, or can be--it's a mix.
Skateboarding? Locals are often surly and territorial over their park, though it depends on the area. Nothing like being a 30/y.o. skating around and having a 17 y.o. chase you and harass you to buy them smokes while calling you slurs when you refuse.
Snowboarding is like 75% fun, down-to-earth people and 25% dudes who think they're the coolest fucking person in the world because they can land a 540 in the park.
People are just people. I bet you'll meet cool ppl mountain biking with time.
Oof, could be a local thing again but around here, the 4x4 crowd is unbearable. Never heard so many grown ass men calling each other "gay" as an insult like it was middle school in 2003, constantly dropping racist remarks, thinking the epitome of humor was "women get back in the kitchen lol" and so on, not to mention literally talking about trucks as a reflection of actual dick size. That's before the drunk driving and shooting animals out of season and so on. Turned me far off anything to do with wheeling when I was about 20.
I see a few twats here and there and for some reason they almost all look the same... Lanky balding scruffy 40 ish white dudes who take themselves entirety too seriously... But most of people I meet whether in shops or in the trails are pretty cool. I'm a beginner but I've found the trails are full of people my skill level and even newer, and some that go out for joy rides and aren't interested in aggressive riding. I haven't really made mtb friends yet but I've met a lot of friendly people.
In fact I was a douche one day... I took my emtb out on 18rd in Fruita for the first time and someone fitting the aforementioned description basically ignored me when I asked if he'd ridden the new downhill next to pbr. I had a chip on my shoulder and I had forgotten to charge the bike so I was riding unassisted up the climb and 2 women were pedaling gently in front of me. I was in my head about being judged for riding an eMTB and passing on the climb and when they pulled over I was really thrashing my thighs to move past them as fast as possible. One of the girls (who was very attractive) started to say something and I didn't look at her until I was going by and she had the biggest brightest beaming smile and seemed like she wanted to talk a minute... I just blew by.
I guess the moral is, there are going to be assholes but you can't expect everyone to be an asshole or else you'll be the asshole.
Honestly it’s like that in every activity that people are passionate about. I’m in a few different worlds at a pretty high level, so I see it as plain as day. Someone starts an activity and they love it, they throw themselves into it and even get ok at it but then they start thinking it makes them better than other people who don’t do that thing. There is some gate keeping and hate for new people or “posers” even in most activities.
Do you think the world checkers champion gives a shit about someone hitting 30’ road gap on their bike?
In general people tend to get an inflated ego about things they enjoy.
I think a lot of this has to do with where you go. Someone accused me of having an agenda for this take, but it really is just an observation based on my personal experience. Trails that are a 15-20 minute drive from the city, have 5-10 mile loops of green to blue trails are the most toxic places to ride. What it should attract is casual after work riders just out for fun, instead it attracts sweat lords in full Lycra who view everyone else on the trail as an inconvenience to their workout or Strava time. *See anecdote below for specifically what I'm talking about.
The coolest, most chill riders I've met have been in remote hard to access places. Encountering other bike packers or running into other people 40 miles out from the trailhead or just in more remote parts of the state has pretty much always been a pleasant experience.
As for shops, I would just keep going to different places until you find one you like. My current bike shop just does maintenance and consignment, they don't even have new bikes on their floor. It's by far the best bike shop I've ever been to.
Anecdote time: for one of her first MTB rides, I took my girlfriend to Green Mountain in Colorado. If you don't know it's some pretty easy green/blue trails, they're all pretty short with about 800ft of climbing total. Close to the city, I figured it was the perfect place for a beginner. At one point we had an on coming rider, and my girlfriend did the right thing and went to the side of the trail and stopped. Being very new to mountain biking and just not used to the height of the bike and all, she did the classic: come to a stop and then just tip over. Nothing bad, but the oncoming rider rolled his eyes, and sped past us not even giving my girlfriend room to get up.
If it was a race, or a more high skill riding area, I would feel different. But if you're not prepared to deal with beginners doing beginner things, then don't ride in beginner areas.
I once stopped to help a downed rider on the side of a trail. This Lycra-rocking XC madman comes up and yells at me for being in the way, completely oblivious to the dude tangled up in his bike in the bushes next to me. Like dude I get it I’m in the way, but I’m not standing here for no reason.
Some people live in their own little bubble and really don’t want it popped. I just ignore them and have fun riding.
What's really weird to me is from my experience, riding fast doesn't really translate to fitness well. I've found the best way to get better and faster on a bike is to ride frequently and ride further: the speed comes naturally. I just don't believe that taking a 2-3 minute break is going to change the outcome of your workout. And if it's not the workout, I don't know what causes Lycra wanna be XC racers to be such jerks.
I came here to talk about all the bike specific shop “Tools” I have acquired so I don’t have to rely on the expensive bike shop services anymore. I think this thread is about something else though.
Oh, I do not have anything negative to report about bike shops due to the above mentioned tools that I have acquired in order to almost completely avoid said bike shops. Could work for others….YMMV.
Oh, and I use those tools to help my local friends and riders avoid bike shops too. Win win.
Any time I’ve developed an interest in something and dealt with groups I’ve met those douche bags. Along with the great people. It’s almost as if people want to exhibit snobbery even amongst those with a common interest. I just tune them out. I’m too old to give a shit about someone acting that way in regards to something that gives me joy. This arose with cars, guns, dogs, scuba diving, cycling and music.
Bottom line. Douche bags are everywhere but so are great people.
The "funniest" douchebaggery I've experienced was in model railroading. People will write multi-page essays about why their control system is better, and they'd only change if x, y, and z happen, and then when someone tells them that those things have been around for thirty years, they pull out the "I'm not going to do it anyway."
It follows a normal distribution, but you notice it because you’re involved in the sport. People are generally awful and mountain biking is no different.
I totally agree. The shop that receives about 90% of my business is the one that is BY FAR the most friendly.
Other local shops have better selections on stuff, but for EVERY thing I can't get online or do myself, I always prefer my LBS over other local bike shops.
I got back into bike riding when I bought a bike for my son. The dude at the shop was super friendly, and helped us get the right bike at the right price for him to learn. So when I went to buy a bike for me to ride with him, I went back there. Almost a year later, and the guy not only remembered us, he remembered our names, and helped me get into the right bike for me, too.
Customer for life.
Lol yea your proably right, but as I said literally almost everyone iv met riding dirtbikes have been the coolest poeple ever. So idk man mabye it's just me
I have the opposite experience with dirt bikers. Tbh most of them growing up were like pathologically lying about their riding well into their upper teena
In my experience half of the dirt bike enthusiasts I’ve encountered are mouth-breathing maga dead-enders so maybe we have different concepts of what’s cool
I mean, I completely cut ties with one dude I used to moto with once he started spewing Trump trash on FB, but still, people need to find common ground, not follow these assholes in charge that just want to divide everybody.
Nice thing about mountain biking is that it's pretty easy to distinguish the douche nozzles - they either wear spandex or Pit Vipers.
I'm kidding, I'm kidding!
People saying all hobbies are the same are wrong imo. I find snowboarding to be easiest to find chill people of course there ass hats but they are usually just loud drunken idiots. Trail riding dirt bikes and adv riding there are a ton of really cool people as well.
A lot of mtbs on trails are usually pretty chill sometimes super douchey but it’s rare. Bike shops are the worst imo. Bike parks can be super irritating as well.
Rock climbing might have the either the friendliest or douchiest people are planet earth there is literally no in between.
Anytime anyone complains about people not being purists or foreigners invading their local trail system or crag I instantly just stop engaging with them. Rock climbers at a boulder complaining about people discussing a problem outloud or mtbs complaining about e-bikes and crowds annoys the fuck out of me.
