A QUESTION OF PERCEPTION

ARE THOSE COLOURFUL, HIGH-ACTION MOUNTAIN BIKE VIDEOS INSPIRING FOR UP AND COMING RIDERS? OR DO THEY PRESENT A RED RAG TO LAND MANAGERS WHO’D LIKE TO SHUT US DOWN? MOUNTAIN BIKE GUIDE AND ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNER TOM HUTTON AND RIDER AND COLUMNIST MATT LETCH GIVE US TWO OPPOSING VIEWS.

WORDS BY TOM HUTTON AND MATT LETCH

TWO DIFFERING VIEWS ABOUT ‘SICK’ VIDEO EDITS.

Tom Hutton

Image is everything. Access to the countryside is an ever-moving feast. If we want a seat at the table when it’s being served, we need to show we know how to share. I don’t generally get excited about mountain bike videos. I prefer to be out there doing it. But last week one caught my eye for all the wrong reasons.

It was a short point-of-view clip of two guys riding at high speed down a grassy trail in Shropshire. I cringed as I watched the first time, almost too scared to look in case a walker, dog or horse rider flashed by. Thankfully none did.

So no big deal, right? Actually no, not right. Not in the bigger picture.

Now before I’m accused of being a spoilsport, fun police or worse, let me explain.

I can see the guys in the edit can ride – no doubting that. And I can see they know the trail well. I can also see the sightlines are decent, and the shadows suggest it was probably shot in late evening or early morning when the trail was at its quietest. If pushed, I’ll concede that it was a pretty responsible effort at high-speed riding on a trail open to the public.