Saw this over on PB: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/how-to-save-downhill-racing-2014.html
it really surprised me. I thought DH racing was doing quite well, especially since Redbull stepped up to the plate for coverage. Yeah, some pros have tried their hand at Enduro, but the only ones that stayed with Enduro are old-timers and perennial mid-packers. Enduro is a different beast, not slagging it, it's just different.
I still consider DH the pinnacle of mountain biking. The skill, dedication, and "mental-ness" of it amaze me. Xc racing is road riders on dirt, and Enduro... well, even though Curtis Keene calls it 3 world cup courses stacked one on top of the other and doing 4-6 stages over a weekend, Enduro remains a different game. I remember Cedric being interviewed in Whistler and saying that you come at sections much quicker on a DH bike than a trail bike, and you have to get used to the speed. DH is on another level than Enduro I think.
I agree with the author it's more of a spectator sport than participant for the average rider. So maybe small, local races have less enrollment, but I thought that UCI DHI viewership was up, team budgets were up, and rider skills are constantly evolving too. Maybe it's less popular at the grass-roots level, but I really feel that at the pointy-end of the stick, the product on offer is getting better and bigger.
Am I wrong?
it really surprised me. I thought DH racing was doing quite well, especially since Redbull stepped up to the plate for coverage. Yeah, some pros have tried their hand at Enduro, but the only ones that stayed with Enduro are old-timers and perennial mid-packers. Enduro is a different beast, not slagging it, it's just different.
I still consider DH the pinnacle of mountain biking. The skill, dedication, and "mental-ness" of it amaze me. Xc racing is road riders on dirt, and Enduro... well, even though Curtis Keene calls it 3 world cup courses stacked one on top of the other and doing 4-6 stages over a weekend, Enduro remains a different game. I remember Cedric being interviewed in Whistler and saying that you come at sections much quicker on a DH bike than a trail bike, and you have to get used to the speed. DH is on another level than Enduro I think.
I agree with the author it's more of a spectator sport than participant for the average rider. So maybe small, local races have less enrollment, but I thought that UCI DHI viewership was up, team budgets were up, and rider skills are constantly evolving too. Maybe it's less popular at the grass-roots level, but I really feel that at the pointy-end of the stick, the product on offer is getting better and bigger.
Am I wrong?