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I turned it off ad its too boring. What a lame event.
If I'd never ridden a bike before after watching this I wouldn't buy a MTB. Not very exciting, a lot of it is nothing more than riding fire roads but I suppose there is only so much you can do with something man made to be viewable on TV. Iirc the China one was just as bad to watch.
For all the people complaining that it's dull- what exactly were you expecting an Olympic xc mtb race to look like?
Course looks good ,photography good ,lots of lycra in mtb is good (especially on fit chicks),Cant see why it was sold out though looks like there is loads of room for more spectators
Would it inspire a none-mountain biker to take up mountain biking? I realise that isn't the acid test for the event but curious as to how it would be perceived by none-mountainbikers.
...Saying that would watching a World Cup Downhill round inspire a none mountain biker to buy a mountain bike, or just terrify the life out of them?
crazy-legsBut other than that, this is what World Cup and Olympic XC MTB racing looks like.
Yes and no I think. Petermaritzburg, MSA, Windham were much more technical. Despite the Olympic track having impressive looking rock features built on to it, it's tame. I think the level of technical difficulty would be more akin to a national race. But, it's xc.
I can't help but think though since they built the entire course from scratch surely they could have built some massive/spectacular/unique features to sex it up a bit without compromising it.
Needs more riders in a race to make it exciting. The men's race should be good.
Another 26" wheel winner tomorrow too 🙂
Cant see why it was sold out though looks like there is loads of room for more spectators
There was only 20k tickets, venue could take 50k I reckon.
I expect issue was with parking/ traffic etc rather than space for spectators round the course
If I'd never ridden a bike before after watching this I wouldn't buy a MTB. Not very exciting, a lot of it is nothing more than riding fire roads but I suppose there is only so much you can do with something man made to be viewable on TV. Iirc the China one was just as bad to watch.
Remember it is a RACE, it is not about scenery, uplifts etc.
As i have said before and been flamed for it DH is as bad if not worse than XC. You don't even see riders racing against each other, I find clock watching events far worse than races with multiple competitors on the track at the same time.
Some wet sections might have made it more interesting as would more technical single track sections with different route options. As it was it is most of the course was just smooth climbs and descents. 4x racing would make a better viewing and do more to promote the offroad cycling
The venue could hold 50,000, it's just the challenge of getting them all there and the size of the park and ride facilities.
I thought that was good. TV angles were impressive, commentary was mostly OK, it was obviously a brutally tough course just from watching the race, the crowd seems to have enjoyed it and the feedback from the riders after the test event was that they loved the circuit.
[i]29ers the preferred choice. No surprises there, I guess.
[/i]
And the winner rides on 26"...
Top 10 finish, not to be sniffed at. Well done Annie Last
4x strikes me as an event for those who arent sure if they want to downhill or Bmx
Personally I find 4X dull as **** to watch but each to his own!
I thought it was great. Looking forward to the men's race tomorrow now. I preferred it to watching dh events as, to me, it felt more relevant to the trail/xc mountain biking that I am familiar with.
to me, it felt more relevant to the trail/xc mountain biking that I am familiar with.
+1
For those who are saying its not rad or gnarr enough ,isnt it just like Ashton Court and the like which many people wax lyrical about ?
Saw 10 mins near the end and it looked dull as dishwater .
I preferred it to watching dh events as, to me, it felt more relevant to the trail/xc mountain biking that I am familiar with.
As a Downhiller predominantly I'd obviously rather see a DH event so I agree with the essence of your statement ultimately. I'm more interested in how none-mountainbikers would perceive the sport.
i enjoyed that (and well done to the winner/annie last also 😀
looking forward to the men's race tomorrow.
I'm more interested in how none-mountainbikers would perceive the sport.
looks a bit hard can't do that.. pass me another beer and the remote, what channel is the footy on.....
looks a bit hard can't do that.. pass me another beer and the remote, what channel is the footy on.....
Sounds about right. The event was a raging success then.
Not too bad, looked a smooth dull course, but the techy sections made it interesting. I liked it 🙂 Want to go out and ride my bike now.
