Mtn biker or cyclist?

"I am not a cyclist. I am a mt biker." A recent quote from @herzalot .
I realized I am a mtn biker. Never really owned a road bike. Used to ride back and forth from campus in college and that was about it.
Some here love to ride anything, road, gravel.
I just love getting on the trails with some nice substantial rubber contacting that beautiful dirt, concentrating on all the changes in the trail, ups ,downs, rocks, holes, trees, cactus, great variations in the landscape!!
What do you guys think? Is there a difference? What are you?

 

I've already declared I am not a cyclist. My palette is waaaaay too narrow. I couldn't care less about the multiple forms of riding, other than fun trails on highly capable bikes. And fun to me means entertaining trails, not just dirt roadie stuff. I realize I am wrong, and I am a big fat loser of a "cyclist" because of this, but that's what I like and why I ride. Fitness is a benefit, not the reason nor the target for me. This is apparently frustrating to some IMTB members who try to convince me to expand my range by riding less capable bikes or going on bigger adventures that they enjoy. Thank you for trying to share your joy, and sorry it is not my joy.

That said, I will not ride an e mt bike for the foreseeable future. I am sure they match and exceed the definition of fun and I am sure they can make mundane trails and climbing fun, but that's not mt biking. It's a different sport. Dirt bikes are fun too, but I don't ride them either.

 

I am a bicyclist.

 

I like to ride bikes.

 

I decided to google “cyclist psychographics” and came back with this paper. I didn’t read it, I’m not suggesting you do either. Just click on it and marvel that someone went to as much trouble as they did. You need a quantum computer to determine who is a cyclist vs a mtn biker.

http://www.caee.utexas.edu/prof/bhat/ABSTRACTS/sener_eluru_bhat_bicycle_rev_Jan18_TRBstyle.pdf

 

Categorically all of us are cyclists on imtbtrails. You ride a bicycle? You’re a cyclist.
Emotionally maybe spiritually, we are mountain bikers. It’s the theme of the site. I used to give people Sh!t about single speeds , hardtails, gravel bikes, road bikes, and even what brand they ride. No more.

If you pedal a bike... you are a cyclist. If you ride a mountain bike... selfishly, your my favorite! But respect goes out to all who ride bicycles with the passion we do.

eBike? They ain’t bicycles. But that’s a war for another thread and I don’t do that anymore.

I used to ride for performance, now I ride with my friends. If a day of killing it happens, added bonus. Now it’s about the experience, preferably with other like minded hooligans.

Life don’t get much better.
Thanks for the thread @scan , it’s been too long since WE rode!

 

I ride bikes.

Why do I put it like that? Because I have more than one bike. It doesn't matter what any of my bikes can do, they are still bikes.

All of my bikes ride like bikes. Therefore, I ride bikes.

 

I have tires in the garage ranging from 23mm (9/10 of an inch ) to 3.0 inches... They all go on bicycles. Bikes are fun!

I'm the exact opposite of @herzalot , though... There is nothing better than seeing an under-biked rider doing crazy Sh!t- think Jason, Ross, mike, Grego, Barby, Berni, etc...

 

I'm not a pedestrian – I'm a hiker!


Just because someone calls you an as$hole, it doesn't mean you're an as$hole. – F. Zappa

 

But what if that someone is my wife? And she's probably right...

 

Exemption A!!!!!!!! Wife is never wrong. But you know this...

 

They are all amazing riders, that's for sure. It doesn't matter how many different bikes I could obtain, I could still never ride like them. I have my uber capable Tracer following Jason on his singlespeed hardtail and I am happy if I can ride some of what he does. I've never ridden with Ross or Mike, but I have heard they are magicians on two wheels. Maybe the safety breaks help.

I realize the only "true" answer to the question posed in this thread is along the lines of what most everybody else has posted.

 

I am not a cyclist or mtnbiker, I am a FREE MAN!

 

I know where you went with that.

 

I ride one bike, it’s a mountain bike. I have three other bikes, they are also mountain bikes, I wish somebody wanted them? If you were to call me a cyclist it won’t hurt my feelings. As @herzalot always says “bikes are fun”. Cheers!

 

Never bet with your wife either. They always win

 

Any other questions?

 

I’m a mountain biker however I have no experience with other 2 wheeled peddle powered options.

 

In a nutshell:

 

LOL!!!!!!! FTW.






Honorable mention :

 

Yep!

 

Yes....

 

A wife can be wrong, but pointing that out can be very risky, so, you keep your mouth shut and go riding.

 

I am a mountain biker. I'm also a snowboarder, fly fisherman, and car enthusiast. I enjoy hiking, backpacking, cooking, and a myriad of other things, but I don't consider myself a hiker, backpacker, cook, etc. For me it comes down to frequency of engagement, and just how much of my thoughts and attention they occupy when not actively doing the activity. That said, I've fished very little over the last couple of years, so I shoot holes in my own definition in that regard, but fishing has been a big and important part of my life for many years. I owned and rode a bike before I started mountain biking, but didn't consider myself a cyclist. Take away my mountain bikes, and I doubt I'd throw myself into some other form of cycling. So, I am a mountain biker.

 

My wife agrees with this statement.

 

Mountain bike is a type of bicycle
Mountain biker is a type of bicyclist

Bicycle is a type of cycle?
Motorcycle Rider is also a cyclist....

 

You started and ended with this

 

A =B not=to C

 

I've been called a few different things.

I just want to be a person who does stuff sometimes. No pressure, eh.

 

If you own and wear lycra shorts, you are a cyclist.