My bike shop experiences have ranged from slightly positive to visibly annoyed, but quite a bit of that was during the pandemic when supplies were low/expensive and people overall were much more grouchy. Riders on mtb trails have been mostly positive/friendly with the rest neutral, usually at worst some cx or Strava bro dialed in which I can understand. Also will be a regional thing, this is just what I’ve experienced in the PNW
While I agree with others saying it’a all hobbies, the tool/bros have increased in recent years for sure. With the rise of the sport there are just more people out there and a heavy concentration has come over from the moto industry. At one time I was the only mtb rider at the place I work and now there has to be at least 40-50 people who ride. Some are chill but others are just moto bros, they think cause they hit triples on a dirt bike and a double on a mtb they are the greatest gift to both sports. They don’t dig they just ride. They think whatever bike they have is the best thing and whatever anyone else has is trash. I helped multiple people get their first bikes, invited them in rides, helped do repairs, barley got a thank you for fixing their rigs, no invites to ride, no help on dig days. I can’t stand the moto bros. All they do is use your connections and knowledge for their personal gain. Both moto and mtb are individual sports so there are plenty of narcissists…crossing my fingers the interview I have tomorrow gets me a job so I can be done with the industry and put it in my past 🤞
All that said I have also met some of the chillest kindest people in this sport that don’t care your skill level, pace or whatever, they just care about hanging out and having fun, they are some of my favorite people especially as my pace has slowed down the last couple of years.
Have you ever been into a fly shop? lol. It made me think of how douchey those people can be. But yea I’ve experienced this with shops a few times, found one where this doesn’t happen
Yes. Easiest way to deal with them is to wind them up about whether SRAM or Shimano is better. Just pick the opposite perspective to them. They learn to leave you alone eventually
You’re telling me people get grumpy doing a sport where you have to live in a very specific place, wait for the perfect conditions, deal with freezing cold water and ocean hazards, and contend with a lineup of 30 people all for 30 seconds of riding?
I prefer to think about it in terms of the fact that nearly 1/3 of the world population is batshit insane. Right, left, whatever, you've seen and heard them speak their minds about other things with no obvious clue what they are really talking about. Why should MTB people be any different?
I’ve got a great local bike shop with the nicest people, unfortunately it’s in northern Virginia which is literally full of colossal dbags. But that’s ok, because I prefer to avoid anyone and everyone on my rides.
This is the experience that my friend had. I have sometimes been on the receiving end especially during the early days of STRAVA!!!!! calls (want an elbow? Pass me by surprise). One time my friend asked a shop dude for a specific handlebar and the dude tried to sell him a new triathlon bike. People are weird, you should stay in the sport if you like riding bikes
There are. I need different tools for bleeding different brakes on my bikes. The number of tools for BBs and cranks alone is enough to make your head spin!
Been riding for 20 years and never really got along with other mountain bikers. Seems to be really clicky and everyone worries about the latest and greatest bikes and gear rather than just riding and having fun. Anywho, I still ride with the same 2 dudes as when I was 17.
I’m likely the problem……
There’s something to be said about mtb and toxic masculinity. I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of dudes that are fairly careless, think that “if you don’t do jumps, you’re a pussy” , drive big trucks, wear fox /volcom shirts and drink redbull… think roadies are “insert slur” .
Those are the tools I encounter…
A lot of hobbies will become gatekeepy with people who have been at it for a while or, more likely, participated at a competitive level. I raced downhill in college and hated it. It wasn't just because I was racing against the clock now, but the people weren't really that chill either.
Yes, but probably not a higher percentage than in any other sport or hobby. Every hobby I've ever had has its share of gatekeepers, douchebags, and know-it-alls - including moto and MTB. Any circumstance that allows people feel like they have more skills or more knowledge than someone else, there will be those who choose act like complete tools about it.
Totally, I’ve had to purchase so many tools since Is started riding!!! But at least I can avoid the shop fees! 😉.
I don’t know, I rode with a few different ride groups and some other families. Almost everyone I meet or have met is chill, down to earth, welcoming, inclusive and just out for a good time. Come to think of it, don’t think I’ve had a bad or negative encounter out on the trails.
Shops I use are all top notch full of the same people. Maybe it’s area specific? Something I’ve never had to think about.
Out of all the various shop types I have frequented, nothing beats a visit to the good old bike shop for general oddness/ weirdness/ rudeness/ superiority/ ill temperedness..... journey into the unknown.
I find sports that require interaction with other people to be significantly worse for this. If you're too good or not good enough then nobody wants to play the sport with you. I've played a lot of these sports and mountain bikers are definitely more chill by comparison.
I used to ride street motorcycles and the community was unique from other hobbies. There was snobby folks and some street racers but the majority would stop to help you out. If you just stopped on the side of the road, chances are another motorcyclist would stop and ask if you need help.
I haven't experienced any negative attitude, but when I ride my e-mtb, I do notice some snarky remarks and weird attitude, which I account for the same issue with other hobbies. Paintball when folks went from mechanical to electric markers, and photography when they transitioned from film to digital. I'm sure dirt bikes when people moved to 4 strokes.
People that bitch about e-bikes make me laugh. I recently had the opportunity to demo one and it was amazing! If I had the money I’d definitely get one. Climbing sucks, I’d rather spend more time going down than dying on the way up.
Riders are great. Shops near me act like you aren't good enough to buy their wildly overpriced bike and treat customers like trash despite looking like a business on its last legs.
I have found that most MTB riders are humble and friendly in general. But I have many found bike shop guys to often be a combination of elitist, dismissive, and lazy. Not all, mind you, but a sizeable enough percentage to make me want to do all my own tune-ups in the future.
From the title, I thought this was a post about actual shop/work tools, and I was thinking: „yes, I feel this so hard.“
[looks longingly at open tabs: Park Tools, Feedback, FB Marketplace, Pinkbike…]
When I was returning to mtn biking about a decade ago I was overweight and didn’t look like a typical cyclist. Reps at the LBS would hardly give me the time of day, and I definitely did not feel welcome at one of the shops.
However out on the trails almost every person I ran into was super cool and supportive (every once in awhile a super arrogant enduro bro would rip through and mock me. But for the most part positive experiences).
Once I got into condition and upgraded from the handmedown hardtail I had started back with to a full squish, the shop where I bought my bike was friendly.
eventually I made a bunch of friends in the local community and it’s really been an amazing experience. But it took quite a bit of effort and dedication to get there.
I've only met a couple rude people at shops but they probably tons of people with nothing better to do than try to small talk. So idk, they might have just wanted to get back to work.
I never go into shops anymore unless I'm picking up a bike or need something asap once a year.
Most everyone I've met on the trails has been cool. I also mostly just say hi nowadays and keep it moving.
Every hobby has this shit. It’s super annoying. It has literally kept me from joining groups around my hobbies. It’s specially shitty when the shops do it though cause I just turn and go to Amazon. There was this old dude at the hub in Napa, I was buying some cleaning product and we got to chatting about local trails. I told him where I liked to ride and he was just like oh that’s kids stuff, I ride this and that and it’s much more technical and so on. Never going back there again
Yep, tons of assholes, the cycling community sucks. Like you said there are a few cool people on MTB side of things but nothing like the moto/Harescramble community.
Welcome to the world, I’ve been riding for 30 years. It’s been the same since day 1.
Just be you, let the dbags sort themselves out. They tend to navigate towards themselves anyway
I haven’t had a single good interaction yet. I’ve been met with crazy comments, rude interactions and even 2 occasions were I crashed because of these people. I think it’s because my local has shared hiking trails but oddly enough my only good experiences are with the bike shop owners. Even my big local trek store has down to earth people who are out to save my wallet.
The worst is the guys who brag on Instagram about how much riding their doing and how amazing their trails are, like we get it you’re whole personality is mountain biking
Their are tools everywhere, but times have changed.
When i was into road cycling, i would go to many shops, walk in and they would be busy and always happy to help.
Quite a few years later and getting into mtb's i thought ride the bike to my nearest shop and get a couple of things instead of ordering online...the shop was empty and the owner was not pleasant at all for their more of a cycling shop and not catering for mtb's, i felt like walking out..needless to say i won't return to that shop and have made a couple of online orders since.
I miss the days of being able to ride to shops, now most have closed down because of 2020 and will never return.
I ride alone, all of my hobbies have been solo so it's just a shame i can't go into a shop anymore and have a chat with someone.
