Raced far to many xc races back in the day that the roadies crushed all the mountain bikers. I would prefer xc courses that would have the roadies exiting in body bags. Roadies train to ride it 9/10ths for long periods of time. Mountain bikers train to race at 6-8/10ths so the they can have the focus to handle tech. Xc courses need lots of squirrel catchers.
What are the WORST new bike trends for 2024
- Thread starter jdog
- Start date
DougTheDonkey
Member
I raced the bear creek nats as well as the Frederick Watershed marathon nats. These courses really show the people who focus on fitness vs those that focus on technical. Between these two races I have never seen so many “pro/cat 1” racers out of the race with broken rims/flats. Fitness only goes so far. If you don’t ride what you race it will bite you.
The course complaint line was long at Bear Creek last year.
Lots of people from places that don’t have rocks were way out of their comfort zone. The day before my race I pre rode. The 1 rock garden was packed with people trying to find the line. Kids with their parents crying trying to figure it out.
Probably how I would feel if I tried to race at altitude. lol.
Same, where "altitude" means anything above sea level. Or below it.
In catching up with this thread am I to understand that Utah is now a roadie prick? Who'd'a thunk it?
In reality I get what Utah is saying and I'm kinda torn. I feel like the last time I watched 1 of these events it was at Mount Saint Anne and the boulders they strategically placed in the course looked like big fake Styrofoam props. It really had a manufactured look that was kinda meh. The pictures in this thread sort of support that. That said, I have watched a few of these. The dirt crits they have out in CA have zero interest to me. They suck to watch.
In my years of racing and watching all this shit, funny thing happens at the end of the day. 99% of the time the guys who are the fittest win any race on any course on any bike. And it turns out that they're just as technically able as the people who like to call themselves "real" mountain bikers. Back in the day when Maurice was in his prime, I'm pretty sure he would have won the pro class in H2H on a penny farthing.
Like the Olympic courses?
I get it, you need wide open spaces for starts and finishes and certain venues can't have tech features on the single track used for the course. And yes, some of these courses when wet are straight up dangerous. also considering most of the XCO races are over by the 2nd lap from 1-3 people off the front. There has to be a a middle ground with the courses, jumps have a place on all of them, just maybe rollable.
DougTheDonkey
Member
Disagree a but. I know several very fast and fit people that can’t hang at race pace once any bit of technical is thrown i to the occasion.
Actual fast/fit Pro people in WC XC racing, or fast/fit "Pro" in H2H?
That looks like any number of manufactured beach walkways in the Caribbean.
They need to manufacture the courses a bit for the coverage. And the spectators. And first they need to find a location that fits. It can’t be easy. I get why they make the artificial rock gardens. There are plenty of natural ones too though.
It’s not like they aren’t building/manufacturing DH courses as well.
And let’s remember what downhill used to look like. A bunch of shinny tire bikes on DH dirt roads:
But the sport evolved to become way more technical. Just like XC is doing now. And I’m all for it.
It’s not like they aren’t building/manufacturing DH courses as well.
And let’s remember what downhill used to look like. A bunch of shinny tire bikes on DH dirt roads:
But the sport evolved to become way more technical. Just like XC is doing now. And I’m all for it.
DougTheDonkey
Member
Not world cup obviously but local cat 1 roadies.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Pretty sure MVDP and Wout Van Art can pick their way through a Rock Garden without any issues.
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
Pretty sure Wout
would get beat by less fit World Cup racers that are better mtb riders.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
At the moment, yes.
krink
Eddie Munster
Wout, MVDP and Pidcock rode in a few UCI XC races together in 2022 and they dusted the rest, even Nino wasn’t really in the mix after 4th or 5th lap.
Now I’m going back to find the race. Belay above with Wout. I thought I remembered him. Only finding Pidcock and MVDP mopping up the rest of the field and that was 2021. Damn I’m getting old. Please stand by….
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DougTheDonkey
Member
How did the olympics go for sagan and mvdp?
krink
Eddie Munster
Sagan rocked the gap jump at UCI world champs last year but came in 60 something and didn’t do Olympics where MDVP crashed out of both. The point is well made.
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DougTheDonkey
Member
Pidcock is a phenom unfortunately his size hurts him on the road.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Also his dumb British face. Blimey!! Bloody fast innit guv’nor?