NicoBoshoff Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 Nico, I think you're missing the point. Flats teaches you better body position for all the stuff you don't need when you are a XCM racer. ( Jumps, railing berms, whips, bunny hops, etc.). There is a reason that a lot of top Gravity riders started on BMX bikes....sure the 10 000 hour rule applies, but they also learnt a lot of good habits by being on flats and small wheeled unforgiving bikes. I'm in the same boat as you, I tried flats and suddenly I've gone back 2 years in my skill set. I know I need to learn how to jump on flats, I just not in the mood to spend 6 months doing it...Being clipped in definitely has massive benefits: Almost all the top pro's are clipped in, in all the diciplines. So it's not about what is better, it is about learning to ride your bike better. The same reason I believe that most newbies should be on 26" hardtails....I managed to bring wheel size into this Getting back to your post: Being on flats have nothing to do with the "cool" factor.And finally 5:10 rocks. A great company with great products!Why did they stop racing World Cups in skin suits?
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 Why did they stop racing World Cups in skin suits?who cares?!
NicoBoshoff Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 who cares?!It's relevant to my point. My point being that performance was sacrificed at the altar of image. Which says a lot about the sport to me. And remember, it's a sport I love and am a part of.
NicoBoshoff Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 But I suppose kudos to the riders for at least coming out and saying "We don't want skinsuits in the races because it looks silly" rather than make up some bollocks about safety. Or as Rache said: “Fair enough to Tracy if she wants to do that to win, but for the sport and the longevity of the sport, to wear cool race kit and to make an image for yourself is more important than the odd win here and there"
Samurai Pizza Cat Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 It's relevant to my point. My point being that performance was sacrificed at the altar of image. Which says a lot about the sport to me. And remember, it's a sport I love and am a part of.You might have a valid point. If you think that some races are won by less than a tenth of a second, aerodynamics might have a part to play! But sport is a business, and Gravity mountainbiking are sold as a "rebel" sport where the guy with the biggest d*ck gets the money and women....No need to advertise your below par "man sausage" in Lycra.
Shebeen Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 i don't know anything about the shoes. but it's a cool logo. makes me smile everytime i cock my head at it http://laytonkorclimbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/510_logo.jpg
DR ◣◢ Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 Anyways, little rhetorical question. How many people really ride flats for their perceived / alleged / even real benefits rather than the cool factor? I only ride baggies because they look better. They offer me no benefit over lycra. Not ashamed to admit that. Still one of my massive gripes with DH history - the whole "skinsuits may be faster but they look lame so let's ban them" argument. I find it hard to swallow that where being the fastest is the aim yet that get's sacrifised at the altar of image and ego. Point 1. It has nothing to do with cool factor. Personal preference. I don't feel comfortable riding the way I do being clipped in. I'm a lot more confident knowing my foot isn't magically going to unclip mid air. Point 2. Baggies offer superior protection to lycra alone. I have one pair of Endura baggies that saved my quad and knee from serious stitches. Baggy has damage. Leg is in one piece. Point 3. Skinsuits or no skinsuits. Not a big deal. The kit most of them wear is quite tight fitting as is. I don't think in the end its going to make that big a difference. Only really when it's down to split seconds.
Iwan Kemp Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 Why did they stop racing World Cups in skin suits? Happened back in 08. There were already lots of talked about it, but it got canned by the UCI when Moseley beat Artherton with 4 or 5 seconds. PS: found a linkhttp://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/uci-ban-skinsuits-and-open-face-helmets-for-mountain-bike-competition-19021/
Samurai Pizza Cat Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 Happened back in 08. There were already lots of talked about it, but it got canned by the UCI when Moseley beat Artherton with 4 or 5 seconds. PS: found a linkhttp://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/uci-ban-skinsuits-and-open-face-helmets-for-mountain-bike-competition-19021/That's a great memory right there. Edit: I mean Ivan's powers of recollection, not the catsuit.
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 Happened back in 08. There were already lots of talked about it, but it got canned by the UCI when Moseley beat Artherton with 4 or 5 seconds. PS: found a linkhttp://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/uci-ban-skinsuits-and-open-face-helmets-for-mountain-bike-competition-19021/Couldn't possibly have been that Tracey was the better rider... and riding a pink morewood iirc. Or was that later on?
rudi-h Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 Nico, I think you're missing the point. Flats teaches you better body position for all the stuff you don't need when you are a XCM racer. ( Jumps, railing berms, whips, bunny hops, etc.). There is a reason that a lot of top Gravity riders started on BMX bikes....sure the 10 000 hour rule applies, but they also learnt a lot of good habits by being on flats and small wheeled unforgiving bikes. I'm in the same boat as you, I tried flats and suddenly I've gone back 2 years in my skill set. I know I need to learn how to jump on flats, I just not in the mood to spend 6 months doing it...Being clipped in definitely has massive benefits: Almost all the top pro's are clipped in, in all the diciplines. So it's not about what is better, it is about learning to ride your bike better. The same reason I believe that most newbies should be on 26" hardtails....I managed to bring wheel size into this Getting back to your post: Being on flats have nothing to do with the "cool" factor.And finally 5:10 rocks. A great company with great products!Not wanting to you change your mind, but if you have any desire to become a better bike rider, I'd really recommend going onto flats for a while. I switched last year october after a jump went wrong while I was clipped in... First few rides with flats were terrible and I literally felt anxious when riding down a sidewalk. By December I was roughly as confident with flats as I were with clips before. Now I'm on a whole new level. I hope that after gaining a bit more skills in the jump department I'll switch back to clips, but it really makes a huge difference knowing what the bike does underneath your feet. And the learning curve is really not that steep or punishing
Nofearnofun Posted May 8, 2015 Posted May 8, 2015 For me riding with flats is about keeping my face off the floor. I like to ride looose and have my front wheel skipping and slipping about. with clips I cannot get a foot out fast enough to dab when the front wheel's skipping and slipping gets out of hand. I have totaled a number of wheel sets, helmets and body parts from not being able to dab a foot when clipped in. All comes down to rising style and personal preference.
RockCoach Posted May 10, 2015 Posted May 10, 2015 My first two weeks on flats were horrible. Not the technical riding as much as keeping feet on the pedals while pedalling. Then it all came together and now it's just more fun. The key factor was learning to keep my legs very relaxed and supple. The first time I hit my favourite rock garden in Delta at speed I knew I was hooked on flats. I'm a much better rider when cleated in now than I was before.
Guest notmyname Posted May 10, 2015 Posted May 10, 2015 My first two weeks on flats were horrible. Not the technical riding as much as keeping feet on the pedals while pedalling. Then it all came together and now it's just more fun. The key factor was learning to keep my legs very relaxed and supple. The first time I hit my favourite rock garden in Delta at speed I knew I was hooked on flats. I'm a much better rider when cleated in now than I was before.Where is this Delta rock garden you speak of?
RockCoach Posted May 10, 2015 Posted May 10, 2015 Where is this Delta rock garden you speak of?It's a secret garden...Near the playground.
Guest notmyname Posted May 11, 2015 Posted May 11, 2015 It's a secret garden...Near the playground.Where the tree fell down a few months ago obscuring it?
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