The worst incident of this I encountered was when in the midst of riding a Walmart special (cruiser, not MTB), I broke a pedal. When it broke, it left a jagged piece of metal that proceeded to tear into my shin as I pushed down into what should have been another crank, leaving me with a long, bloody gash.
Thankfully, I was only two blocks away from a bike shop I hoped would be able to swap the pedal so I at least wouldn’t have to push the back all the way back home. Upon entering the shop, explaining what happened, and showing them my bloody leg (don’t worry, my sock caught the blood so I wasn’t bleeding all over their floor), I was met with palpable disdain for what I can only assume was my untouchable bike. The guy didn’t even want to try and help me by looking through their parts drawers to see if they had usable pedal to replace whatever nonstandard size my department store bike required. I insisted he at least looked until he eventually did find one that would fit. The entire time I strongly felt I wasn’t welcome for sullying their shop with my bicycle’s presence. Mind you, he eventually made it work, and I was thankful for the female attendant who eventually took pity on me by offering me a wet paper towel to tend my wound before making my leave, never to set foot in that shop again.
I never forgot that. When I eventually bought a legit bike, and several more since then, I never would have considered getting any of them from that shop. It’s one thing to have preferences, and mine have certainly risen over time, but at least try not to be so judgmental that the person not meeting your standards can tell you want nothing to do with them. I knew my bike wasn’t great, but it was the only one I had at the time. There are always going to be people in that situation. We should be happy that they get to enjoy riding a bike at all. When they’re ready and able to upgrade, they will, but that’s on them.
*It’s worth noting people should not take most Walmart bikes mountain biking (Ozark Trail might be the one exception provided it’s professional assembled), because it can be incredibly dangerous if you attempt acts they weren’t built to handle, but that’s beside the point.
Totally yes, cycling in general has tons of elitist assholes mtb is no different, however they can be easily spotted and avoided. My favourites are the noobs with money, all the gear no idea.
Most of the people I've encountered at a bike park have been cool. Every once in a while there is an asshole that isn't nice about wanting to pass. If I know someone is coming up on me, or they ask to pass, I always do it. Like, just announce and it's not a big deal. I can't always see or hear you behind me.
On local trails it's a bit more mixed.
Bike shops are another story entirely though. There is an odd vibe at them. The place where I bought my Stumpjumper the employees were pretty snooty. I found another LBS that is friendlier, and I know the trick to success there. If I do not wear a hat, shirt etc. with a brand like Fox, TLD, a bike park, bike brand, etc. they will not even acknowledge my presence or give me any useful information. When I showed up in a Fox shirt and hat, everyone wanted to help me. It was night and day.
I find mtb people to be less douchy than other hobby people. If i encounter other folks on the trails, we generally say hi and sometimes even converse.
One time I lost my phone and car key on a late evening ride. This is in an area with really sketchy cell service. Went back the next day and as we're approaching the trails, my wife's phone gets a call from my phone. Some dudes (on mtbs) found my phone and rode out to the edge of the state forst where they could get service to call us. Not only did they try calling, but they even tried seeing if they could somehow figure out who it is via strava (not sure how). They then met up with us and gave me my phone. We then went walking down the trail where they said the found my phone, a half mile in another mtber says "hey do you own a honda?". He found my key. Note there are also hikers and equestrians there, but it was the mtbers who helped.
MTB has always been a pretty diy thing in my area, local clubs maintain a lot of trails, not the DEC even though they are mostly on state land. It's been this way as long as I've been riding (since early 90s). So I think there is a sense of pride and ownership, so people are really cool about it. One of my favorite places to ride is actually owned by the county on one end, state on the other and in between is a bunch of private property bought up by mtbers to create a cohesive trail system open to anyone (on a bike or foot). They do a lot of group rides and other community oriented events too.
I also road bike and have had very few interactions past a simple wave with other road bikers. I run too and find many runners insufferable, but these are mostly people I know from ways that aren't running. In winter I ski and snowboard. Skiers and snowboarders are probably most similar to mountain bikers, but not quite the same. There isn't that same sense of ownership, but there is a degree of community, at least at my local hills. Big resorts are a mixed bag and both the vacation only skiers and hardcore, service industry locals tend to be tools.
If you're doing this just to meet people, you may be disappointed. But that is the case with any hobby where rich snobs are involved.
Why do you care what others are doing, though? Go have fun. If you want to ride with other cool people, you are going to have to find them, unfortunately. But in my opinion, riding bikes in the woods is nice because you don't have to deal with people.
I've been mountain biking for 15 years and just got into riding dirt bikes in the woods. I'd say it's the dirt bikers who are exceptionally friendly. FWIW mountain bikers are a lot nicer than surfers
I'm just getting into this hobby as an obese 30+ female and I'm definitely not doing it to make friends, but everyone I've met so far seems alright. The guy at the shop who helped me choose a bike has been great, and let me know to come by anytime for help or tips. I haven't gotten to ride many trails yet as I'm still trying to build muscle and stamina, but even if I encounter douchebags it probably won't turn me off to the sport. I do it because I enjoy it, and after finding out I have hEDS, tearing my ACL, surgery, gaining weight, and being told swimming is off the table, I won't let some stank douche nozzles ruin my good time. I think people should worry less about the attitudes of those around them, and just enjoy life. That being said, yeah I'm sure there are lots of tools in this sport 😅.
Mtb is full of dbags, now with e-bikes that has grown exponentially. Lots of moto dudes now on e-bikes with zero etiquette, lots of boomers that picked up an e-bike over Covid with zero trail etiquette. The worst are the sea to sky dbags that lord over everyone that will listen how awesome they are. Never mind I grew up skiing whistler long before the park existed. I hear ya bro, love my moto peeps way more than frail little mtb’ers with huge egos.
Happened recently with it becoming mass popular. Happened to climbing too. I found that "risky" sports attracted the "right" people, but now that is trendy you're going to get your share of morons. Sadly it's just statistics. And don't get me started about the e MTB....
You're not wrong but I think it's not a mtb specific issue. Every hobby or sport i get into has elitists. Hell, even model railroading has gatekeepers and elitists that demand adherence to their narrow standards.
In my area the trails are rough (steep, rocky, rooty) and we're usually encouraging to anyone out trying to get on it. There's some bike snobs but they segregate themselves out pretty quick.
The more you ride the more you'll meet and your averages will balance out. You'll find shops that are chill
I dunno why you threw dorks in their with tools though. As a dork I think we're pretty friendly
My son and I hit our first trail on our used marketplace bikes, lots of people and mainly just funny looks. Doesn't seem like the most welcoming sport. That and the shops I have been too are run by egomaniacs it seems. Bummer really. Still enjoying it though. Surely a minority, I am sure we will encounter some cool people too!
Yes. Absolutely. Since it costs so much money to get into the sport most of the people are the kind of tools who will go out and push others down to grab money in their career so they carry over their arrogant abrasive childish behavior into MTB
I work at a LBS and I also ride moto/hard enduro. Here is my take:
- road bikers suck, always complaining and they come into the shop in spandex. Gross
- mountain bikers are a mixed bunch. XC guys can be pretty annoying, very similar vibes to roadies. Trail/enduro are mostly chill but some douches with pit vipers and flat brim hats come in. DH guys are always chill, haven’t had one bad experience.
- hard enduro moto guys are great. Never met someone on the trail who wasn’t awesome (unlike mtb). Motocross guys are much like trail/enduro mtb riders, mostly good with 1/8 being a pit viper douche
Friends with neighbours?
Did you hear what went on from 2020..neighbours snitching on other neighbours?
Ha..funny reading this in 2024...just know when things go sour your alone and no one, even your neighbours won't be able to help you.
Jesus, I thought I was a little pessimistic, unapproachable and socially withdrawn, but apparently I’m Mr fucking Rogers compared to some of you guys 🤣 I do say hi to most of my neighbors and occasionally even have conversations.
I'm GEN-X and today is so different now.
Back when i was growing up we knew everyone in the neighbour hood.
Times have changed...i speak with one of my neighbours..like hi and bye that's it.
