Craig Hardie... Scottish Cross Champ, XC winner, DH winner, road racer.
Bike Forum
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Who is the best UK bike rider?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Elbry, surely?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Elbry does indeed have the laid back rock star style over the big acid drops, but I'm going with Gee - DH, 4X, plus he's had a bash at slopestyle competitions and the Mega and didn't disgrace himself.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Dan or Gee Atherton. They would probably get blown away on the track and road by people who ride those disciplines, but would still finish in one piece, which I think is more than could be said for some of the XC/track/road riders on a DH course or BMX track.
Posted 2 years ago # -
which I think is more than could be said for some of the XC/track/road riders on a DH course or BMX track.
"some" being the key word Mike. Plenty of top road and track sprinters have a BMX background. My money however would be on Killeen at the moment.Or Elbry
Posted 2 years ago # -
grumm - Richie McCoy for sure!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Obree.
Competition: start with a pile of tubes and random parts, build a bike, take out the hour record.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nicole Cooke - made of win
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'd say Gee Atherton. Everything in one package and still pretty young.
However I would also say that Steve Peat and Chris Akrigg are up there to.
Not sure about Elbry as we are talking about the UK. Elbry's skills dominate the globe. I believe Wade Simmons and Darren Berrecloth wear Elbry watches.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Gee, Dan atherton or perhaps Jamie Staff (I bet he would be pretty good on a mountain bike if he tried)
But, the most awesome rider in Britain (in one discipline) has to be Jamie Bestwick IMO. He has dominated vert BMX for ages.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Wilko and Killeen are both good shouts IMO.
I suspect a lot of DH riders would make good sprinters, but not be so hot on longer road races.
Posted 2 years ago # -
shame nico vouilloz is french really, as it is my money would be on Gee.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hmmmmm, I suspect the 'sprint' diciplines (DH, BMX, track) would be ok for the 'endurance' (XC, road) riders, but the sprinters would be left for dead on a multi stage road or XC race.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Actually, after reading those stats, shedfull is right...
10x Brit champ - road
junior world, road, TT and XC champ in same year!
brit CX champ
current olympic champ - road
multiple world cup champ - road
First ever Brit to win a grand tour event (wmns Giro)
youngest winner of in most all casesand still only 26...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Can't believe I got a mention with all these other riders. Thanks wonny j! However I'm definitely not in their league. I just enjoy doing lots of different types of riding. 2010 is going to be a year based around doing the Continental Divide in the summer. Can't wait
Mark McPhillips
Posted 2 years ago # -
me
Posted 2 years ago # -
Shanaze Reade ? BMX and Track riding pretty much sewn up. With the transferable skills to cope with the technicalities of 4x/DH and the speed for Xc.
Posted 2 years ago # -
And the endurance?
I just can't see many of the track/BMX/DHers keeping their HRs up for >2hrs for an XC race, or still being able to sprint flat out after 5 hours on the road.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I just can't see many of the track/BMX/DHers keeping their HRs up for >2hrs for an XC race, or still being able to sprint flat out after 5 hours on the road.
But don't all pretty much all DHers train by riding road and xc rides? Don't think the same happens vice versa.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I don't think any of the dh guys would be in with a chance. I know tghey train on the road but I don't think any of them are up there with half decent road guys.
Someone like Nick Craig would be up there and I reckon Wiggins has the balls to give downhilling a go go.
Posted 2 years ago # -
But don't all pretty much all DHers train by riding road and xc rides? Don't think the same happens vice versa.
Yep, but rides are not races, not even close.
Posted 2 years ago # -
And the endurance?
I just can't see many of the track/BMX/DHers keeping their HRs up for >2hrs for an XC race, or still being able to sprint flat out after 5 hours on the road
Try sprinting round a bmx track then come back and tell me these riders aren't fit enough to race for a few hours
You've got to be pretty fit to cope with that intensity of anaerobic exercise.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Sorry, did I say they weren't fit?
I said I expect that they'd struggle to keep that pace up for >2 hours. Happy to be proven wrong, but I doubt Usain Bolt would challenge the front runners in a marathon either, it's fairly basic physiology surely...
Posted 2 years ago # -
I cant believe Chris Hoy has not been mentioned, as a kid he was great on a bmx!
Posted 2 years ago # -
You've got to be pretty fit to cope with that intensity of anaerobic exercise.
but their aerobic threshold would be crap, which is important for anything over a few minutes
Posted 2 years ago # -
I suspect a lot of DH riders would make good sprinters
I wouldn't, there's very little pedalling in DH, just look at how much time Lopes took out of the top DHers in the world in the last flat pedalling section at Canberra.. BMX racers might tho.
each bike riding discipline is far too specialist for anyone to be great at more than a few disciplines. even in very similar disciplines, not many DHers can even ride 4X well, or 4X riders race BMX.
the only British rider I can think of winning both XC and DH races is scottish junior rider Aaron Gannicott.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Put a short list together and get them to enter the Singletrack Weekender the only way to know for sure!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Horses for courses. DH riders have decent bike handling skills, but they could not even dream of riding Paris - Roubaix, as Brad Wiggins will not be challenging Peaty at the worlds next year either.
Ian Wilkinson has to be considered as one of the best domestic riders, I also believe he is not a full time pro....
Posted 2 years ago # -
Like a few posts before, I've always been impressed by Chris Akrigg. He hasn't just stuck with trails riding he started out on, he rides and plays on every type of bike. His videos often show him failing and failing again, until he gets it right, rather than just a polished end result of video sequences.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"I don't think any of the dh guys would be in with a chance. I know tghey train on the road but I don't think any of them are up there with half decent road guys."
Whereas obviously all the top road guys could do fort william dh in 4.43. It's ridiculous to expect any top class athlete to match a top class athlete in a related but substantially different field.
Posted 2 years ago # -
It would almost certainly be Gee Atherton. To anyone doubting the cardio or endurance of a DH racer know this - Ben Reid showed up at an XC NPS a few years back and destroyed everyone. On his 4x bike.
Gee would be there or there abouts at DH, 4X, BMX and he was hotly tipped to win the red bull rampage before injury so he would even beat Elbry in the freeride stakes. All he would need would be extra cardio to be competitive in xc, cyclocross and road, the Athertons (along with many DH racers compete in road and xc in the off season). It's safe to assume he could turn his hand to trials too.
Chriss Akrigg is pretty awe inspiring for sure, but there is little evidence he is truly a world beater in any one category, much less all of them.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Dougie Vipond
Posted 2 years ago # -
without prior knowledge I'd say one of the top XC riders. They can do the MTB stuff, they're still going to be stinky quick on the descents, they're fit enough to ride very fast on the road and can cane it for an hour at cross.
Posted 2 years ago # -
If its everything on 26 inch wheels then its danny macaskill. not chris akrigg. danny is as fast down the megavalanche with similar times but then blows every trials rider out the water in trials.cross country he could hammer a lot of strictly lycra clad folk.. and road riding? he would ride 7 miles home from work on 23cs in 10 inches of snow! He can even see in the dark and rides night rides without lights lol.
you could organise this whole competition for real and it would prove the point ;O)
Posted 2 years ago # -
Gee would be there or there abouts at DH, 4X, BMX and he was hotly tipped to win the red bull rampage before injury so he would even beat Elbry in the freeride stakes
Dude. No. Just no.
Posted 2 years ago #
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