[ridiculous]

this just in. World Cup skiing events to ban skinsuits and adopt the baggy "hanging off of the ass" clothing style worn by snowboarders in an effort to boost ratings and coolness factor...

this

is going to be replaced by

Apples and Oranges in that case. One is a racing sport and the other is freestyle. Ski and snowboard racers both wear skin suits.

 

[rockwool]

Bwaaaahahahhahahahahahaha, found a good thread that's right on the money!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mtv.com/news/images/archive/Village_People/sq-village-people-leather-uni.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=55526596&h=180&w=180&sz=27&hl=en&start=16&tbnid=f9RjQsG-DjnSEM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=101&prev=/images?q=gay+leather+pants&gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N

Here are some exerpts (sp?):

hey. anyone know whats good clothes to wear to send out the signal that I'm gay. i'm talking about general clothes for shopping, work , on the bus etc. i usually wear polo and t-shirts but everyone thinks I'm str8 LOL. Cheers Mark

Ehm, baggy MX gear perhaps?

Buy clothes from Topman, the gayest shop in Ireland. Anything with bright colours, wear a size smaller than you would normally wear so as to show off your body. Cardigans were in there but now straights are wearing them now. Spike your hair too. Oh skinny jeans!

Ahh, skinsuit of course, silly me..

Why not just wear a t-shirt which reads, "sorry ladies, I suck cock "

Pfft, like a skinsuit isn't enough!

Why would you want to wear clothes that show your gay?!

They're fast?

To stop women hitting on him ?

Thank you Rev Hellfire!

Well make sure whatever you do to wear aussie bum underwear. They're trés gay...

Sam's hiding something?

Wearing them over other clothes is rather Superman-like, though.

I was accused of not dressing gay enough tonight, found this thread rather prophetic as it appeared when I came online again.

I vision Rennie at the Worlds with a pair over his skinsuited fat cow body. Yummy!

Evidently, you need to dress like this..

Man, MX is teh ghey afterall.. I'm foked.

anything pink, stripey multicoloured or TIGHT, fake tan would suffice.

Like a rainbow coloured skinsuit, huh?

Or so you'd think but apparently he's^ not gay. I turned up to a friends
civil parrnership ceremony in belfast recently dressed like this but was asked to leave for dressing too straight.

YESSSS, i'M SAVED!!

Why not get your ear pierced, grow a mustache, get a leather waist coat and leather pants?

Something like this...

Now that guy's FAST, and he don't give a **** what he looks like!

 

[SuspectDevice]

]
at this time dh racers need as much support as they can get. a large chunk of sponsorship money (what little there is) come froms companies like TLD, Fox, Royal, 661, etc. they don't sell skinsuits and I doubt they pay their racers to wear and promote producs that the sponsors don't sell and your average dh rider would not buy. look at all the TLD and Royal gear being worn by all the weekend warriors at your local hill and ask yourself why that is.


and Mickey, 'suspectdevice' to the rest of you, as a friend I have to ask why you bother with DH racing (and mountainbiking in general) if you have such a general disgust for so many of its participants. and why on earth are you trying to bring back Spooky if you have such a problem with downhillers and mountainbikers. Maybe you'd be be better off concentrating on the road scene, as that seems to be where your interest and sense of perspective is focused on these days. when you are the one guy in a community who thinks everyone else has got it all wrong then it might be a clue that you are in fact the one who is out of touch. your arguements are weak and shortsigted, your logic often paradoxical, and you come accross to the people you don't know you as someone with a inflated sense of your own importance who has spent far too much time swinging from your own nuts (your term, not mine).

Anyone who has been around bike races for more than a few years should have a healthy disgust for it.
Being disgruntled, and vocal is the American tradition.
Contempt and love are different sides of the same coin. Like most people you or I know, bike racing, or it's peripheral activities consumes nearly every moment of my day. It's not that my logic is paradoxical, it's just so deliberately riddled with sarcasm and satire (which is the aim of all good criticism, to create questions, not answer them) for my own amusement. Sure, that's self-aggrandizement, but people need to keep themselves amused..

