DH World Cup #4 - Leogang

[Skott5]

oh and then something SCARY to think about - Gwin (no mattter whether you like him or not) Finished 76th yesterday out of 80 (and a couple of others who were protected - so say 84) riders ....

 

So he came lets say - 8th to last with no back tyre ...

 

HOWEVER - to put this into perspective -

 

ONLY 1 SAFFER QUALIFIED for the top 80 - so hypothetically - Gwin was faster than all of the SA riders (Barring Tim Bentley) WITH NO TYRE! ....

 

I would like to see the times - but he still beat like 8 guys in the top 80!!

 

So that run with NO tyre - would have smoked Me, and you and you and you and anyone else on here with a clean run!! ... and thats F..ing scary!! ... PROPS for that! hahaha

 

Not a fan of Gwinny, but that run yeterday on a rim, earned a lot of respect from me.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

@nigelhicks is DH really dangerous? Had a DH bike for 3 months, had a bad fall and then my perants say DH is to dangerous and the medical aid doesn't cover dangerous sports. I am 20 but stay in the house while studying and I really want to do DH but I don't know what to do... Any advice?

 

medical aid would cover it - it's just a scare tactic by your folks, or a bit of a misunderstanding on what the coverage is.

 

It's only dangerous if you consistently take on things which are above your skillset. Even then, as long as you have the basics right, it's only really dangerous ito broken arms, legs, collarbones and ribs. The guys that mangle their necks are either rank amateurs, or doing something stupid, or a complete fluke. Way outside the norm.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

that bernard Kerr DQ got quite interesting, if only because afterward, the tape was apparently moved further back...

 

http://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/p720x720/10431461_10152486470860119_8056106565256531394_n.jpg

Did he get DQ'd for running "out of track"?

[The MTBer]

 

 

medical aid would cover it - it's just a scare tactic by your folks, or a bit of a misunderstanding on what the coverage is.

 

It's only dangerous if you consistently take on things which are above your skillset. Even then, as long as you have the basics right, it's only really dangerous ito broken arms, legs, collarbones and ribs. The guys that mangle their necks are either rank amateurs, or doing something stupid, or a complete fluke. Way outside the norm.

 

I know my limits, but I was stupid to think I can clear a 8m jump on my first run! They don't even want to come and see my ride so they don't even know what DH guys do. Think I will have enough money to buy an entry level bike by the end of July, but I don't want to buy a bike and then the whole fam doesn't talk to one another for a month.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I know my limits, but I was stupid to think I can clear a 8m jump on my first run! They don't even want to come and see my ride so they don't even know what DH guys do. Think I will have enough money to buy an entry level bike by the end of July, but I don't want to buy a bike and then the whole fam doesn't talk to one another for a month.

 

LOL! Then you clearly didn't know your limits!

 

If you want to do DH but don't want to scare the family, get a long travel AM bike. The newer ones are just as capable on all but the most insane courses here in SA, and as for the kit, just say you want to have the most amount of protection possible just in case something happens.

[nigelhicks]

@nigelhicks is DH really dangerous? Had a DH bike for 3 months, had a bad fall and then my perants say DH is to dangerous and the medical aid doesn't cover dangerous sports. I am 20 but stay in the house while studying and I really want to do DH but I don't know what to do... Any advice?

 

BEST ADVICE EVER! - KNOW YOUR LIMITS .... Dude ... DH is ONLY dangerous if you are riding beyond your limits - ... OK so I say stay within your limits and you say - well how do you learn then?? ,. Agreed - You need to push yourself - but within your "comfort zone" ... Dont be Gung Ho and try some mad gap that you have never tried before just because some dudes on the side are yelling at you to do it ...

THERE IS NO SAME IN TAKING A B-LINE ... (trust me - I have won plenty of races taking only B-lines around drops when my knee was stuffed) All you need to do is trust yourself and have that trust that you will get down safely.

 

If you have that mindset you will be great and SAFE at riding DH ... I look at some of the young guns here inKZN and am like WTF - Alisdair Fey is one of them - I tried to teach him to be smooth and in control and ride at 90% to always be in control - but he couldnt ...

So i look at that and he looks like he starts crashing as he goes out of the start - and then holds that crash to the finish ... - Now i cant ride like that. ... EVERYTHING I do is calculated ... I ride the track slow first - check lines - and then build up in 2 runs to about 60% of my known comfort range ... Then I push 2 runs at 80% and 90 % ... and thats it - I NEVER go above 90% in Provincials - I went to 100% at Worlds to win my stripes - but Sh.t that was scary and ragged - rather build your confidence in steps than going balls to the wall.

 

Thats what Both Mr Minn and I were taught as we started together and had the same tutors.

[The MTBer]

 

 

LOL! Then you clearly didn't know your limits!

 

If you want to do DH but don't want to scare the family, get a long travel AM bike. The newer ones are just as capable on all but the most insane courses here in SA, and as for the kit, just say you want to have the most amount of protection possible just in case something happens.

