Future of DH in SA

[ThePilot]

Hi guys...thought I'd come here and ask this question...I'd just like to hear what everyone's thoughts are for the future of DH races in SA? After rumours and more rumours and oh...some rumours that things aren't looking too bright? People saying that the national series might not continue in 2016, some people also saying the director of csa has less than no intrest in DH blah blah blah...I'm not one for politics but this is really concerning for me as I did my first national DH race this weekend at mankele and absolutely loved it! Actually, loved it so much that we planning on doing the last national in June at cascades...what happens then?

 

Also I was disappointed to see the last round of nationals end mid year and was wondering what other DH races or series could we look into doing for the remainder of the year? I'm definitely not hanging up the bike untill next year to enter a race again. :-(

 

What's the future look like? This is also sad in the sense that we've got ourselves a good group of riders who have bought DH bikes to start riding more gnarly trails and perhaps enter a few races Etc. We also have some trails being built as well as some info that the sabie DH course is being opened/rebuilt in the very near future...so there is still a lot of intrest amongst the riders but where do we go from here?

[RocknRolla]

I dunnow what the future of DH is in SA.

 

My reasons for not partaking in DHI

 

1) Bike and Kit is too expensive. I ride a sub 10k bike where the fanciest piece of equipment is my Deore Brakeset. Suspension that requires zero mainenance.

 

2) Have to travel too far for Courses (Here in JHB we are severly limited with descent suitable for DHI)

 

3) Progression is an issue (although it has certainly been pushed in the right direction with the work done at Hakahana.

 

4) Same points for #enduro.

 

For a sport to grow, one needs the numbers to create demand for races.

If i was an event organiser, i would hardly see the benefit for spending money and hours to have 20 odd riders bomb down my rtrack for a week-end worth of racing.

 

I think XCM has it dialed in terms of numbers and demand, thus we are spoilt for choice when it comes to races.

 

 

[DR ◣◢]

It's not just about having enough events...

 

The biggest thing I think is that there aren't enough "entry level" courses to get riders interested in the sport. Yes there are b,c,dd,e,f etc lines on all the local tracks but it still puts riders off when they see the "big" stuff on a course. 

 

If we had at least one good entry level course with good flow and mild stuff I think we would see more interest and participation. 

[Nofearnofun]

#comeridehakahana

[Samurai Pizza Cat]

It's not just about having enough events...

 

The biggest thing I think is that there aren't enough "entry level" courses to get riders interested in the sport. Yes there are b,c,dd,e,f etc lines on all the local tracks but it still puts riders off when they see the "big" stuff on a course.

 

If we had at least one good entry level course with good flow and mild stuff I think we would see more interest and participation.

 

We've covered this topic in previous threads, ( see the thread about Thaba DH track closing), but I agree 100%. If you look at the spread of riders on the DH tracks in Europe it proves the point that a sport cannot only survive in its extreme form. You have 1st timers, pensioner types, XC race snakes and World Cup pros sharing the same mountain at the same time. The reason for this is because there is everything from green to double black tracks, and all of them are loads of fun. ( I have'nt been on Black trails, but it looks like fun on YouTube... )

In South Africa to many of the DH trails are too intimidating for the majority of riders who are just starting out. Two exceptions are Steilte and Paarl. Great tracks that a beginner can learn what DH riding is all about. No wonder the WP DH series are so well supported.

As stated previously by other guys: If you want the sport to survive, get involved with build days. More tracks means more riders, better product availability, more sponsors....the list goes on.

[rudi-h]

I dunnow what the future of DH is in SA.

 

My reasons for not partaking in DHI

 

1) Bike and Kit is too expensive. I ride a sub 10k bike where the fanciest piece of equipment is my Deore Brakeset. Suspension that requires zero mainenance.

 

2) Have to travel too far for Courses (Here in JHB we are severly limited with descent suitable for DHI)

 

3) Progression is an issue (although it has certainly been pushed in the right direction with the work done at Hakahana.

 

4) Same points for #enduro.

 

For a sport to grow, one needs the numbers to create demand for races.

If i was an event organiser, i would hardly see the benefit for spending money and hours to have 20 odd riders bomb down my rtrack for a week-end worth of racing.

 

I think XCM has it dialed in terms of numbers and demand, thus we are spoilt for choice when it comes to races.

 

sorry but i have to disagree on most points.  you can ride any DH course in SA with a 140mm trail bike.  You won't hit the huge gap jumps and tables, but you can ride the course and have tonnnnnnes of fun.

