What Growth In The Mountain Bike Community Means For You

You love to mountain bike…  Why? Because it’s a killer time to be a part of the mountain bike community! Bike geometry has allowed suspension to finally tap into its potential.  Suspension, with it’s internal bypass and air/coil spring tech, has taken the sport to new heights. And all of this for the purpose of helping you shred faster, hit your on trail excitement highs, and be more comfortable and more confident on the bike.  

The mountain biking community in the US alone has nearly doubled in the past 18 months. Why does that matter? Because as the community expands we see more innovation become available, which helps improve your ride.

Why The Huge Growth In Riding

Well for one, mountain bike teams among high schools are growing like wildfire with NICA (The National Interscholastic Cycling Association). NICA has cycling leagues in 18 US states, some of which are growing so rapidly they can hardly take in all the racers.

With more kids racing and growing to love the ride, they need better bikes to keep up with their progression. It’s never been easier than now to get a great bike to make riding even more enjoyable and confidence inspiring.

Another reason for this growth is people in the past 18 months have had a little extra time on their hands (if you know what we mean).  So hitting up the outdoors has become number one on everyone’s bucket lists.  Companies have adjusted to handle the changing times and the mundane “office life” will, thankfully, never be what it once was.  Meaning the bike growth is here to stay.

Innovation

To keep up with the demand, mountain bikes have become more capable than we have ever seen in the past. The increase in the capability of bikes has made it possible for riders to go faster and feel more confident as they rip trails. 10 years ago you couldn’t ride the same way you do today. And not just because you’re taking the time to improve your skills... it’s because bikes are helping to improve the experience. Having more capable bikes makes for more capable riders, and more of them.

Here are some of the monumental mountain biking innovations in the past decade: dropper Posts, multiple mode select shocks (climb, on trail, descend), boost spacing, high engagement hubs, larger diameter tires, wider tires, thicker sidewalls, body positions.  The list goes on and on…

Let’s just break down dropper posts for example.  This little invention received so much heat when it first came out.  The journalists said it would never stick and no one needed to use one.  It was a waste of money… 10 years later you don’t see a bike without one.  Including those very same networks and all their employees. And why would they use it?  The post allows you to just focus on riding without ever having to get off your bike to adjust your seat. It was the best of both worlds.

Keeps On Going 

Bike companies didn’t stop there. They are continually innovating to improve the geometry and suspension of mountain bikes, which increases confidence on the trail. You’re helping grow a rad community. We are doing our best to innovate so we can provide you with the best riding experience possible. Check out how the TILT Balance Trainer is innovating to help you elevate your ride.

Don’t forget to hit up the trail and keep on... Riding. Refined.