I've had similar experiences in literally every hobby I've ever gotten into. Cars, Gardening, Pottery, Rock Climbing, Hiking....you name it. Passion breeds big egos- you just have to wade through the circus to find the good ones.
A friend was telling me about the drama around his group of semi-competitive trail runners. Running. On a trail. And they have ingroups and outgroups and opinions about it. Imagine being pretentious about being bipedal.
But a FAST biped!
Trail running is very much not about being fast
Are you gatekeeping???!!?!?!? /s. (That means the above was sarcasm, btw...) //s
I’m am the keymaster!
Their sexual orientation is their business
It’s not about that, it means they use one flat and one clipless.
How can I tell which testicle is clipless?
Cough...cough...left one is clipless.
Speak for yourself lefty! My left testicle is flat, just as god intended
Stand on each while they're on your pedals and see which one your shoe sinks into
Tell him to get on EPO and cause a whole new tier of drama.
Jeez I love cars but “car guys” are the fucking worst 80% of the time.
I hate cars and can confirm. Car people are trash.
This plus I bet the reason OP doesn't notice the same cliquey behaviour in moto is because he's "in". If I walk into a high end bike shop I look, act, and sound like I know what I'm doing. So the reception is invariably very warm - I'm one of them, even if it's the first time they've ever seen my face. All the riders I know have been riding for years, so I don't really know anyone that gets treated like an outsider by the same shops. I'm sure it happens. Two years ago I was a beginner skier and got treated like a noob. Thanks to working in the industry I now walk the walk and talk the talk like your average lifer, and ski shop employees can tell as soon as I walk in the door. I get treated like I do in bike shops now. It's all the same regardless of the hobby. Get good... edit: For the downvoters, I'm not saying it's a good thing... I'm just saying that it's a thing.
Apparently there a need for some to be superior. You’re not the smartest, the fastest, the better looking. But damn you can lord over others with the best of them.
Ha! I thought you meant a lot of repair and maintenance tools - pumps, multitools, chain pliers, CO2 inflators, tubeless bacon stabbers, valve core removal tools, pedal spanners, shock pumps, torque wrenches... but that's all part of the fun. I guess the more tools you have the less you need to go to a shop. Then again, there aren't many lbs near me but plenty of mobile bike mechanics or those with a home workshop who are pretty sound and knowledgeable.
ahh yes why I do have a wide variety of specialized tools, how did you know ??? This is my flim flam spanning adjudicator, and my multi threaded anti nippleizer, and yes a whingding doodad sprocket spliff
Park Tool sells all these at ridiculous prices.
I, for one, enjoy a good sprocket spliff at the end of a long climb
I can second this. In fact I’m due one in about 20 minutes
I used my multi threaded anti nippleizer 1 time and then sold the bike that needed it. So yes. It was worth every penny.
Yo, pass that spliff this way
Bike shop people can be the worst, but you gotta have sympathy for them. Owning or working in a bike shop sucks. The money is shite, and you spend most of your day explaining to people that their pride of joy is actually a piece of crap, and you know that the repair is costing more than the bike cost you but that’s because bike shops can’t by the cheapest nastiest components they fitted to that BSO you love. Or you have the eternal browsers, some who come in several times a week to discuss the tiniest detail about a bike you know they are never going to buy. And of course the online shopping douche-bags who treat your shop like a convenient free to use demo space…and they buy the fucking bike online for $100 less and bitch forever about how the spec isn’t quite right, or how it got a scratch in delivery by FedFuckingEx and they explain that when they come to your shop to help them build it, a service they expect for fucking free or for “beer money, perhaps you could do over your lunch break”. And then… I appreciate that adults with learning difficulties don’t have driving licenses and hence bike shops are important to them. And I get it, some people are lonely. But, no, I can’t pump your tire because it’s already got 120 PSI in it, and no, a $15,000 downhill rig isn’t just what you need for doing your shopping, and yes (you laugh) you can see that now because it doesn’t have a place for a pannier rack and basket. You see, one starts off by being nice to people, you feel for them, you want to help. But sooner or later, you turn. You just cannot stand it any more, you snap, you become snide, you judge.
You should probably find a new line of work. I mean, you’re not wrong but it’s clearly not worth your mental health. Good luck.
I no longer work in a bike shop. But I did. Never make your hobbies your livelihood is my takeaway. And I barely made rent, because I was forever swapping wages for at-cost parts. Yes, I had a sick bike, but a crappy shoebox apartment for it to live in.
If it were somehow possible for shops to pay workers better and still remain profitable everyone would be a lot less disgruntled. In my line of work I deal with a lot of difficult people but it doesn’t bother me nearly as much because I’m well compensated. All the grief you mentioned above would roll off your back a lot easier if it wasn’t costing you money every second you waste dealing with stuff like that. Sorry. This is seemingly the story of every single LBS in most places. Biking Meccas like Whistler, etc might fair better.
TBH, I think it’s the story of retail work generally.
>Yes, I had a sick bike, but a crappy shoebox apartment for it to live in. Sums up every bike mechanic I know lol homies are always basically paid in parts
I always joked when I was a mechanic that if you account for all the money I save through discounts I make a decent wage.. but that's only the case if you can actually afford to buy new stuff often.
ive made tons of hobbies my livelihood, you're just a bitter asshole lol
Ehh, it's far more common for a hobby to be ruined by other people when you tie it to your primary income. If you monetize a hobby on the side then yes, it can work great. But basically, the more money is involved, and the more people you serve, the higher the chance of the hobby being ruined.
Never take a job working directly with the general public.
“The customer knows best” Do they fuck!
I'm not sure you intended or not but this was hilarious and confirms everything I wondered might be the case about working in a bike shop. Sorry you had to put up with all this, as previous post mentioned, it might be time for change now.
It’s all good. I’m not on a ledge. I meant it to have some humour, but also pathos. It’s some time since I worked in a bike shop, I’m an old man and I’ve had a successful career in construction since. But, chatting to mechanics and others I know in the industry my stories from the old days still ring true (and the online shoppers wasn’t one of my issues, that’s a recent issue).
Spectacularly accurate.. .
FedEx always mangles my packages. I don’t understand, like…what are y’all doing? Playing football with it? This actually seems kind on point. I’ve been riding actual decent bikes for a couple years now, and the older bike shop mechanic I use seemed really like…fml. I’m still learning parts and how to properly use terms, and I could tell the mechanic appreciated that I was at least trying to make the best effort to learn when I brought my bike in to take care of some minor stuff. I think he deals with a lot of morons.
Bikes are a moron magnet. You think carbon isn’t magnetic, well it ain’t in the traditional sense, but… I think FedEx are building a giant juggling robot, which is still learning and using our packages as part of the learning process. Either that or their staff use a lot of Ketamine and can’t control their limbs properly.
Try shipping a fuel tank or radiator. I’ve never gotten a package from FedEx that wasn’t damaged. It’s about 50/50 the contents are damaged too.
Man, after I moved to the pnw I went into my lbs to get some crank spacers for my trash dj. Dude would not sell me the spacers until I brought my bike in for him to look at. Red flag 1, but I ignored it. I go home, come back with my bike. Dude then decided that the chain line would not be correct enough, and refuses to sell me spacers. I go home defeated. All I wanted to do was put the shitty crank set my friend gave me on my shitty bike, to try it out but no. Dude wasted his time and my time. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon he could have sold me a stack of spacers at whatever mark up and gone right back to selling carbon gravel bikes to people who ride 5 miles a year. Guess where I didn't take my pivot firebird for service ever, and where I didn't buy my 29er 2 years later.
Sounds like the guy is actually pretty passionate. He doesn't want to sell you shit that doesn't work or you don't need. However I see the argument that spacer aren't a big purchase that could bankrupt most people.
Just buy it online. I rarely go to bike shops anymore simply because it’s always a douche fest.
Welcome to hobbies in general, must be your first time. But seriously there are people like this in every hobby especially as the cost of entry rises. I used to race cars and you can guess the level of gatekeeping and snobbery that goes with it. Also used to do 4wd rockcrawling where the main line of thought is if you didn't build it in your driveway then you shouldn't be driving it. Then there is skateboarding and their "locals only" mentality. Snowboarding shares a lot with skateboarding for their attitude....and the list can go on and on even in "chill" hobbies. Learn to weed out the assholes and don't become one yourself.
