Is there ANY way I could get ahold of wallpaper resolution size copies of some of those images (if any relation to you?) They are amazing.Looks like a fun trail, but this is definitely crazier. Out in Fernie, BC
http://www.raveneyephotography.com/Clients/Diggler/
3600 vert. Pro rider winning race time 13:06. Rock faces, coal seams, huge jumps. Ridiculous.
Gemini2k have you done an east coast race?
This thread is stupid, but this is f'ing hilarious Hunter you need to get out more, or at least travel to a few riding spots outside driving distance from CT. I've raced/ridden just about everywhere and i've found 'easy' trails right next to gnarly ones in just about every state i've been to. when you've graduated high school, and have raced/ridden all over the country for a few years, you'll have a much more informed idea of what the East Coast is and isn't.East Coast racing is gnarlier. End of story. Sorry guys.
This thread is stupid, but this is f'ing hilarious Hunter you need to get out more, or at least travel to a few riding spots outside driving distance from CT. I've raced/ridden just about everywhere and i've found 'easy' trails right next to gnarly ones in just about every state i've been to. when you've graduated high school, and have raced/ridden all over the country for a few years, you'll have a much more informed idea of what the East Coast is and isn't.
as for East Coast racing being gnarlier, i hate to break it to you but Plattekill is not the hardest place in the world to ride, or even the steepest/scariest/coolest. From my experience (roughly 14 years, 20 states, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 races so take it for what it's worth), the chance of getting a 'gnarlier' race in the east/west/south/rockies/norcal/socal/PNW vs a lame or average course is pretty much equal everywhere. it has zero to do with geographical area.
Everybody thinks their local trails are the raddest sh*t ever. Fact
rant over. you can all back to thumping your chests and measuring your d*cks now
Edit: will you guys ever learn to sop using the terms 'east coast' and 'west coast' to describe what are essentiall about a dozen very different riding areas. even with the strictest definition of west coast you're talking san diego to seattle. do i need to explain why that is rediculous?
Well you'd know....you're an expert on losing ground really quick!you're going to lose a lot of ground really quick.
I don't know the photog personally, but given the gang he hangs out with, I'd wager that if you contacted him via his website and told him where you saw it, he'd help you out.Is there ANY way I could get ahold of wallpaper resolution size copies of some of those images (if any relation to you?) They are amazing.
Oh lord don't you know everything.This thread is stupid, but this is f'ing hilarious Hunter you need to get out more, or at least travel to a few riding spots outside driving distance from CT. I've raced/ridden just about everywhere and i've found 'easy' trails right next to gnarly ones in just about every state i've been to. when you've graduated high school, and have raced/ridden all over the country for a few years, you'll have a much more informed idea of what the East Coast is and isn't.
as for East Coast racing being gnarlier, i hate to break it to you but Plattekill is not the hardest place in the world to ride, or even the steepest/scariest/coolest. From my experience (roughly 14 years, 20 states, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 races so take it for what it's worth), the chance of getting a 'gnarlier' race in the east/west/south/rockies/norcal/socal/PNW vs a lame or average course is pretty much equal everywhere. it has zero to do with geographical area.
Everybody thinks their local trails are the raddest sh*t ever. Fact
rant over. you can all back to thumping your chests and measuring your d*cks now
Edit: will you guys ever learn to sop using the terms 'east coast' and 'west coast' to describe what are essentially about a dozen very different riding areas. even with the strictest definition of west coast you're talking san diego to seattle. do i need to explain why that is rediculous?
Don't get so defensive junior. Lee T has a point. I was once in your position rollin' through the pits like my shat don't stank. The east coast has some great riding, but until you get out and experience more kinds of terrains, you're still just gonna be another east coast grom. When I moved out west I realized what a hack of a rider I was.Oh lord don't you know everything.
I've never ridden anywhere but driving distance from CT right, do you stalk me? You make yourself look like a fool all to often. You don't know everything about everyone, go write it on a blackboard until it gets ingrained in your brain.
I lived out west until a couple years ago and go back for a month every year. Sorry brah.Don't get so defensive junior. Lee T has a point. I was once in your position rollin' through the pits like my shat don't stank. The east coast has some great riding, but until you get out and experience more kinds of terrains, you're still just gonna be another east coast grom. When I moved out west I realized what a hack of a rider I was.
Brah? Are you retarded?I lived out west until a couple years ago and go back for a month every year. Sorry brah.
