SA MTB Ballies (over 30) Mentalities ??? Please explain

[Hairy]

Bugger you Nigel .... between 30-40 years does not classify as Ballies!

[DIPSLICK]

yip pretty much my way of thinking in a much more refined manner of speaking

 

DH = BEEEEG BRASS ONES DIFFERENT ANIMAL

[Grebel]

Thats aligned with my way of thinking Dips...

 

My opinion on various mtb disciplines:

XCM - its all about fitness and stamina - the consequence of poor training should be loss of time.

XCO - it's about skill and fitness - the consequence of lack of skill and training should be loss of time.

DH - it's all about skill and BALLS - the consequences of lack of skills and balls should be injury.

 

I've been quite vocal about not making XCO dangerous. Technical yes but dangerous no - gap jumps and insane rock gardens should not be in XCO in my opinion. DH riders get to use an armoury of protection because they don't have to pedal tooo much and don't have to worry about overheating. Making XCO dangerous when conditions don't allow body armour is silly in my opinion.

 

Technical yes - dangerous no.

 

The problem is that the line between the two is murky, grey, flexible and relative :-)

 

You should pad up and come do a run sometime.....

 

Those were my thoughts until I threw a leg over a DH bike and did a run. Man was my fat arse tired when I got to the bottom.

[Eldron]

Take it you read the "press release" then, Patches left that bit out. Hence why the source is always quoted.

Copy is generally subbed for spelling and grammar, but with all the syndicated media and releases going out some things do get missed whilst we do someone's job for them.

 

Dino - easy feller - I wasn't having a go at Tread just having a bit of a laugh at some truly funny gaffs.

 

I know you know what a double camper is ;-)

[Danger Dassie]

I know exactly what you are saying Eldron ... and it is that exact thing that (not just for Masters - for Elites too) makes us put in B and C lines ... (note that these lines are NOT deemed as "Chicken Runs" .... as most people state)

 

Riders need to ride to their ability and not beyond - if they are pushing themselves and crash in an A line when there is a B line around ... that is their own issue - that does not make the track dangerous as there is an option - If there is No option ... that would make it dangerous

 

... In many instances the B line is as technical as the A line - but just gives a rider a separate option in case of traffic. In other instances the B and C lines get progressively easier but then the rider forfeits in time penalties

 

So "dangerous" should actually be if there is

1. no alternative route around said obstacle (but the obstacle must be something that is potentially dangerous ... not just one rock in the middle of a trail)

 

2. no warning sign before said obstacle

 

3. No Catchnetting if said obstacle is a bank drop etc.

 

So if the safety guidelines are adhered to ... a track cannot be dangerous ... just technical ...

From there on - its the riders skill level that becomes the issue

 

Spot on Nigel, the last bit sums it up perfectly. Con is pretty disappointed in not being able to ride but ultimately stoic about what happened. No one likes or want's to see riders hurt themselves like that, but it comes down to the individuals decision as much as anything else.

Many seem to forget that, ultimately it's a risk vs reward decision. More so in an event of this stature.

[John Sebetsi]

If you want to win a World Championship XCO race then you must have it all - speed, strength, technical skills, race strategy, intelligence and balls. Whatever the debate might be on the nature of the course I have no doubt the best (most complete) rider will win.

 

I'm looking forward to riding the course and being part of a World Championship event. I haven't ridden the course yet but from what I've heard it's pretty intense with a number of competitive XCM riders I know seriously reconsidering their entries. When I suggest they take the B & C line to say safe, their response is they'll lose too much time...

 

I just think you have to start small, speaking about that; I have just remembered that there is an event in the Winelands Western Cape.

 

content/dont-miss-fnb-wines2whales-mtb-events-november

[Eldron]

You should pad up and come do a run sometime.....

 

Those were my thoughts until I threw a leg over a DH bike and did a run. Man was my fat arse tired when I got to the bottom.

 

Thats why I spelt it tooooo - sure you have to pedal but not 1:15-1:30 on the red line. DH can support full body armour. Impossible in XCO.

 

I have big respect for the DH crew - not someting I can or want to do!

[Danger Dassie]

Dino - easy feller - I wasn't having a go at Tread just having a bit of a laugh at some truly funny gaffs.

 

I know you know what a double camper is ;-)

 

I know that ... Just correcting some of the info. We created the "News" section specifically for Releases/PR stuff from outside. You've no idea some of the stuff that crosses the desk for release, I'm not just talking about Tread either, other clients too! You know, people who can 'write good' and 'take nice pics' ....