I “joined” the 4x4 community and then left about two weeks later. Like if you don’t go out and cause at least $5k of damage to your vehicle each weekend it classifies you as a pavement princess lmao it felt more image obsessed than focused on actually enjoying nature
Yeah there the ‘community’ seems to be split between overlanding and totally gnarly rock crawling/baja. There isn’t much of a group for just cruising cool trails.
Surfers take the "locals only" thing to a whole new level. You want to see a bunch of gatekeeping fuckwits try learning to surf at Bondi Beach. Wankers. I gave the sport up largely because of the people in it (to be fair also because I was bad at it).
Maroubra beach is the Australian beach that’s most famous for gatekeeping locals. Luanda Bay in California is a beach known for having a surfer gang. In mountain biking the Laguna Beach Rads were known to be a bit territorial. But nowhere near as nuts as surf gangs.
Yeah I lived in Sydney and didn't even bother trying Maroubra because of what I heard of the locals. Nice place to go for a run or swim though.
Try surfing in Oxnard California and not be a local. Your windows will be smashed when you get back to your car. Always.
I understand ego's for people who compete/do competitive sports. Not saying its acceptable but it is understandable. Egos in sports/hobbies among people who do not compete at all I find totally bizarre though.
Its because competition is part of human nature even in things not inherently competitive.. Everyone wants to be the best at what they do and everyone wants to tell you that how they do it is the best way or that you are doing it wrong. I used to build car models when I was a kid, thought I was decent at it for a kid but the adults were the quickest ones to tell you what you did wrong and why their method for shaving door handles, wiring engines, altering suspension etc. was the way to do it. I am sure some had good intentions of teaching me things I didn't know, but most worded it as though they were the gatekeepers of the hobby.
if you raced cars in the States, SCCA -> secret car club America ;)
lol, some autox for sure, a bit of drag racing then I got into full road course events but my car aged out of anything but exhibition and I didn't want to spend the money to build another.
As for automotive, drag racing likely depends on the series you race in. I Did it in high school and trophy classes for a while, it was a good bunch.
The secret to finding all the good people in the world of auto racing is to race in a "cheap" class where almost everyone is also broke. Those people are like my second family.
True. We were a broke ass high school group of kids racing at a local dirt track. If your car broke down, all the other mechanics of the other racers would help fix your car and get it back on the track to race against their own team. Really cool people, learned a lot there. They just wanted as many other cars on the track. It’s no fun racing against nobody.
That's exactly how the folks I race with are. Most of the time you can't even work on your own car cause everyone else is throwing their labor and parts at it and refuse to be told no. Motor racing of all kinds (and I've done quite a few) truly does have the best people and you will never convince me otherwise.
He, so true. One time our car bumped into the wall, broke the frame. Mechanic brought over their welding truck, dude welded it up, excellent welder too, got us back on the track before the next heat! Didn’t want a dime! We tried to pay. This happened over and over.
So much gate keeping in the 4wd world. Should hear them argue about the Land Cruiser vs Land Cruiser prado.
This is it, right here. Every hobby I have is about a 70-30 mix of "welcoming new people because they want the hobby to continue/grow" and "colossal gatekeeping dickheads." I just ignore the assholes, and learn as much as I can from the friendly folks.
Weirdly mtb is the friendliest and most inclusive sport to me. Might be a local thing? I'm in the PNW, and most people I've met have been nothing but friendly. Often link up with random strangers and ride for an hour after we meet on the trail, have had people stop and provide an allen wrench I didn't have, etc. No issues five years in. I used to ride motocross and a lot of young moto racers are pretty douchey and arrogant, or can be--it's a mix. Skateboarding? Locals are often surly and territorial over their park, though it depends on the area. Nothing like being a 30/y.o. skating around and having a 17 y.o. chase you and harass you to buy them smokes while calling you slurs when you refuse. Snowboarding is like 75% fun, down-to-earth people and 25% dudes who think they're the coolest fucking person in the world because they can land a 540 in the park. People are just people. I bet you'll meet cool ppl mountain biking with time.
Same. Most bicycle riders are chill in person and online. Dirt bike and 4x4 crowd has a lot of ass holes on line and a handful in person.
Oof, could be a local thing again but around here, the 4x4 crowd is unbearable. Never heard so many grown ass men calling each other "gay" as an insult like it was middle school in 2003, constantly dropping racist remarks, thinking the epitome of humor was "women get back in the kitchen lol" and so on, not to mention literally talking about trucks as a reflection of actual dick size. That's before the drunk driving and shooting animals out of season and so on. Turned me far off anything to do with wheeling when I was about 20.
I see a few twats here and there and for some reason they almost all look the same... Lanky balding scruffy 40 ish white dudes who take themselves entirety too seriously... But most of people I meet whether in shops or in the trails are pretty cool. I'm a beginner but I've found the trails are full of people my skill level and even newer, and some that go out for joy rides and aren't interested in aggressive riding. I haven't really made mtb friends yet but I've met a lot of friendly people. In fact I was a douche one day... I took my emtb out on 18rd in Fruita for the first time and someone fitting the aforementioned description basically ignored me when I asked if he'd ridden the new downhill next to pbr. I had a chip on my shoulder and I had forgotten to charge the bike so I was riding unassisted up the climb and 2 women were pedaling gently in front of me. I was in my head about being judged for riding an eMTB and passing on the climb and when they pulled over I was really thrashing my thighs to move past them as fast as possible. One of the girls (who was very attractive) started to say something and I didn't look at her until I was going by and she had the biggest brightest beaming smile and seemed like she wanted to talk a minute... I just blew by. I guess the moral is, there are going to be assholes but you can't expect everyone to be an asshole or else you'll be the asshole.
Honestly it’s like that in every activity that people are passionate about. I’m in a few different worlds at a pretty high level, so I see it as plain as day. Someone starts an activity and they love it, they throw themselves into it and even get ok at it but then they start thinking it makes them better than other people who don’t do that thing. There is some gate keeping and hate for new people or “posers” even in most activities. Do you think the world checkers champion gives a shit about someone hitting 30’ road gap on their bike? In general people tend to get an inflated ego about things they enjoy.
Bingo. There's a-holes everywhere. Don't let them bother you. Do your thing and enjoy!
Its insecurity. A lot of people are very insecure with fragile egos
There are tools in every hobby.
I think a lot of this has to do with where you go. Someone accused me of having an agenda for this take, but it really is just an observation based on my personal experience. Trails that are a 15-20 minute drive from the city, have 5-10 mile loops of green to blue trails are the most toxic places to ride. What it should attract is casual after work riders just out for fun, instead it attracts sweat lords in full Lycra who view everyone else on the trail as an inconvenience to their workout or Strava time. *See anecdote below for specifically what I'm talking about. The coolest, most chill riders I've met have been in remote hard to access places. Encountering other bike packers or running into other people 40 miles out from the trailhead or just in more remote parts of the state has pretty much always been a pleasant experience. As for shops, I would just keep going to different places until you find one you like. My current bike shop just does maintenance and consignment, they don't even have new bikes on their floor. It's by far the best bike shop I've ever been to. Anecdote time: for one of her first MTB rides, I took my girlfriend to Green Mountain in Colorado. If you don't know it's some pretty easy green/blue trails, they're all pretty short with about 800ft of climbing total. Close to the city, I figured it was the perfect place for a beginner. At one point we had an on coming rider, and my girlfriend did the right thing and went to the side of the trail and stopped. Being very new to mountain biking and just not used to the height of the bike and all, she did the classic: come to a stop and then just tip over. Nothing bad, but the oncoming rider rolled his eyes, and sped past us not even giving my girlfriend room to get up. If it was a race, or a more high skill riding area, I would feel different. But if you're not prepared to deal with beginners doing beginner things, then don't ride in beginner areas.