29ers the preferred choice. No surprises there, I guess.And the winner rides on 26"...
and has a SR suntour fork 😯 
Wasn't looking for rad or gnarr just something more exciting. What was the most exciting part of the race? The breakaway groups, the challenges or the daring overtake on a technical sections? None of that it was just spread out as the fittest person on the day took the lead and the others fell back through not been a contender or flats.
If you ride canal towpaths all the time then it will have looked exciting. MTB biking takes more than just fitness, it has technical skills too, I dare say a lot of the road riders could have placed highly on that course without having the ability to climb or descend tricky sections.
As it was most of the course was just smooth climbs and descents
It really wasn't but it's difficult to get the cameras into the singletrack sections. Either you have good TV and a nice amphitheatre to see the whole race (then run the risk of it being termed 'boring') or you have loads of lovely singletrack and no-one can see any of the action in which case you'll still call it boring.
🙄
It was a very technical, very tough course which produced a worthy winner. And surely that's what the Olympics is about.
XC races at that level are always ridden hard and get spread out .As it says above hide the race in trees and no one can see it
I was stuck in toys'r'us looking for wooden alphabet toys.. 😐
It didn't have to be hidden by trees but the course could have had different routes in section made more technical where some of the most skilful riders could have taken advantage making it more exciting to watch
I though it was suitably technical - you could see the bounce in their arms on the 'smooth sections'
- all it needed was a 'wall' on the side of the big tree to make a 'jump overtake' section 🙂
I dare say a lot of the road riders could have placed highly on that course without having the ability to climb or descend tricky sections.
You'd be wrong. A couple maybe, but those that already have the skills. I've raced the course and it's as tech as you'd need when your HR is sky high and you've been practically sprinting for an hour and a half. The TV cameras struggle to pick up the steepness of the drops or all the little bits that got to make up the course. Yes, there were some smooth bits but I don't think you need it a rockfest everywhere just to make them good.
Q: How many DNF ?
Edit - 2 out of 30
Good thing about XC is that you have to have the lungs as well as the skill, and to my mind that makes it more of a sport than DH for example (not a stab at DH just an example).
I find men's diving the most boring, but hey that's just my opinion.
edit: don't think the course is easy if Spitz managed to crash, as well as a few others 😉
Course is 90% blue grade route and 10% red.
Not technical enough, the rock gardens have smooth paved lines with rocks jumbled around. Looked ok on tv, but got bit bored with it.
It will be open to the public, perfect for the family.
It will be open to the public, perfect for the family.
Some of the rocky bits are getting sanitized before they let IT managers on it though
Hopk1ns - Member
Course is 90% blue grade route and 10% red.
Not technical enough, the rock gardens have smooth paved lines with rocks jumbled around. Looked ok on tv, but got bit bored with it.
It will be open to the public, perfect for the family.
+1
It was safe and not very challenging probably to increase the speed of the event.
How utterly predictable and equally disappointing that the 'It's not gnarly' crowd have come out to play.
It's not what you do, because you don't race at elite level...
how many dnf?
Only 2!
Craigxxl, have you actually been to the venue? In fact, were we watching the same race? There are about 6 technical sections in the lap that have two or three option lines. Long, easier lines and short but harder options.
A lot of people seem hard to please on this place. Best xc event I've watched on a screen. I'd love to give it a whirl but not at their speed.
Not been since I'm in Leeds and wouldn't travel that far to ride around a gravel path in a park. There is plenty of those around here where I can leave the main route and take a more challenging ride through a slippy tight natural climb. Following the leader on TV you didn't see anything challenging just dull, wide hard packed gravel with some man made obstacles with obvious routes through. I didn't expect or want to see 100% technical course but did want to see the non tech parts to have been more natural terrain rather than a man made path. After watching that event nothing would make me want to travel down to ride the course as most of it was dull
i agree and disagree with many of the comments, but can not let this one slide....
none-mountainbikers
[b][i][u]NON-[/u][/b][/i]mountainbikers!!!! not NONE-. NON-!!!
They could have made it harder ,and much slower .Winner averages about 19kph would you rather it was a trials course at 4kph ?.Its XC on XC race bikes not playing in woods with your fat mates on 160mm forks
Edric 64 😆
I blame too much MBUK for this "not gnarrcore enough" attitude 😈