There's a good chance. I've hit my head way to many times.Brah? Are you retarded?
That would be the point...Dude, I lived in South Bay on the beach where there's a history of surfing, and not once did I hear ANY of the locals use the term "brah". The only people there who used it, were the people who didn't live there.
oh snap i just got called out by the 17 year old kid who once bought mine or a teammates old transcend/orange 224 and invites me to come ride his local trails that i grew up on. at least in terms of stalking, wouldn't you think it would be the other way around?Oh lord don't you know everything.
I've never ridden anywhere but driving distance from CT right, do you stalk me? You make yourself look like a fool all to often. You don't know everything about everyone, go write it on a blackboard until it gets ingrained in your brain.
So apparently buying a frame and inviting you to come ride trails that you grew up on and I put hours of work into is stalking but claiming to know where I ride every weekend and knowing my life story is not. I'm lost.oh snap i just got called out by the 17 year old kid who once bought mine or a teammates old transcend/orange 224 and invites me to come ride his local trails that i grew up on. at least in terms of stalking, wouldn't you think it would be the other way around?
plain and simple for you: you can't claim "East Coast racing is gnarlier. End of story. Sorry guys, " its like a virgin telling a porn star how to f*ck..
I don't know everything, but if the subjects is bikes or bike racing i know quite a lot. if i said something as dumb as what i quoted from you at least i'd have some actual experience to offer as evidence. but I'd still be wrong.
Rode there last year, every trail, in the wet too. That place is probably one of the best all around networks of downhill trails, some long runs, lots of variety. You guys are very lucky to have that But, medium difficulty I'd say. I don't think I had a problem with any sections of any of the trails.Windrock, TN
We have got a pretty big mtn and some gnarly trails. However does that make us better national level racers? No. I think its a concentration of competition that drives most people to be faster. We have never had that here, so as a result only a few us have done well regionally. Go figure.
Lee, you can take your well informed opinions, years of riding, and industry experience, and shove them somewhere you don't want them shoved!oh snap i just got called out by the 17 year old kid who once bought mine or a teammates old transcend/orange 224 and invites me to come ride his local trails that i grew up on. at least in terms of stalking, wouldn't you think it would be the other way around?
plain and simple for you: you can't claim "East Coast racing is gnarlier. End of story. Sorry guys, " its like a virgin telling a porn star how to f*ck..
I don't know everything, but if the subjects is bikes or bike racing i know quite a lot. if i said something as dumb as what i quoted from you at least i'd have some actual experience to offer as evidence. but I'd still be wrong.
I know you possibly couldn't remember the names or probably even knew them at the time, but there are a few local locals trails that visitors don't see. Did you end up on a trail that was a rock garden top to bottom? Wasn't that steep, but a full blown rock garden. Thats Southern Rocks. IMO, the best trail I've ridden anywhere. Also did you get to do the Windmill runs? All 4 of them?Rode there last year, every trail, in the wet too. That place is probably one of the best all around networks of downhill trails, some long runs, lots of variety. You guys are very lucky to have that But, medium difficulty I'd say. I don't think I had a problem with any sections of any of the trails.
Again, the trail Ianjenn posted makes everything else I've ever seen look like smooth paved XC. I won't even dare try to ride that trail. There's a difference between "technical" like some of the stuff on the east coast, and "death defying" like some of the trails near here (and I'm not talking about tunnel).
What are you counting as "out west" compared to Snowshoe No. 2? There's probably 2x or more the number of courses out here in the west. So just saying "the west" tells nothing. I haven't ridden Snowshoe but I have skied there and I can say that there's no way Snowshoe is tougher than quite a few of the courses and trails I've ridden in the northern Rockies. No way at all. I wonder what western courses you rode. Did you ride Schweitzer?I agree with Transend. The courses are very different. I have raced out west a lot and I have never seen a course as technically difficult out west as the SS#2 course last year.
are you drunk....DH racers out west tend to be more well rounded bike riders... I know plenty of people who race here on the eastcoast that only own DH bikes... The eastcoast of the US is the only place on earth (unless you live at a ski hill) where you can ride DH within 2 hours of major population centers...
People who build their own tracks to ride, and earn their own elevation tend to have a lot more invested in the sport...
where has that happened?I like how all pissy the western riders get as they try to defend that they have more rocks
Reality, what a notion.
