This past Friday, I tweeted an invitation to mountain bikers near and far to use an article we wrote a couple of years ago as a guide to mountain biking trails around the state. I chose to use the term, “dirtbags” referencing said mountain bikers. I immediately got called out for insulting mountain bikers by someone who may not know me too well. I have not enjoyed being called out since the first time an elementary school teacher first pointed out some ridiculous shenanigans that I may or may not have perpetrated upon the rest of my class or possibly, the teacher. A quick internet search verified my assertion that calling a mountain biker a dirtbag is a term of endearment. Below is the article I use as my defense. So where are you on the listed scale.
Dirtbagging isn’t about money. You can be broke as a joke or riding around on $10,000 worth of carbon fiber. We know lots of guys and gals who drop serious coin on equipment and thrash the hell out of it. We also know riders who live on canned beans and slay it on full-rigid steel. Dirtbag culture isn’t about what you can afford; it’s about how you do it and why, and even the most deluxe of riders will understand what we’re talking about if they have enough miles in the saddle.Dirtbag isn’t an insult—it’s
Source: Deciphering Dirtbag Mountain Bike Culture | Backcountry.com
