# How do the "older" riders feel about YouTube MTB?



## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

I've had a YT channel for the past few years, and it has been somewhat fun to create stuff that people enjoyed and sometimes found useful. I've even made a little money from doing it.
For the past several months though I've gotten really bored of _almost_ every MTB Channel out there, including my own.
There's only so much one can do to be original and POV footage, while once really sick, is now mundane.

So, is it just me or has that platform finally peaked for MTB content?..Maybe it peaked long ago and I'm just now seeing it? I dunno.

Anyways, I was wondering what the older 50 plus crew think about MTB YouTube content and if you find it beneficial.

It's so much work, and as I age, I often feel I'd rather ride harder/progress as much as I can and use my energy toward that instead of faffing with camera angles and such.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

it took me maybe a few months after buying my first GoPro in...2010 or so? before I got tired of fussing with the damn camera all the time.

and not long after that that I got tired of watching most YT mtb content. maybe I was ahead of my time? but I feel like mtb content peaked a long time ago.

I get annoyed when how-to content is pushed onto youtube when said how-to would be easier to navigate during the job if it had been a series of well-planned photos with text descriptions.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

I watch bike and gear reviews and use race footage to scout courses that I cant do long term pre rides on.


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## OldN00b (2 mo ago)

I had a YouTube channel for a while for a different discipline/hobby and gave it up because it took up way too much time and because it actually got in the way of my enjoyment. Instead of enjoying the hobby for its own sake, I was routinely stressed about finding and producing new content, increasing my subscriber count and buying equipment to improve the look of my videos. 

As for MTB channels, I’ve found them invaluable as I returned to the sport after many years away. Seth drew me back in with well done, fun content but I quickly transitioned to more “meaty” channels for bike reviews, trail guides and how-tos. YouTube MTB channels helped me install a cushcore insert, learn about body position and discover trails in my area. They’re also fun to watch when it’s dumping rain outside, as it is right now.


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## Eric F (May 25, 2021)

If you are narrowly-focused on only MTB content, I could see how one might get bored with it. Since I ride lots of different kinds of bikes, my YouTube cycling-related viewing tendencies tend to follow the same range. Right now, it's cyclocross season!


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

The well done "how-to's" and certain bike review channels are awesome to have. I also really love the more fun 3rd person stuff from the 50to01 guys and Sam Pilgrim.

Many of the older and successful channels, while still great quality, have mostly lost my interest. I save those for crappy weather and non riding days🙂
This past year I had a really off day and I was trying to get footage. Doing YT has on rare occasion got in the way of just having fun. I put a huge amount of pressure on myself to "perform" well on the bike and it wasn't happening that day.


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## vegen (Jan 2, 2006)

I will watch videos of trails I'm going to ride for the first time. I'm not sure how useful it is though. I like some of the stuff Nate Hills films, primarily because he's a way better rider than I ever will be. But Pinkbike Friday Fails is the only thing I watch regularly.


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## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)

I use it a lot, to sneak peak new trails or races I want to ride.

Also for tire reviews, to see how they measure, weigh and fit on certain rim widths.


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## pcemkr (Oct 2, 2008)

I'm Dave said:


> I've had a YT channel for the past few years, and it has been somewhat fun to create stuff that people enjoyed and sometimes found useful. I've even made a little money from doing it.
> For the past several months though I've gotten really bored of _almost_ every MTB Channel out there, including my own.
> There's only so much one can do to be original and POV footage, while once really sick, is now mundane.
> 
> ...


This seems like fresh content and away from the "norm". If you can capture this process, it would draw me in.

"ride harder/progress as much as I can"


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## goldsbar (Dec 2, 2004)

The DIY videos are great, especially for suspension and car stuff. I like some technique videos for a variety of sports, but that can vary. I rarely watch YT for other stuff. The seemingly five minute long intro to every video is so overdone. Everyone has to have a "personality." Few actually have a good one (at least from a video entertainment perspective). Specifically on the MTB videos, it's the same story with a lot of other sports. The "riding" has little to do with how 99% of people actually ride. In order to look good on video, you pretty much have to be at Danny MacAskill levels of stunting. Even that starts to look normal.


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## BManz2004 (Jun 25, 2020)

If I have to watch a "how to" on Youtube, it's usually at 1.5x speed. Sometimes there's 5 minutes or more of talking about what is going to be shown, then ads, then finally a few seconds of actually doing something. Very aggravating when several GOOD photos and some clear, simple sentences would have accomplished the goal far better. This isn't unique to MTB, but everything on YouTube. The worst is when the video is shaky.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Regular riders on regular trails = boring as hell video. 
Even worse when it's POV.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

When someone posts something cliché, such as, “Hey guys, welcome back to the channel! Don’t forget to smash that like button and subscribe!” I immediately move on.

When someone talks too long I move on.

If an intro lasts more than five seconds I move on.

If someone plays POV with a soundtrack I move on.

I will look up specific products and places for info.

I enjoy professionally made short documentaries with good camerawork, editing, and sound. There needs to be a narrative.


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

i have no desire to watch people ride instead of actually going out and riding. zero....


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Basically you have five seconds to hook me or I move on.


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## ballisticexchris (Jun 14, 2016)

In would rather be riding than watching. I will say there are some talented "YouTubers" who can make a MTB do amazing things with careful camera angles editing.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

.WestCoastHucker. said:


> i have no desire to watch people ride instead of actually going out and riding. zero....


I dunno, I do enjoy me some BMX videos when I'm watching stuff. 
Only if they involve drugs and alcohol though (on both both sides of the screen).


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## netaron (12 mo ago)

If I'm working on learning a new skill, then sure and they're very useful. If a rider needs anything specific, they search for it, if you enjoy creating content, keep it up and you never know, but sounds like you'd rather be riding now .


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I use YouTube for pre-trip reconnaissance. A lot of times I have to smash that mute button though.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Got a GoPro years ago, gen one or two, used it, found that my content was crap, didn't feel like editing, so I sold it; my teen son also didn't feel like editing 

I rarely watch You Tube MTB video, on occasionally I'll watch something a member posts of something I see on Pinkbike.

I'd rather do something active than watch videos. To be fair, I also don't watch TV or movies often, maybe once a month.


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## rdawson808 (Oct 19, 2015)

I watch just a couple MTB channels -- Berm Peak and another one or two. Hell it might be just the one. And then random ones I happen across. Then I watch some home DIY stuff--but no one regularly (no subscriptions). I like the maintenance, diy, garage and workshop organization (vicariously enjoying others' large spaces). I could see me getting into 3D printing stuff like bike bits and star wars stuff. So that's a maybe.

But the average POV riding vids don't interest me much. 

I tend to listen to YT more than watch because it's a way to listen to entire albums I don't own. Ads don't bother me and it's free that way. 

There's no way in hell I'd make my own channel. Others' comments have reinforced the warning that turning a hobby into a job is never a good idea. Besides, I'd never think someone wants to listen to me outside of my very niche expertise of education and work.


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## dir-T (Jan 20, 2004)

Cody Townsend's "The Fifty Project", Donut Media's car videos, the occasional Danny Macaskill video, and various concert footage are the only things I find enjoyable on Youtube.

I also have no patience for taking photos/videos while I'm enjoying the outdoors, much less patience for editting afterwards.

I bought a GoPro to take on a ski trip to AK years ago. After I got back my wife thought she might want to use it to video our MTB rides. We immediately realized that, if we were pedaling, the footage was going to bore us to tears. The camera has been in a drawer ever since.