It isn't that I'm "out of touch", it's that I refuse to create an artificial line, and perpetuate any sort of break between downhill and the rest of bike racing or riding in general... Racers are Racers. It takes about a month to turn a great road racer into a very competent mountaibike racer, and about 3 months to turn a good XC racer into an Elite DH racer (given the proper mental makeup).... Racing is racing, and racers are racers. Not much more to it than that, in my opinion.

And yeah, I spend way, way way more time and effort making, designing and marketing stuff for the Road, 'cross and XC race segments of the market than I do for DH....
Why? For one thing, that's what I grew up doing, and love. Another big reason is that it's a tiny, overpopulated market as it is, and I have nothing I could bring to the table in terms or product that would be better than what is already out there (or coming to market soon). Dave Turner already makes almost the exact same DH bike I would want to make, for instance, and there are quite a few folks in the Northeast who are doing everything they can to create really rad products for the DH market segment.

I also spend just as much time whining and whinging about contracts, race promotion and the direction of those sports. If this were baseball or Nascar, people would just call me a fan...



p.s. "Swinging from Nuts", I believe is Garson's term, I love the imagery so much that I had to steal it.

p.p.s. I just found some pictures of you and Dave in matching TLD lycra from 1997. Which shouldn't really be a parenthetical point I suppose...
Downhill used to have it's own, unique clothing when we were kids, that was particularly suited to the demands of the sport... When was the last time you remember seeing a full DH skinsuit, like OF3 and HotShoppe used to pump out hundreds of?

Hell, Cully is wearing a badass number, that he even cut the sleeves off of for more steeze.

If Palmer were wearing a full leg, full arm skinsuit in the picture below, I would maybe dislike him less.

Probally not going to happen though.

Playing moto-cross dressup is a NEW trend, and I don't see what it does to help out the bicycle industry...

How much of Eddie Cole's or Troy Lee's money goes toward bicycle riders, and bicycle racing? Not very much in the grand scheme of things. They are making Pro downhill racers pay for gear that they give for free to 11 year old motocrossers, afterall. In other words, Why isn't Eli Tomac racing BMX?
Could it be that the lack of sensible clothing, and over-concern with "fashion" and appearance is in fact indicative of the bigger problems facing the sport, like a lack of real direction, real identity and real traction?
I think there may be something to that...
Speaking of skinsuits getting in the way of things, I should probally go do some actual work, as much as I love googling things like "johan engstrom Are"...

 

[bohorec]

Apples and Oranges in that case. One is a racing sport and the other is freestyle. Ski and snowboard racers both wear skin suits.

Yeah, but people that aren't in the sport aren't the ones we should think about. All those massive hordes of freestyling kids and the snowboarding community are the ones we should encourage to start racing alpine skiing

 

[rockwool]

Yeah, but people that aren't in the sport aren't the ones we should think about. All those massive hordes of freestyling kids and the snowboarding community are the ones we should encourage to start racing alpine skiing

The very guys that personify DH more than any others are those that were top 5 in Fort Bill. Aparantly, they don't want to play dressup in their girlfriends skinsuits. Why are you forcing your will upon them?

From where is this sport going to grow? Let us know your thoughts on it.

 

[General Lee]

"Playing moto-cross dressup is a NEW trend, and I don't see what it does to help out the bicycle industry..."

As if all the cycling industry's problems hinge on the fashion sense of its participants. give me a break. if people don't find a sport interesting it's not as a result of what the competitors are wearing. more to the point, if they like the sport they don't care what the competitors are wearing. take for example professional wrestling: do you really think all those redneck homophobes are packing in the stands because they like seeing oiled up men in thongs and leather boots roll around on the ground with each other? heck no, they like the spectacle of the entire event to the point where the costumes aren't relevant to their enjoyment. playing dress-up in either direction isn't going to make people like cycling, or any other sport for that matter.

oh, and it gets harder and harder to call something 'new' when it has been more or less the standard for almost 10 years in a sport that has only been officially recognized internationally for about 15 years.

i could care less about the use of skin suits, but some of the arguements people are making against and in favor lack any real perspective. The way i see it, it's up to the guys at the top who are effected the most. Like most sports where the participants to some degree moderate their own appearance, DH racing seems to be doing the same even at the highest level.

