[Ascentrek]

I've had the bug to try one of these races. If you've raced one of these, what is your experience with it? Fun? I like DH with a little XC mixed in; so I wouldn't mind trying one of these races out. I've got a SC Bullit, but I enjoy pushing it uphill (sadist). What are the courses typically like? How much up hill is there? what is everyone racing bike wise?

 

[PatBranch]

I have always wanted to race super d. I heard they had a 3' drop too a loose, rocky chute at Big Bear. Now its closed and I can't. I heard its not very technical at all. I have a level betty which would have worked fine for it. It is cracked. I want a bullit really bad, but my dad doesn't have the money for one. So I am just getting a moutain cycle rumble hard tail. That would be fine for sd. A bullit would work well too. I heard 5" travel all mountain/trail bikes are the best.

 

[arboc!]

i raced in silver mt.'s super d. it was really long. mostly dh and trails. some xc stuff. there was even a fire road (which i fell on). a few uphills , but i did them on the p.1

 

[arboc!]

i think that a long travel trail bike would be ideal

 

[Full Trucker]

The Super-D I raced at Durango last year was fun fun fun. Open fire road with loose gravel and rocks up top, narrowing to fun singletrack in the middle/bottom. No technical stunts, drops or jumps of any kind. Flowy trails, fun corners. Couple of climbs that busted my gut after a night of beer drinking - couldn't quite get the last one with a single 38 up front on the hardtail.

Ultimate Super-D bike, in my opinion? Anything with 4" - 5" travel front and rear, sub-30 lbs, with gears, that you can pedal like a bastard and descend like greased lightening on.

 

[ladge]

I've had the bug to try one of these races. If you've raced one of these, what is your experience with it? Fun? I like DH with a little XC mixed in; so I wouldn't mind trying one of these races out. I've got a SC Bullit, but I enjoy pushing it uphill (sadist). What are the courses typically like? How much up hill is there? what is everyone racing bike wise?

I tried the one in Angel Fire. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Despite some of the shortcomings, it was very worth while. I used a bullit - it has a 22/32ring+DRS setup so I could climb when required. For sure the majority of the run was downhill (singletrack and wide open fire road), with a long enough climbing section (?maybe 80-100 yards?) added to really make it a requirement to be able to pedal your bike up if you wanted to get a decent time. Sections during the run were madness - a bunch of guys giggling their arses off cutting across trails and taking shortcuts/swerving, jockying for better position. My only complaint was the course wasn't marked real well, and twice I went the wrong way which really zapped out the fact that I was fourth getting on to the trail.


Oh yeah, as far as the start goes, everyone lined up behind a start line. The bikes were lined up further on the hill behind a second "start line". There were some placement rules as far as where you had to put your bike depending on where you were lined up. Run seemed like about 40 yards uphill, maybe less.

I'm not quite sure if long travel bikes have the advantage, my 42lb'er was really a disadvantage during some points. On the dh you are passing the xc bikes like they are standing still, but it was the other way around when you got to the flat/uphill sections. I think a 30ish pound f/s with a lowered seatpost ( or adjust on the fly seatpost ) and 2.3+ tires would be ideal...i.e. maybe a freeride/burly xc oriented heckler type of bike if that makes any sense.