What's the best XC for DH'ers?

spoke80 · May 2, 2006

Interesting....But what are you looking for? What do DHer's need from a particular XC trail? I know that a few downhills are important but what about the other requirements?

Personally, I prefer rolling terrain with quick ups and downs to keep my heart and lungs working at a continuous rate.

discuss

profro · May 2, 2006

XC is ghey.

lux · May 2, 2006

ztlh13 said:
And profro whether you like it or not XC is the base for all mountain biking!

If you're talking MTB history, that's incorrect.

The (supposedly) first organized and promoted MTB race was a DH in 1976.

Check it from Charlie Kelly: http://mountainbike.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=mountainbike&zu=http://www.sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/mtbwelcome.htm

richcreek · May 2, 2006

profro said:
XC is ghey.

and your so stupid that when you were told you won a new color TV you asked, what color?

Jeremy R · May 2, 2006

The trails here in Spartanburg are like that.
Where they have the Stumpjumper race every year.
Constant change of pace, technical up and down, and brutally bumpy because of all the roots. It is less tiring to climb to the top of Black Mountain or to do a 3 hour ride in Pisgah than to ride that place. :dead:

Ask Butch, he came down here thinking he had an easy ride in the flatlands, and damn near died.
I am not saying it is a ton of fun, but it is tiring.
If I am in XC race shape, I can kill a guy here who would smoke me by over a minute climbing up somewhere like Sugar.
Notice the If though.

bizutch · May 2, 2006

Jeremy R said:
...
Ask Butch, he came down here thinking he had an easy ride in the flatlands, and damn near died.
I am not saying it is a ton of fun, but it is tiring.....)

wake up in a cold sweat doing 90 degree uphill left turns across small roots in the middle ring and rolling down 3 second descents only to repeat the same process in a switchback, rooty, humpy uphill to downhill right/left nightmare of 5 second climbs followed by non-restful tight turning 4 second downhillss.....ARRRGGHHHH!!!!

bizutch · May 2, 2006

As for DH style trails that have ripper DH that you can leave the XC'ers behind on...anything deep in Pisgah qualifies.
I've got one I'll show you...4 mile sickness descent followed by a mellow middle ring climb out....Jeremy knows it....

tomvan72 · May 2, 2006

I hear that Tsali has some great trails for fat out of shape dhers :wave:

bizutch · May 2, 2006

tomvan72 said:
I hear that Tsali has some great trails for fat out of shape dhers

:nuts:

tomvan72 · May 2, 2006

I am not sure, but any Semi pro level XC racer should have enough skills on a descent to stay close to an out of shape dh racer and conquer and destroy on climbs. The gain that can be acheived climbing will not be covered on a downhill. Climb for 20 mins and descend for 5min. Does not happen very often.

tomvan72 · May 2, 2006

Last time I rode in Gainsville,GA. there were some flowy trails you can rip there.

Jeremy R · May 2, 2006

tomvan72 said:
I am not sure, but any Semi pro level XC racer should have enough skills on a descent to stay close to an out of shape dh racer and conquer and destroy on climbs. The gain that can be acheived climbing will not be covered on a downhill. Climb for 20 mins and descend for 5min. Does not happen very often.

Yeah, I learned this from racing XC back in the day.
You just cannot put enough time on downhills on people for it to make a damn. The stronger climber and/or rider will always win in XC racing. That combined with the fact that it is terribly NOT fun is why I do not do it anymore.

JeffD · May 2, 2006

Tangent question - do y'all see much benefit to riding XC as far as your DH results go (mainly directed to those of you who see a big mountain frequently)?

Just curious since XC's pretty much all I've got to train on during the 1-3 month spells between riding the sled on big hills.

seabass · May 2, 2006

JeffD said:
Tangent question - do y'all see much benefit to riding XC as far as your DH results go (mainly directed to those of you who see a big mountain frequently)?

Just curious since XC's pretty much all I've got to train on during the 1-3 month spells between riding the sled on big hills.

Fitness helps with any racing. The fresher you can stay all the way down the hill the better. Some of my biggest DH wrecks have been towards the bottom of the course when I am way too winded and cross-eyed from fatigue.

Also, as someone pointed out above, the difference in the faster and slower guys on a tech section is sometimes a fraction of a second. The difference between the guys who can mash the pedaling sections and those who can't can really add up.

Most rec. downhillers would be amazed by the fitness level of the serious DH pros. Lopes used to show up and blister some shorter dirt TT's and expert XC races.

JeffD · May 2, 2006

Sure, my dilemma is with arm pump specifically. I'm gonna start riding my 20" on the local XC trails just to beat my hands and arms up some as I haven't seen much benefit to getting in better aerobic shape.

seabass · May 2, 2006

JeffD said:
Sure, my dilemma is with arm pump specifically. I'm gonna start riding my 20" on the local XC trails just to beat my hands and arms up some as I haven't seen much benefit to getting in better aerobic shape.

Stay off the brakes. All they do is slow you down!!

Yea, arm pump is a bitch. Windrock brings it out like nowhere I've ever ridden.

Jeremy R · May 2, 2006

JeffD said:
Sure, my dilemma is with arm pump specifically. I'm gonna start riding my 20" on the local XC trails just to beat my hands and arms up some as I haven't seen much benefit to getting in better aerobic shape.

Jeff,
I will give you my opinion on this.
There is absolutely NOTHING that replaces doing DH runs.
That said, I am like you in that I just do not have that option.
In general, the fitter I am for XC, the better I do at DH racing.
Riding alot of trail does help arm pump, it won't cure it, but it will not be as bad. The two things I have noticed a real difference on with DH runs is being fit from riding trail, and having a strong core from working abs and balance moves.
For me, I found pumping heavy iron useless on my DH rig, maybe its just because I do not enjoy it, but whatever, I don't do it anymore.

And this is all null and void if you are talking about Windrock, because that place always makes me feel like I have been sitting on the couch for a year. Arm Pump, Leg Pump, Fear Pump etc....
Going back for more Saturday.

JeffD · May 2, 2006

Fear pump...lol. Good one.

I hear ya, homeskillet. It's reassuring to hear that from a more accomplished flatlander. Gets discouraging when all your ride is WR at distant intervals so somedays you start to think you're the biggest douche on two wheels. For the first time in many years I'm making a concerted effort to get in better XC shape since I'm way past the point of diminishing returns - if any gains are to be made at all - from BMX and strength training. Massanutten should be a good litmus test of the efforts so far.

dhbuilder · May 4, 2006

fear pump.
that's going to have to go on the list of possible new trail names for next year.

i'll have to build one worthy of the name though. and i think i just might know where.

bizutch · May 4, 2006

when do we get a trail named GTO...the sequel to GT4?

dhbuilder · May 5, 2006

bizutch said:
when do we get a trail named GTO...the sequel to GT4?

this coming winter.
that and a real rockgarden.

i'm hoping to do just the opposite of the southernrocks/gt4 run.
giving us a smokin run and THEN hit the rocks.
possibly called GTO/armpump.
we'll see.

What's the best XC for DH'ers?

Monkey

Turbo Monkey

Turbo Monkey

Monkey

Monkey

richcreek

Guest

<b>x</b>

Delicate CUSTOM flower

Delicate CUSTOM flower

Monkey

Delicate CUSTOM flower

Monkey

Monkey

<b>x</b>

Monkey

Chimp

Monkey

Chimp

<b>x</b>

Monkey

jingoistic xenophobe

Delicate CUSTOM flower

jingoistic xenophobe