I'd say the Mojo team using skin suits at Ft. Bill was less about pushing he envelope as it was Chris Porter's way of once again trying to call attention to himself and his pretty standard practice of going against the grain almost for the sake of it. Actually, he's a lot like Mickey only with a bigger budget.

 

[SuspectDevice]

Lee,
I have no fashion sense. I don't see where fashion fits in here really....

 

[big-ted]

I kind of like how it is now. I don't see any reason to ban them, but there's no way in hell I'd want to watch WC racing if everyone was wearing the skin suit. Not because I'm uncomfortable with my sexuality, but because it makes the sport seem so much less accessible. I like the comradery at races. I like the fact that you can chill out with friends at lunch, hike up the course and cheer the beginner riders come down. I like the fact that I can sit and fester in my race kit at the end of the day with a few beers. I like the idea that I can do all of these things without having to return to the car to get changed, and without appearing completely indecent to members of the general public.

The US already has a huge lack of talent in DH racing (see other threads). You think you're going to help matters by having all racers wear skinsuits? Good luck with that...

 

[DirtyMike]

This is a hilarious discussion for anyone who rides road.

Frankly, I think road racers who don't shave their legs or wear baggies are afraid of something.

When I am done riding, I take off my lycra and throw something comfortable on.

yes, yes it is

 

[FlipFantasia]

for record I make just as much fun of my friend in full matching moto gear as I do of those decked in skinsuits.......I'm an equal opportunity hater.....and I'm sure people think I look ridiculous too sometimes what with my camo cutoffs and merino wool jersey, among other ridiculous clothing items.......seeing all those old school pics though reminds me that I'm very glad spandex went away in dh.....and yes, I did it at one point way back in the day too.....mostly because at that time the sport lacked any type of identity an there were no other options....

 

[DirtyMike]

I jsut caught up on the thread, I am curious. This is a question for everyone who says skins suits and Lycra are for Fags..... Are you really that insecure???? Are you the guys who jump and cry when someone walks in on you when your taking a leak?? Are you the guys scared about how big your D**k is??? What about sahving elgs?? does that make me gay??? Or do I realize that I ride both Road and DH, and that I can get more heat out of my body that way. Not to mention, the wife LOVES it.

Is a skin suit the "cool" thing to have. No it isnt

Is it the best thing to have, depends ont he coarse, I tell you If I had one, I would have been wearing it for that first WInterseries race in fontana this year, the cross wind was rediculous, and would have been a defenite advantage.

Does it make me queer because I am comfortable with my sexuality, and I am not afraid to wear Lycra when its the best for the situation?

 

[NJMX835]

HAHA i was waiting for someone to chime in and say that. What really matters in this case is the wetted area. So youre right just tucking will probably do more.
A man standing has a Cd in the range of 1.0-1.4
A tucked biker is probably around .9-1.0

This same issue came up with professional swimming a few years back because of the new water shedding suits. Records were being broken left and right by teams that could afford them. To make it fair they were banned except for at world level events. This was thought to be fair because the teams were funded by the country and therefore a "level" playing field.

Did you really have to bring up 'tucking' in a skinsuit thread?

 

[rockwool]

I jsut caught up on the thread, I am curious. This is a question for everyone who says skins suits and Lycra are for Fags..... Are you really that insecure???? Are you the guys who jump and cry when someone walks in on you when your taking a leak?? Are you the guys scared about how big your D**k is??? What about sahving elgs?? does that make me gay??? Or do I realize that I ride both Road and DH, and that I can get more heat out of my body that way. Not to mention, the wife LOVES it.

