“Why are XC riders so slow downhill?”
It would have been great to have put Marc up against some of the top XC descenders in the world as a reference.
It would have been great to have put Marc up against some of the top XC descenders in the world as a reference.
Comments
qduffy
8 years, 11 months ago
I wouldn't even passively disparage
anyone's riding. Number one, they're riding. Number two, they're riding.
Even if they are in Lycra and their skeletal bodies frighten me.
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Cr4w
8 years, 1 month ago
That XC guy's posture was incredible.
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ZigaK
8 years, 11 months ago
Mont-Sainte-Ann World Cup #5 (2014): talking XC vs.DH with Warner & Whitely
From the commentary from Warner & Whitely:
RW: "It's unreal now Martin, at the top end of this sport, just being
strong and fit isn't good enough. You've got to be able to ride a MTB.
These guys are unbelievably quick on the descents.
MW: Yeah, I mean it's often talked about but, if you put Schurter on
the DH course, on his bike, and you gave that bike to one of the top
DH'ers and, they raced down the DH, who'd be at the bottom first?
RW: I just have an idea. That would be an amazing thing that needs to happen.
MW: Yeah, I did do that experiment in '97 at Chateau d'Oex with Cadel Evans and Sean McCarroll and Cadel Evans won.
RW: Really!
MW: Yeah.
RW: Ah well there you go.
MW: But that was in '97 and things have evolved but, eh, you know it's
pretty impressive that these guys have the skills they do on the bikes
that they run.
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iuiui
8 years, 11 months ago
so Schurter is on his bike while a DH guy races it to bottom? I guess Schurter would win if hes being spooned
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kain0m
8 years, 11 months ago
"Get a bike that caters to your weakness, not your strength"
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Merwinn
8 years, 11 months ago
Exactly
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Geof Harries
8 years, 11 months ago
This is far from a real world test and reasonable conclusion. Any seasoned mountain biker can bounce a XC bike down a trail and not come too far off from their other time.
Let's see how he does while maxed out, heart rate-wise, after finishing a long, technical climb with a bunch of other fast dudes on his tail AND after having already ridden 25-35 km in 30+ degree heat and humidity. That's the true XC test.
It's not just about a couple of downhill runs on a hardtail, it's about having to deal with all of the other circumstances that define the challenge of riding a XC bike at speed.
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Phil Aufdencamp
8 years, 11 months ago
It would be really interesting to see the times as a function of how close the bikes get to each other. LIke how much faster would he be if he used huskier tires? What about a dropper? What about a XC full suspension bike like a tall boy?
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