NMBS Pro Pics From Today!
- Thread starter ianjenn
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Those shots are killer!
Thanks
That 2nd shot of Brad was about a 12 foot gap with a 3 foot rock as a lip and a 2 foot one to land on as the transition. He was the only 1 who did it. There was a 5 Pros watching him do it but nobody else did. It was shady.
After just returning from Maribor, something about this PRO NMBS DH on little 4X bikes just seems wrong. I dont think the 300 strong Euro WC DH field from last weekend got fast racing their national DH races on 3 and 4 inch travel single crown bikes.
Probably more of a reflection on the course than the riders no? Like Sea Otter? Sometimes guys down here race short travel bikes if the track is particularly pedally/non-DH.
Yeah I mean, who the hell learns bike handling skills from hardtails and short travel bikes? I mean the only way to race downhill is on a full on 10 inch travel bike am I right? Diversity of disciplines in the sport is dumb, every race should be just like a world cup downhill
I just had to call jeremia dean to find this place! went on usa cycling blue wolf events ,,and none had an address, Can't beleive it is this hard to find our national race.
weak.
weak.
I really wish there were more dedicated photographers out there like Ian. Of all the things today when its 100-105 out like go to the beach, he goes to firestone, with only 5-10 pros there to take some photos. Ian along with Theo (star & bars guy) were out in the hot temps for over 3 hours doing what they do. Thanks guy for the support!!!!!!
so off on what don don is sayingYeah I mean, who the hell learns bike handling skills from hardtails and short travel bikes? I mean the only way to race downhill is on a full on 10 inch travel bike am I right? Diversity of disciplines in the sport is dumb, every race should be just like a world cup downhill
awesome pics! Nice job! For info on this race, go to www.ridesb.com
I decided not to go this year... too far and hot. I raced there last year... supposedly this year is a new course... it's still on the Firestone winery property, but the winery ownership has changed, and I guess they decided to do a new course / venue??? The terrain is kinda like sea otter, more rolling grassy hills... it's not a mountain with rocks and technical stuff.... Last year there the end of the course was pedally and most of the course is all smooth with berms... It's a course I probably would have raced on my 6.6 instead of my M3.
I decided not to go this year... too far and hot. I raced there last year... supposedly this year is a new course... it's still on the Firestone winery property, but the winery ownership has changed, and I guess they decided to do a new course / venue??? The terrain is kinda like sea otter, more rolling grassy hills... it's not a mountain with rocks and technical stuff.... Last year there the end of the course was pedally and most of the course is all smooth with berms... It's a course I probably would have raced on my 6.6 instead of my M3.
sick flix ian!!
The problem is they keep having these races on short travel bike courses. It is not helping our top riders do any better when they go over and do World Cup races. You would never expect a Nascar driver to do good in a Formula One race after racing ovals all the time.
I just ignore the fact that these "NMBS" races even happen. They seem like very expensive local/grassroots races.
true - i agree
sweet pics ian btw, i'm headed up this morning. can't resist.
Thanks eveyone and Traver it sucked walking back to the car!
Did you check out
The Hitching Post in Casmaillia (sp)?
fErrit the soil is super loose and slippery so choose tires well!
Theo,
Did you check out
The Hitching Post in Casmaillia (sp)?
fErrit the soil is super loose and slippery so choose tires well!
great pics as usual ianjenn.
My comment needs explaining to some it seems. It was not a knock on the riders or their choice of bikes. As a racer i believe in choosing the right bike and set up for every course. What ever gives you a faster time is the right tool. With the trend of the current NMBS that bike may soon be a cyclo cross bike.Yeah I mean, who the hell learns bike handling skills from hardtails and short travel bikes? I mean the only way to race downhill is on a full on 10 inch travel bike am I right? Diversity of disciplines in the sport is dumb, every race should be just like a world cup downhill
But the fact that this venue and others like it are venues for the NMBS which a few short years ago used to be one of the most respected national series in the world is a joke.
Sure the race will be fun, but a waste of resources for a NAtional Event. Sponsors dont care about the series anymore, even the last die hards like the MAxxis team and Giant team have finally woken up and sending their riders to better events like world cups, MSC and fluidride cups.
Right on. I can buy into that, the way your comment was worded originally it was to seem it was the riders at fault.
Hey ian sweet pics. isnt that ryan not brad?Yes the courses have become tamed down for a number of reasons. Small mountains make building a little more important also... here is Brad again!
It's no wonder US riders get owned at world cups when our "National Series" consists of lame courses. 10 pros? Are you kidding?
