[teamkranzelbike]

I am looking around at the movement of great riders to teams In a volume I have not seen before. The fabric of the universe was torn apart when Peaty left Orange Just to be restored when Cedric Went to Commencial. Now Lopes on Marzocchi and Kenda. I just looked at the 06 Cannondale roster and cant believe what I am seeing. The Haro roster is equally impressive.It seems that the bike companys are making an effort to bring the sport to a level I have not seen since the boom of the 80's. Could it be that our sport is being born again? Will the next thing we see be large corperate sponsors? A revamping of NORBA.? Actuall prize money? I for one am excited in what I see. Any one else feel this way?

 

[wysiwyg]

we wish.

 

[ChrisKring]

................no

 

[FCLinder]

The only way it will be big again is if there are races in more populated areas like where the X-Games have their events. That is why the X-Games is so big. Plus not enough TV time for our sport. The funny thing is when we do get TV time, it does no justice for the sport because the people filming the event doesn't know the best way to film it. Watch a MT Bike Downhill race on TV and you will laugh and turn it right back to the Football game. Watch a downhill Ski race and you will keep watching it. That's because the people filming it and filming the X-Games know what they are doing.

 

[Cant Climb]

Watch a downhill Ski race and you will keep watching it. That's because the people filming it and filming the X-Games know what they are doing.

Downhill ski races on are on extremely steep slopes......slopes made of ice, that many times that would require mountaineering skills to walk the entire course, plus they are going in speeds in excess of 70 mph. This severity of grade and speed makes it much easier to film, plus the scenery is very pleasant......

on a sidebar: Olympic DH skiing is in severe danger of extinction, even more so than mtb...

 

[FCLinder]

Downhill ski races on are on extremely steep slopes......slopes made of ice, that many times that would require mountaineering skills to walk the entire course, plus they are going in speeds in excess of 70 mph. This severity of grade and speed makes it much easier to film, plus the scenery is very pleasant......

on a sidebar: Olympic DH skiing is in severe danger of extinction, even more so than mtb...

You are missing the point that I am trying to get across. Its all about how many people watch the sport. That is the only way there will ever be any more big sponsors in the sport.

 

[DHCorky]

The winter X-Games are not in a very populated area. They are actually hard to get to. You can't even park close by very easy. For the most part you have to park away from the resort and ride a bus in. This is the same for the sponsors, they ride a bus in carrying all their gear that that are going to use to setup(tents, demo products, etc.) My friend was there for Ride snowboards last year, he had to make several trips to get everything to the hill.

 

[stiksandstones]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but all these moves are because these riders' former sponsors all could not justify paying them anymore because they do not see the value in racing and marquee riders...

 

[Zutroy]

You are missing the point that I am trying to get across. Its all about how many people watch the sport. That is the only way there will ever be any more big sponsors in the sport.

It's not really about how many people watch the sport. It's about how "cool" the sport is, and how many people want to do it. If mountain bikes are back in vogue when sponsors will come. Even back in the hay day here in the US, the crowds were never huge outsides of the amatuers that were racing, the TV numbers weren't huge, but everyone any their mother wanted a mountain bike, so it was the in thing to sponsor a mountain bike team.

 

[Spunger]

It's not really about how many people watch the sport. It's about how "cool" the sport is, and how many people want to do it. If mountain bikes are back in vogue when sponsors will come. Even back in the hay day here in the US, the crowds were never huge outsides of the amatuers that were racing, the TV numbers weren't huge, but everyone any their mother wanted a mountain bike, so it was the in thing to sponsor a mountain bike team.

In a way it's the same with BMX in some cities, I know here in Santa Barbara BMX at one point was huge, every shop had tons and tons of BMX stuff.......now you'd be lucky to find a padset in some of the shops. I never really saw a rise locally but with finding the net, and ridemonkey with others in my area I know more people are out riding trails etc...

But I think it all comes around. When there's something for locals to race in (like in Fontana) I think it helps that area get familarized with the DH scene. If other places started popping up with local race scenes I think you'd find more into it. It's just hard to race where there's no races to be had.

 

[Cant Climb]

With the rampant land access issues i don't really see mtb'ing in general being a big $$$$ fad sport again........

 

[lovebunny]

But I think it all comes around. When there's something for locals to race in (like in Fontana) I think it helps that area get familarized with the DH scene. If other places started popping up with local race scenes I think you'd find more into it. It's just hard to race where there's no races to be had.

haha have you ever asked someone who lives in fontana outside of the area the shuttle truck travels in where the race is?

 

[dhbuilder]

The only way it will be big again is if there are races in more populated areas like where the X-Games have their events. That is why the X-Games is so big. Plus not enough TV time for our sport. The funny thing is when we do get TV time, it does no justice for the sport because the people filming the event doesn't know the best way to film it. Watch a MT Bike Downhill race on TV and you will laugh and turn it right back to the Football game. Watch a downhill Ski race and you will keep watching it. That's because the people filming it and filming the X-Games know what they are doing.

i've been riding and racing mt'bikes since 1985.
it's a shame that we depend on racing and it's exposure for our sport to flourish.(instead of just the pure joy of riding to do the trick.) but that's the way it is.

so it's even more sad that the above quote, hits the nail squarely on the head. the last year or so of coverage that we recieved was crap.
but nowadays nobody is going to sponser anything that doesn,t have the return on the dollar that the tour de france coverage gets.

it's the same with motorsports coverage. so many different types of auto racing used to get quality airtime. but now nascar is the 800lb. gorilla that sucks up every sponsers advertising budget. and no network will invest in anything that they can't flood with comercials to recoup their production cost.

the same is true with mt.bike racing. companies can't afford to field teams and they darn sure can't afford television ad rates.