[VicanZA]

I don't want to troll, but you do realise that we are talking about a WORLD CHAMPS course and not just a bike park course that is there for anyone and everyone to enjoy with their 6 year olds?

 

Making money has nothing to do with the course as it is being designed right now. The course is playing host to World Championships in August.

 

get you point Nic

but is this a 1 off? what u gonna happen place after that? how often does WC come round?

[Eldron]

I know that ... Just correcting some of the info. We created the "News" section specifically for Releases/PR stuff from outside. You've no idea some of the stuff that crosses the desk for release, I'm not just talking about Tread either, other clients too! You know, people who can 'write good' and 'take nice pics' ....

 

Amen on that brother.

 

I read a safety brochure last week that left out a "NOT" so apparently Liquid Oxygen tanks should be installed near tarred surfaces (High Purity Oxygen and tar make a rather flammable mixture!).

 

Small editing error with rather expensive consequences :-)

[geoff.rich]

It's simple , You are riding a WORLD Championship course .

This is not a fun ride .

 

Well put.

 

@Hammerhead Hicks. You go dig rocks and put them straight back!

[Grebel]

get you point Nic

but is this a 1 off? what u gonna happen place after that? how often does WC come round?

 

It is a one off event for us, but this course was built with manual labour and a spade so I am sure Nic and his band of merry men will be able to "unbuild it" to suit.

 

I reckon they should leave it. A world class XC course and DH course for that matter can only lift the level of riding in the area.

 

I think that part of the reason for the whining is that there are not enough big boy tracks available. There is a fine line however of making the tracks rideable for all and trying to grow the numbers but at the same time not making everybody soft and when the opportunity arises to ride a proper track, everybody goes into Safe Mode and starts whining about the difficulty...

 

Just Saying...

 

EDit: spade spelt wrong...

Edited August 5, 2013 by Grebel

[Guest Omega Man]

This might be a huge generalization but in my experience but the amount of moaning people do about tracks is usually inversely proportional to the amount of work they've put in to building tracks.

 

When the builds happen these okes are as rare as an honest politician but the day after they are out in force critting and saying THEY should do this and THEY should have done that.

 

Nigel will understand exactly what I'm on about here.

[Stretch]

get you point Nic

but is this a 1 off? what u gonna happen place after that? how often does WC come round?

 

After the first WC the course turned into a Weed fest very shortly after...however...cascades is now morphing into a fully fledged bike park...so the difficult bits will stay with warning and the easier bits will remain for the less technical..there are also a myriad of tracks that criss cross the main courses (masters and elites) that others ride...and all them will be ridden all year round

 

added to that all the mommies like to take their kids on the BMX track on weekend mornings..so on the weekend the place is hopping

Edited August 5, 2013 by Stretch

[Grebel]

This might be a huge generalization but in my experience but the amount of moaning people do about tracks is usually inversely proportional to the amount of work they've put in to building tracks.

 

When the builds happen these okes are as rare as an honest politician but the day after they are out in force critting and saying THEY should do this and THEY should have done that.

 

Nigel will understand exactly what I'm on about here.

 

Empty vessels and all that....

[SwissVan]

If you want to win RACE a World Championship XCO race then you must have it all - speed, strength, technical skills, race strategy, intelligence and balls. Whatever the debate might be on the nature of the course I have no doubt the best (most complete) rider will win.

 

I'm looking forward to riding the course and being part of a World Championship event. I haven't ridden the course yet but from what I've heard it's pretty intense with a number of competitive XCM riders I know seriously reconsidering their entries. When I suggest they take the B & C line to say safe, their response is they'll lose too much time...

 

Well said, its World champs (not the benoni or Aurgust variety either), every different level (club, regional, national, World cup, World champs) course should be progressively more challenging in ALL aspects, obviously club level would be the easiest with world champs being the hardest.

 

As long as there are other easier options (lines) available for the real risky sections (gap or double jumps for example) then its not to dangerous. Obviously the B and C options must be slower otherwise what's the point, the trick is to make them only slightly slower and not very much slower so as to seriously penalize a rider.

 

XCO is getting more challenging as technology (bikes) improve. I've had the honor of racing a Masters WC XC course years ago in Canada (where there were no B and C options, only one option) and have ridden / raced on some regional and national level XC course here in Switz in recent years which were much more challenging than the course in Canada, even the B run options were harder / scarier....