Forget the industry doom scrolling. Biking is doing absolutely fine where it matters: On the hills, in the woods and at events.
The last state of the industry piece I wrote after going to Eurobike was exactly that. Confirmation that the industry was still in a state. And to reinforce that, the rumours of a shaky situation at a brand I couldn’t name at the time, proved to be entirely true as YT became yet another well-known MTB brand that went into ‘self-administration’.
Interestingly enough YT still had a big marquee at the Ard Rock Enduro last weekend. A move which many folk were suggesting was bold considering the online stories about money being taken but bikes not being delivered were true. But then cynics could say if you’re launching your latest version of the ‘Decoy’ E-MTB then why not continue the decoy with one of the biggest tents in the field.
Anyhoo, what really matters was that the arena field in question seemed as busy as ever. Sure, some brands had shifted from multi gazebo headline positions to a single tent the other side of the field. But then other brands had stepped up to fill those spots and Continental tyres had rolled in as the fresh title sponsor. Perhaps more importantly the camping fields seemed busier than ever, when you looked down from the tops of the surrounding hills as you waited to drop into each superb rocky, rowdy Enduro stage.
And if we’re talking rider numbers, then over 5000 folks rode the various events spread over this Swaledale mountain biking Mecca from Friday to Sunday. That’s just the lucky ones who managed to get an entry to an event that literally sells out as fast as an Oasis gig. Plenty of other people pedalled up the hills on demo bikes to see if they could find their next perfect ride or just have a go on a dream machine. The whole site was absolutely buzzing from Thursday onwards, with the awesome Dales Bike Centre team, plus live bands, DJ’s, food trucks and bars in the expo area keeping the vibe thriving all weekend. It’s not only the riders and industry attendees who love Ard Rock either. Talking to the locals, it’s one of their favourite weekends of the year as well as one of the most profitable. For example, the tiny cottage front room pub at Booze - yes really - halfway round takes in over half its annual income over the Ard Rock weekend and it’s turned the whole area into a year round hot spot for MTB and gravel riding.
It sounds like the Bolly Skyline Enduro last weekend is set on the same trajectory as Ard Rock too. Growing from a few gazebos, great trails and an awesome atmosphere last year - despite biblical rain fall - into a much bigger event for 2025. From the social posts I’ve seen though, Josh Bryceland and his team have kept exactly the same grass roots feel that makes this seem like a real riders weekend too. Riders and their families are undoubtedly the focus of the upcoming Cannondale Malverns Classic festival in the Malverns later this month. Yes, there’s racing from balance bikes and retro XC to slalom, DH and Enduro as well as a world class dirt jam all weekend, but it’s the whole celebration of MTB that’s the big thing here. Si and his team have put a particular emphasis on families too, with kids events for all ages, skills sessions, airbags, free fun fairs and the always super popular lake ride. Add retro show and shine, tons of industry stands, street food, plus live bands and DJs, its capturing exactly the same fun festival feel that the Malvern’s had back in the 90s when the mums and dads coming now were kids themselves. In other words, while the pure racing scene has been hit quite hard by exactly the same kind of over serious and over supplied issues as the MTB industry, in general events that are genuinely ‘events’ are still thriving.
It’s not just events either. Whether it’s Bike Parks adding more and more trails to cope with increasing numbers of riders, local ‘cheeky’ spots or classic bridleway and stealthy sheep track riders, there seems to be more people out there on knobbly tyres than ever before. That’s before we stir in all the ‘gravel’ riders being tempted off roads - if not yet off drop bars - by a huge explosion in events, media coverage and industry hype. While the biking demographic is still undoubtedly pale and male, we’re definitely seeing a more diverse population pedalling around off road, which - like the huge numbers of kids flying round the Malverns - is fantastic news for a brighter, more colourful future.
So just like YT at Ard Rock, while there’s still some discount tent discontent in ‘the industry’, from what I’ve seen so far this summer the silly business of playing out on bikes seems to be in fantastically rude health.