So what do I have to do, let you lick my ass to prove that I'm cool with that type my sexuality? Well then, come ova here cowboy! When it comes to wearing clothes, which skinsuits also are, really tight fitting clothes and especially body socks of any kind is femenine. I love it, on women. Maybe I'm not vain enough for it?

 

[rockwool]

The General speaks good words, smokes good pipe, and has a name worthy of a rasta man.

for record I make just as much fun of my friend in full matching moto gear as I do of those decked in skinsuits.......I'm an equal opportunity hater.....and I'm sure people think I look ridiculous too sometimes what with my camo cutoffs and merino wool jersey, among other ridiculous clothing items.......seeing all those old school pics though reminds me that I'm very glad spandex went away in dh.....and yes, I did it at one point way back in the day too.....mostly because at that time the sport lacked any type of identity an there were no other options....

So we're progressing? Good!

I kind of like how it is now. I don't see any reason to ban them, but there's no way in hell I'd want to watch WC racing if everyone was wearing the skin suit. Not because I'm uncomfortable with my sexuality, but because it makes the sport seem so much less accessible. I like the comradery at races. I like the fact that you can chill out with friends at lunch, hike up the course and cheer the beginner riders come down. I like the fact that I can sit and fester in my race kit at the end of the day with a few beers. I like the idea that I can do all of these things without having to return to the car to get changed, and without appearing completely indecent to members of the general public.

Good points!

Lee,
I have no fashion sense. I don't see where fashion fits in here really....

You're right, it goes deeper than that, it's a personality thing and you're trying to force our world class athletes into looking like transexuals. There's no hating on queers just because I, them, and others don't want to look like them. I don't wear my baggys CrissCrossed eather.

 

[dante]

You're right, it goes deeper than that, it's a personality thing and you're trying to force our world class athletes into looking like transexuals. There's no hating on queers just because I, them, and others don't want to look like them. I don't wear my baggys CrissCrossed eather.

psst, in case you don't know, mickey actually looks like Carson from Queer Eye... the resemblance is actually kinda scary.

 

[rockwool]

psst, in case you don't know, mickey actually looks like Carson from Queer Eye... the resemblance is actually kinda scary.

Carson reminds me quite a lot of Thomas Bergsman, a guy I and Pelo used to ride and courrier with, who now is a pro freeskier.

 

[rockwool]

Hey, found your guy while looking for gayish picturures for this thread.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn.myxertones.com/tn/c/224579/big/?t=20080228144220&imgrefurl=http://www.myxertones.com/ringtone:224579/&h=240&w=222&sz=9&hl=en&start=32&tbnid=ij_JcbNH9jUHPM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=102&prev=/images?q=police+academy+%2B+gay+bar&start=18&gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N



EDIT: Ohh yeah, my search words were Police Academy and Blue Oyster Bar.

 

[General Lee]

psst, in case you don't know, mickey actually looks like Carson from Queer Eye... the resemblance is actually kinda scary.

I guess I'm just not seeing the resemblance

 

[LMC]

its funny there is an identical thread on descent world, which started off as a skinsuit discussion but then went onto cover innapropriate use of the word gay.

if you anti skinsuit guys want people to take your arguement seriously, perhaps you should leave off the "skinsuits are gay" comments, as it makes you sound jeuvenille.

 

[skinny mike]

if people don't find a sport interesting it's not as a result of what the competitors are wearing. more to the point, if they like the sport they don't care what the comptitors are wearing. take for example professional wrestling: do you really think all those redneck homophobes are packing in the stands becasue they like seeing oiled up men in thongs and leather boots roll around on the ground with eachother? heck no, they like the spectacle of the entire event to the point where the costumes aren't releveant to their enjoyment.

right, so why exactly are skinsuits a problem if clothing isn't what draws in fans and sponsors?

 

[Kevin]

I jsut caught up on the thread, I am curious. This is a question for everyone who says skins suits and Lycra are for Fags..... Are you really that insecure???? Are you the guys who jump and cry when someone walks in on you when your taking a leak?? Are you the guys scared about how big your D**k is??? What about sahving elgs?? does that make me gay??? Or do I realize that I ride both Road and DH, and that I can get more heat out of my body that way. Not to mention, the wife LOVES it.

