Mountain biking can be an individual or a social endeavor. While a solid time for me is never a bad thing, the advantage of connecting with other mountain bikers is that you’ll have a bigger network of people who can appreciate your trials and victories, share stories, and perhaps answer any questions you may have. about riding technique, equipment or places to ride.
Here are 5 online communities that will help you connect with other people who eat, breathe and live to mountain bike, just like you!
1.r/mtb
You can use many tools to find awesome people with similar interests, and one of the best has to be Reddit. Reddit is a social news, content rating, and discussion website. Users submit content in the form of links, text posts, images, and videos, and other members vote up or down on these posts. The site is made up of tens of thousands of subreddits covering just about every topic imaginable, including mountain biking.
The r/MTB subreddit It has hundreds of thousands of members from all over the world. Posts are moderated to ensure content is relevant and discussions stay civil. For example, the number one rule of the subreddit: be good to each other! r/MTB includes resources you can explore that can help you with specific questions you have, such as choosing the right bike, mountain biking first aid, and riding in wet conditions.
The best part of Reddit is being able to interact with interesting or rising posts, either by upvoting or commenting on what other people have said. This is a great way to be a part of the mountain biking conversation, learn something new, and contribute your perspective. There really is no better way to feel like you’ve found your community.
2. pink bike
There are many online communities for cycling in general, and pink bike it’s one that focuses almost exclusively on mountain biking. It is one of the largest mountain biking news, photos, videos and events websites. Pinkbike is owned by the Outdoor brand, the same company that develops the excellent Trailforks app for navigating mountain biking trails.
The Pinkbike website includes a wide range of resources, from a buy and sell section to fantasy leagues for downhill and enduro teams. Meanwhile, the forum section allows like-minded mountain bikers to come together to discuss various aspects of the sport. There are forums you can join that separate cycling by discipline, from eMTBs and fat bikes to downhill and enduro.
At the same time, users can create their own forums to focus on any mountain biking niche they like. For example, there are forums for people who ride specific models of mountain bikes from specific years. Talk about finding your tribe! These folks will know what you’re talking about when you mention that quirk that drives you crazy about your bike.
It’s hard to cover all the content on the Pinkbike forums in one place, so join the community. You’re bound to find a section related to the type of riding you do, where you drive, or the equipment you use.
3.MTBR Forum
MTBR Forum is another website dedicated to serving the mountain biking community with sections for user reviews (reviews of everything from complete bikes to suspension setups, wheels, tires, brakes, drivetrains, and accessories). This site also has a bike shop and trail finder (US only) and classifieds section.
Perhaps the most used aspect of the site is the MTBR forums, which have nearly 500,000 members and over 15 million posts. Sections are dedicated to everything you can think of, including news and reviews, how to ride a bike with kids, bike buying tips, technical discussions, and forums dedicated to separate riding regions.
4. Local trail associations
Most regions have associations dedicated to mountain biking, and in many cases these associations help build and maintain local trail networks using donations made by members (don’t forget to donate!). A simple web search (for example, Colorado Mountain Bike Association) will give you the results you need. For example, iMTBTrails is an online mountain bike forum based in Southern California that is free to join and allows locals to connect with each other.
Because these types of forums are much more region-specific, you’ll likely find content highly relevant to your location, such as up-to-date trail conditions (e.g., tree-down locations, snow, planned maintenance) and local information. . Bike shop reviews as well as more general topics like product reviews.
By registering, participating, and donating to your local trail association, you’ll be helping to promote mountain biking and maintain local trails. You might even be invited to join trail building and maintenance events, which is a great way to meet like-minded people, spend time in nature, and shred a little!
5. Unique Tracks
As the name suggests, single tracks is another online community dedicated to mountain bikers. In addition to its forums, the community lists mountain biking clubs by region (from Asia to South America and everywhere in between) so you can find local people who share your passion for mountain biking.
But Singletracks is much more than a community. The website also features a search function that allows you to find nearby trails, as well as a list of events and bike shops by region. The Singletracks website is based on user-generated content, so anyone can contribute, whether it’s photos, reviews, trail status updates, or simply posting to the forum and replying to other people who have published.
Unlike other online forums on this list, Singletracks forums are not categorized by subject area, region, bike riding style, or anything else. Rather, forum posts are organized by update (ie, date posted) so you can participate in the latest ongoing conversations.
Stay motivated, meet people and get out on your mountain bike
There are so many opportunities to connect with other mountain bikers online, so if you’re ever riding alone or your partner is tired of hearing you talk about the differences between Maxxis tire types, sign up for one of these online communities. You’ll find satisfaction knowing that other great people share your obsession, and you may find new friends who are interested in what you have to say!