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## sprinklesmtb (10 mo ago)

.WestCoastHucker. said:


> i have no desire to watch people ride instead of actually going out and riding. zero....


But talking on internet forms about people watching videos of people riding... 😉


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I have little to no interest in watching YouTube. This week I checked a how-to video on replacing my son's alternator on his car to determine if we want to mess with it or not, but those occasional checks are about it. I don't watch any MTB content. A big part of the fun of riding a new trail for me is the surprise factor, so I don't want a preview. I ride old stuff, so product reviews don't interest me. My technique gets me where I'm going, so I don't care about instructional videos.

I have very little patience for watching much of anything. A couple of my vendors communicate with video emails, and I rarely even open them. I avoid videos on most social media channels. My GoPro cameras are used primarily to record video from which I can pull screen grabs.

Edit to add: I am 56 and have been mountain biking since 1985.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I learned how to fix my bathtub recently by watching YouTube… So that’s a plus.

I learned enough tips to become okay at installing Cush Core.


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## rdawson808 (Oct 19, 2015)

Nat said:


> I learned how to fix my bathtub recently by watching YouTube… So that’s a plus.


I watched a "simple" plumbing one the other day that taught me I should just call a plumber.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

sprinklesmtb said:


> But talking on internet forms about people watching videos of people riding... 😉


TOTALLY DIFFERENT!


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

sprinklesmtb said:


> But talking on internet forms about people watching videos of people riding... 😉


talking nonsense and getting people bothered is fun, watching videos is boring...


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## ballisticexchris (Jun 14, 2016)

Nat said:


> I learned how to fix my bathtub recently by watching YouTube… So that’s a plus.
> 
> I learned enough tips to become okay at installing Cush Core.


Watch and experience a few Bib Mousse installs. The Cushcore is a breeze compared to those.


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

The demographic that watches my content most are the sub 45 year olds.
The majority of (non pro) MTB creators, at least from what I see, are also in that age range.

What I don't see are many 50+ riders creating content. Based on this thread alone, gearing my channel toward the 50+ crowd would be a huge mistake, lol!!

I don't expect to ever make a living on YT but I do enjoy the process and creative outlet. I have definitely made several real stinkers that I cringe when I re-watch, but some of them allow me to relive some really cool moments. Maybe my eventual grand kids will enjoy them


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## chiefsilverback (Dec 20, 2019)

I once tried to film a small DIY project to turn into a YT video and I don't think people realise how much time it takes until you try, so props to anyone who can create anything approaching half decent.

I do enjoy some MTB YT content, GMBN can have some fun stuff and whilst they often repeat the "6 essential tools" type content or "which is faster X or Y", they do have some good 'epic ride' type videos.

If you have a spare 3 minutes I think this is an epic bit of riding footage:


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## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

like others, watched a few and got really bored with it. I have a few channels I watch occasionally, but Like @Nat said, they need to hook me in about 5 seconds. I do like scouting trails, or if a YTer rides the trails I normally ride, which isn't often, I like to get their take. Most of my youtube watching is mindless dribble. I do like a few aviation channels as I am trying to learn how to fly, but instructional stuff. I guess that goes for mtb stuff too. That said, as much as I hate racing I do like Syd and Mackey, Berm peak is fun occasionally and I liked Lee McCormacks stuff when he puts it out.

I too have a barely used GoPro and a big editing machine too, but takes way more patience and time than I have right now. Like others, I'd just as soon ride.


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## J-Bone (Aug 26, 2008)

I like the videos if they are well done.

I dont care about your gear. Do a gear video separate from trail video. 

I hate it when people are in amazing areas but the camera is facing them. I am not interested in the side of your head or nose hairs I wanna see the environment. 

I watch offloading content as well. When the host talks about tires and shock choices instead of showing the wheeling I move on.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

SoDakSooner said:


> they need to hook me in about 5 seconds.


You know what's kind of terrible? I think I've lost the attention span for even YouTube. I'm down to Instagram levels now. 😕


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Nat said:


> I learned how to fix my bathtub recently by watching YouTube… So that’s a plus.
> 
> I learned enough tips to become okay at installing Cush Core.


I've saved tons of money watching YT how toos. The most recent was the washing machine. It wouldn't drain so I opened the laptop and diagnosed it as a faulty lid switch. Called the repair dude and he quoted me $200. I then watched a video and figured I could do it myself. Total cost was $9 for the switch. The look on my wife's face seeing the washer completely torn apart was priceless.


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## Blue Dot Trail (May 30, 2018)

Only a very small percentage of “content” is worth watching. Just because everybody can buy a gopro doesn’t mean they should be uploading it (Myself included).


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

milehi said:


> I've saved tons of money watching YT how toos. The most recent was the washing machine. It wouldn't drain so I opened the laptop and diagnosed it as a faulty lid switch. Called the repair dude and he quoted me $200. I then watched a video and figured I could do it myself. Total cost was $9 for the switch. The look on my wife's face seeing the washer completely torn apart was priceless.


yeah, but I'm really done with trying to pause the video, then start playback again, hope it doesn't start over from the beginning, fast-forward until it catches up with my progress, realize I went too far and trying to back up a little bit resulted in the video restarting from the beginning again, and so on and so forth on my phone while I'm in the garage or with my body contorted whatever way while I'm working on a vehicle.

the phone interface is a big part of the problem, true, but a huge amount of how-to content doesn't need a video. Or, doesn't need to be jammed into a single video - important steps could use videos where needed.

a LOT of how-to content is better managed mid-job with photos, diagrams, and text so I can take as long as I need on whatever step it is before moving to the next one and picking up right where I left off.

criticisms of youtube content I dislike aside, I'm having fun running a livestream for my owl box right now. compared to other types of YT content, it's pretty low-effort to manage it.



https://www.youtube.com/@smorgasbird/



I like music content. I like goofy DIY project content like Mark Rober and others.


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

Blue Dot Trail said:


> Only a very small percentage of “content” is worth watching. Just because everybody can buy a gopro doesn’t mean they should be uploading it (Myself included).


I don't disagree. That said, I'm amazed at some channels, i.e. the crappy ones by my own opinion, ability to gain a crazy subscriber count, and much more importantly, tons of VIEWS.
The idea of what is "worth watching" is massively subjective.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

When it comes to how-to videos, the old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” can extend into “a video is worth a thousand pictures” but unnecessarily long how-to videos suck. Lots of them could easily be condensed into a fraction of what they are. By the time I’ve searched for whatever video I need I really don’t need any explanation of what got me to that point because I’ve already lived it.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

As few things are cool to watch though generally I don't pay much attention...

Sent from my KB2005 using Tapatalk


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Blue Dot Trail said:


> Only a very small percentage of “content” is worth watching. Just because everybody can buy a gopro doesn’t mean they should be uploading it (Myself included).


Agreed. I’ll be the first to admit that my channel sucks. I have it solely because I want a place to store my videos instead of on my own hard drive.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

I'm Dave said:


> I've had a YT channel for the past few years, and it has been somewhat fun to create stuff that people enjoyed and sometimes found useful. I've even made a little money from doing it.
> For the past several months though I've gotten really bored of _almost_ every MTB Channel out there, including my own.
> There's only so much one can do to be original and POV footage, while once really sick, is now mundane.
> 
> ...


