Well you started this thread ages ago about becoming a mid-pack elite rider, what ever happened to that? The lure of driving 1,000,000 miles a week was too strong presumably and the Government wouldn't let one of their 'experts' go?

That was based on me going part time and having a lot of time available to train. Things changed and I decided to work longer hours instead.

Ok, if you girls have finished, I'd just like to say..

What a fantastic bit of racing – XC in exciting and well filmed race shocker. Looked a great course to spectate but hard work to race. It's about time there were some good descents back in XC – I remember when people were complaining that Fort William XC course was too technical – that's why we ride MTBs, not Road/cyclocross bikes!

It's too easy to do well in XC racing with good fitness/strength and no bike handling skills.

………and breath 🙂

Here is a phot that gives a better idea of the steepness…
steep
Go for it all you experts!

Yup that sums up how jey xc is 🙄 😉 Clucking bell that's steep!! I like xc it's what I rode back in '90 and it's what I enjoy now, all this gnarlcore chickenstep hardride (woo new niche)does my nut to be honest 😆

njee20 – Member
Shame Scotland can't produce any riders as quick as him then isn't it? As you're all riding Gods.

Like most Scots I'm too busy celebrating our BRITISH world champion to respond to that 🙂

Here is a phot that gives a better idea of the steepness…

It is steep but if he was any good he would have just dropped off it. 😉

Like most Scots I'm too busy celebrating our BRITISH world champion to respond to that

Thought Steve Peat was English? 😛

**** thats steep! 😯

Surely that should be jumped/dropped off and he's going over his bars in a moment?

pic

Depends on the rollout/landing. I'm assuming that's not going to flat because if it is, I reckon it's quite likely going to end badly…

Looks like a great course to me, I think a lot of people are looking at it with a 5 inch full suss, 2.4 inch knobly tyre mindset and forgetting these guys are on puny lightweight bikes with skinny tyres. Changes everything… I'd like to have a crack at it but I'd bet money I'd be slower down it than these guys, even on a bigger trail bike.

Surely that should be jumped/dropped off

On a bike like that?

"forgetting these guys are on puny lightweight bikes with skinny tyres"

to add to that…

…going a hell of a lot faster than you think, without a rest to have a chat with their mates at the top of the hills and bottom of the descents, hearts in mouths and doing it all 7 times.

GB

Cant help thinking that the dude in the picture would be better dropping onto the boulder to his right though.

You're a **** idiot. Is there no part of you that can't just say 'crikey, that is hard, he's doing a bloody good job of riding it 7 times flat out'. Why the constant criticism?

Big respect, that is properly mental. Interesting to see he's still using Rebas, rather than 2009 SIDs.

Less of the abuse thanks.

With that rider wearing Giant sponsor clothes riding a Look bike and another ride at the sidelines that photo could be from pratice or something.

Well,I thought their bike handling skills looked fine.They're not concerned with hucking,or airtime,just getting round a course far quicker than any of us could manage.
Looked fun to me…..but not at that speed.

Yeah that is from practice, they wouldn't have raced in leg warmers, but even so. I'd certainly be interested to ride that out.

Who's the gardener at this event…… he's rubbish 😀

don't see much overtaking though

That picture is from practice hence the rider stood at the sidelines watching.

As njee20 says, where's the harm in just saying "Bloody good effort, well done to all the riders who rode that event"

I'm willing to bet that even the last placed rider has more technical expertise and bike handling skill in their little finger than anyone on here could come close to managing.

To put it in perspective: you know how when you're at Mountain Mayhem and a UK Elite rider comes past you? Someone like Jody Crawforth or Paul Oldham for example. How they make the muddy off-camber singletrack look so easy and manage to find a passing spot even in the tightest bit of woodland.
Well the top riders in the Worlds XC are another level above even them.

I think he's just miserable, I doubt anyone could ever get through to him!

That photo of the rider does look mental- I'd think long and hard about doing it on the race bike, but know full well if I was on the Evil I'd not really ponder it. Doing things on a noodly little bike does change a lot.

That's just how an MTB race course should be- technical enough to put the balls up people, but physically demanding.