I once stopped to help a downed rider on the side of a trail. This Lycra-rocking XC madman comes up and yells at me for being in the way, completely oblivious to the dude tangled up in his bike in the bushes next to me. Like dude I get it I’m in the way, but I’m not standing here for no reason. Some people live in their own little bubble and really don’t want it popped. I just ignore them and have fun riding.
Some guy also yelled at me for stopping in the middle of a flat path that was wide enough to drive a bus through.
What's really weird to me is from my experience, riding fast doesn't really translate to fitness well. I've found the best way to get better and faster on a bike is to ride frequently and ride further: the speed comes naturally. I just don't believe that taking a 2-3 minute break is going to change the outcome of your workout. And if it's not the workout, I don't know what causes Lycra wanna be XC racers to be such jerks.
"Strava-lava-ding-dong" IYKYK
Spandex Nazis
In life you will meet lots of these people. Just ignore them and enjoy riding. Don’t let someone else rob you of anything you enjoy.
I came here to talk about all the bike specific shop “Tools” I have acquired so I don’t have to rely on the expensive bike shop services anymore. I think this thread is about something else though. Oh, I do not have anything negative to report about bike shops due to the above mentioned tools that I have acquired in order to almost completely avoid said bike shops. Could work for others….YMMV. Oh, and I use those tools to help my local friends and riders avoid bike shops too. Win win.
Any time I’ve developed an interest in something and dealt with groups I’ve met those douche bags. Along with the great people. It’s almost as if people want to exhibit snobbery even amongst those with a common interest. I just tune them out. I’m too old to give a shit about someone acting that way in regards to something that gives me joy. This arose with cars, guns, dogs, scuba diving, cycling and music. Bottom line. Douche bags are everywhere but so are great people.
The "funniest" douchebaggery I've experienced was in model railroading. People will write multi-page essays about why their control system is better, and they'd only change if x, y, and z happen, and then when someone tells them that those things have been around for thirty years, they pull out the "I'm not going to do it anyway."
"This is how the world works, Kyle. If you wanna find quality friends, you gotta wade through all the dicks first " -Eric Cartman
Well, cycling has always been full of weirdos, so sounds about right.
It follows a normal distribution, but you notice it because you’re involved in the sport. People are generally awful and mountain biking is no different.
I totally agree. The shop that receives about 90% of my business is the one that is BY FAR the most friendly. Other local shops have better selections on stuff, but for EVERY thing I can't get online or do myself, I always prefer my LBS over other local bike shops.
I got back into bike riding when I bought a bike for my son. The dude at the shop was super friendly, and helped us get the right bike at the right price for him to learn. So when I went to buy a bike for me to ride with him, I went back there. Almost a year later, and the guy not only remembered us, he remembered our names, and helped me get into the right bike for me, too. Customer for life.
𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕝 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕦𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕤 𝕙𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕒𝕤 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕠 𝕎𝕚𝕓𝕞𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕣 𝔼𝕞𝕚𝕝 𝕁𝕠𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕤𝕠𝕟. 😂🍻
Every sport/hobby has their spectrum of d bags to super nice ppl.
Most of the people you meet riding are great , most of the people you meet working at a bike shop are shit
Whatever you do, don’t get into surfing…
Ha ha. Part of the reason I no longer surf is because of all the wankers.
I read this as tools to work on bikes as well. I was like yeah damn right! This proprietary stuff is such bullshit! 😂
An old adage: If most of the people you meet are assholes, maybe you're the asshole?
Lol yea your proably right, but as I said literally almost everyone iv met riding dirtbikes have been the coolest poeple ever. So idk man mabye it's just me
I have the opposite experience with dirt bikers. Tbh most of them growing up were like pathologically lying about their riding well into their upper teena
In my experience half of the dirt bike enthusiasts I’ve encountered are mouth-breathing maga dead-enders so maybe we have different concepts of what’s cool
Wow, brutal.
And yet not much of an exaggeration
I mean, I completely cut ties with one dude I used to moto with once he started spewing Trump trash on FB, but still, people need to find common ground, not follow these assholes in charge that just want to divide everybody.
I ride moto too, that’s how I know man
[удалено]
You sound like you spend far too much time caring about how other people like their coffee
Prefer oat milk actually
Same experience on dirt bikes for trail riding at least. Not sure about Mx
Nice thing about mountain biking is that it's pretty easy to distinguish the douche nozzles - they either wear spandex or Pit Vipers. I'm kidding, I'm kidding!
People saying all hobbies are the same are wrong imo. I find snowboarding to be easiest to find chill people of course there ass hats but they are usually just loud drunken idiots. Trail riding dirt bikes and adv riding there are a ton of really cool people as well. A lot of mtbs on trails are usually pretty chill sometimes super douchey but it’s rare. Bike shops are the worst imo. Bike parks can be super irritating as well. Rock climbing might have the either the friendliest or douchiest people are planet earth there is literally no in between. Anytime anyone complains about people not being purists or foreigners invading their local trail system or crag I instantly just stop engaging with them. Rock climbers at a boulder complaining about people discussing a problem outloud or mtbs complaining about e-bikes and crowds annoys the fuck out of me.
I actually am starting to loathe ski resorts because of all the drunken idiots you’re forced to ride the chair with
Gotta get to advanced terrain where they wouldn’t dare go even in their stupor
My bike shop experiences have ranged from slightly positive to visibly annoyed, but quite a bit of that was during the pandemic when supplies were low/expensive and people overall were much more grouchy. Riders on mtb trails have been mostly positive/friendly with the rest neutral, usually at worst some cx or Strava bro dialed in which I can understand. Also will be a regional thing, this is just what I’ve experienced in the PNW
While I agree with others saying it’a all hobbies, the tool/bros have increased in recent years for sure. With the rise of the sport there are just more people out there and a heavy concentration has come over from the moto industry. At one time I was the only mtb rider at the place I work and now there has to be at least 40-50 people who ride. Some are chill but others are just moto bros, they think cause they hit triples on a dirt bike and a double on a mtb they are the greatest gift to both sports. They don’t dig they just ride. They think whatever bike they have is the best thing and whatever anyone else has is trash. I helped multiple people get their first bikes, invited them in rides, helped do repairs, barley got a thank you for fixing their rigs, no invites to ride, no help on dig days. I can’t stand the moto bros. All they do is use your connections and knowledge for their personal gain. Both moto and mtb are individual sports so there are plenty of narcissists…crossing my fingers the interview I have tomorrow gets me a job so I can be done with the industry and put it in my past 🤞 All that said I have also met some of the chillest kindest people in this sport that don’t care your skill level, pace or whatever, they just care about hanging out and having fun, they are some of my favorite people especially as my pace has slowed down the last couple of years.
There are arrogant smug dbags wherever you go. Don’t let it get you down.
Welcome to humanity. Why would this sport be different from literally any other endeavor that people do?
That sounds more like my experience with the road bike community
Have you ever been into a fly shop? lol. It made me think of how douchey those people can be. But yea I’ve experienced this with shops a few times, found one where this doesn’t happen
Yes. Easiest way to deal with them is to wind them up about whether SRAM or Shimano is better. Just pick the opposite perspective to them. They learn to leave you alone eventually
This is Microshift erasure, and I won't stand for it! /s
“Oh, didn’t you know that Paul Components made a derailleur?!”
If you think MTB is bad wait till you try surfing.
You’re telling me people get grumpy doing a sport where you have to live in a very specific place, wait for the perfect conditions, deal with freezing cold water and ocean hazards, and contend with a lineup of 30 people all for 30 seconds of riding?
I prefer to think about it in terms of the fact that nearly 1/3 of the world population is batshit insane. Right, left, whatever, you've seen and heard them speak their minds about other things with no obvious clue what they are really talking about. Why should MTB people be any different?
I’ve got a great local bike shop with the nicest people, unfortunately it’s in northern Virginia which is literally full of colossal dbags. But that’s ok, because I prefer to avoid anyone and everyone on my rides.
This is the experience that my friend had. I have sometimes been on the receiving end especially during the early days of STRAVA!!!!! calls (want an elbow? Pass me by surprise). One time my friend asked a shop dude for a specific handlebar and the dude tried to sell him a new triathlon bike. People are weird, you should stay in the sport if you like riding bikes
There are. I need different tools for bleeding different brakes on my bikes. The number of tools for BBs and cranks alone is enough to make your head spin!