Death to NMBS
Death to NMBS
Its beginning to change, finally more and more US riders are taking their own initiative and getting out to the world cups there were almost 15 riders including a junior in Maribor and both Ryan C and Brad B here were there. Give it some time and results will improve. There are still good tracks in the US, and there are NMBS events at a few of them, Deer Valley, VT and Angle Fire and there are more than a few strong regional series races now that are better than the NMBS events. Too bad US Open conflicts with Chile Challenge.
Race is flat. No Fans , Only Stikman!
He wont like it this year if no free beer!
Cool pictures!
just got back and the course was fun but a 4x bike would have been fine. Speaking as someone who was at the mammoth nationals in 94 and this today, there is a world of difference. Back in 90's and to an extent the early 00's the Nationals were an event. Something that would draw the attention of the top pros. Now, they are more of a novelty.
I am not trying to bash anyone, just calling it how I see it. Cole Bangert our National Champ got like mid 20's or something at Maribor. Back in the day National Champs were mixing it up on the podium.
Anyway, rant over. Fun day, decent course, just hard to consider it a National.
I am not trying to bash anyone, just calling it how I see it. Cole Bangert our National Champ got like mid 20's or something at Maribor. Back in the day National Champs were mixing it up on the podium.
Anyway, rant over. Fun day, decent course, just hard to consider it a National.
One huge problem with US racers is they just don't get paid well enough to go to many elite (WC) races to get practice on courses of that level. I was talking to Chris Herndon about a month ago and he was telling me the only way he got to go to WC races last season was if he sold enough parts on Ebay to pay for a plane ticket. He told me he probably won't go to any WC races this year just cause he doesn't make enough to cover his expenses.
Anyway, my rant is now over.
Love the pics!
you see this isnt quite right as far as I see it,
im a "pro" from New Zealand and I work my ass off all off-season to race internationally each year, I DONT get paid to race my bike, I pay for all my expenses myself and I dont even get paid a lot at my job yet I managed to make it to the US and Europe each year to race world cups.
it is a **** load cheaper to travel from the US to europe than from NZ and yet there still seems to be a whole lot of NZ and Australian pros who dont get paid racing internationally every year.
so dont try use "they dont get paid well enough" as a reason cause I dont get paid at all.
What's it take to get an NMBS race scheduled for your location? Windrock would be an awesome place for the NMBS to start hosting races so that the top racers could really have a challenging course.
The NMBS courses at Snowshoe were great. The dh course at the Aspen NMBS race last year was **** in my opinion. The downhills on the Snowshoe xc race were tougher and more technical than the downhill fire road that was the Aspen course last year.
The NMBS courses at Snowshoe were great. The dh course at the Aspen NMBS race last year was **** in my opinion. The downhills on the Snowshoe xc race were tougher and more technical than the downhill fire road that was the Aspen course last year.
US dollar sucks right now
thats a sad sad excuse.
As Kieram said it's even harder for Kiwi's (and Aussies!) to make it overseas but that hasn't stopped guys like Justin and Sam B. from making it to the highest level of racing! There is only a small handful of racers that actually do make enough to get by from riding, the rest of them work hard and make it happen.
That is such crap. The average income in the US is a HELL of a lot higher than in Australia, and even moreso than New Zealand. The US dollar might be bad but it's still stronger than either of our currencies, and in the past few years was a LOT stronger.
I think your attitude is actually why American racers aren't doing so well right now - the idea that somebody else should be fronting up lots of cash for you to ride a bicycle down the side of a hill. How many riders do you think are on paid sponsorship here in Australia, ie within Aus itself? As far as I know, the answer is: zero. The top riders might get a free bike, but most of them are simply on discounted bikes. The Americans' problem is that you guys expect everything to be provided for you. The reason the top Aussie and Kiwi riders succeed is because they expect none of that, and instead work their arses off to support themselves rather than expecting someone else to do it for them. Tracey Hannah bankrolled her entire international season last year - she's like 18 or 19. If you're not trying THAT hard too then no f**king wonder you're not competitive on the world stage.
Whats a privateers goal? To get to ride and get paid? To not have to bank roll a season on your Visa only to pay for it for the next 5+ years? I think there needs to be incentive for young riders to take the steps and sacrifices to race at an international level. Why go risk your life for nothing more than a placing in a mag. that is forgotten the next weekend. Pros make next to nothing at a US national, barely payback and gas for a win. On the other side of the coin: huge props to guys/gals that are doing it. It takes a lot of heart for our sport but how long can someone do it? Lets be honest, very few WC racers make a living at it but either does Motocross. If youre racing to make money, youre probably in it for the wrong reasons. Most race a few seasons hard, make a name for themselves and use that name to get a job within the industry. We arent basketball and dont see it changing for a long time. Aussie/kiwi/USA, cant we all just get along?