I can't stand it tbh, and it's even worse since the Pandemic started. I hate people pointing me to "influencers" and how-to videos out there when I ask them a simple question.

It's all played out, and it feels full of nothing but arrogance. I don't care how good of a rider you are, but I'm not going to be excited to watch you if you're going to constantly sing your own praises. Engage me, don't sound like Johnny Bravo ("Enough about you, kid, let's talk about me.").

Full disclosure: been MTBing since 1991, and I'm still learning. So many YT folks sound like they're speaking down and not relatable, and that doesn't help--even if I put myself in myself's 20 something year old shoes.


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## mohrgan (Sep 12, 2013)

Watching action videos is like watching porn. You can only do it for so long before you want to jump in on the action...


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## borasam (Dec 12, 2006)

I'm Dave said:


> I've had a YT channel for the past few years, and it has been somewhat fun to create stuff that people enjoyed and sometimes found useful. I've even made a little money from doing it.
> For the past several months though I've gotten really bored of _almost_ every MTB Channel out there, including my own.
> There's only so much one can do to be original and POV footage, while once really sick, is now mundane.
> 
> ...





I'm Dave said:


> I've had a YT channel for the past few years, and it has been somewhat fun to create stuff that people enjoyed and sometimes found useful. I've even made a little money from doing it.
> For the past several months though I've gotten really bored of _almost_ every MTB Channel out there, including my own.
> There's only so much one can do to be original and POV footage, while once really sick, is now mundane.
> 
> ...


I am over 60, I don't need advice on that. However, if you start a YouTube channel for old gizzards, do one on winter fat bike riding


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## Noplacelikeloam (Mar 2, 2021)

Majority of them are just a vanity project for themselves. Then they realize they aren't 50% of what the pros can do and give up. Or worse, they keep going! Ha!

I'll only watch it if Im getting something out of it every 15 seconds or so. If not, Im out. Got stuff to do.

If you are shooting a trail POV. State the date you shot it (because features change) and maybe take the time to breakdown features, so alternative views etc, so riders can use it to see what the trail is really like before they head out.

So keep it interesting, quirky, informative, objective and lead in with strong content in the first few secs.


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

I've found a lot of value in little ways, and in different ways.

Some of the tutorial videos on setting up, say, limit screws on real derailleurs are far, far better than any method the manufacturers have put out.

Gear reviews also - the text and video put out by makers is generally awful - slick, over-produced, lots loud music and tiny pictures of the pack spinning in space. I get 20x the value with some dude in a poorly-lit living room with tinny sound flipping the thing around and showing all the pockets and straps in close-up, and talking about what he likes and dislikes.

Bikepacking gear review videos also showed me that some of the most trendy products right now just don't appeal to me at all, because problems with them that the reviewer (or company) glossed over are exactly the kind of thing that drive me up the fucking wall. That's info I'd never have gotten otherwise.

As far as races and POV videos, I tend to find a niche I like, consume everything I can find, then run out of new stuff to watch. That says more about me than it does YouTube.

And, finally, when I was much younger I used to live on a coastal desert, and now I'm in a place covered in snow. I watch some videos of where I used to live for nostalgia. And, oh man, as beautiful as it is here, sometimes I ache for what I used to have, and those video let me re-live those times in a sentimental way.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I pretty much stopped watching all of them. They no longer come up on my Youtube home page.


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## natas1321 (Nov 4, 2017)

I'll watch some tutorial videos but other than that nothing else really. 

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk


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## rtsideup (Mar 21, 2012)

slapheadmofo said:


> Regular riders on regular trails = boring as hell video.
> Even worse when it's POV.


This! 
Work gave me a Go-Pro, I used it once biking, once skiing. Realized in short order that no one wants to see this ****; not my GF, not my kid, not even me. Never used it again.


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## rtsideup (Mar 21, 2012)

The best use for YT videos for me is the mech related stuff. Whenever I get a new bike I upload all of the YT and other tech related videos that pertain to my bike into a folder. I also order all ness. tools and fluids. This way I'm not blindsided when **** goes sideways.


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

rtsideup said:


> This!
> Work gave me a Go-Pro, I used it once biking, once skiing. Realized in short order that no one wants to see this ****; not my GF, not my kid, not even me. Never used it again.


To be fair, no one would expect a great video on only two tries.
Not that I feel I've done anything so perfect or have it all down,not at all, but my continued efforts have brought a lot of improvement since the beginning.


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## mcarter76 (Jun 3, 2017)

I'm a pretty frequent YouTube watcher, but no channel of my own or plans to start one. 😁 

Variety is the spice of life, so I think the more YouTubers the merrier. It can be hard to find good content, and I'm always searching for more, whether it's bike reviews, instructional content or FPV videos of new trails. There are days (usually on the weekend) where I'll spend hours catching up with my favorite channels and I find it to be a lot more engaging than binge watching series on Netflix or Hulu etc. It also helps me to get stoked about riding or to be able to watch others riding when the weather is bad.


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## rtsideup (Mar 21, 2012)

I'm Dave said:


> To be fair, no one would expect a great video on only two tries.
> Not that I feel I've done anything so perfect or have it all down,not at all, but my continued efforts have brought a lot of improvement since the beginning.


I was never looking for YT or IG fame, just thinking that it'd be cool to show the friends and family what happened when I left the house.


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## CRM6 (Apr 7, 2021)

I live in Asheville NC and run into the local YouTube guys often. Seth and Neko are the only one's I follow any more. Seth is really struggling for content and Neko is hitting home runs with the development of his own race bike. I find the process very interesting.


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

I like hearing the tires on the terrain, and the heavy breathing....any music and I'm gone....Watching MTBing vids without sound is like going to a music venue without the music...


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## ToddWadd (Dec 11, 2020)

Im older mid 50’s but newer to MTB last 2 years, wife and I take bike destination trips. I absolutely love YT diy info, when we moved to Florida in the early 90’s I had to use the library constantly to fix everything from cars to household problems. Haynes Manuals saved me a lot of money and I learned a lot that has correlated to tools and where and what is essential, even how to learn. So learning from my own house is amazing! Had a heart attack, so started biking and living healthier and went full bore onto the YT MTB info and trail riding 2 years ago. Kinda burnt but still love researching trails and places to go, I’ve noticed content getting boring and others starting to shill more and more products it’s inevitable. I read about the camera and tech reviewer who bikes and how he lives to create content, no thanks, but I appreciate the time and effort. I use it as a tool to maximize my time. And my needs constantly change. But where to content creators go, who knows it’s a whole new world. Hopeful I don’t repeat old mistakes, but if we knew what we were doing it would be research haha
I’ve got a few videos but haven’t learned how to edit anything worth watching, and I prefer to be the only one watching them, or I use them to keep relatives from just dropping in!


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## weeksy950 (Jan 11, 2012)

vegen said:


> I will watch videos of trails I'm going to ride for the first time. I'm not sure how useful it is though. I like some of the stuff Nate Hills films, primarily because he's a way better rider than I ever will be. But Pinkbike Friday Fails is the only thing I watch regularly.


Your first and last for me... Trails i'm going to, e.g this weekend is Dyfi Bike Park, so i've watched a couple. Friday fails is another.
Lastly for me is "how do you fix....." when i get something i've not repaired before... this is a lot less common though as i've had a fix at most things now, but sometimes like a few weeks ago when i bought a rear mech alignment tool, you need to just confirm you're doing it right.


