[Closed] Olympic Bike Cam Tour Of The Course

Is it to late to try out for the team. lol that coures looks shit no way a world class standered course!!!!!!

what a shit example of a course to push mountain biking in the uk!

far far far better trail centres out there!

For some reason I can't find a vid on that link.

Course looks good to me (some of it looks quite gnarly) and at least we'll be able to see most of the action 🙂

Doesn't look that shit to me, all fair enough for a race course I guess (never having raced)

Not enough rocks sunk into it in the rocky bits (ie too short) and shame they've made no humps/dips in the "path" bits to add some interest and minor challenge

I'd like to see several near-identical but physically separate lines (up and down) running a hundred yards or so on trickyish terrain so they'd have to go balls-out to avoid getting overtaken without seeing how the opposition is getting on

Makes me glad I don't race mtb's and just ride bikes for fun, that would bore me senseless, I think I would be looking at pulling a sickie when race day came along or change the event I did!

well i am world class in technical ability now to work on the fitness.

FFS, it is a race course, what makes a race does not make a sunday bimble round a trail centre.

FFS, it is a race course, what makes a race does not make a sunday bimble round a trail centre

Very this. And it'll be good. Trail centres do not make good race courses. It'll also look good on tv, which it was designed to do.

That looks boring as hell. Why not have the race at Dalby and make some modifications rather than that deglorified BMX course.

Oh FFS, not this again!

What you class as MTBing (a Sunday pootle round a trail centre carrying the kitchen sink on your back, stopping at the top and bottom of every hill to faff with seatposts and suspension and chat about how radcore you were on that last boom gnarly drop) is nowhere close to Olympic XC MTB.

Venues have to be within strict guidelines: between x and y in length, a certain amount of climbing per lap, so many technical features because it has to be repeatable at different Olympic venues, the same as any other sport. You wouldn't ask the swimmers or rowers or runners to make do with a non-standard facility.

The venue also has to be closed off completely in the run up to the event so it can be bedded in, the test events can be run - I can imagine you'd all be really happy if Dalby or any other trail centre was closed for 2 years in the run up to it...

And it has to be able to accommodate tens of thousands of media/spectators and look good on TV. And be close to London what with it being the LONDON Olympics.

So if you can do better, go and offer your services to Seb Coe. And if you can even ride the course, no dabs at half the speed the Olympic guys will be doing it, you should be racing Elite. Even some of the current crop of Olympic riders were thinking twice about various sections of that course, it's WAY tougher than any trail centre.

+1 to all of that!

+1 to most of that apart from this blunder:

It's WAY tougher than any trail centre.

didn't somebody here get to ride it on stw's press pass ?

did they report back ?

Trail centres do not make good race courses

Really?

Someone forgot that at Dalby then..

Oh FFS ,not this again +1

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/olympic-mountain-bike-course-discuss ]Old news[/url]

Someone forgot that at Dalby then.

Except the course at Dalby doesn't use the whole of the trail and they built new bits specifically for the race? 🙄

I think it looks alright actually - and the techy sections are presumably a lot harder with a saddle up your arse and a very high heart rate. Dunno about 'way tougher than any trail centre' though.

Certainly looks a lot better than the MM course anyway. 😛

Except the course at Dalby doesn't use the whole of the trail and they built new bits specifically for the race? 🙄

Which are now part of the trail, no?

Meanwhile back in the real world away from keyboard warrior land...

Some of those lines look pretty tricky.
Those rock gardens won't be so easy after 6 laps at 80% Max HR on a 100mm Hardtail wearing SPD's and with a fully extended seatpost.

I actually think they've done an excellent job, given the restriction the format places on them

Look at 2 pics below - one is at Dalbeattie (apologies for nicking the pic to whoever) and 'core' enough for people to stop, drop the saddle and take pics of their radness - the other is the Olympic course, which is apparently piss easy and dull 🙄
[img] http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2011/03/30/1301475522440-jijq5c902fl9-280-75.jp g" target="_blank">http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2011/03/30/1301475522440-jijq5c902fl9-280-75.jp g"/> [/img]

I don't see the problem. There's a nice smooth grassy bit just off to the side 🙂

Oh look SBZ; Njee20 and Crazy Legs, what are actually mtb racers, think it's ok, whereas you, what is not an mtb racer, doesn't. Hmm, who do I listen to...?

Simple way to settle it; you race them on the Lympic course, and indeed any course, see who's best.

Come on son; money where yer gob is.

Or just be quiet.

totally agree with Elfin, NJee20 and Crazy Legs...

and +1 for [i]Or just be quiet.[/i]

Brilliant, get Harry Hill to referee 😆

I like it, further more I hope they keep it as an event venue after 2012.

