My newsletter!

I like your videos Jeff. Nice sound tracks… quality edits. I’d be happy to never see you pop another wheely though. And I get the trails, but your market wants enduro. And keep endorsements low key. Good luck and thank you!

Hi Jeff,

Let me start this by saying that I don’t do any social media and I can count the number of times I left comments to something on one hand. The only reason I ended up on your homepage is because YouTube recommended the video of you building your new Ibis (based on what I watch of course), and I was doing a quick search to find out how you broke you pelvis and ended up here.

Anyway back to the comment. I just have to respectfully disagree with Steve on his ‘Enduro Market’ comment which is about as overdone as manuals and wheelies. I read/watch everything Pinkbike, Singletracks, MTBR, (and sometimes Vital MTB) post and I’ve tried to watch everyone out there (Seth, Phil, you, Jeff Lenosky, Cam, Andrew Taylor, Cathro, etc), and the only ones I’ve found so far that I can consistently watch is you, Jeff L, Cam, Andrew, and Cathro and it’s not because you cater to the Enduro Market. It’s because you have interesting content, you show us experiences, you show us that technical climb or descent can be done, you show us how to do things to become a better rider, and you show us cool and interesting trails and places to ride.

I won’t get into the debate here that Enduro is a race format and not a ride, trail, or bike and just let it be as discipline (if you will) for this comment, but my point is I’m a trail rider, and while I ride all sorts of trails everywhere, I seek out more technical, classic, bucket list type trails and travel all over the country riding them (which is one reasons I watch you, Jeff, Cam, and Andrew). I just spent last week in Durango, and while I already had many of the trails on my list that you road while you were there and had my trip planned before your video came out, thinking about you skidding down Hogsback on an old hardtail while I was just trying to figure out the jigsaw puzzle to get to my bike to the top of it, or skipping all the skinny’s you rode while coming down Haflin creek; watching your segment on riding old bikes in Durango simply added to the flavor of my trip and the trails I rode. I actually fell over the side of the cliff on Haflin Creek where the staircase is and went back to your video to see if it showed you riding over it (but all I could find is the pic you posted on Pinkbike/Trailforks – and man my ribs are still bruised a week later from that fall :). After that I went to Taos and rode South Boundary (a special trail), and then to Angle Fire Bike Park, and then to Santa Fe NM to ride Windsor, Rio En Medio (another special trail you should go ride), and Glorieta Camps (Cam did video on it but it’s nothing but big boulders and rock slabs to ride over which I know you would also really enjoy).

My point is not to name drop a bunch of trails here or take a shot at Steve (because I do agree with him on manuals and wheelies), my point again is I’m a trail rider and I want to ride (or learn to ride) all the best trails in the country and become the best trail rider I can be whether it’s a technical climb or descent, making it over technical terrain like Raider Ridge, or cornering, or drops, or proper braking, etc… I can watch overdone ‘Enduro’ videos until the cows come home, but there are only a few of you out there that can make riding old bikes in Durango, or putting a bike build together, or doing a technical climb up some Sedona trail interesting enough to watch that I either want to go do it, I can learn from it, or I think about you guys doing it while I’m out doing it.

So please don’t take this personal Steve if you read this, but enough with the Enduro cliche (which is just a brief moment in the long history of mountain biking). We don’t watch/fallow guys like Jeff for the mainstream, overdone, over saturated, Enduro experience (which I to watch a tone of), we watch like guys like Jeff because they become part of our travels, our trail riding experiences, and our trail riding skills – regardless of the type of trail (or trail riding) we do. Keep doing what you do Jeff, and keep bringing us content that last more than the 2 minutes it took us to watch it.

John

Love your videos Jeff! Wondering when you’ll be adding group sessions in the Mid-Atlantic? Thanks!