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## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

I keep seeing ads pop up for these cameras that allow you to look inside your ear. Maybe try incorporating some of those views into your videos?


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## Gumby_rider (Apr 18, 2017)

I watch a lot of DIY and nerdy related videos.


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

Like any new activity, I watched the hell out of MTB videos for the first couple years. But they get boring after a while. Now I just watch reviews or repair videos when necessary.


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## louiesquared (6 mo ago)

Most POV footage bores me. I prefer channels that focus on trail building or bike maintenance and restorations. I also watch bike and product reviews.


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## CO-Clyde (Jan 30, 2010)

I’m over 50… not sure how many of the responses actually are. Most of the channels have now become too much about extremes for me. When Singletrack Sampler, BKXC, etc first started, they were “normal folks” trying to get better and exploring the nation/world… that doesn’t really exist any longer. it was bound to happen though…

I like seeing new trails from all over… Roaming50 is still a channel I watch every time he posts. BTW, I’m the same way with golf channels… I watch more folks going to new courses than I do anything else…

hope that helps…


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## TheInfiniteRoller (May 12, 2014)

At age 53, I'm still pretty obsessed with all things mountain bike, so yeah, I watch a lot of videos. I'm in SoCal and subscribe to many local riders' channels. I find both enjoyment and something of value in watching videos of riders hitting the exact same trails that I do. Doesn't matter the skill level. I can learn something from anyone. Maybe there will be a challenging, techy section on a trail I know well and it's interesting to me to see how another rider handles it or what line(s) they will choose.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

Go watch some Old Shovel videos.


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## Dunnigan (9 mo ago)

A good repair how-to video is nice. I’m sure those are a ton of work to do.

I also watch trail videos when I’m on the trainer. For those I’d rather have a variety of climbing and descending—descending the whole enchilada is cool, but not necessarily a fit with an endurance workout on the trainer. Also, for these, I don’t need to see the rider’s face or hear him talk, and I don’t want the camera facing another rider’s butt the whole time. there are a couple beautiful hiking pov videos in cool places, but even sped up in the player they feel too slow.


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## LarryMagoo (Jan 13, 2022)

I like YT and really enjoy being able to find out how repair things. I do enjoy some Mt Bike vids from a couple of Pro racers. I also enjoy (though I do not participate in) watching Bike Packing vids. My favorite dude is Ryan van Duzer. He travels all around the globe, riding his his Priority 600X with a 600% internal gearbox that is sealed against the elements and a notched belt drive. His videos are not about Mt Bikes but his adventures he's always going on. Then there are the Mechanical videos where show their talents building all kinds of crazy things...if I have the time, I could watch these for hours.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

mohrgan said:


> Watching action videos is like watching porn. You can only do it for so long before you want to jump in on the action...


At least with those, you can watch AND participate (or so I'm told). Not sure how well that'd go with MTB content.


Scott O said:


> I keep seeing ads pop up for these cameras that allow you to look inside your ear. Maybe try incorporating some of those views into your videos?


I don't know how this may or may not relate to the above content, but...action!


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## cosgti (Jun 14, 2006)

Not in the 50+ crowd but have been riding bikes since it was considered ‘weird’ and definitely not cool. I have mixed feelings about YT and social media in general. I think some of the ‘how-to’ videos are great for new riders and experienced riders.
But I think some of the POV videos showing full trail rides tends to erode the sense of adventure that drew some of us to mountain biking to begin with. I much prefer to get on a trail and be surprised by the scenery or aspects of the trail. Watching a trail ahead of time of YT a really ruins it for me, personally.


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## BethZ (9 mo ago)

I'm Dave said:


> I've had a YT channel for the past few years, and it has been somewhat fun to create stuff that people enjoyed and sometimes found useful. I've even made a little money from doing it.
> For the past several months though I've gotten really bored of _almost_ every MTB Channel out there, including my own.
> There's only so much one can do to be original and POV footage, while once really sick, is now mundane.
> 
> ...


I find YouTube MTB videos and tech review’s extremely informative. They’re entertaining to watch as well. I’ve learned things like how to improve your riding skills and what gear is out there. UouTube also brings a sense of community.


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## TiJoe (7 mo ago)

As part of the over 60 crowd, this forum already wastes too much of my time. I have absolutely no interest in MTB videos, or YouTube,


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

TiJoe said:


> As part of the over 60 crowd, this forum already wastes too much of my time. I have absolutely no interest in MTB videos, or YouTube,


I figured that one reason so many people on this forum are "older" is because we have more free time.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

If anything, I watch and follow some of the professionally made content (ex. Rapha, Specialized) because I find it much more engaging, motivating and entertaining that the typical DIY stuff where I'm staring at the cockpit of the bike.

I tend to watch mostly gravel and training vids for that matter, such as Dylan Johnson's work.


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## ToddWadd (Dec 11, 2020)

The Ads in some are mandatory and you have to wait to click SKIP, then another ad comes up! 
This online generation has skipped some checks and balances that advertisers had to follow, that are pretty annoying and had been solved.


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## nobody special (Jun 21, 2019)

I'm 51, we have a channel and we watch a lot of youtube. I got married late in life and have young kids (12 and 10), and we cut all the cords many years back, so youtube has a large variety of stuff we and kids are interested in. Our channel is mostly just doing things with kids, but mostly it ends up being me following my 12YO son down trails with the camera. We don't put a lot of effort into production, we just cut out the boring-est parts.  My 10YO daughter has her own channel but mostly it is short videos of our cats, she has two subscribers, me and my wife.  We have no grand delusions of fame, we are just having fun, and letting the kids do something with the camera to get electronics time is better than video games on ipad. I love MTB tires and plan to do more tire videos, but honestly its a lot of work, so making those videos is few and far between.

Mostly I watch MTB videos of local people I know or semi-locals who ride the south eastern bike parks or western NC trails. I've stopped watching the influencers who are always advertising their sponsors. If I see "thanks to *____* for sponsoring this video" normally I'm done. I do like POV video still of the crazy stuff, I'll watch nearly every Megavalanche Alps de Huez video after each race each year, even the guys who are really slow, unless the video quality is terrible or if there is music. I've probably watched 500 of those videos in the last 5 years, and for me they never get boring, even though they are all pretty much the same.

However, I am tired of the influencers and their sponsor agenda, I am tired of seeing peoples faces in videos for huge amounts of time while they ramble about inane crap, I am tired of the long intros, I am tired of the "look at me I suck at this even more than you" type of videos, I am tired of all the recommendations to watch the popular influencers talk about basic concepts, etc.

However, its free, and normally you get what you pay for.


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## jvbutter (Aug 3, 2015)

I'm Dave said:


> Anyways, I was wondering what the older 50 plus crew think about MTB YouTube content and if you find it beneficial.


Being in the PNW, its great to watch and dream when its 30 and rainy / windy outside. Yes I understand how much work it can be. I use to video all my rides, i would then sit and compile them to a good vid to watch. Mostly the funny things. It takes some work. Yes I'm a member of the 50+ club


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

I love Youtube. It's my primary TV viewing, both videos and Youtube TV (which I subscribe to instead of cable).

As far as MTB on YT? I follow several channels, but really have ZERO interest in the bro-culture POV videos, blowing up yet another location, with one rider following another down a trail, hot-dogging the whole way, hooting and hollering. Does anyone actually ride like that?

