Things Mountain Bikers Should Be Grateful For

Welcome back, you beautiful people. We're going to dive into something that's a little bit close to my heart. There's little things in mountain biking that make a big difference. Now, we take these advancements for granted. Let's give a big shout out to these game-changing components that have revolutionized our riding experience. Hold tight, hold on, lock-on grips. I'm going to kick it off with this because this is one thing that we have definitely taken for granted, is the lock-on grip. Now, these Ergon GDH team grips, they're a downhill grip. They're ergonomically designed. It's got a little sleeve right here with an alligator that locks the grip to the bar, which is perfect because long gone the day where you just slide on this rubber grip, and then as soon as you get a little bit of moisture underneath there, there's no grip. It starts to just rotate on the handlebar and it puts you on edge, especially on those rainy days. Gone the day of that, lock-on grips have revolutionized the way you can have comfort on your bikes. The dropper post, a true revolution. The ability to change your saddle height on the fly is revolutionary. I love this. I can't live without a dropper post on my mountain bike. I truly believe that the dropper post has put the World Cup XC racing back where it belongs. It's a true promotion to the sport of mountain biking. The dropper allows you to drop that saddle away from you when it comes to technical sections on the trail, descending, also adds a little bit more confidence to your riding, speed, and fun out there. I can't imagine riding a mountain bike without a dropper post on it anymore. Moving on to hydraulic disc brakes, one of the most revolutionary components on a modern-day mountain bike. This thing will work no matter what the weather, ice, snow, dust, mud, whatever you put through there, it will give you complete control when riding your mountain bike. Gone the day where you used cantilever brakes, V-brakes, rim brakes, anything with liquid that went onto the rim, they would stop working or they barely worked from the start. Now, with the hydraulic disc brake, you can rely on this constantly no matter what the weather. This is one component that we should not take for granted. One by drivetrain, oh, how you've simplified our bikes. Gone the day where you have a multiple chainring on the front and you have the dreaded chain drop off of that, the one chainring on the front and a wider range on the back has just simplified life. It's reliable and we have a cleaner cockpit, and not to mention, it's lighter. This setup is all about making mountain biking more straightforward. Oh, not to mention, the wide narrow system on this bike eliminates that chain drop. Perfect. Speaking about chains, let's talk about the derailleur. The clutch built into this helps reduce the chain drop, chain slap. It keeps the chain taut when it comes to rough stuff because you don't want that chain dropping off, do you? That little clutch with inside there eliminates all of that. It's the tiny little mechanism within the derailleur that is definitely overlooked. Back in the day where I used to ride mid-pack here and the mid-chain there just to keep that chain taut when I was riding through some rough stuff, not anymore. It doesn't matter where your gears are, this little guy in here is going to help eliminate that chain slap. Whether it's front suspension, rear suspension, suspension is an advancement that we can all be grateful for. In the early 90s, it was something dreamers in the industry would talk about, but nobody believed rear suspension would ever be possible. Now, look what we have. These systems soak up the bumps, keep our wheels planted, and let us tackle rougher trails with confidence. With today's suspension systems are highly tunable and more sophisticated than ever, allowing us to customize our ride and our riding style. Next up, let's talk about tires. The unsung hero that connects us with the trail. The modern-day mountain bike tire offers incredible traction and durability, and it's tailored for different conditions and terrain. The technology and understanding what they need to do on the trail has drastically improved. The general size has grown, tubeless now, tread patterns, and compound choice. I remember visiting a tire factory a few years ago, and the amount of technology that keeps us gripped to the trail is incredible. If there's one thing on your bike that I recommend you change to drastically change the way your bike rides, the characteristics of it is your tires. Underestimated. This next one is definitely overlooked, but we use it constantly, and it's always in our pocket or in our palm. That is the internet, be it if it's on your mobile or on a PC at home. It's definitely connected us as mountain bikers worldwide by finding new trails out there, looking for tutorials on how to do things, be it if it's tech and all that rad jazz. Also, you can find us, a GMBN crew, on the internet where we bring you the latest technology, the latest information about stuff about mountain biking, tutorials, how-tos, all of that rad jazz, you can find us. If you haven't already, don't forget to give us a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel because we do a lot of video content all about mountain biking to inspire you to get out there. Next up is bike parks, an incredible playground for us mountain bikers. Aren't we grateful for them? From downhill racing tracks to skill-building areas, they offer an incredible mountain biking riding experience. They also cultivate an incredible social experience. Spend one day in a bike park and you will meet 100 people who you can easily hang out with and chat bikes. Sounds simple, but also important to a true mountain biking experience. For every jump, berm, and drop that you hit, there's every reason to be thankful for a bike park. Now, let's gear up and let's talk about modern day kit. The clothing and the equipment we wear today is light years ahead of what we used to wear a decade ago. We're talking about lightweight, breathable, yet durable materials that keep us safe, comfortable, no matter what the weather. Plus, modern kit does look better. Go on the days with baggy motocross clothing or unfashionable skin suits. Now, our kit is bespoke, built for mountain biking to keep us way more safer out there and it definitely, definitely looks cooler. Now, let's shift the gears to e-bikes. I know, I know, but hear me out. They've had their fair share of controversy, but hear me out. E-bikes open the sport to a wider audience, including those who might want a little extra boost. They're also a great equalizer when it comes to riding in a group with varied fitness levels. Plus, the technology advancement of e-bikes are pushing the boundaries of what's possible in bike engineering in general. If you're not riding one, let's just give a nice little nod to the e-bikes for making the mountains more exciting and accessible for everyone else. Last, but definitely not least, let's protect our heads and let's have a little chat about helmet technology. Helmetech has seen incredible advancements and industry leaders are now creating helmets that not only are tough, but also feature cutting-edge technology like MIPS for rotational force for impact absorption. These innovations are crucial for our safety, reducing the risk of serious injuries when we crash. Nowadays, riding harder doesn't mean riding risky. Thank you to all of that technology pushed into our helmets. There we have it, you beautiful people, things that we take for granted in the mountain biking world. Let us know in the comment section down below things that we take for granted out there on our bikes, be it if it's a water bottle or backpacks with camelbacks built into it like bladders and everything like that. There's a few things that I do take for granted, especially my bike computer. When I get lost, when I'm bikepacking, thanks to that little dude, it takes me home. Anyway, give us a thumbs up like and I'll see you next time. See you. Cup of tea, Matt? Cup of tea. Where is it? I'll go on the internet because that is one that we take for granted.