MathGeek
Hall of Fame
10 miles? [daily mountain biking distance]
We are not talking about the same thing.
I don't even know how is it possible to ride only 10 miles to a high mountain, unless you are driving by car to the beginning of the trail, and the said trail is an extremely short loop.
To give you an idea, I am riding a century every weekend, and sometimes a lot more when the brevet season starts, not to speak of the multi-days rides.
You basically need the padded riding shorts, and basically every other piece of clothing or equipment that can prevent the reduction of the enjoyment from the ride.
Just as one can enjoy tennis without owning whites and being an elitist, one can enjoy mountain biking without owning specialized cycling clothes and being an elitist.
Am I not a "real" mountain biker because I only bike 2000 miles a year in increments closer to 10 miles at a time? I live in the SE US, so access to high mountains is limited, and due to inconsiderate drivers, my family does load the bikes on a rack and drive to the trailheads. There are lots of local mountain biking loops under 10 miles. Not everyone can live in a place like Colorado.
I probably don't play enough tennis (or the right kind of tennis) to qualify as a "real" tennis player either. But in 2018 I managed to win two county wide tournaments (1 in men's singles and 1 in MxD) and to take 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in state wide events (men's singles and MxD).
Perhaps I'm not a "real" angler, because I fished less than 20 times. But I'll be eating redfish weekly for the next 6 months from my last trip, and my YouTube fishing channel got over 100,000 views in the past year.
I suppose I'm not a real shooter either, since I don't own specialized shooting clothes. But I've coached national champions in two different NRA shooting disciplines, and in spite of aging eyes and other challenges, I possess and NRA "Master" classification in my favorite discipline. (NRA Master is essentially the equivalent of an NTRP rating of 5.0.)
Elitists can always set arbitrary standards for admission to their clubs. No thanks. I'll just keep enjoying myself and staying fit with my chosen recreational activities. I haven't the time nor inclination to meet the stupid standards of others, much less own white tennis apparel. (I do own a number of fishing shirts, though.)