I think pretty much everyone here is 'arguing a different point'
elevation, speed, rockiness, fear factor, blah blah blah
A rare occasion when I believe a thread should be locked and die before some other knows better than you, assumes youve been no-where, iconic figure comes and lays it down again.
OH f' it - since its a diarrhea pit, Ill mix in some lumps and throw:
"Which western mountain is hosting a WC race this year?"
now run with it
Super ROFL.Crankworx...end of story.
Garbanzo DH?
Canadian Open?
knock-knock - helllooooooooooooooooo
hahahaha yup.
Having lived and ridden both, I'll put in my $0.02:
The west coast tends to be more wide open, faster trails. The trees are less dense (generally) which gives better visibility. There's a lot of loose dry stuff, but a good amount of hardpack. They have some very technical, rocky trail sections - and some gnarly rock gardens.
The east coast is generally not very wide open. The trees tend to be closer together resulting in lower visibility. We get a lot of rain (this year especially) so there's a lot of mud. When its dry, its fairly well packed. The trails are very technical, and VERY rocky. We have gnarlyrock gardens, but we also have trails that are more than 90% rock garden from start to finish.
Not saying the west coast isn't tech and rocky, just that the east tends to be more tech and rockier.
Also, the west coast seems to have more (and better) berms.
Yeah, that's my gripe, comparing a relatively small portion of the east coast (Jersey, NY and what else?) with a small portion of the west coast (SoCal), and calling it "East vs West". There's so much more riding.
I split time between SoCal and NY. Obviously I haven't ridden everything, and there are exceptions, but kranked's observations about mirror my own. Generally speaking, the trails I've ridden out west tend to be a lot faster and more wide open, with faster, more bermed corners. East coast stuff tends to be more chunky and often more steep, with lots more hard on the brakes picking your way through something ridiculous. Not nearly as many high speed corners. Both are fun, just different characters.
Edit: and when I say east coast- west coast, I'm talking north east versus SoCal. Poor word use on my part, but y'all can deal.
Yep, rode southern rocks, and I'm pretty sure I did all the windmill runs. Sorry, but I'm actually NOT talking out my ass (for once). Like i said, no disrespect, that place is AWEZOME.I know you possibly couldn't remember the names or probably even knew them at the time, but there are a few local locals trails that visitors don't see. Did you end up on a trail that was a rock garden top to bottom? Wasn't that steep, but a full blown rock garden. Thats Southern Rocks. IMO, the best trail I've ridden anywhere. Also did you get to do the Windmill runs? All 4 of them?
It's absurd to even argue this. There just isn't any vertical out East. The mountains are older. Regional pride can't overcome round, old, flat mountains, though this is all moot if we are talking about Plattekill.
i would tell that to every rider in southern california where there are just started to be lift access again THIS year.True fact- Availability of chairlifts is inversely proportional to the speed of racers.
You don't think year round riding affects that? Just like BMX, the majority of fast riders would come from Florida and California because of riding year round.Outside of southern oregon Im not all that good. But Ive heard alot of pro racers compare the Hood race course to a WC level course. If you look at all the WC courses they tend to be very fast and very tech. The east coast tends to lack the very fast part.
To the question who is faster... west coast guys. The east coast cant match the speed the guys west of the rockies have. East coast is tough as hell and is all "gnar this and that" but just lacks speed.
I know windam is hosting a WC and Ill fly there to watch, but look at the americans who are fast right now, Gwinn, Strobel, Strait, Riffle, all west coast.
As a generalization, I think west guys going east do better than east guys going west.
I never said that east coast wasnt fast. Just not west coast fast. And I dont know where you think there is all this year round downhill in the pnw. Even in southern oregon all the dh trails are covered in snow for the winter months. To ride dh year round you have to be in so cal. Granted the WC guys are from the south generally but thats talking about the top one percent of racers. Im not gunna e-argue, Im just stating what I have seen.You don't think year round riding affects that? Just like BMX, the majority of fast riders would come from Florida and California because of riding year round.
You don't consider last years national champ fast?
I agree we lack fast mountains. We do have two race venues that compare to outwest speed..Mt. Snow and Whiteface.
First off the last thing I want to do is start a flame war between East and West. !
How did you like the Utah trails? I'm a Bountiful local. Those trails are pretty fun. They're perfect in the fall and spring when it's raining.
Brian Head is a blast too. Just way too damn hard to breathe up there.