Why should there be such an incentive? It's an ultimately selfish sport, we ride highly specialised bicycles down hills for the fun of it, it contributes nothing to society as a whole. Other than the industry sustaining itself, what reason is there to pay people to do that? Virtually none.
I agree with the last couple of things you said though - if you're in this to make money, you're in the wrong sport. Don't sign up then whinge about the lack of money in it, it wasn't here before you got here, and it'll still not be here after you leave!
Not arguing with you just agreeing, if you want it, you have to make it happen on your own. I'm so tired of hearing Americans Suck at DH, and your comments may be the reason for a lot of people, but not all. True we haven't been on top in a while, but were working our way back up, and to all the other Americans out there that think you need to have your way paid to do it, that is bull. My brother and I, along with a few other friends from the area are, on our own dime, work our asses off year round, traveling to Europe in a week for 6 weeks to race, including two WC rounds, yeah the exchange rate sucks, but worrying about that doesn't fix anything, you just gotta go with what your dealt.
I can guarantee too that pretty much all our other American pros that are traveling internationally to race are doing it with at the most minimal if any financial support. I know that Cole Bangert, & Luke Strobel both, two of our top guys work to fund themselves. In reality there are very few guys world wide that don't have to.
Don't wait for your break, make it happen yourself. Make some other financial sacrifices, most of us in this country can figure it out if we really want to. Camp at the next ten races you go to, you'll save yourself a few thousand $'s, thats at least a plane ticket to Europe right there. We have lots of opportunities, and although our economy isn't killing it like it was 10 years ago, things around here really aren't that bad. You gotta ride and race your bike because you love it. Were all in the wrong sport if what your looking for is a rich rock and roll lifestyle.
Well Said Mike! and good luck to you and your bro.
What sport isn't ultimately selfish? I think cycling in general is a positive sport in that it is relatable to the entire world. Ya riding down hills on trick bikes is kinda funny, but isn’t putting a ball in a hole or driving in circles. I mean people in Kenya aren’t going to relate to golf or NASCAR. I just see it as much more of a world wide sport than any of our US team sports. In the end it is all about $$$ and your right, there really is no reason to have incentives if you look at it financially. In the big picture, I see it as the more incentives for young riders to get into racing, the more people ride the more our government will see the need to keep riding area's open (selfish on my part) and perhaps give our lazy young generation a reason to get off the couch. I think there is more prize money in a video game contest than a bike race and that is just sad, but again, it’s all about money. Sad. So your 100% right in that people have to want it and make it work on there own. As for no US WC rippers, I think talent comes in waves and the boys from down under or across the pond are in it to win it right now but we will see a swing at some point. Do you guys have TV coverage over there? We cant even get that, only on the internet.Why should there be such an incentive? It's an ultimately selfish sport, we ride highly specialised bicycles down hills for the fun of it, it contributes nothing to society as a whole. Other than the industry sustaining itself, what reason is there to pay people to do that? Virtually none.
I agree with the last couple of things you said though - if you're in this to make money, you're in the wrong sport. Don't sign up then whinge about the lack of money in it, it wasn't here before you got here, and it'll still not be here after you leave!
Back to the topic at hand. I did a lot of work on the DH course and it was a challenge to "try" to make it tough enough for a national without it becoming a total man made slopestyle course. As more and more places are shut down and access is limited to competition use, its going to be people like Mike who are making it happen on private land. National quality like the late 90"s, no, but at least its something. I see more and more short courses and as they are not what we all wish for but they are what we all have and I’m thankful for that. Besides being flat, and too short, what should of been different in the space given? I would love "constructive" feedback. There is a third DH course planned, but again we are working with 700feet vert. maybe.
M, you guys did a great job given what you started with. Yeah, it was not the most technically ridiculous course out there, but it was FUN. Thats all that matters. Off-camber loose corners to work on cornering skills, tight switchbacks for bike handling, some fun jumps into berms for flow and then the kick-your-ass pedaling sections all add up to a multi-faceted course that anyone needs to work hard at to ride well. If you can go there and say you have it dialed first run, you are full of BS, I don't care who you are.
Im really sick and tired of people going to races only to whine about the course or the hike or whatever. Even worse are the ones that sit back and act all high and mighty feeling it necessary to spout off why its not worth it and how they will be riding so and so trail that is 1000X better and free. Do I, or anyone else give an F about your opinion? No. Show up, IF YOU WANT, have fun and ride your freaking bike. Thats what happens when I ride, anywhere. I have fun. If the spoiled US racers got out and worked hard and rode during all the hours they spend whining and bitching then maybe, MAYBE we would have a chance at stepping onto the world stage. Until we get our attitudes in check, FAT CHANCE.