29er for dh racing

Mitch Ropelato has just won a us dh race.
On a 29er stumpjumper……
Beating Aaron Gwin………
Wtf.
It’s a pedaly course, but, wtf……
Is it still april 1st in america.

Sea Otter?

Oh ffs don’t start this again *shakes head and shuffles off*

Pro grt, in fontana.
It’s up on mbaction.com

“I’m fast, I’m faster than you” 🙂

gosh.

gnarly towpath…

That’s going to be an April fool. They keep saying how official results have yet to be confirmed. Besides if he was going to do it on a spec that’s not a dh bike surely he’d take the enduro.

who knows, the course was very gnarly at the top and had a really long pedally bit at the bottom…
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/305359/

the water bottle seems an odd addition though 😕

Apparently not:

http://www.mbaction.com/main/news/f1695fba-6576-458f-8af3-e7840625600a.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MbaNewsFeed+(MBA+News+Feed)

Specialized will be pleased no doubt, , now all the DH Pajama kiddies will be pestering for a carbon 29er to go with their Demo…

I foresee this thread being a lot more active once it’s official whether it is indeed a joke with posts like “well that was bloody obvious, only a fool would believe it” or vice versa.

april fool? – maybe, but i’ll be dissappointed by their lack of ambition if it is.

it’s basically the same story as this:

linky

(sam hill and brendon fairclough riding sx trails at a Dh race in Oz, waaay back in 2009)

‘Dh race won on electric bike’ would have been much more satisfyingly nooo/really?/surely not/eh?

its not out of the question, 75% of the track did appear to be fire road after all.

Yeah but a win is a win no less

its not out of the question, 75% of the track did appear to be fire road after all.

You can only race on and against what’s put in front of you. DH races aren’t won on the fireroad sections.

DH races aren’t won on the fireroad sections.

That’s a statement from someone who never raced at mount ashcombe.

Paceman – Member
its not out of the question, 75% of the track did appear to be fire road after all.
You can only race on and against what’s put in front of you. DH races aren’t won on the fireroad sections.

Unless it’s 75% of the course then it’s a race that goes down a hill 🙁

If a race is won on a stumpy then it’s not a proper DH race it’s XC with some manly bits

DH races aren’t won on the fireroad sections.

True but DH races, at least at World Cup level, don’t usually have that long a flat section in them. Pietermaritzburg might be an exception and we saw plenty of people using dropper posts, lock outs and semi slick tyres there in the past. If it is an April fools its very clever precisely because it does look very plausible.

Surprised he wasn’t on the new enduro 29er, would have thought spesh would love to show that off doing dh races

I think peaty’s won a local race or 2 on his santa cruz tallboy lt as well. admittedly not against gwin though!

It’s all about the water bottle.

I could believe it.

If it was the same course from the PB helmet can footage above then why not?

A nice light XC 29er could be gotten through the rocky top section swiftly if under a skilled rider, and then the relatively smoother bottom part of the course would reward a bike that peddles and rolls well…

650b would be shite though, Fact!

That’s some rock garden!

That’s a statement from someone who never raced at mount ashcombe. in the 90’s/early00’s

Ftfy

Unless it’s 75% of the course then it’s a race that goes down a hill
If a race is won on a stumpy then it’s not a proper DH race it’s XC with some manly bits

Keep making up the excuses… You haven’t ridden one of those Stumpy Evo’s have you?

I wonder how many doubters they’ll be when Curtis Keene starts kicking ass on the 29″ Enduro. No doubt the forum heros on here will still have their excuses.

DH races aren’t won on the fireroad sections.
That’s a statement from someone who never raced at mount ashcombe.

Never raced any DH but love watching it. Time will tell I suppose but I doubt it’ll be long before there’s a mix of wheel sizes battling it out at DH and Enduro events, much like there is already at marathon and XC. In my opinion, baring bad luck with mechanicals, the fittest and most skilful rider usually wins. They’re likely to be riding whatever wheel size their sponsor is currently pushing.

Makes me wonder….wouldn’t surprise me if they start to tailor the courses to suit 29ers..ie more flat pedally sections…the way the industry is going it really would not surprise me! They will eventually kill off true downhill! 🙄

JCL – Member
Unless it’s 75% of the course then it’s a race that goes down a hill
If a race is won on a stumpy then it’s not a proper DH race it’s XC with some manly bits
Keep making up the excuses… You haven’t ridden one of those Stumpy Evo’s have you?
I wonder how many doubters they’ll be when Curtis Keene starts kicking ass on the 29″ Enduro. No doubt the forum heros on here will still have their excuses.
POSTED 5 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Yes but it will never happen on a true dh course will it!

Keep making up the excuses… You haven’t ridden one of those Stumpy Evo’s have you?
I wonder how many doubters they’ll be when Curtis Keene starts kicking ass on the 29″ Enduro. No doubt the forum heros on here will still have their excuses.

Yay I was wondering when you’d show up! Forget the wheel size, it was a DH race won on an XC bike, that tells you everything you need to know about the course. The same could well happen at Sea Otter with its tame as anything track. But if you truly believe that the top guys are gonna switch to 29ers for the World Cup season, then you knock yourself out big guy!

From Ridemonkey:

You guys have seen fontana right? It’s a couple of rocky sections with some wind sprints, one on totally flat ground. I’m actually surprised mitch rode a suspension bike. It probably slowed him down.

He would not have won that race on a 26″ Stumpy Evo. No **** way.

I’m not arguing for 29″ in DH. I’m saying for Enduro, the same rider on a good 140mm 29″ is faster than a 160mm 26″. All day long.

pussywillow – Member
Makes me wonder….wouldn’t surprise me if they start to tailor the courses to suit 29ers..ie more flat pedally sections…the way the industry is going it really would not surprise me!

Have you actually ridden a decent 29er FS Trail Bike?? Flat trails suit smaller wheels, bigger wheels eat rock gardens and roots. I’m not suggesting they’re suitable for DH racing, but seriously you’re talking rubbish.

JCL – Member
He would not have won that race on a 26″ Stumpy Evo. No **** way.

Crystal Balls?

They’re likely to be riding whatever wheel size their sponsor is currently pushing.

Just to play devils advocate.

What’s going to be more appealing to a customer,

A bike that wins races or one that sits at the back.

The top riders are only going to use big wheels if it works and they go faster. If not they’ll stick with 26″ and sell plenty of them.

I’m saying for Enduro, the same rider on a good 140mm 29″ is faster than a 160mm 26″. All day long.

I’m not. Neither is one of the guys I ride with. He’s got a lot better at crashing though.

Looking on my phone, but it looks like no chain device either.

I don’t get it, why is it so unbelievable that someone could win a DH race on a 29er ?

Crystal Balls?

Just my experience of the two bikes and the track.

Hob Nob, Stumpy Evo 29″?

I don’t get it, why is it so unbelievable that someone could win a DH race on a 29er ?

Because a 140mm 26″ trail bike has never won, or got near winning a DH race.

Looking on my phone, but it looks like no chain device either.

XX1 innit.

Makes me wonder….wouldn’t surprise me if they start to tailor the courses to suit 29ers..ie more flat pedally sections…the way the industry is going it really would not surprise me! They will eventually kill off true downhill!

Brilliant, so when 29ers/650b do start to succeed in DH racing its because they’re making courses to suit and ‘killing off’ DH. How do you hear with your head that deep in the sand?!

Flat trails suit smaller wheels

Not really – unless they’re tight, twisty and involve lots of braking/accelerating.