Lately, I've been getting into longer feature film style bike videos, and stuff following people's multi-day adventure rides. Lachlan Morten doing the Tour de France solo and unsupported, Tour Divide riders, stuff like that. Also follow Berm Peak, Cobra Kyle, and some "alt" cycling channels like Spindat, and PathLessTraveled.

So, I'm not too old for YT, and haven't grown board with it. Lots of inspirational content on there. I have a channel of my own, but it's mostly just POV car related stuff, and I'm sure it's all terribly boring for anyone who finds it. I just post them for my own use. I'd love to figure out how to produce some higher quality stuff like the videos I watch, but don't know that I really want to take the time. From what I've gathered, it's a ton of work.

.


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## Muggsly (Nov 9, 2005)

I record my rides but never post them and I do it so I can show friends and family what we did over the weekend while trying to explain the gopro effect and I SWEAR THIS TRAIL IS WAY STEEPER/HARDER/SCARIER. 

I used to watch a ton of MTB vids on YT but honestly I do get bored with them and I find that I only tend to watch to scope out new areas I haven't been. But watching the 9000000 person ride in Arkansas or WestNC or wherever doesn't do it for me.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Scott O said:


> I keep seeing ads pop up for these cameras that allow you to look inside your ear. Maybe try incorporating some of those views into your videos?


They didn't say "ear" they said "rear"!


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

Nat said:


> I figured that one reason so many people on this forum are "older" is because we have more free time.


Or we have a desk job and just want to waste away work hours. 😎


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

GKelley said:


> Or we have a desk job and just want to waste away work hours. 😎


You’re not retired?


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

Nat said:


> You’re not retired?


Only 45. I'll probably never be able to retire.


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## Cary (Dec 29, 2003)

I tend to watch product comparisons/reviews, but prefer those by people like Straight Line Mountain Bike, or Dustin Johnson, who are purchasing their own stuff and giving their own opinions. I am sorry, but when someone claims they are not biased because they are not, but they have received 5 bikes from the manufacturer in 2 years, I want to puke in my mouth a little. I also hate “influencer”, they remind me of a consultant, but with even less value added.


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## DMFT (Dec 31, 2003)

I'm Dave said:


> I've had a YT channel for the past few years, and it has been somewhat fun to create stuff that people enjoyed and sometimes found useful. I've even made a little money from doing it.
> For the past several months though I've gotten really bored of _almost_ every MTB Channel out there, including my own.
> There's only so much one can do to be original and POV footage, while once really sick, is now mundane.
> 
> ...



-I appreciate how much work it is for all of the contributors from filming thru editing. It' a LOT of work. Thank you!!
Personally, I find the videos useful for researching an area I've never ridden for 1) figuring out if I want to go there and 2) get an idea of the trail-type in the area.


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## Neuner (Feb 14, 2005)

My teenage son has really gotten into MTB and dumped all of his money into a build about a year ago. I only really watch Friday Fails, Sunday Saves, and Sam Pilgrim with him. Other than that, they've all turned into lame-local or Red Bull over-the-top.

Other than that, there are a lot of trails / ranches around us that we'd like to explore but they're several hours out. We'll fast forward through some vids of the trails to determine if we should give it a shot before potentially making a very time consuming mistake.

Have made a couple of vids but only for the intent of our family's enjoyment like others noted. Maybe they'll watch them later in life and remember the fun we had like my son + I's day at Spider Mountain for my 50th. 

I don't know how anyone could expect to make money off of this type of hobby. It'd have to be a full time job.


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## yzedf (Apr 22, 2014)

Cary said:


> I tend to watch product comparisons/reviews, but prefer those by people like Straight Line Mountain Bike, or Dustin Johnson, who are purchasing their own stuff and giving their own opinions. I am sorry, but when someone claims they are not biased because they are not, but they have received 5 bikes from the manufacturer in 2 years, I want to puke in my mouth a little. I also hate “influencer”, they remind me of a consultant, but with even less value added.


Dustin has to be the most click bait titled tire review guy ever.


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## EchoTony (Nov 18, 2020)

I'm 52 and watch YT videos. We don't have cable. So my viewing entertainment is streaming based. 
I continue to watch a a good mix of MTB related content on YT. Sometimes it is a new (to me) content creator but more often it is from one of the many channels I subscribe. I like watching some people more than others. But I still find enjoyable content in the mix of what is out there.
I like Seth and how he works. I wasn't very enthused about the "Flip Bike" content, but he makes most stuff watchable, so still entertaining. I still think BCPOV (Eric) does a good job of telling a good story and has enough mix of POV and other content to make his channel worth watching. His wife Yuka is pretty good too and since my wife is Japanese, she will sit down and watch some of that with me.
Nate Hill continues to amaze me with his riding and those he follows. I save up his rides for indoor training sessions. I used to like Bobo for POV and as story teller, but now he is trying to be something else that I don't find as engaging. I think Kyle and April do a good job of teaching technique and making me a better rider. I am looking to fix my bad habits and improve my riding. So I like that content as well.
GMBN has its moments and I do like their "presenters," but the content is a bit too simple to watch on any regular basis. Tommy Huynh has a potty mouth and that makes my kids laugh, so we watch that together from time to time (pissing off my wife). He and his crew are reckless and thus fun to watch - also good for finding new trails in So Cal where I live. I also am finding Eric Porter's channel fun as he brings his kids and wife along, something I would like to see more of with my family. 
I'm now into trail building and repairs. I now search for that content, but it's limited compaired to POV content.


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

EchoTony said:


> I'm now into trail building and repairs. I now search for that content, but it's limited compaired to POV content.


My full time job is a trail builder. I've heavily considered making that the main focus but have yet to attempt to try it in any real way.


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## TheInfiniteRoller (May 12, 2014)

EchoTony said:


> I'm 52 and watch YT videos. We don't have cable. So my viewing entertainment is streaming based.
> I continue to watch a a good mix of MTB related content on YT. Sometimes it is a new (to me) content creator but more often it is from one of the many channels I subscribe. I like watching some people more than others. But I still find enjoyable content in the mix of what is out there.
> I like Seth and how he works. I wasn't very enthused about the "Flip Bike" content, but he makes most stuff watchable, so still entertaining. I still think BCPOV (Eric) does a good job of telling a good story and has enough mix of POV and other content to make his channel worth watching. His wife Yuka is pretty good too and since my wife is Japanese, she will sit down and watch some of that with me.
> Nate Hill continues to amaze me with his riding and those he follows. I save up his rides for indoor training sessions. I used to like Bobo for POV and as story teller, but now he is trying to be something else that I don't find as engaging. I think Kyle and April do a good job of teaching technique and making me a better rider. I am looking to fix my bad habits and improve my riding. So I like that content as well.
> ...


Tommy Huynh's channel is super entertaining. Probably my favorite MTB Youtuber. I'm biased because he's local and rides a lot of the trails that I am familiar with but honestly, I don't know how he does it. He's a family man, works all the time, owns a restaurant and consistently uploads great, action packed MTB videos. Doubt he's making much money, if any at all from Youtube. It must be extremely time consuming to edit and upload all that footage.


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

My two favorite channels have been _Van Girl Yuka_ and _Matt Sucks at Everything_. Both are channels by individuals who are learning to MTB, and are quite candid about their experiences. Unfortunately Matt stopped posting a couple of years ago, so he may have sucked a little too much at something. Yuka had a bad accident at Sun Peaks this year so her output has been reduced as well. Hmm, is there a pattern here?