Ill bite since I litteraly used the word fagot in my post.
It has nothing to do with being insecure. It just looks wrong too a lot of people and I highly doubt that you will benefit from it if your not on a really really fast all open course.
People are allways gonna be concerned with image as long as we live, its because we all seek a certain identity.
To a lot of people skinsuits are just plain ugly and wrong, therefore, most people, not even the pro's, dont wear them.
Shaving legs has the advantage of less infections when you go down on a road so I can understand if people do it but I rather just get an infection then have to look at my shaved legs all day.

To each there own...

 

[dante]

I guess I'm just not seeing the resemblance

must be the goatee...

 

[General Lee]

right, so why exactly are skinsuits a problem if clothing isn't what draws in fans and sponsors?

like i've said several times, sports tend to self regulate their own style of dress. Will people still show up to watch the Lakers if Kobe and the rest of the team went back to 80's style basketball shorts? yes, of course they would because they are fans of basketball. does this mean Kobe wants to wear them? absolutely not.

same goes for DH. Several years ago the guys at the top of the DH game decided they wanted their own identify separate from the traditional road racing inspired gear they had used previously (and becasue though it is itself quite unique, DH racing has more in common with bmx and motocross than traditional cycling). If skinsuits are going to come back it is going to be because guys like Peaty, Minnaar, Hill, etc. want them to come back not because Chris Porter wants to hear himself talk. and if riders start wearing them I doubt the regular race fans will suddenly tune out.

interestingly enough, as has been mentioned by a few people, you don't see anyone advocating for the removal of helmet visors as well.

 

[NJMX835]

must be the goatee...

That guy looks like Dave Grohl on a meth binge...

 

[jamesdc]

Skin suits are fvcking retarted, if you care that much about speed you should probably ditch that fullface helmet and stick a condom over you head so you'll be more aerodynamic. Shave ever hair off you body too so the skin suit will fit tighter and make you even faster.

 

[pelo]

Skin suits are fvcking retarted, if you care that much about speed you should probably ditch that fullface helmet and stick a condom over you head so you'll be more aerodynamic. Shave ever hair off you body too so the skin suit will fit tighter and make you even faster.

Well said, I like that.

 

[rockwool]

right, so why exactly are skinsuits a problem if clothing isn't what draws in fans and sponsors?

Cus the racers don't find it in them to wear them?

its funny there is an identical thread on descent world, which started off as a skinsuit discussion but then went onto cover innapropriate use of the word gay.

if you anti skinsuit guys want people to take your arguement seriously, perhaps you should leave off the "skinsuits are gay" comments, as it makes you sound jeuvenille.

Gary Glitter wore a skinsuit.

 

[dante]

Skin suits are fvcking retarted, if you care that much about speed you should probably ditch that fullface helmet and stick a condom over you head so you'll be more aerodynamic. Shave ever hair off you body too so the skin suit will fit tighter and make you even faster.

ya, right on, what do you think this is, a RACE??!?

 

[DirtyMike]

So what do I have to do, let you lick my ass to prove that I'm cool with that type my sexuality? Well then, come ova here cowboy! When it comes to wearing clothes, which skinsuits also are, really tight fitting clothes and especially body socks of any kind is femenine. I love it, on women. Maybe I'm not vain enough for it?

No, I dont need to Lick anything. You need to be open minded as to what might be Comfortable to ride in, have you ever actually worn Lycra? Because unlike the Emo tight as you can get not letting the boys roll around jeans, Properly fit lycra, you cant even tell its there. This is coming from the guy who swore he would never ride in Lycra. Try it someday, its actualyl comfy, breathes well, and allows for excellent movement.

Ill bite since I litteraly used the word fagot in my post.
It has nothing to do with being insecure. It just looks wrong too a lot of people and I highly doubt that you will benefit from it if your not on a really really fast all open course.
People are allways gonna be concerned with image as long as we live, its because we all seek a certain identity.
To a lot of people skinsuits are just plain ugly and wrong, therefore, most people, not even the pro's, dont wear them.
Shaving legs has the advantage of less infections when you go down on a road so I can understand if people do it but I rather just get an infection then have to look at my shaved legs all day.