 

Well I do now LOL, 'a XC rider can clear every thing'

 

The protection is what scare everyone, "why so may protection, it must so dangerous when you have to put on so many gear". I can get a Scott Ransom 2009 alu, but I think the frame will break in 2 when you hit jumps like Thaba.

[Capricorn]

Did he get DQ'd for running "out of track"?

 

pretty much: hucked the crap outta of that waterfall and landed outside the tape. Its not clear whether he missed a pole or not, but i'm thinking that's pretty much why he was DQ'd. But the Bernard Kerr fans are very much in a frothy mouthed rage about the whole DQ.

[nigelhicks]

hahhahaha

 

I love it - Dude - Everyone "Thinks" they know their limits ... and thats the difference.

 

If you can look at a drop or a gap and calculate it in your mind -

 

1. "SHlT that looks big"

2. Screw it lets try it

3. What the hell am I doing?

4. AAAH f it - just hit it ...

 

....

 

If you are going through these steps you are doing it right ...

and I will elaborate now

[The MTBer]

 

 

BEST ADVICE EVER! - KNOW YOUR LIMITS .... Dude ... DH is ONLY dangerous if you are riding beyond your limits - ... OK so I say stay within your limits and you say - well how do you learn then?? ,. Agreed - You need to push yourself - but within your "comfort zone" ... Dont be Gung Ho and try some mad gap that you have never tried before just because some dudes on the side are yelling at you to do it ...

THERE IS NO SAME IN TAKING A B-LINE ... (trust me - I have won plenty of races taking only B-lines around drops when my knee was stuffed) All you need to do is trust yourself and have that trust that you will get down safely.

 

If you have that mindset you will be great and SAFE at riding DH ... I look at some of the young guns here inKZN and am like WTF - Alisdair Fey is one of them - I tried to teach him to be smooth and in control and ride at 90% to always be in control - but he couldnt ...

So i look at that and he looks like he starts crashing as he goes out of the start - and then holds that crash to the finish ... - Now i cant ride like that. ... EVERYTHING I do is calculated ... I ride the track slow first - check lines - and then build up in 2 runs to about 60% of my known comfort range ... Then I push 2 runs at 80% and 90 % ... and thats it - I NEVER go above 90% in Provincials - I went to 100% at Worlds to win my stripes - but Sh.t that was scary and ragged - rather build your confidence in steps than going balls to the wall.

 

Thats what Both Mr Minn and I were taught as we started together and had the same tutors.

 

Thanks, also have the same idea at the moment after some clear thinking, but how do I tell my perants about it, they think everything is dangerous, except XC.

[Stretch]

 

No - I have beaten 4 out of 5 - but over the 4 years i have been in charge of the world cup - I am always around the same time as the top girls ... so I take from that that I ride like a girl and should just drink wine rather! hahaha.

 

OK OK most of us then lol!

[Stretch]

 

Hell NO ... even Greg says - if DH goes Olympic it will KILL the discipline. Think of the logistics ... Its too much of an issue ...

 

If DBN was to hold the Olympics they would have to use PMB (100km away) and its not the best track even in my own right as we dont have the elevation ... then - think of the other venues we have had for olymics - London = Fort Bill (like 600km away) ..... China ... (who knows) ..... Greece (you need to go to the alps) ... Sydney = Carins .....

 

So the new ones -

 

Next is Rio = ???

Then Tokyo = ???

 

So for XCO thats easy but for DH - to produce a world level DH - is F-ing hard .... so is just not worth it

 

Very good points... One tends to forget about the logistics of it all

[Stretch]

Has a clip been posted on the tireless run?????,I think 99% of us wouldn't get that time fully equipped

 

Few pages back I think.. His time was in the top ten of the girls

[Stretch]

 

Thanks, also have the same idea at the moment after some clear thinking, but how do I tell my perants about it, they think everything is dangerous, except XC.

Why don't you start doing enduro?

[nigelhicks]

First - Ride what you can ... be comfortable with what you can ride - ride this till you can pretty much ride it in your sleep/

 

Then scare yourself .....that one drop you 'think" you can do ... get some oke who can do it to help you out ... He rides it - you run in behind him - If you dont hit it - dont worry - its NO refection on you ... Run in and run in until you eventually think to yourself on the run in ... "aaah F-it just go ..."

 

Yes you may crash - and crashing is something that will come with riding ... so dont be afraid to crash.

 

BUT - if you have ridden something that you sort of know you can then you will be fine.

 

HOWEVER - you also need to learn how to crash too - Learn to TUCK AND ROLL - Watch Loics crash in PMB for the perfect tuck and roll ...

 

This saves you

 

But ya - Push yourself within your own limits - its the best way to ride

[nigelhicks]

Thanks, also have the same idea at the moment after some clear thinking, but how do I tell my perants about it, they think everything is dangerous, except XC.

 

I'll PM you tomorrow with some ideas