How slow was the guy riding the course going at the start of all the obsticals. If anyone did that on race day they would be losing postions all over the shop.

The dalby WC XC course is almost all new track and the short sections that were recycled where re-layed before they were used. Looks good to me and i know i couldn't do those obsticals at the speeds you will have to do them on the day.

Not saying they are needed, but genuine question, are dropper seatposts allowed? Some of the rock chutes will be interesting in the wet on XC tyres.

Woody

If you compare trees in your pictures you can easily see the error you have made.

Hugs

Plum

Is it to late to try out for the team. lol that coures looks shit no way a world class standered course!!!!!!

what a shit example of a course to push mountain biking in the uk!

far far far better trail centres out there!

theres a big diffence between Racing and trail centreing.

The course was built just like anyother top xc course, dalby for example. Two or three technical sectiosn, climbs and the rest flat out racing.

plumber - Member

Woody

If you compare trees in your pictures you can easily see the error you have made.

Hugs

Plum

Not really, the first pic is already straight (look at the person centre-top) and the Olympic one is only rotated a small amount (4-5 deg).

Having watched the video, I think it looks alright personally. Should be buttock clenching when ridden flat out, that's for sure - especially given how much video tends to flatten this stuff (look at helmet cam from Fort William for instance).

plum

sorry but not agreeing - the angle is minimal in comparison with the comments on here that the course will be on the whole a piece of piss.

hugs

Where's the loop-da-loop?

Pussies

x

I don't like the course, but mainly because it will suit 29er HTs with slick tyres (unless it gets wet, don't know what the track would be like then).

Everyone seems to be thrilled it has a few techy sections (which don't look techy at all tbh). But there seems to be chicken runs on all of them, that don't look like you'd lose any significant time on, so what's the point?

I love a course where the best bike for the job is a 100mm full sus or ht with 26" wheels and fairly nobbly tyres - for me, that's what xc racing is about. I think a cross bike would be quicker then a mtb on that track, which isn't right for a xc race course IMO.

Does everyone commenting on this thread simply look at one picture and not bother reading anything written above or in [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/2011/03/riding-the-olympic-course/ ]this review[/url]??

What it looks like now isn't much of a clue either, it's got over a year for "stuff" (like trees, bushes, proper track covering) to be added, then it'll look less like a glorified BMX track and more like a race course for pro athletes (as opposed to a trail centre for slightly overweight IT middle managers).

I hadn't seen the single track review before. I'm getting quite excited now. Just found out we've got tickets for the womans mountain biking!

njee20 - Member
FFS, it is a race course, what makes a race does not make a sunday bimble round a trail centre
Very this. And it'll be good. Trail centres do not make good race courses. It'll also look good on tv, which it was designed to do

So its going to shite then !!

Woody - Member
Look at 2 pics below - one is at Dalbeattie (apologies for nicking the pic to whoever) and 'core' enough for people to stop, drop the saddle and take pics of their radness - the other is the Olympic course, which is apparently piss easy and dull

Bloody hell! That's me on that first pic!
Good job I run tubeless, looking at the back tyre..

Not saying they are needed, but genuine question, are dropper seatposts allowed? Some of the rock chutes will be interesting in the wet on XC tyres.

Yep, no rules against it! Not aware that anyone has done yet though, still a big weight penalty, and you get used to riding everything with your saddle up your arse!

I don't like the course,

Good job your not good enough to make the grade for race it's designed for then. 😆

I think a cross bike would be quicker then a mtb on that track, which isn't right for a xc race course IMO.

So you'd ride this line on a crossbike then?[img] [/img]

TBH, it looks nowhere near tech enough to make it challenging. I've enjoyed the last couple of olympic races as they've been more natural, not a fire road all the way around.

I think that there are lots of good places around london for the race, just that farm just hasn't got the altitude change for decent racing.

But it'll be great for the spectators, mostly open with good visability.

What it looks like now isn't much of a clue either, it's got over a year for "stuff" (like trees, bushes, proper track covering) to be added

Ah ok, fair enough, thought someone had said it was near enough finished.

Good job your not good enough to make the grade for race it's designed for then.

Sorry if my opinion offends you. I don't know how I can make it up to you, any ideas? 😉

So you'd ride this line on a crossbike then?

Dunno, but going on the chicken run I might lose milliseconds, compared to the masses of the time I'd make up on the rest of the course. Although hopefully it will be very different by the time it is finished - although if it's going to be that much different, why release all the footage of it as it is now?

Sorry if my opinion offends you.

Did you not see this 😆 ? 😛

compared to the masses of the time I'd make up on the rest of the course.