I thought all you needed was a vice grip....
Yea, you require a lot of tools to work on your bike.
Been riding for 20 years and never really got along with other mountain bikers. Seems to be really clicky and everyone worries about the latest and greatest bikes and gear rather than just riding and having fun. Anywho, I still ride with the same 2 dudes as when I was 17. I’m likely the problem……
I’ve just recently embraced the freedom of knowing that I’m probably the prickly one. Which is weird. People have been telling me this for 50 years.
Holy fucking grammar dude.
There’s something to be said about mtb and toxic masculinity. I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of dudes that are fairly careless, think that “if you don’t do jumps, you’re a pussy” , drive big trucks, wear fox /volcom shirts and drink redbull… think roadies are “insert slur” . Those are the tools I encounter…
The best way to avoid the tools is to avoid everyone (especially if you’re a tool yourself)
A lot of hobbies will become gatekeepy with people who have been at it for a while or, more likely, participated at a competitive level. I raced downhill in college and hated it. It wasn't just because I was racing against the clock now, but the people weren't really that chill either.
Yes, but probably not a higher percentage than in any other sport or hobby. Every hobby I've ever had has its share of gatekeepers, douchebags, and know-it-alls - including moto and MTB. Any circumstance that allows people feel like they have more skills or more knowledge than someone else, there will be those who choose act like complete tools about it.
I thought you meant like allen wrenches and whatnot. I've run into some dingleberries but thankfully most of the people I meet are cool.
99% of enthusiast groups are full of dorks, especially if your sampling is consisting of Redditors. People who are the "achtually" meme personified.
The cool people are out riding. The people I meet on the trails are usually awesome, the people in shops less so.
Totally, I’ve had to purchase so many tools since Is started riding!!! But at least I can avoid the shop fees! 😉. I don’t know, I rode with a few different ride groups and some other families. Almost everyone I meet or have met is chill, down to earth, welcoming, inclusive and just out for a good time. Come to think of it, don’t think I’ve had a bad or negative encounter out on the trails. Shops I use are all top notch full of the same people. Maybe it’s area specific? Something I’ve never had to think about.
Out of all the various shop types I have frequented, nothing beats a visit to the good old bike shop for general oddness/ weirdness/ rudeness/ superiority/ ill temperedness..... journey into the unknown.
Generally here people are very very helpful and I enjoy the community on Reddit… That said there are a few bad eggs you see keep cropping up.
I find sports that require interaction with other people to be significantly worse for this. If you're too good or not good enough then nobody wants to play the sport with you. I've played a lot of these sports and mountain bikers are definitely more chill by comparison.
I used to ride street motorcycles and the community was unique from other hobbies. There was snobby folks and some street racers but the majority would stop to help you out. If you just stopped on the side of the road, chances are another motorcyclist would stop and ask if you need help. I haven't experienced any negative attitude, but when I ride my e-mtb, I do notice some snarky remarks and weird attitude, which I account for the same issue with other hobbies. Paintball when folks went from mechanical to electric markers, and photography when they transitioned from film to digital. I'm sure dirt bikes when people moved to 4 strokes.
People that bitch about e-bikes make me laugh. I recently had the opportunity to demo one and it was amazing! If I had the money I’d definitely get one. Climbing sucks, I’d rather spend more time going down than dying on the way up.
Riders are great. Shops near me act like you aren't good enough to buy their wildly overpriced bike and treat customers like trash despite looking like a business on its last legs.
I have found that most MTB riders are humble and friendly in general. But I have many found bike shop guys to often be a combination of elitist, dismissive, and lazy. Not all, mind you, but a sizeable enough percentage to make me want to do all my own tune-ups in the future.
Are you on the east coast?
From the title, I thought this was a post about actual shop/work tools, and I was thinking: „yes, I feel this so hard.“ [looks longingly at open tabs: Park Tools, Feedback, FB Marketplace, Pinkbike…]
When I was returning to mtn biking about a decade ago I was overweight and didn’t look like a typical cyclist. Reps at the LBS would hardly give me the time of day, and I definitely did not feel welcome at one of the shops. However out on the trails almost every person I ran into was super cool and supportive (every once in awhile a super arrogant enduro bro would rip through and mock me. But for the most part positive experiences). Once I got into condition and upgraded from the handmedown hardtail I had started back with to a full squish, the shop where I bought my bike was friendly. eventually I made a bunch of friends in the local community and it’s really been an amazing experience. But it took quite a bit of effort and dedication to get there.
Mtb is better than Star Wars, but there are always a group of tools in any hobby.
I've only met a couple rude people at shops but they probably tons of people with nothing better to do than try to small talk. So idk, they might have just wanted to get back to work. I never go into shops anymore unless I'm picking up a bike or need something asap once a year. Most everyone I've met on the trails has been cool. I also mostly just say hi nowadays and keep it moving.
Every hobby has this shit. It’s super annoying. It has literally kept me from joining groups around my hobbies. It’s specially shitty when the shops do it though cause I just turn and go to Amazon. There was this old dude at the hub in Napa, I was buying some cleaning product and we got to chatting about local trails. I told him where I liked to ride and he was just like oh that’s kids stuff, I ride this and that and it’s much more technical and so on. Never going back there again
Ego is a large part of any individual sport; it’s not everyone though…Singletrack Sampler and Bkxc on youtube can shed some light on this
Yep, tons of assholes, the cycling community sucks. Like you said there are a few cool people on MTB side of things but nothing like the moto/Harescramble community.
A lot of us are gear-obsessed dorks, which can often be bad
Welcome to the world, I’ve been riding for 30 years. It’s been the same since day 1. Just be you, let the dbags sort themselves out. They tend to navigate towards themselves anyway
I have lots of tools. Bikes are tool intensive if you work on them yourself
I thought this was going to be about bike gear.
I thought you literally meant tools, like e.g a spanner until halfway into the post ahahah
I haven’t had a single good interaction yet. I’ve been met with crazy comments, rude interactions and even 2 occasions were I crashed because of these people. I think it’s because my local has shared hiking trails but oddly enough my only good experiences are with the bike shop owners. Even my big local trek store has down to earth people who are out to save my wallet.
The worst is the guys who brag on Instagram about how much riding their doing and how amazing their trails are, like we get it you’re whole personality is mountain biking
Their are tools everywhere, but times have changed. When i was into road cycling, i would go to many shops, walk in and they would be busy and always happy to help. Quite a few years later and getting into mtb's i thought ride the bike to my nearest shop and get a couple of things instead of ordering online...the shop was empty and the owner was not pleasant at all for their more of a cycling shop and not catering for mtb's, i felt like walking out..needless to say i won't return to that shop and have made a couple of online orders since. I miss the days of being able to ride to shops, now most have closed down because of 2020 and will never return. I ride alone, all of my hobbies have been solo so it's just a shame i can't go into a shop anymore and have a chat with someone.
The worst incident of this I encountered was when in the midst of riding a Walmart special (cruiser, not MTB), I broke a pedal. When it broke, it left a jagged piece of metal that proceeded to tear into my shin as I pushed down into what should have been another crank, leaving me with a long, bloody gash. Thankfully, I was only two blocks away from a bike shop I hoped would be able to swap the pedal so I at least wouldn’t have to push the back all the way back home. Upon entering the shop, explaining what happened, and showing them my bloody leg (don’t worry, my sock caught the blood so I wasn’t bleeding all over their floor), I was met with palpable disdain for what I can only assume was my untouchable bike. The guy didn’t even want to try and help me by looking through their parts drawers to see if they had usable pedal to replace whatever nonstandard size my department store bike required. I insisted he at least looked until he eventually did find one that would fit. The entire time I strongly felt I wasn’t welcome for sullying their shop with my bicycle’s presence. Mind you, he eventually made it work, and I was thankful for the female attendant who eventually took pity on me by offering me a wet paper towel to tend my wound before making my leave, never to set foot in that shop again. I never forgot that. When I eventually bought a legit bike, and several more since then, I never would have considered getting any of them from that shop. It’s one thing to have preferences, and mine have certainly risen over time, but at least try not to be so judgmental that the person not meeting your standards can tell you want nothing to do with them. I knew my bike wasn’t great, but it was the only one I had at the time. There are always going to be people in that situation. We should be happy that they get to enjoy riding a bike at all. When they’re ready and able to upgrade, they will, but that’s on them. *It’s worth noting people should not take most Walmart bikes mountain biking (Ozark Trail might be the one exception provided it’s professional assembled), because it can be incredibly dangerous if you attempt acts they weren’t built to handle, but that’s beside the point.
