I was a triathlete for 6 years, meaning I competed at trained for triathlons for 6 years. I had so much fun and I loved it. I met some great people and some great friends. It was only last year that I decided to focus on mountain biking and I do not regret that decision at all. Sure I’ll still participate in a triathlon here and there but that’s not my focus anymore.
I have to say that the triathlon community and the mountain biking community are very different. The more I get into the mountain biking community the more I notice the differences.
(Before I get into specifics I want to say that I’m talking from my perspective and talking about the general sense of each sport/community. I realize that generalities don’t fit everyone but that’s why they are called generalities.)
Let me explain,
Triathlons
It is intense, very performance orientated but still fun; although some take the sport to seriously and forget actually having fun. People tend to be very healthy minded individuals and are kind. Now there is generally a big difference in mind set between beginners and people that consider themselves more ‘experienced’ in the sport. Generally there is a relatively small percentage that participates in the sport just for the fun of it.
The overall feeling that I get from the community (and I’m not the only one) is that it’s elitist, and snobby, and judgmental. This feeling can be intimidating and rude at times.
Example: show up to a triathlon with a POS bike, or one that shows it’s age and it seems like other “serious” racers scoff at you. They write you off as a beginner and “inexperienced”. It seems like if you don’t have the latest, lightest, and greatest gear you obviously are not serious about the sport. It happened to me in a couple of occasions.
It seems the “spend a lot to win” idea is strong. I tried to ignore and even tried changing this overall feeling in the 6 years that I was so involved in the sport. The problem is that the elitism and snobbism seemed to grow regardless of what I did.
Yes, in the beginner circles the feeling isn’t as strong and it’s actually gotten to be a pretty inviting crowd but as soon as you get to the competitive level the atmosphere is thick with elitism; which takes a bit of the fun out of racing.
Don’t get me wrong I think that the triathlon community has many good qualities but the somehow the athletes that bring out the worst aspects of triathlon – elitism, and snobbery – are the ones that seem to get much attention which allows them to expose the rest of the community to this toxicity.
For the most part the people who are triathletes tend to be wealthier type-A personalities that need to boost their egos by bragging, but I do not agree that this applies to the majority of triathlets. I believe that the majority of triathletes are not elitists or snobby, I believe they are the complete opposite.
The problem is that elitism and snobbism are the impression that the triathlon community sends. I worked tirelessly to change this impression and know many people that are also working on changing that impression. Unfortunately I also know some people that exemplify the elitism and snobbism…..
Mountain Biking
It can be intensely competitive if you want it to be or it can be chill relaxed (just go to a mountain bike race). Some ride to compete some ride for fun, there’s a large percentage that rides for fun. They can be health minded people or sometimes they’re not, though that doesn’t mean they can’t ride. Doesn’t matter what level you are there is a lot emphasis on having fun and having a great experience.
The general feeling and impression in general is relaxed, chill, fun. The mantra “you ride a bike therefore you’re my friend” by Gary Fisher is strong throughout.
Example: in direct contrast with the triathlon community, you show up to a race with a POS bike you become everyone’s friend. People generally admire the guys who ride outdated bike and use outdated equipment while they tend to give riders, who have the latest and greatest, a hard time.
The atmosphere is extremely welcoming. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been riding forever, and/or win races on a regular basis, or you are brand new to the sport everyone seems to want to talk to you.
Instead of doing the sport to boost their egos, mountain bikers tend to ride because they have a genuine love for riding. As I mentioned there are the riders that participate in races to place well and/or win, but they seldom forget to still have a fun time out there. Then there’s a big group that participate in races for the experience, for the fun of it. But unlike the triathlon community that tends to be a bit clickie, there is no differentiation between the ‘racers’ and the non ‘racers’ everyone hangs out together and everyone excepts everyone. Although there is a small percentage of mountain bikers that are ego driven, they are not the ones that garner all the attention.
The community is very welcoming, non threatening; which might be a reason that the sport keeps growing. On top of which there is an increasing number of converts who have come from other sports to mountain biking because of the general chill, relaxed non-elitist attitude, me being one of them.
So would I consider myself a “mountain biker”? Well, not quite yet. There is no question that my personality and attitude is more aligned with that of the mountain biking community and in the short time I’ve been involved in it I have met countless of awesome people almost as many as I did in the 6 years as a triathlete. My friend Jeff (who has been riding mountain bikes for a long time) told me the other day that I am not a “mountain biker” yet but that I was on my way to becoming one.
What then???
This begs me to ask myself the following question…When I did triathlons did I consider myself or identify myself as a “triathlete”? And before that when I was a runner, albeit a slow one, did I consider or identify myself as a “runner”?
No, I didn’t, and maybe it was because I liked doing triathlons and running but didn’t love it. I love mountain biking. There are very few things that I’d rather do that ride my mountain bike. It’s an amazing feeling, there’s nothing like it. There’s no doubt that I’ve found my passion but for now if I had to identify myself something besides “Patrick Warnholtz” I would have to go with “endurance athlete”.
en·dur·ance
n.
1. The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress
2. The state or fact of persevering
ath·lete
n
1. A person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina
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