Boet, I am not sure where you rode, but I would suggest that your experience was either very limited or that you are just an amazing rider, for whom all trails are easy. When I moved back to SA, I couldn’t get over how much less technical SA trails were than UK generally. Not in all cases, but as a general rule, which would explain why short travel bikes are the norm and marathon the craze. If you visit the 7 Staines in Scotland, bike park Wales, bike park Ireland and most trail centres in between, you will find long travel bikes are the norm because the trails are suited to them. Maybe not for your superior skills, but for us mere mortals.