Even on a cross bike you'd still be a good way behind the mid fielders no matter how fast you think you are. 😉

Even on a cross bike you'd still be a good way behind the mid fielders no matter how fast you think you are.

Relative to my speed on a mtb.. I'm starting to think you're being silly on purpose now..

And how do you know? I could be a top pro 😉

I'm starting to think you're being silly on purpose now..

I could be a top pro

If that were the case you'd never wear "that jersey" 😆

I'm sometimes amazed at the faith that some people have in the speed of one sort of bike over another. Why would a CX bike be faster, I'm assuming that the mountain bike could have 26" or 29" wheels

Im sure weve done this every month since that video was released...!

Ive ridden the course (unoffically!), Ive raced xc for the best of 18 years now and I wouldnt like to race on with some of the loons inthe local series let alone world class whippets, i doubt also that most of the knockers here would be able to ride the rock garden after examining it for a few minutes and then getting back on their fs bike and bumbling down it, let alone at xc race pace on a hardtail.

Oh and the video does not show the whole course - theres approx another mile or so to be added to it.

This is not a trial centre its a xc race course designed within the confines and limits of both the UCI and the Olympic bods, and its the latter that make most of the demands, which is why it is where it is and looks like it does... It is not designed for bimbling about on and stopping for cake halfway round...

Its funny how all the pros and journalists that have ridden it rate it as a good course - I think its more about the locations (and the fact that most people havent / wont ever ride here) - its essex it must be rubbish because i havent been there!

Its a good job that gary fisher, tom ritchey, Joe Murray and co werent put off when they were told those fat tyre bikes will never catch on by the narrowminded people that had never tried them...

And if anyone really fancies trying to ride this fast with a cyclocross bike Im bring a camera - ill easily get £50 off youve been framed

ampthill - Member

I'm sometimes amazed at the faith that some people have in the speed of one sort of bike over another. Why would a CX bike be faster, I'm assuming that the mountain bike could have 26" or 29" wheels

Interesting point, what are the regs for the bikes? I had a google and couldn't find anything. Are you allowed drop bars & big wheels for this event?

edit: +1 to bigdawg

+1 to all of that, well said bigdawg.

I think that the rules fot what counts as a mountain bike are now very loose

I did find a 26" inch wheel rule but I think that was in an older document. I think for mountain bikes the rules are

no metal studs in tyres, human powered

Ok, let's clear something up.

All you folk who think it's rubbish because it's easy: You do know what a race is, don't you? It's not about simply riding it, you have to ride it faster than everyone else.

These guys will be the fastest MTBers in the world, and it's a fast course. So the racing will be blindingly quick, and there will be lots of tactics and overtaking. This will make it a GREAT race!

Honestly, some of you are so thick it defies belief.

I dearly hope they have normal races on it afterwards, because I'd definitely trek across the country to race on it. Looks brilliant - AS A RACE COURSE.

Personally I don't think a CX bike would be that quick since at the speeds they will be travelling they'll spend a lot of time leaning right over, so big tyres will be a must I reckon.

When you actually see it on TV I think you'll be impressed.

Molgrips I'm convinced

Particularly as it won't be on tv 😆 for me...

When you actually see it on TV I think you'll be impressed.

Molgrips I dont think even fantastic camera angles will make that great!
Bring on George Lucas

hmmm, looks good,
dificult to tell from that camera view but I mighth perhaps question the amount of water retention on that trail build should we have a real wet one? I know its not the end of the world in terms of the racing but i would seriously question the long term durability of that build design due to teh ammount of that track that has no crown to drain water off without running along the trail. The advantage of this of course is that a negative crown, or concave, trail surface rides faster because of the natural "banking" . Unlikely to be a long term asset from what i could see but should make for great racing and a fantastic spectacle.
Agree with the demands placed by IOC etc but yes, do feel that the technical areas look a little short, and that it would be nice to see half a mile of rough rutted stony techy landrover type track climb, unless that is also featured. Appreciate that that would take alot of construction/cost by comparison in any such site, and wouldn't translate to the same "bang per buck" on the TV, but I suspect that many would agree that the penchant for short techy downhill sections is TV driven rather than anything else.
I think if that were the case these thoughts of CX bikes would quickly disappear, whereas the miles of manicured cindertrack that appear to link these techy sections increase those thoughts.
The trouble is, as Tdf shows, it's very dificult indeed to translate on TV just how dificult/steep climbing is on a bike, and to portray just how dificult/skilful what is occurring really is. I suspect that if you had several hundred yards of continuously rocky steppy climb, landrover wide, ( not this cindertrack with a 6 inch step every 10m game) it would be phenominally popular with the spectators and woudl give far more passing opportunities based on technical ability.