Like an SXC round, eh njee? 😉

I reckon that's the bit they called the 'hammerhead' which had that drop to a reasonably steep rollout of about 3 bike lengths and then another similar one.

The leaders just flew over it. Front brakes deffo not used.

Like an SXC round, eh njee?

Wouldn't know, never bothered to drive 6+ hours to race against a tiny field on a course which invariably includes a very dull fireroad climb followed by a silly descent. 🙂

Much prefer racing against more people on a more varied course down here ta!

Whatever, cyclocrosser 😉

more varied course down here

Riding around in circles in a flat, muddy field? 😛

Would you welcome a course like the worlds one? Bet most XC racers over here wouldn't.

There was more climbing at the Pippingford Southern XC than at Dalby, harder climbs too.

Would you welcome a course like the worlds one? Bet most XC racers over here wouldn't.

Hmmm… difficult to say, I wouldn't enjoy riding it, but if courses were all like that those of us that aren't good at that sort of riding would improve, I wouldn't not welcome it.

I personally like the variation of XC racing, having all courses like that would be no different to having all courses like Thetford, all races would be won by someone with a certain skill set, rather than being a good all round rider. Whilst I don't think XC racing should be a dirt crit I also don't think races should be won by people who 'survive' a very easy climb and win on the descent. You need a bit of everything.

Anyway, why does every thread about XC racing turn into an English/Scottish 'we're harder than you' thread. Although it seems pretty representative of the XC scene in Scotland!

" I also don't think races should be won by people who 'survive' a very easy climb and win on the descent"

That'd be people like me! (not that I win…)

I don't think there are many courses like that I should say, but it seems to be what some people want/think XC racing should be. Agreed that bike handling should be essential to do well (that doesn't have to be linked to having balls, which is what a lot of technical courses are about), but I don't think it should be the be all and end all. If all you care about is technical prowess, why not race downhill? At what point does XC just become DH where you ride up the uplift track?

Dunno. I don't take my racing too seriously. The student champs this year were just what you describe, though, (DH track and then pedal the uplift) and it was mint!

As were the student champs in 2007, and they were terrible.

lol @ the bitching in this thread

Thats an awesome course, just what XC needs. Fact is, most of the fast xc whippets are pretty good bike handlers as well – you get the occasional roadie turned mtb'r for the weekend who struggles a bit but for the majority I'd say they're all able to handle a bike. The fastest racer I know is also pretty handy on a DH bike.

lol @ the bitching in this thread

Look in any XC race thread, they're all the same 🙂

OK then people, to stop the bitching on this thread describe your ideal XC course.

For me it would have to have a long climb, some rooty/rocky singletrack on the flat, some short sharp climbs and some steep but not so technical descents. A bit like a mixture of Drumlanrig and Inners.

Its the competitive element njee20…

Ideal course? One I could win on.

Kirroughtree, that'd be the best XC course ever 🙂

Flange – you need a yard full of skips then.

Long climb- like 4 miles or something- with extended technical sections and rocky steps. Some flat fireroad sections to blast on somewhere in the middle of the climb.

Then a big old techie descent- starting with a faster sprinty bit to space folk out then getting tougher and more nadgery with some real challenges. Big rocks, like in the pictures. Dropoffs of around 3-4 feet. Steps.

Then do it all for 12 hours.

So, in essence, the Highland wildcat trail at Golspie, as used during the dawn raid last year!

Yep, that course looks great.

Also, I wish that guy would be employed as a commentator on Eurosport – he seems to actually know what hes talking about.

Rolling, long climbs are fine, but not 100% of the climbing in one go straight off the start line.

Variety of surfaces, a couple of technical obstacles with a chicken run which adds significant amounts of time as a deterrent. Rideable by everyone from the weekend warriors to the elite racers (hence chicken runs).

Fast flowing singletrack, some tight twisty stuff. Bit of everything really! I think the biggest thing I'd say (again!) is that technical these days seems to be linked to 'needs balls', which I think is wrong, there's plenty of stuff out there which is difficult to ride flat out, but doesn't require huge testicles to do. I think you should reward skill, not bravado!

Can't really think of my perfect course. Margam's pretty good.