Backcountry Beacon

To gape or not to gape, that is the question. For some reason, the things that make a mountain biker look like a gaper aren’t as cut and dry as they are in other outdoor activities. Some things change with time, and some things you can get away with if you ride well enough. Then, there are some things that never change. In the end, it’s a lot more about what you do and how you treat other riders than how you look.

Sandbagging your girlfriend:

We’ve all seen it a million times. A couple cruise down the trail. In front is some smug jerk on top of five grand worth of carbon fiber and perfectly tuned suspension. Behind him, way behind him and totally wrecked, is his girlfriend on a borrowed garage-sale special that most of us wouldn’t trust to ride to the grocery store for emergency toilet paper. The suspension hasn’t worked for half a decade, the wheels are far from round and rub against the 10-year-old V-brakes. Gee, I wonder why your girlfriend is having such a terrible time, dude. Verdict? Gapetacular!

Glasses with full-face helmets:

You would think that this would slap a big fat gaper tag on your back, but it’s not true. Sometimes goggles are just too damn hot to wear with a full-face. If you’re out front, you’re not eating anyone’s dust and don’t really need goggles anyway. As long as you’re ripping, you can get away with this one. Verdict? You better ride well.

Goggles with standard helmets:

Moto goggles with a cross-country helmet seems as though it must put you into a class that stands a full gape (errr, gap) above all the rest, but it’s quite the opposite. All it shows is that the rider has thought far enough ahead to know that the trail’s going to be really damn dusty, and that he wants to rip and not worry about it. Verdict? That guy will probably ride you into the ground. No gapers here.

Damaging a trail:

If you come up short on a double and case the tranny, you better put in some shovel time to fix it up. The same rules apply if you blow out a corner and top the berm with your inside pedal. The next person who comes through pinning and expecting a solid berm to be there won’t be too stoked to find your path of destruction. Verdict? Gaperiffic!

Downhill in spandex:

A couple years ago the vast majority of UCI World Cup riders rallied against skin suits at World Champs (which was, at the time, required). Who would want to wear one of those damn things, anyway? And I don’t think it’s much of a coincidence that Steve Peat finally won World on the first year that ridres could rock moto gear and look prestigious. If you ride cross country, smuggling grapes is … aww fine, it’s OK. But if you’re riding anything with more than five inches of travel, get yourself some baggy shorts. Verdict? A gaper only if you’re on a big bike.

Pushing up a downhill-only trail:

Have you been on a downhill-only trail and come ripping around a corner only to run into someone who for some reason decided to push their bike up the trail despite all the signs which warn not to do it? Well, if you’ve had this experience, then you know why you should only travel in a downhill direction on a downhill trail. If you haven’t had this experience, just trust that going against the flow of traffic is a really bad idea. Verdict? Gapertastic

Water bottle baskets on freeride bikes:

If you’re riding your long-travel bike like it’s meant to be ridden, then your water bottles aren’t going to stay in place anyway. Take them off and get yourself a hydration pack. Verdict? Yup, you’re a gaper. But you can fix it with an Allen key.

Riding without a helmet:

Not much need for discussion here. Anything past wheelies in the parking lot, and you should have on a brain bucket. Heads are really important. Verdict? Gaper may not be the word, but shit man, take care of yourself!

Related Posts:

• Downhill Race Day Tool Kit
• 2010 Fall Whistler Report
• Bike Helmet 101 – Good Guide on HucknRoll

Tags: bike helmets, downhill, freeride, mountain biking