Mathematical MTB: B&M

This video from big dogs Patagonia and TGR seeks to explore the management of risk for backcountry skiing, looking at it through the eyes of a ski guide. His job is risk management, putting him in a similar position to the finance-y people in big cities, but he has a lot more passion than those guys, and feels the repercussions if it goes wrong, as you can see in the video.

We, as mountain bikers, are always managing risk as well. It might be subconscious, but each time we encounter something on the trail we’re thinking what’s the chance of me crashing. However, can we numb this down to an equation like the finance big dogs do? If yes, what would be in it? 

Chances of crashing obviously, but all sorts of other factors come into play. How radical will my 3 Instagram followers think it will be? Is 180mm enough travel to absorb this 30cm drop? What level of final risk would be acceptable?

Would we even be happy to rely on a number though? If the computer says yes would we still do it?

Cor this is juicy. Maybe it’s time Data Whizz Eliot Jackson got involved and we created the ultimate MTB model.

Maybe not, let’s just ride our bikes.