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A 26er wins 1st place in one race, that proves without a doubt that 29ers are crap 🙄
A 26er wins 1st place in one race, that proves without a doubt that 29ers are crap
And third place. Nice straw man argument there though - when did I say that 29ers were crap?
It just kind of gives lie to current ideas that bike manufacturers marketing/magazine hype are trying to shove down our necks - that 29ers make you so much faster, no?
you should be sat at home on the computer saying how gash it was based purely on the fact that you can wobble around a trail centre slowly with a 5" travel skill compensator before heading to the cafe to eat your substantial bodyweight in bacon butties.
Spot on, this thread turns into the usual stw joke, ride round a trail centre once and you think you know more about bike than Chris Boardman and are a world class course designer. Also you have developed skills in commentating.
Folk on here should take a step back from the keyboard now and then. 🙄
The course looks like any trail centre that most of you keyboard critics probably mince your way around every weekend.
And i think the best person won on the bike they felt most comfortable on, a 29er is not a gauranted win!
...I agree Chris, he's got to be looking at a mark in the high 90s for that daring tail whip. Very reminiscent of Danny Hart, although slightly spoiled by the belly fat revealed as his shirt rode up.'
'I couldn't agree more Jamie, and we could be edging up into the medal positions if only he could emulate the russian in that beautiful ensemble with sequinned baggy shorts and the perfectly weighted Camelbak....
when did I say that 29ers were crap?
on pretty much every 29er thread since the dawn of time 😉
I think this is mainly because you are of hobbit like stature (short and rotund) and have a similar distrust of anything that the "big folk" do 😀
Just arrived in from the event and as a spectator, I have to say that was amazing. Incredible, friendly and uplifting atmosphere, beautiful weather and some of the best organisation I have come across.
It looked like such a fun course to ride, plenty of climbing, lots of well designed technical set pieces and no shortage of passing places.
Bresset looked as cool as a cucumber all the way. Annie was giving it her all, but you could tell that she wasn't going to keep pace forever. Maybe Rio?
Well done to all the personnel, racers and crowd. Bloody good show chaps.
8)
on pretty much every 29er thread since the dawn of time
Show me a link to where I've said that. I'm sure they're fine, I just doubt that they represent the second coming of jesus like some people seem to believe, and I'm cynical about industry marketing hype/bandwagons.
I think this is mainly because you are of hobbit like stature (short and rotund)
Have you been stalking me? 😯
Course looked pretty technical from where I stood (bottom of the rock garden). Leap of faith probably looks less imposing on the TV. I would say that it reminded me of Whytes Level, some big rock slabs. But these ladies are racing not mincing. And yes, a lot of them looked pretty nervous at the top of the rock garden - it wasn't there at the pre-event.
As for wheels, well there were some small ladies on bikes that were clearly too big for them (psychological advantage?). Cornering over the rocks meant that anyone on a 29er who took the easier inside line rather than the berm, struggled to get round at the end of the rock garden. This probably wasn't seen on the TV.
Watching the men warm up beforehand made it look easy. Can't wait to ride it myself.
Riding a 29er or a 26er makes no difference because, maybe, just maybe... it's about the rider not the bike.
BTW love how this started as a thread about the time to record the MTB, then became STW's official Olympic MTB thread (course bashing thread), and now looks to become a 29er bashing thread 😆
Got my tickets for tomorrow but not bothering now as its obviously just for idiots who despite being the best in the world at what they do have described it as extremely demanding, one of the most technical that we have had to race on and a real test, whilst the STW massif the true font of knowledge on all subjects have clearly identified it as only fit for powder puffery and manhood strokers.
What a let down....
Dj, sounds like we must have been standing pretty much next to each other. Couldn't agree more on all counts. A fantastic day out, and a great mix of people. Funnily enough I was thinking of Afan as I watched them picking their way down the rock garden, and wondering how I would compare. Not all that favourably I'm guessing. Can't wait to find out at some point.
Yeah, don't bother berm bandit. You'll be struggling to keep your eyes open without matchsticks. As your tickets are virtually worthless, I'll do you a favour and offer you 50p and as a brucie bonus throw in an out of date clif bar that i found down the back of the sofa. Deal, yeah?
Is there a fell runners forum somewhere with a thread titled "That 10,000m run is too easy"
This is footflaps picture from the other thread:
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Doesn't look easy to me with your saddle up that high - at a presumably very high heart rate.
It may not be off camber or crazy steep but that's a riot of wheel traps and OTBs for those lightweight little bikes..
Does anyone know what time the highlights of this are on TV tonight?
22.30 to 22.31.......