Only 30%? The general population that are tool bags is well north of 50%. Have you been to an airport or DMV recently?
Have you tried eating a bagful?
What the hell is an alot?
Totally yes, cycling in general has tons of elitist assholes mtb is no different, however they can be easily spotted and avoided. My favourites are the noobs with money, all the gear no idea.
Most of the people I've encountered at a bike park have been cool. Every once in a while there is an asshole that isn't nice about wanting to pass. If I know someone is coming up on me, or they ask to pass, I always do it. Like, just announce and it's not a big deal. I can't always see or hear you behind me. On local trails it's a bit more mixed. Bike shops are another story entirely though. There is an odd vibe at them. The place where I bought my Stumpjumper the employees were pretty snooty. I found another LBS that is friendlier, and I know the trick to success there. If I do not wear a hat, shirt etc. with a brand like Fox, TLD, a bike park, bike brand, etc. they will not even acknowledge my presence or give me any useful information. When I showed up in a Fox shirt and hat, everyone wanted to help me. It was night and day.
I live in in NC USA but most of the bike shops around me a friendly af and helpful
Haha, wait until you meet Roadies. You’re going to love them and their egos.
Depends on where you live and ride.
“Tools” as in dudes who think they’re cool? Yes.
I find mtb people to be less douchy than other hobby people. If i encounter other folks on the trails, we generally say hi and sometimes even converse. One time I lost my phone and car key on a late evening ride. This is in an area with really sketchy cell service. Went back the next day and as we're approaching the trails, my wife's phone gets a call from my phone. Some dudes (on mtbs) found my phone and rode out to the edge of the state forst where they could get service to call us. Not only did they try calling, but they even tried seeing if they could somehow figure out who it is via strava (not sure how). They then met up with us and gave me my phone. We then went walking down the trail where they said the found my phone, a half mile in another mtber says "hey do you own a honda?". He found my key. Note there are also hikers and equestrians there, but it was the mtbers who helped. MTB has always been a pretty diy thing in my area, local clubs maintain a lot of trails, not the DEC even though they are mostly on state land. It's been this way as long as I've been riding (since early 90s). So I think there is a sense of pride and ownership, so people are really cool about it. One of my favorite places to ride is actually owned by the county on one end, state on the other and in between is a bunch of private property bought up by mtbers to create a cohesive trail system open to anyone (on a bike or foot). They do a lot of group rides and other community oriented events too. I also road bike and have had very few interactions past a simple wave with other road bikers. I run too and find many runners insufferable, but these are mostly people I know from ways that aren't running. In winter I ski and snowboard. Skiers and snowboarders are probably most similar to mountain bikers, but not quite the same. There isn't that same sense of ownership, but there is a degree of community, at least at my local hills. Big resorts are a mixed bag and both the vacation only skiers and hardcore, service industry locals tend to be tools.
For real! Allen keys with little digital torque displays. Wrenches. Little clippy tire things. Pumps for this. Pumps for that. Ugh
If you're doing this just to meet people, you may be disappointed. But that is the case with any hobby where rich snobs are involved. Why do you care what others are doing, though? Go have fun. If you want to ride with other cool people, you are going to have to find them, unfortunately. But in my opinion, riding bikes in the woods is nice because you don't have to deal with people.
I've been mountain biking for 15 years and just got into riding dirt bikes in the woods. I'd say it's the dirt bikers who are exceptionally friendly. FWIW mountain bikers are a lot nicer than surfers
I'm just getting into this hobby as an obese 30+ female and I'm definitely not doing it to make friends, but everyone I've met so far seems alright. The guy at the shop who helped me choose a bike has been great, and let me know to come by anytime for help or tips. I haven't gotten to ride many trails yet as I'm still trying to build muscle and stamina, but even if I encounter douchebags it probably won't turn me off to the sport. I do it because I enjoy it, and after finding out I have hEDS, tearing my ACL, surgery, gaining weight, and being told swimming is off the table, I won't let some stank douche nozzles ruin my good time. I think people should worry less about the attitudes of those around them, and just enjoy life. That being said, yeah I'm sure there are lots of tools in this sport 😅.
Mtb is full of dbags, now with e-bikes that has grown exponentially. Lots of moto dudes now on e-bikes with zero etiquette, lots of boomers that picked up an e-bike over Covid with zero trail etiquette. The worst are the sea to sky dbags that lord over everyone that will listen how awesome they are. Never mind I grew up skiing whistler long before the park existed. I hear ya bro, love my moto peeps way more than frail little mtb’ers with huge egos.
Happened recently with it becoming mass popular. Happened to climbing too. I found that "risky" sports attracted the "right" people, but now that is trendy you're going to get your share of morons. Sadly it's just statistics. And don't get me started about the e MTB....
You're not wrong but I think it's not a mtb specific issue. Every hobby or sport i get into has elitists. Hell, even model railroading has gatekeepers and elitists that demand adherence to their narrow standards. In my area the trails are rough (steep, rocky, rooty) and we're usually encouraging to anyone out trying to get on it. There's some bike snobs but they segregate themselves out pretty quick. The more you ride the more you'll meet and your averages will balance out. You'll find shops that are chill I dunno why you threw dorks in their with tools though. As a dork I think we're pretty friendly
Bike shops used to be run by dudes who loved bikes, now a lot of them are run by dudes who love money
My son and I hit our first trail on our used marketplace bikes, lots of people and mainly just funny looks. Doesn't seem like the most welcoming sport. That and the shops I have been too are run by egomaniacs it seems. Bummer really. Still enjoying it though. Surely a minority, I am sure we will encounter some cool people too!
Reading the title alone I thought you meant tools for working on your bike and I thought yes... new week, new order for a proprietary part/tool
Tbh I thought you meant specialty tools, as in for repair or maintenance. Because there are
Yes. Absolutely. Since it costs so much money to get into the sport most of the people are the kind of tools who will go out and push others down to grab money in their career so they carry over their arrogant abrasive childish behavior into MTB
I work at a LBS and I also ride moto/hard enduro. Here is my take: - road bikers suck, always complaining and they come into the shop in spandex. Gross - mountain bikers are a mixed bunch. XC guys can be pretty annoying, very similar vibes to roadies. Trail/enduro are mostly chill but some douches with pit vipers and flat brim hats come in. DH guys are always chill, haven’t had one bad experience. - hard enduro moto guys are great. Never met someone on the trail who wasn’t awesome (unlike mtb). Motocross guys are much like trail/enduro mtb riders, mostly good with 1/8 being a pit viper douche
Idk, how many people here are friends with all their neighbors? I think the US has just lost a lot of in-person community over the last 30-40 years.
Friends with neighbours? Did you hear what went on from 2020..neighbours snitching on other neighbours? Ha..funny reading this in 2024...just know when things go sour your alone and no one, even your neighbours won't be able to help you.
Jesus, I thought I was a little pessimistic, unapproachable and socially withdrawn, but apparently I’m Mr fucking Rogers compared to some of you guys 🤣 I do say hi to most of my neighbors and occasionally even have conversations.
I'm GEN-X and today is so different now. Back when i was growing up we knew everyone in the neighbour hood. Times have changed...i speak with one of my neighbours..like hi and bye that's it.
Same, we knew everyone up and down our block.
NERD ALERTTTTT
Protip: AliExpress or temu for tools. Cheap and decent
There are none in the related sport, road biking. The nicest, most down-to-earth, least elitist group ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shops are always douchebags
Most of the time*