To each there own...

Only reason It got me going, is when people are saying, You want to wear a skinsuit, you must be gay, you fag. A skin suit in DH really isnt going to gain you must just for Aerodynamics, but on a really fast coarse, or a stupid widny coarse, it can be the difference of even staying on the bike. Try a race where you have a 40mph Plus crosswind, make two runs, once in full baggy, once in a skin suit and you tell me which one you were in more control with.


And By the way, talk to more Pros, you will find they DO have them and use them when needed.

 

[dexter]

such a stupid old argument. when someone beats another with a skinsuit, the beaten person decides that skinsuits are gay. they offer a huge advantage and if you dont look like rossie o'd and rock pads they look pretty slick actually. I think a well put together skin suit with matching troy lee helmet looks way better than this whole "hey look im trying to a moto x racer vroom vroom, oh wait i odnt have a ****ing engine" look. yes they should be legal, its like not allowing sticky compound tires, or tuned shocks, or thumb shifter, etc etc etc. its personal choice and can help people win. i loved rocking my skin suit when i new it might help me (which it rarely did).

 

[.:Jeenyus:.]

the fact that world champs gets everyone into a skin suit says it all. when you want to win, you use every possible advantage that you have and a skin suit definitely helps. every other timed sport focuses on reducing drag, to at least some extent. the fact that the top riders in our sport aren't wearing skin suits at every world cup is fukkin comical.

how is anyone else going to take this sport seriously if the top riders are too worried about their appearance to use a skin suit to get down the mountain quicker.

 

[Kevin]

And By the way, talk to more Pros, you will find they DO have them and use them when needed.

Though I am not one myself due to all kinds of reasons, I do talk to several WC riders during the season. Some of them are actually pretty close friends of mine.
I dont see any of them sporting a skin suit though.
If you say they use them when needed, why dont we see m more often during WCs?
I certainly dont see a lot of them at the races so my guess is theyre probably not worth it.
I primarily race in Germany and Belgium though, could be a different thing in other parts of the world.
But in my opinion, skinsuits look utterly stupid and they are not worth it unless youre riding in conditions not commonly found in World Cups.

With all due respect. Just my 02cnts...
Unfortunatly opinions are just like assholes. Everybody has one, and youre not likely to agree with every one of them.

 

[General Lee]

the fact that world champs gets everyone into a skin suit says it all. when you want to win, you use every possible advantage that you have and a skin suit definitely helps. every other timed sport focuses on reducing drag, to at least some extent. the fact that the top riders in our sport aren't wearing skin suits at every world cup is fukkin comical.

how is anyone else going to take this sport seriously if the top riders are too worried about their appearance to use a skin suit to get down the mountain quicker.

i seriously think you are mistaken in assuming that anyone else would notice; or even care. Of all the non DH racers and non cyclist to whom i've even shown a DH video or picture their first reaction was never "gee, i thought he'd be wearing something tighter." If people actually liked DH racing they would watch it regardless of what the riders happen to wear. you could dress all the world cup racers up in skin suits, or business suits, or leisure suits, and it would be a zero sum gain.

Assuming people will tune in or tune out to DH racing or suddenly take it seriously because of lycra jumpsuits or moto shorts is like saying you only watch baseball for the stirrups

 

[Kevin]

On a different note.
I really hope that once and for all, some respectable MTB magazine would try and test the results of a skin suit over MX gear on any given DH course, even a WC course just so we have some numbers to back the skin suit up.
Hell I might even change my opinion on the effect of skinsuits if they prove me wrong, but that still doesnt automaticaly mean I will wear one.

That said, if any rider wins a WC race or even the Worlds because of a skinsuit, then he definitly deserves it in every way possible.

