News of the Tweet: Follow the Leader

Buying, Enduro and Real Talk

By Seb Kemp

If you’ve been sad enough to buy followers on twitter you need to repent for that sh!t..

— Adnan ‘NANITO’ Amar (@ADNAN_AMAR) January 29, 2013

Buying followers is a real thing. How do I know this you might ask. Well, I asked @steelcitymedia who have a mate, who knows a guy, who once did this sort of thing, and they might be able to put you in touch with he guy with the knock-off followers. Don’t worry, it’s 100% legit and they haven’t fallen off the back of a truck.

@monobartlett @_duncan @geemilner I haven’t bluddy bought followers!

— SteelCityMedia (@steelcitymedia) January 27, 2013

I think Danny’s looking in the wrong spot for followers ? @ratboy_bryce instagr.am/p/VG2XJQGZWu/

— steve peat (@StevePeat) January 30, 2013

@wheews don’t cry because we got more followers than you in 4 days! #noonecares #REALknowledge #REALtalk #truthhurts

— MTBrealtalk (@mt_mtb) February 3, 2013

@mt_mtb or MTBrealtalk is another hilarious anonymous twitter account that sprung up this week and started pissing on everyone’s fires. Worth a follow for some quality pro call-outs, off color topics, and brutal honesty.

Talking of MTBing, can we discuss Enduro?

The bike industry is in the midst of an endurogasm. Gravelgasm on deck.

— Matt Phillips (@ilikesushi) January 31, 2013

Do people who claim to go out for “enduro” MTB rides extend that to other things? Like “I’m just going to do a Formula 1 drive down to Lidl”

— Andy Waterman (@andywaterman) January 30, 2013

I am a mountain biker.I don’t ride XC,DH,Enduro,All-mountain, Freeride, Marathon, or Super-D.I just simply ride.#forgetthelabelsandride.

— Damian Breach (@dbphotograpfee) January 30, 2013

Enduro=race format. Not racing=riding. Lets start calling the rides for just that & leave Enduro to the race promoters. #my2c #todaysgripe

— straightshot (@straightshot_) January 30, 2013

Enduro is a buzz word. Used to sell almost anything and justify even more. A few questions I’d like to ask:

• Isn’t Enduro just cross-country repackaged?
• Yes, I know it was invented in Europe and has been around for years but in North America there seems to be some confusion about what it is, so the word is being thrown around the room like a sick cat in a tumble dryer.
• In North America it is the artist formerly known as Super-D, right?
• Is this the brand overhaul ‘just riding your bike’ needed to make it cool again?
• Is anyone else nervous that the star of Enduro has flared up too brightly, too quickly and will burn out just as fast? Certainly in North America there is far too much talk and excitement, especially when very few people have tried Enduro or even know what it is.

I’m not bagging on Enduro, I think it’s great, but I’m concerned that the faddish nature of trending items might mean Enduro is the hot ticket this week, but in the garage sale next week. Like a mania, it is on everyone’s lips but what happens when people get tired of it?

The UCI Management Committee confirmed the inclusion of the Enduro format in the Mountain Bike discipline from 2014 #bitLate

— Gravity Enduro (@GravityEnduro) February 2, 2013

The UCI, if they are into it, then it just has to be the right thing, right?

(Please note that the UCI have put XC Eliminator forward for the Brazil 2016 Olympics.)