Bol, son2 and I were wearing signed Team GB jerseys, Mrs dj had the gb hands. Great day out. Excellent organization, travel, atmosphere and crowd. Funny thing was at the end we saw the Germany no 20. And of course all the men were ogling her carbon Felt.
Going tomorrow with Son1 only, if he can get up. Super picture by Ben sums it up really.
I think the course, and most of the competitors 😉 looked pretty good! Yeah, it's not a massive techfest of a course, but it has some nice features and clearly suits the "racing" bit, which, lets face it, is quite important for an Olympic event. I just hope that when the open it after the games it's not sanitised. I want to be able to see how i compare (badly!) to the best of the best in XC!
(if i need to sign a disclaimer before I ride then so be it, but please don't take stuff out of the course because it might be "a bit too difficult for the general public"..........)
I watched on the tele mid ride on the Surrey Hills.
Full respect to all involved.
The man made technical bits looked pretty daunting - gap jump with point rocks, rock gardens with pointy rocks and steep rock chutes. All on a tv friendly course. I have no problem admitting I would be looking several times at quite a lot of it before committing.
I thought it was excellent.
A non mountain biker who read this Forum for a few days, then watched the Olympics would wonder why they all were not riding orange coloured steel hard tails.
From the bits I watched it looked good and I guess those rocky sections are pretty darned steep as tv tends to flatten things out. A few riders seemed to be struggling on the uphill rocky steps too.
Possibly a silly question, but were the riders the same who compete on the world cup circuit?
Possibly a silly question, but were the riders the same who compete on the world cup circuit?
yes. Qualification was based on UCI points, or more specifically the number of points a country has determined how many riders they could have.
Hence GB being, to be very blunt, crap at XC racing* got one place.
* This is a reflection in my opinion that most UK mtb riders are more interested in bacon butties than in riding and racing fast.
So the experts on here who laughed at bike designer and team GB insider Chris Boardman for saying a lot of riders were using tubulars were not actually right after all?
I watched on the tele mid ride on the Surrey Hills.
At the Pitch Hill Pit Stop? You must have been the other group there then! Thought that was awesome!
I CBA getting involved in the pathetic armchair perspective of the course, there's one rider on here who's raced it, he said it was great. I thought it looked good. Enough for me!
chrismac - MemberI think the fact that they can all ride it on 80-100mm hardtail hybrid's in the main with virtually slick tyres shows it wasnt technical enough. Im not expecting them to need 140mm trail bikes to get round but equally I dont think it should be so easy they can use what they can.
I seems to me that the courses are designed to suit their bikes rather than the bikes responding to the courses.
Quality, pure quality. There are so many tool's on this forum, the owners must despair.
Chrismac, please post something else so i can work out whether your're trolling or just an idiot
Yeah at the Pitstop. Turned up as it started and fully enjoyed watching, drinking and eating!
Is there any other good riding round there? Good they put together a couple more waymarked trails to make it worth a visit?
Course was great as a spectator. From where I was standing I'd say the rock sections wouldn't have looked out of place on the Laggan Black and are being ridden at race pace, on hard tails, with seats up.
the rock sections wouldn't have looked out of place on the Laggan Black and are being ridden at race pace, on hard tails, with seats up
Pffft. EEEE ZEEEE. I could do that on my BMX. And I'd throw in a couple of superman seat grabs to give it some steeez.
😉
to be fair, only a couple, maybe three, people said it wasn't hard enough - not sure it's worth all the handwringing.
Looks like a good race course. And they go sooo fast everywhere. And they don't stop when they feel tired.
I watched it.
It made me want to ride my bike there.
Looked like a decent enough course. I was pleased to see a 40 year old get a medal too. Perhaps it's not too late for me to enter a few races after all.
OK, same question this morning (although not sure I got an answer yesterday!) - what BBC channel do I need to programme the recorder for?
Although I'll chance it with Project's BBC 1 call.
No I won't, the box tells me it's on BBC2!
Yup, BBC2
Yes Beeb 2
The course doesnt look that hard at all.. what does look hard is the pace. Its absolutely relentless.. especially as there is nowhere to really rest or recover. Its more a case of survival of the fittest.
For those with Sky/Virgin, it's also on BBC Olympic 10, channel 459 for HD, channel 483 for non-HD. Starts at 13.25.
It looks ace.. and as its only about half hour from my house I will be riding it when they open it up the STW elite.,. ;o)
Is there any way to watch it afterwards? I'm due to fly in a few hours.
Alternatively, if anyone is recording it and willing to make a copy for me I'd be willing to pay a few quid to have it sent over. Email in profile.
really looking forward to it, can't beleive all the armchair keyboard warriors bleeting about the course etc, its mtb coverage on tv which is good for the sport.....no?