Cheers

 

[Kevin]

the fact that world champs gets everyone into a skin suit says it all. when you want to win, you use every possible advantage that you have and a skin suit definitely helps. every other timed sport focuses on reducing drag, to at least some extent. the fact that the top riders in our sport aren't wearing skin suits at every world cup is fukkin comical.

MX races, either outside or SX take a lot longer to complete then a DH track.
So why arent Stewart, Tedesco or Reed in Lycra?
You would think they would benefit more during relativly long MX heat then someone on a 3minute DH track.
They also reach speeds far greater then any DHer on ANY DH track and theres a lot more money involved.
I just cant imagine a skinsuit having any effect on the results of any given DH race...

 

[.:Jeenyus:.]

i seriously think you are mistaken in assuming that anyone else would notice; or even care. Of all the non DH racers and non cyclist to whom i've even shown a DH video or picture their first reaction was never "gee, i thought he'd be wearing something tighter." If people actually liked DH racing they would watch it regardless of what the riders happen to wear. you could dress all the world cup racers up in skin suits, or business suits, or leisure suits, and it would be a zero sum gain.

Assuming people will tune in or tune out to DH racing or suddenly take it seriously because of lycra jumpsuits or moto shorts is like saying you only watch baseball for the stirrups

it's not so much what they're wearing it's why they're wearing it (or not wearing it rather).

 

[DirtyMike]

Though I am not one myself due to all kinds of reasons, I do talk to several WC riders during the season. Some of them are actually pretty close friends of mine.
I dont see any of them sporting a skin suit though.
If you say they use them when needed, why dont we see m more often during WCs?
I certainly dont see a lot of them at the races so my guess is theyre probably not worth it.
I primarily race in Germany and Belgium though, could be a different thing in other parts of the world.
But in my opinion, skinsuits look utterly stupid and they are not worth it unless youre riding in conditions not commonly found in World Cups.

With all due respect. Just my 02cnts...
Unfortunatly opinions are just like assholes. Everybody has one, and youre not likely to agree with every one of them.

Ok, i can handle that responce. And I can even respect your opinion on how a skin suit looks. Thas cool, its your opinion. I also am not sitting about telling people wearing loose moto style stuff there dressed like clowns either.

My biggest point I wanted to make was, Who cares if someone wants to wear a skin suit? And my responce in this thread was directeds to people calling them Gay and Faggots for doing so. You can wear what you want, I really dont care. If you want to wear baggies, then wear baggies, If you want Lycra, wear Lycra. Just dont go around telling someone what they should be doing. If your comfy and like what your wearing, how you set up your bike then who cares....

 

[CBJ]

Skin suite troll?

 

[CRoss]

On a different note.
I really hope that once and for all, some respectable MTB magazine would try and test the results of a skin suit over MX gear on any given DH course, even a WC course just so we have some numbers to back the skin suit up.
Hell I might even change my opinion on the effect of skinsuits if they prove me wrong, but that still doesnt automaticaly mean I will wear one.

I am not sure for mountain bikes but in downhill ski racing they have done wind tunnel testing of suits. Comparing skinsuits there are speed differences, a well designed suit can gain you up to a second on a downhill ski course over a poorly designed suit. This is one skinsuit compared to another, I can't imagine how much slower a baggy jersey and moto shorts would be. FIS(ski racings governing body) has banned some of the faster skin suits from competition. This was due to safety concerns, the design made them fast made them get extremely hot when you fell and slide on the snow.

Here is some interesting reading about aerodynamics and drag with road racing. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/aero/aerodynamics.htm

Whether you are road racing or riding DH you still have an object moving through the air. The smoother and smaller the object the faster it can go. So yes a skinsuit will give you some aerodynamic advantage. The higher the speeds the more of an advantage you gain.

 

[toodles]

Why don't MX riders wear them?

I don't give two ****s what anyone wears when they ride. I've been racing DH for more than 10 years now and I've only ever worn denim shorts. I cbf paying for moto shorts that aren't any better, and I damn sure don't want to be sliding on my arse in gravel wearing lycra. But if you want to, go for it.