 

[FCLinder]

Finally someone that is truly from the old school of MT racing. You are right about the motor sports that is on TV and the great coverage they get. The sad thing is most of them are for the lower levels of racing. I have been around racing MT bikes for over 7 years now and helped run a race series in the South East for over 4 years. Its just way to much work and to have fun at racing too. The sad thing is NORBA has the power to help the sport and pull in money sponsors. They are not doing anything about it, like they did in the past. Its all about money and making more money for them. They will not spend the money to have someone or a crew to film the races to sell OLN for air time. The Speed Cannel would spend more money on our sport if they really knew more about it.

 

[dhbuilder]

yeah, couldn't you just see downhill racing highlights on dave despains windtunnel show on sunday evenings ?

talk about cool.

 

[PatBranch]

I think a movie like blue crush or supercross (i think its called) would be a HUGE help to mtb. Everyone see's movies like this. Blue Crush encouraged many girls to start surfing.

 

[dhbuilder]

I think a movie like blue crush or supercross (i think its called) would be a HUGE help to mtb. Everyone see's movies like this. Blue Crush encouraged many girls to start surfing.

and many a guy to have sweet dreams about little miss bosworth in that tiny bikini.

 

[PatBranch]

People should start taking about mtb to their friends in the movie industry.

 

[caputo1989]

All of my friends won't ride with me because they feel the need to keep up and then freek out.
Most people diont have enough balls to go out and do what we do. So there is only a select few of us that are crazy enoug to ride a bike down a hill at speed through rough terrain.
We need to target the kids to come out and ride to grow the sport(lil manimal). True we need to get bigger sponsors and TV coverage to really give a name to the sport, but there just isn't ennough people out there willing to ride.
Maby a Holywood film would inspire some people but, I kinda like how there is just a select group of people that ride.

 

[Lexx D]

I agree it would be nice to get the coverage but i like doing something that the lemmings don't even know about.

 

[Lexx D]

Wow, that was my first post in a really long time.

 

[PatBranch]

I agree it would be nice to get the coverage but i like doing something that the lemmings don't even know about.

I was thinking about this the other day. Its cool how they are only few mtber's out the huge population. One advantage is, with less riders there is more chance of good riders getting notice. It seems like it was more like this in the early 90's. It is kind of a cool feeling that everyone is not any mtber. It is a far more less and distinct sport than MX. There are so many MX'ers.

 

[dhbuilder]

I agree it would be nice to get the coverage but i like doing something that the lemmings don't even know about.

50% of me agrees with you.

the other 50% is proud of the skills and talent we all share. and want to see more folks experience it.(that have the ability.)

 

[Cant Climb]

99% of the people here ride xc and they have no concept of DH......they have no concept of what is really invovled in it, the severity of the courses, the speeds, the specialized training, the mental aspects......and 99% of them have not clue who Chris Kovairk is.....

 

[PatBranch]

What do you expect? ..you live under the ice. Kind of hard to dh under there...

 

[Lexx D]

50% of me agrees with you.

the other 50% is proud of the skills and talent we all share. and want to see more folks experience it.(that have the ability.)

I would love to see our sport get the respect it deserves.........that won't happen until we get the real coverage at a race. This OLN shyt does nothing to bring new people to our sport. It's up to the riders to get more people involved.

 

[Slugman]

The only way it will be big again is if there are races in more populated areas like where the X-Games have their events. That is why the X-Games is so big. Plus not enough TV time for our sport. The funny thing is when we do get TV time, it does no justice for the sport because the people filming the event doesn't know the best way to film it. Watch a MT Bike Downhill race on TV and you will laugh and turn it right back to the Football game. Watch a downhill Ski race and you will keep watching it. That's because the people filming it and filming the X-Games know what they are doing.

If racing/TV exposure is the thing that brings in a ll the money... why does the Sierra club have so much money and power? I don't recall watching too much Hiking on ESPN growning up...

 

[PatBranch]

Maybe it's becasue people have always been able to hike.

 

[Slugman]

Maybe it's becasue people have always been able to hike.

I've been riding bikes since I can remember, including through the woods when moutnainbiking was in it's infancy...

 

[FCLinder]

If racing/TV exposure is the thing that brings in a ll the money... why does the Sierra club have so much money and power? I don't recall watching too much Hiking on ESPN growning up...

They get a lot of Goverment funding all the time. That is why they have a lot of money to use.

 

[FCLinder]

People should start taking about mtb to their friends in the movie industry.

I will bring it up to Greg White from Two Wheel Tuesday. He is a nice guy and likes Mt. Biking alot. Maybe he can bring something up about our sport on one show. Its all about 2 wheels boys.

 

[PatBranch]

Cool, maybe they could show some dh clips on a show or something. I like two wheel tuesday.

 

[zmtber]

yeah see thats what we need,plus this thing on stunt junkies with Berrecloth
check it out:
Darren’s episode of Stunt Junkies to appear February 1, 2006 at 10:00PM on the Discovery Channel (discoverychannel.com),
the problem is, that i believe they are going to compare it to your normal anyday ride with your old treks or diamond backs, instead of focusing on the extreme of the sport. i just want to know why did skating take off but DH biking didn't?