I watch specific videos on specific subjects when I feel the need to look something up--like how-to's and such--and I'll randomly watch MTB-related vids if they come across my home screen, but I don't think I regularly follow anyone else.


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

I'm Dave said:


> My full time job is a trail builder. I've heavily considered making that the main focus but have yet to attempt to try it in any real way.


Phil Metz built an entire loop on his property and it was very interesting. Seth did Berm Peak. Enough people seem to have been interested.


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

DennisT said:


> Phil Metz built an entire loop on his property and it was very interesting. Seth did Berm Peak. Enough people seem to have been interested.


We're about to start a new project that should appeal to many. Jumps, berms, flow, etc. (Be nice, I know some are tired of those trails, but you do what the customer pays for)!
I might give it a try to see how well its received.


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## Cary (Dec 29, 2003)

TheInfiniteRoller said:


> Tommy Huynh's channel is super entertaining. Probably my favorite MTB Youtuber. I'm biased because he's local and rides a lot of the trails that I am familiar with but honestly, I don't know how he does it. He's a family man, works all the time, owns a restaurant and consistently uploads great, action packed MTB videos. Doubt he's making much money, if any at all from Youtube. It must be extremely time consuming to edit and upload all that footage.


I give Tommy Huynh a 7/10 for riding skills and a 15/10 for balls. He will wipe out big time, hop back on and do it again. I would be crawling away.


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## Riled (May 1, 2012)

I think there's a lack of creativity in general on YouTube, and the business model discourages some important content. There is a formula that almost everyone finds and sticks to, which is probably what's needed for views, but it results in bland, too-similar content. For MTB content in particular, I think there's a bunch of topics that are being overlooked (or maybe the algorithm just hasn't served it up to me?). Frustratingly, many of these topics are low-hanging fruit and no-one is touching them.

For example, I have an impression that there is a general lack of gear reviews, so I picked something new from a big name (Wolftooth Resolve Dropper post) and searched Youtube. Results: 5 videos from Wolftooth, 4 videos from small channels. By small I mean 267 views, 534, 60, and 3.3K views. I've heard enough about the Wolftooth drooper that I know there are things to talk about (self-bleeding, shortest stack height ever, WolfTooth's repairability principles, ability to service without having to bleed it, etc.). I'm not in the market for new dropper, but if I was, YouTube would not serve me well in this case. I wonder if the larger channels are not covering things like this because they are not getting paid or sponsored by the particular manufacturer--Wolftooth in this case? Sure, larger channels may mention it in a summary type video, I'm guessing, but no one with an audience is digging in with a dedicated video. This is just one component, and it's from a major manufacturer. Imagine what else is out there from small companies that you would probably never hear of on YouTube.

Finally, I would point to the lack of interesting content on things that are hotly debated. Just look through these forums and see what people argue about over and over, then try to find much good coverage on YouTube. It's hit or miss: E-bikes controversy -yes (but not much by larger channels!); Integrated cable routing - nope not really.

I don't know myself, but I have heard it said that Moto YouTube coverage is a lot more interesting, creative, and in-depth. The statement was made in the context of how bad MTB coverage is and why other industries seem to have figured it out. I know I have stumbled on one guy's channel in the past that does really in-depth analysis of smaller aspects of Moto like what motor oil is best of like 12 different ones, or how countersteering works. I watched a good bit of his stuff because it was interesting, even though it was not directly applicable to MTB.

Disclaimer: I know this is a small sample size based on my general impressions. It's totally possible I just haven't found or been served the content by the algorithm.


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## Tallboy723 (4 mo ago)

I love the “how too” “DIY” vids. They come in handy quite a bit. I’ve done so much of my own stuff with these vids. So I applaud anyone who produces a HTV DIY video. I have the tools and the know how, but the vids take out any of the guess work. 
As for doing vids of my own, I have no interest in my older age. When I was younger I had a helmet cam I’d video rides and give the tape to another rider who did the editing and production. Lately I’ve tuned in to MTB vids just to see the location of the rides and to see if I’d be interested in the trail. Doesn’t matter too much the rider strength, but I can see how these vids may be boring for some.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

I find diy instructional videos very helpful. Just used one 2 days ago to see how to replace the cage on an XT RD. Nice to see the whole process before digging in.

I will use go-pro footage to get an idea of what trails are like that I have not been to. In this case I actually prefer a low-production value upload to a polished production. I’m not looking to be entertained, I just want the unvarnished record.

I like some videos from an entertainment point of view though. I appreciate some that capture the vibe of the sport I like, and also seeing people get creative on natural terrain and feature.

Unfortunately, the bro culture in 95% of them really turns me off. Or they are some version of “_we saw this amazing terrain, so we brought in an excavator and cut a flow trail / jump line through it just like every other flow trail in every other video_”. Or “_watch me tear the $h!t out of this trail so I can sling dirt at the trail-side cam_”. 

Reviews: I find them mostly useless and a time suck. I much prefer reading reviews. For one thing, it is easier to skim the content. And there is almost never anything about a product review that needs video. Also, writing a review takes more time and I think tends to filter out lazy reviewers.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

_CJ said:


> Lately, I've been getting into longer feature film style bike videos, and stuff following people's multi-day adventure rides. * Lachlan Morten *doing the Tour de France solo and unsupported, Tour Divide riders, stuff like that.


I'm a fan of his. The Rapha/EF Education clips are top notch and I find them to be very motivating. I just finished this one the other day....


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

When I started MTBing ~'90, I was so excited to tell people what we were doing. They could not understand what I was talking about. So I built a helmet cam, with a Sharp ViewCam in my backpack, a lipstick tube camera on my helmet, and a clip-on mic with a foamy on it. I tried all kinds of camera angles, follow-cam, backwards cam - in an effort to convey how much fun we were having... I usually cut about 99% of all the footage. We could have a great 3 hour ride, and I could haul along all the batteries and tapes to record the whole thing, but there was usually only about 6 seconds out of the entire ride that actually looked like anything (The GoPro effect was evident long before the GoPro).
"Oh look, a tree" my Dad used to say. "And another one..."
I got it. Very few people want to see it. For nostalgia's sake, I still have them and watch them now and again.

Nowadays, if I bother to get out a camera, it is for a very specific seasonal or locational feature, or an event where I know I will get riders in action by following or leading, depending on the camera set-up. Other than that, getting video is too intrusive to my riding.

I don't subscribe to any particular channel. I like to watch footage of trails I will never ride (WCDH!!), or unique conditions like crust riding. The good ones put me in the driver's seat. The bad ones are unwatchable.

Gear and bike reviews, no matter how reputable/authoritative/well done, always seem to fall flat with me.

Most channels, despite obvious hard work, only hold periodic appeal. I have never stuck with one channel, although I probably circle back to PinkBike more frequently than others.

-F


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

chiefsilverback said:


> I once tried to film a small DIY project to turn into a YT video and I don't think people realise how much time it takes until you try, so props to anyone who can create anything approaching half decent.
> 
> I do enjoy some MTB YT content, GMBN can have some fun stuff and whilst they often repeat the "6 essential tools" type content or "which is faster X or Y", they do have some good 'epic ride' type videos.
> 
> If you have a spare 3 minutes I think this is an epic bit of riding footage:


That's really cool and fun to watch, but if you hadn't cued it up for me I never would've made it to that point in the vid. (call me Mr. Shortattentionspan)

-F


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## Onemove (Dec 7, 2021)

I watch an unhealthy amount of YouTube. This is where I watch the recaps of the Tour de France, Red Bull stuff, Crit racing and Other UCI races. I used to watch the GoPro videos. But those did get old. I still watch Seth, Dustin Klein and pathless pedal religiously. And why do I keep watching these? I think they have good production value, they're charming, and they provide good information. So, I can't complain when they say this video is brought to you by. I'm sure to make these videos. It's a full-time job. And I'm sure they're making a lot more money than one might think, but, I digress. My point being to get good quality stuff sponsorship is part of the equation....or so I assume.

