I've not read the thread yet, sorry. But chest beating about toughness etc isn't the point, a track can be more hardcore by being easier, making it faster. It's not trials afterall.
When is a track "too rough"? Should we pave tracks and ride them on road bikes?
- Thread starter slowitdown
- Start date
Thats why I didnt really use it as an example. Ive seen tracks with long very steep sections that seemed fairly cool in that matter. Apparently 2010 changes to the champery track fix a lot of that stuff.
yeh world cup riders are talking well too much **** these days....especially minnaar.....
a few rounds ago there were too many pads on the trees...and now theyre coming too fast into sections
the tracks the same for everyone at the end of the day and as amazing as they dirt tv and mtb cut daily videos are there an easy medium for the likes of minnaar to go on ranting on about the steepness of the dangerousness of wc tracks
i liked the way we didnt hear much **** out of him last year about how flat pietermaritzburg was
i like minnaar when hes on the bike i just think he should sit down some day and watch a load videos and see how he comes across from another perspective...
a few rounds ago there were too many pads on the trees...and now theyre coming too fast into sections
the tracks the same for everyone at the end of the day and as amazing as they dirt tv and mtb cut daily videos are there an easy medium for the likes of minnaar to go on ranting on about the steepness of the dangerousness of wc tracks
i liked the way we didnt hear much **** out of him last year about how flat pietermaritzburg was
i like minnaar when hes on the bike i just think he should sit down some day and watch a load videos and see how he comes across from another perspective...
I see no problem with him not liking some tracks. Do you want to have genuine interviews or watch the presidential campain ?
As for the argument that the track is the same for everybody - a ****ty track would still be. We could lit it all on fire and the argument would still aply and Im pretty sure some people would wine about that
Look at how Minnaar didnt complain at Canberra much but other riders did. A lot of ppl complained at Willingen. Its nothing new. People have to right to not like a certain track. You really want him to be the poster boysband guy type? Screw that - let them say what they want - I wanna hear what pros REALLY think about tracks.
Sik Mik had the best quote of the weekend so far
"We're on the limit all the time, it doesn't matter where we are it's all a bit dangerous"
"We're on the limit all the time, it doesn't matter where we are it's all a bit dangerous"
thats because canberra suits him alongside pietermaritzburg due to the facts he's an amazing pedaler
i understand what your saying and agree with you on certain aspects but he never seems to have anything positive to say and the track either too flat or too fast and technical
So never or only when the tracks dont suit him? Its quite obvious why he would want more tracks that suit him more
i dont care what anyone says, that video is freaking awesome!What's wrong with a little road riding ?
This statement kinda sums this up. I've been DH racing since 1996 off and on. And by no means am I a Pro. But I do race Cat1 and have seen the sport develop and transform over the years.
For example, last week a 7Springs ( an easy, short track ) race day morning, there was a bus stop at an entrance for what some may call blind, but easy drop in that lead into a rock garden. After practicing the track one should know exactly where to enter. So why was there a 25 rider back up? People were crashing in the rock garden that followed. It made it impossible for advanced riders to get a clean top to bottom warm up.
Solution....class specific practice times. You can't have Cat3 riders on the course with Pros. It just makes a recipe for disaster.
There are no "blind drops". If one walks the course and/or rides it properly the first time, he/she should know exactly what to expect and where they are on the course. If not, find a new sport, because you're guy who is gonna get hurt.
Last edited:
You wouldn't deliberately dig holes or lay out goofy high speed blind drops into nasty stuff if you were building a DH race track would you? So why wouldn't you fix these things if they developed, as they inevitably usually do?
I've built my share of DH tracks, and there is a difference between technically challenging features and just plain stupid roughness. We do a lot of prep work on our tracks before races to keep them riding the way we designed them to be ridden. If a massive hole developed in the landing of a jump or a key turn, there is no way I would vote to leave it there just for the sake of "challenge". Yes landing in massive holes is challenging...but its not exactly my idea of fun. Rider safety is a huge consideration when building race tracks, even if building "pro" level sections...there's just no reason to add danger for the sake of danger. The terrain we ride is dangerous enough without silly design flaws and lack of maintenance.
I've built my share of DH tracks, and there is a difference between technically challenging features and just plain stupid roughness. We do a lot of prep work on our tracks before races to keep them riding the way we designed them to be ridden. If a massive hole developed in the landing of a jump or a key turn, there is no way I would vote to leave it there just for the sake of "challenge". Yes landing in massive holes is challenging...but its not exactly my idea of fun. Rider safety is a huge consideration when building race tracks, even if building "pro" level sections...there's just no reason to add danger for the sake of danger. The terrain we ride is dangerous enough without silly design flaws and lack of maintenance.
I actually think this is a great example of the kind of section that adds danger to the sport for no good reason. The clean line through the rocks wasn't that hard, but at speed you had a spot about 2 feet square in which to land or it was lights out. Challenging lines are good, and time penalties for missing them are good, but in the 7 springs example, you had wheel eating holes and nasty jutting rocks in the zones where a rider who got off line at speed would be landing. If you're even over there you've already blown the section. Why add on a hospital visit?
They should at least turn off the electric fences. Did any one else see that Neethling interview?
Yep. I think your totally right. I think his qualifying time and past history just go to show he has no idea how to ride a technical track. Which this track is.
Wake up people, it's a slippery slope! If track designers listen to WC riders' complaints, pretty soon every world cup will be at pebble beach, and the "racers" will be riding around aimlessly in golf carts sipping cosmopolitans. And there won't be any times or winners: everyone who participates will get a small trophy, a ribbon, and a SRAM sticker pack.
I <3 rm
I was one of the riders that built the Pietermaritzburg track and trust me, we got piles of criticism from Greg! There is a whole lot behind the scenes 99% of fans couldn't imagine if you tried!
Back to the notion that he only complains about tracks that don't suit his pedaling strengths, thats just stupid. Maribor, did he bitch and moan? Was it a pedal fest? No. Was it technical? Yes. And he won. Thats just one example. Champery? Schladming? Please, correct me if I'm wrong.
I personally know Greg and he's not one to shout his mouth off over nothing. Every criticism he had over the PMB track was exactly what us riders thought but needed his political clout to get the organisers to listen. I can site countless examples with my interactions with him that back that up.
Unless you guys have ridden the track at a reasonable speed, until you know first hand what he's talking about, you don't have a foot to stand on. E-spec is ridiculous when get gets to this level(being an over analysing e-speculator of the highest order myself sometimes). This is simply picking apart the best riders' in the worlds comments and honest concerns for other riders not at their level for the sake of an ego boost or something, and its rather petty.
I think its pretty fair to add a couple "roflz" at this point. Best thread evar slowitdown. Donno if you caught the race earlier, but the guy who can't compete on tech tracks and who was being a whiny b1tch just won on what you were describing as a tech track that he couldn't possibly win on (like maribor)
lulz
lulz
From the Live Coverage thread. Pretty much sums it up.
When is slowitdown "too wrong"?
You've got to admit that would be pretty fun though
How does he come across?
He walked a course, had some thoughts and then someone asked him about it. I really don't see the big deal.
When you're trying to put together the most perfect run you can, sections that stand out as potential problems stand out. I think most people that get analytical aobut a particular trail can pick out a few sections that seem kind of off.