mike-davis.net

Mountain bike racing used, for the most part, be as much a social event as a race. Over the years things got more serious, though, and “proper” bike races are generally just that - races. Which added a certain nostalgic glow to the already brilliant atmosphere at the Singlespeed World Championships.

I don’t want to get all wishy-washy and “Ooh, weren’t the old days great” over it all, though. The main reasons the weekend was so much fun were pretty simple, really. They can be summarised thusly:

• Riding bikes
• On great trails
• With friends
• In the sunshine
• And having a beer

It’s that simple. Of course, the Worlds had people from all over the world (not as obvious as it might sound - baseball World Series, anyone?) and pre-race parties and stuff, but you’ll notice that those key ingredients can be quickly and easily assembled by anyone with friends. Get them together, pick a part of the world you’d like to ride, go there and ride it. And have some beer.