And yes, i'm 51.


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## benlorenzo (May 14, 2006)

no I don't watch you tube MTN vids except for the races down the entire mountain LOL


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

FWIW, I have often started off my vids with something like "Hello, and welcome back to the channel"...It can be hard not to, lol. Most if not all of my latest videos start off with riding and I try to save the majority of talk stuff till the end, if I include any at all.
While I do use affiliate links, I do my best NOT to plug them in every video. Links like those help make a very small amount of money and don't cost anyone anything extra, so I'm ok with them.
Sponsorships. Yeah, I get why people have and desire them but I'm actually very glad that I don't have any. I pay for my stuff just like everyone else and the few review videos I've done are without sponsor bias.


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## 16HH (Feb 21, 2021)

Getting back into MTB during Covid I found YT was invaluable for how to installation and maintenance. Also hearing reviews and commentary from non-pro riders to weed through all the catch words in the industry. .


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## LarryMagoo (Jan 13, 2022)

I've been riding since the mid 80's and have discovered a couple channels I like to watch. POV is nothing new as almost everyone now runs a GoPro. However I find what makes it interesting or not is the personality and character of the channels creator. I follow a married couple who race professionally all around the world...Syd & Macky...They are an interesting pair and Syd has her own Repair video's. One other I follow is Ryan Van Duzer....he does not race but does Bikepacking vids all around the globe. Back in 2005, he served in the Peace Corp in Honduras. After 2 years, he decided the only way he could transition back to his normal life in Boulder, CO was to Ride home! 4,000 miles! It took him 3 months to do it and the ebbs and flows of that journey was a damn good tale. He also wrote a book about it called the Long Way Home. Everyone told him it was a crazy idea , but he and a buddy named Jeff created quite a story that spans from being robbed at Machete point to having Bot Flies lay eggs in his shoulder!! Yuck.... I'm also a mechanical junkie and love the different creations people come up with to build or create things and creativity is simple incredible! Then don't even get me started on the EMBN & GMBN channels, a collection of United Kingdom blokes who talk about all different aspects of riding and races they attend all over the world as well...they are a pretty funny lot of characters!!


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

LarryMagoo said:


> I've been riding since the mid 80's and have discovered a couple channels I like to watch. POV is nothing new as almost everyone now runs a GoPro. However I find what makes it interesting or not is the personality and character of the channels creator. I follow a married couple who race professionally all around the world...Syd & Macky...They are an interesting pair and Syd has her own Repair video's. One other I follow is Ryan Van Duzer....he does not race but does Bikepacking vids all around the globe. Back in 2005, he served in the Peace Corp in Honduras. After 2 years, he decided the only way he could transition back to his normal life in Boulder, CO was to Ride home! 4,000 miles! It took him 3 months to do it and the ebbs and flows of that journey was a damn good tale. He also wrote a book about it called the Long Way Home. Everyone told him it was a crazy idea , but he and a buddy named Jeff created quite a story that spans from being robbed at Machete point to having Bot Flies lay eggs in his shoulder!! Yuck.... I'm also a mechanical junkie and love the different creations people come up with to build or create things and creativity is simple incredible! Then don't even get me started on the EMBN & GMBN channels, a collection of United Kingdom blokes who talk about all different aspects of riding and races they attend all over the world as well...they are a pretty funny lot of characters!!


I like Syd & Macky. At times this year, it's been looking like she's not really having fun anymore, at least not with the racing stuff. I suspect they're going to get away from racing and transition into personal adventure/challenges, or start chasing KOM's like Cookie Phil (who's videos I also enjoy).

.


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## LarryMagoo (Jan 13, 2022)

_CJ said:


> I like Syd & Macky. At times this year, it's been looking like she's not really having fun anymore, at least not with the racing stuff. I suspect they're going to get away from racing and transition into personal adventure/challenges, or start chasing KOM's like Cookie Phil (who's videos I also enjoy).
> 
> .


Well she did suffer same nasty injuries the last couple of years and it took her a while to recover. I must say though that when you listen to Macky breathing and Syd's breathing during a race, Syd sounds way more stressed than Macky. " Syd's Fixes Bikes" videos are pretty entertaining and funny...I watch them even though I know how to do all my own wrenching....All though one of the more impressive things I have seen anyone do on a bike was Macky's "Everesting" where he repeatably climbed to a total of 12,000 + feet.... the equal of scaling My Everest!!! What an achievement!!!!


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

If there's one thing that will make me turn off a video, it's a POV trail ride where the vid is edited to only show the 'interesting' parts, like jumps. I don't watch a POV to see someone jump, I watch it to see someone handle the trail.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Do you guys remember MTV Sports back in the ‘90s or so? Dan Cortese was the show host. I remember that they’d heavily edit the bike footage to show people launching a jump but then they’d quickly cut away to the next rider before the first one landed his jump. I found it super frustrating because I wanted to see someone — anyone — go to completion. All it showed was the first half of a jump. Argghhh.


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## bongo_x (Aug 20, 2006)

I like reviews, and occasionally skills and trails I haven't been to. I roll my eyes to the back of my head when someone films themselves third party; like are they really stopping, setting up a camera, going back and doing a stupid little jump off that bump in the trail and who are they doing it for?


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## bongo_x (Aug 20, 2006)

rtsideup said:


> This!
> Work gave me a Go-Pro, I used it once biking, once skiing. Realized in short order that no one wants to see this ****; not my GF, not my kid, not even me. Never used it again.


This is enlightenment.


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

bongo_x said:


> I like reviews, and occasionally skills and trails I haven't been to. I roll my eyes to the back of my head when someone films themselves third party; like are they really stopping, setting up a camera, going back and doing a stupid little jump off that bump in the trail and who are they doing it for?


I've done that, for myself.


.


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

bongo_x said:


> I like reviews, and occasionally skills and trails I haven't been to. I roll my eyes to the back of my head when someone films themselves third party; like are they really stopping, setting up a camera, going back and doing a stupid little jump off that bump in the trail and who are they doing it for?


What's really meta is when they film themselves setting up the camera, then film themselves filming themselves for the scene. Gives me an existential headache .

But to be fair, the YouTubers who are making a living (of some kind) off youtube will live or die by the effort they put into it. I've watched BCPov and VanGirlYuka putting together videos and they're basically each filming the other, then sharing some footage. Pretty efficient.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

DennisT said:


> What's really meta is when they film themselves setting up the camera, then film themselves filming themselves for the scene. Gives me an existential headache .
> 
> But to be fair, the YouTubers who are making a living (of some kind) off youtube will live or die by the effort they put into it. I've watched BCPov and VanGirlYuka putting together videos and they're basically each filming the other, then sharing some footage. Pretty efficient.


Apparently it’s a full time job for those influencers that can make a living from doing it. I’ve seen that some of them employ camera operators to do the filming. Jeff Kendall Weed is an example.