 

as for the travelling, yes that is true.  most of the DH stuff are in KZN and the Western Cape.  Doesn't mean that its not possible elsewhere, but at the moment there's not much in Gauteng

 

as for the demand.  there are more than enough people that would like to take part in DH, but it needs a lot in terms of marketing.  The problem is a perception similar to base jumping where most people view it as a cheap ticket to get yourself into a wheelchair.  Most oke's don't know that there are B and C and D lines and that you can do the stuff with your normal bike, hence there is a danger factor that make people to not consider it.

 

i know this because I would not have ever tried a DH course until I was "introduced" to it and told that I have enough skill to get to the bottom in one piece.  With vastly growing numbers in Enduro it is just a matter of time IMO.  As with technical riding in general, there is a huge untapped demand, but first we need to build some gnarly trails.  Not just DH trails, but stuff with bumps and berms and jumps and all that.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

sorry but i have to disagree on most points. you can ride any DH course in SA with a 140mm trail bike. You won't hit the huge gap jumps and tables, but you can ride the course and have tonnnnnnes of fun.

 

as for the travelling, yes that is true. most of the DH stuff are in KZN and the Western Cape. Doesn't mean that its not possible elsewhere, but at the moment there's not much in Gauteng

 

as for the demand. there are more than enough people that would like to take part in DH, but it needs a lot in terms of marketing. The problem is a perception similar to base jumping where most people view it as a cheap ticket to get yourself into a wheelchair. Most oke's don't know that there are B and C and D lines and that you can do the stuff with your normal bike, hence there is a danger factor that make people to not consider it.

 

i know this because I would not have ever tried a DH course until I was "introduced" to it and told that I have enough skill to get to the bottom in one piece. With vastly growing numbers in Enduro it is just a matter of time IMO. As with technical riding in general, there is a huge untapped demand, but first we need to build some gnarly trails. Not just DH trails, but stuff with bumps and berms and jumps and all that.

Bells. You need one

[marko35s]

Bells. You need one

To let the joggers know he's coming? 

[Sidewinder.]

I would ride the **** out of a trail like this(from 00:25):
 

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/362785/

 

It's big enough that I would need to session bits of it, and it would be a great beginner dh trail IMO, and there's no 2 story drop that is gonna kill a trail/am/enduro bike...it would be great if someone built a trail like this

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I would ride the **** out of a trail like this(from 00:25):

 

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/362785/

 

It's big enough that I would need to session bits of it, and it would be a great beginner dh trail IMO, and there's no 2 story drop that is gonna kill a trail/am/enduro bike...it would be great if someone built a trail like this

 

 

Sorta reminds me of Paarl and Steilte... 

[Samurai Pizza Cat]

I would ride the **** out of a trail like this(from 00:25):

 

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/362785/

 

It's big enough that I would need to session bits of it, and it would be a great beginner dh trail IMO, and there's no 2 story drop that is gonna kill a trail/am/enduro bike...it would be great if someone built a trail like this

Someone did....

 

https://www.facebook.com/remi.delsouiller/videos/10206253729924100/?pnref=story

[Onlybikes]

I have always been interested in DH and at the beginning of the year i managed to pull together Morewood Zama DH bike and have really been enjoying it , i feel that there are a lot of riders who are very interested in the sport but no one knows who to contact regarding tracks which i feel is the biggest issue here in Gauteng .So many people are keen to ride and help build some tracks we just get no support or interest from csa , where are we supposed to build because every track around seems to be left to fall into disrepair or be maintained by the riders . Dont expect CSA to suddenly pour huge money into tracks just that they would recognise  DH riders outside the WC or KZN

[ChUkKy]

I almost said the spruit but then I decided its wiser not to speak.

 

Getting to any DH track from Joburg is a mission, puts many off... as RocknRolla pointed out, theres huge demand for the other disciplines and hence why theres so much choice.

 

I would love a DH bike and would love to do it but its a mission to get anwhere so thats why Ive never bothered myself

[Joe Low]

What's the future look like?..... We also have some trails being built as well as some info that the sabie DH course is being opened/rebuilt in the very near future...so there is still a lot of intrest amongst the riders but where do we go from here?

Downhill?

[Sidewinder.]

Someone did....

 

https://www.facebook.com/remi.delsouiller/videos/10206253729924100/?pnref=story

 

No facebook, no bueno...is that Remi's track?

[Samurai Pizza Cat]

No facebook, no bueno...is that Remi's track?

Yip! Exactly the kind of track we need more of in SA...no matter what your skill level, you'll love it.