If you’re hoping for festive fireside assurances that everything is going to be much rosier in 2024, then let me kick Santa back up the chimney and go full Grinch. Because I’ve had some really interesting, frank conversations with industry ‘deepers’ who can’t be named and we all think we’re going to see some big changes in the future of biking and a lot more casualties along the way. I’m pretty sure that’s going to be a lot better for the health of mountain biking going forward though.
Let’s not beat around the holly bush here, wherever you look in mountain biking there are multiple examples of bikes, parts, shops, brands, people, media etc. that don’t really add much. They’re the empty calories that taste OK because we’re used to their comforting presence, but they just add fat around the middle like the Christmas chocolate you don’t even really like. They aren’t just a harmless indulgence either, they’re clogging up the arteries that could be giving life blood to the innovators and inspirers who could be making a really positive difference.