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Can somebody explain what these "videos" and "You Tube" are?! 🤷‍♂️


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## nobody special (Jun 21, 2019)

Nat said:


> Apparently it’s a full time job for those influencers that can make a living from doing it. I’ve seen that some of them employ camera operators to do the filming. Jeff Kendall Weed is an example.


I used to love watching his channel because he can ride awesome, but I had to unsubscribe, I just could not take all the advertising and sponsorship anymore. Same for Rich Drew. At this point any channel I see that mentions LMNT I just hit the "do not recommend channel" button. I guess I'm getting old.


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

kosmo said:


> Can somebody explain what these "videos" and "You Tube" are?! 🤷‍♂️


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## nobody special (Jun 21, 2019)

I'm Dave said:


> FWIW, I have often started off my vids with something like "Hello, and welcome back to the channel"...It can be hard not to, lol. Most if not all of my latest videos start off with riding and I try to save the majority of talk stuff till the end, if I include any at all.
> While I do use affiliate links, I do my best NOT to plug them in every video. Links like those help make a very small amount of money and don't cost anyone anything extra, so I'm ok with them.
> Sponsorships. Yeah, I get why people have and desire them but I'm actually very glad that I don't have any. I pay for my stuff just like everyone else and the few review videos I've done are without sponsor bias.


I looked at your profile and I've actually watched some of your videos in the past. I remember watching the Baker Creek jump line video specifically.

The things which really make me go away from a video are the long in video advertisements. If someone says something like "Jenson gave me this stuff and I appreciate it here's a link go check it out... etc etc..." OK, whatever. However, the long winded advertisements to meet some required time value for a sponsorship segment with nothing but fake product praise, I'm done.

I don't spend much time on YT analytics other than the occasional browse, but apparently, most of our viewers are male 25-54, but our channel is tiny, and honestly we make lousy videos.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

nobody special said:


> I used to love watching his channel because he can ride awesome, but I had to unsubscribe, I just could not take all the advertising and sponsorship anymore. Same for Rich Drew. At this point any channel I see that mentions LMNT I just hit the "do not recommend channel" button. I guess I'm getting old.


That was just an example of a YouTube creator who uses a camera operator rather than setting up the camera and running back and forth to film themselves. Cam McCaul is another example. I know I’ve seen others.


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## nobody special (Jun 21, 2019)

Nat said:


> That was just an example of a YouTube creator who uses a camera operator rather than setting up the camera and running back and forth to film themselves. Cam McCaul is another example. I know I’ve seen others.


Yes I'm aware. My reply was an example of:


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

I'm Dave said:


> It's so much work, and as I age, I often feel I'd rather ride harder/progress as much as I can and use my energy toward that instead of faffing with camera angles and such.


100%, I am a full time photographer/videographer and just cant combine the two. Its either zero ride fun or just same old same old crap GoPro. placing cameras on the trail and ridding past... multiple angles means a few cameras, doing the same thing over and over, fighting the fisheye/actin cam perspective that makes trails look flat and easy.... its repetitive work and really takes all the fun out of the ride.

I enjoy cycling related content but for the ridding parts most creators have gone with onboard acton camera footage and I loose interest pretty quickly.


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## LarryMagoo (Jan 13, 2022)

After getting back into Mt Bikes after RC planes for 20 years, I got an eBike all the **** including a GP10...when I go riding now, after putting on all my crap, I'm just impatient to then get all my camera crap ready and and strapped on....all I wanna do is ride....the last few rides, I leave all the camera crap in the truck....besides I did the ride why would I need to watch it again. I did have it on back in the Summer, crashed while riding with it on, broke 5 ribs, yet trying to watch the video to see why I crashed was worthless....?? some great sounds though of me going down...;-)


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

I fully admit I enjoy watching my own POV footage. Yeah, I know, that makes one of us. But I think it may actually help me with muscle memory training. I do find myself leaning and tensing with the video, and I have to wonder if that's reinforcing it to a significant degree.

I get sort of the same effect when watching someone else's POV, as long as they aren't so far ahead of me that it's pointless. And the MTB videos help during the off-season when I need a fix.


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## I'm Dave (May 12, 2016)

bongo_x said:


> I like reviews, and occasionally skills and trails I haven't been to. I roll my eyes to the back of my head when someone films themselves third party; like are they really stopping, setting up a camera, going back and doing a stupid little jump off that bump in the trail and who are they doing it for?


Guilty as charged.
Sometimes just to do something different than run of the mill POV. Sometimes to capture something specific.

Usually in an effort to be more entertaining and/or useful, but obviously, that's subjective to the viewer.


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## 53x11 (Jan 28, 2014)

Paul the Punter got sick of his own channel and quit


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## Jimmy Curry (Jul 12, 2021)

bongo_x said:


> This is enlightenment.


My thoughts exactly. I've upgraded from 5 to 8, and then to 9. Thinking the technology would would make my mountain biking, or skiing footage better. It's a little better with less movement and horizon leveling. But my frickin problem is that I get nauseous and dizzy when watching my own footage. I wonder if anyone else has this problem?


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## rdawson808 (Oct 19, 2015)

Jimmy Curry said:


> But my frickin problem is that I get nauseous and dizzy when watching my own footage. I wonder if anyone else has this problem?


Yup. Makes me a bit queasy. But I suffer from motion sickness even sitting in the passenger seat of a car on a windey road.


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## TTTURNER (May 13, 2009)

I'm using it to research trails in areas that I haven't ridden. It's helpful for that, but overall the rider quality and footage tends to be poor and boring. You can't usually get a real good feel for the steepness of the trails, and I like to climb steep stuff. I like to see more panoramic views so that I can get a better overall feel for the area. These really give you a better feel for the geography of the area. That's why drone footage is often better than helmet cams. The geography layout and the overall feel of the area are usually what I remember after I travel to an area, not the specific trail features. I don't want to see guys going big all the time. Even the Red Bull Rampage gets boring. Watching guys build bikepark stuff and going big isn't what I do.


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## venturi95 (Apr 25, 2012)

What is this YouTube you speak of?
JK
I hate most of the sub-par riding content. The stuff I'm interested in is how-tos, it's nice to pick up any tips before the first time through a mechanical procedure.
Danny MacAskill has some great videos, I pass them along to my non-riding relatives because the production looks so good as to be watchable for the masses.


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

I think my greatest annoyance with YT is that almost all the content is very basic, beginner level stuff for people new to whatever activity or hobby. There's very little for people who are at an advanced level in anything, at least when it comes to hobby activities.


.


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## LarryMagoo (Jan 13, 2022)

You want to see advanced riding /racing? How about a Pro level married couple that travels world-wide to compete? Just look up Syd & Macky.....or for something totally different, Bike-packing....this gent Ryan Van Duzer also travels world wide who does interesting videos showing his experience traveling the back country totally unsupported carrying his own supplies, though not single track wizardry, they are more of adventure than a race. His first bike packing trip was 4,000 miles from Honduras to Boulder, Co. Even has a just-published book about it.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

venturi95 said:


> What is this YouTube you speak of?
> JK
> I hate most of the sub-par riding content. The stuff I'm interested in is how-tos, it's nice to pick up any tips before the first time through a mechanical procedure.
> Danny MacAskill has some great videos, I pass them along to my non-riding relatives because the production looks so good as to be watchable for the masses.


I always loved DM's first video way back when that included the Band Of Horses _The_ _Funeral _as it's soundtrack_._


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