If you ride an expensive, up-to-date bike then somebody, somewhere — possibly the owner of an older, less-expensive bike — will have explained why you don’t need it. These people have all manner of passive-aggressive speeches about fashion, marketing and having ‘all the gear and no idea’ with which to make their point. Having ridden all kinds of new test bikes, around all kinds of places, I’ve heard quite a few of them.
But I just had a superb ride on a new bike that was better than it could have been on any ageing bike with a triple chainset and bar ends — or rather the kind of bike that I’m reliably informed is "all you need."
The plunging, twisting trails were fantastic in that special way that leaves you with folders of mental snapshots and six-second repeating mind-Vines; sensations that repeat on you in leaner times like the best bacon sandwiches. Despite the wellspring of fun that were the brilliant trails and topography — things you can theoretically access on any bike — the ride wouldn’t have been the same on an older, cheaper bike. This ride was a triumph of nature and consumerism.
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Why? Well, for a start, the dropper post, which cost over £250, helped me ride better. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is stop at the top of a tricky bit, think about the obstacle and have to adjust the saddle in order to deal with it — all while trying not to get psyched out by that obstacle and the potential for disaster it represented. Stare too long at the abyss, with its flailing rocks and clawing death turns, and the abyss stares into you. A dropper post makes it easier to just get on and ride, which is something naysayers seem obsessed with and somehow see it as an argument not to have nice things.
Then there’s suspension. Quality damping brings poise, control, and gives tyres an easier time, which means more grip and fewer crashes. And I like having more grip and fewer crashes. Yes, you could ride those wild trails on something with less sophisticated suspension, or even none at all, but would I have enjoyed the same flowing moments of joy if I’d been fighting the bike or going slower? Nope. I’m not saying it couldn’t still be fun, but it’d be more of a fight than a dance.
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