Aaron Gwin is insane

it was heart breaking to hear him apologise to anyone lip reading.

Heartbreaking, really? Anyway, I’d have thought putting a warning on the video stream would be enough or do they have some sort of voluntary code for broadcasters online too?

Heartbreaking, really?

Yup. Heart breaking, in that overly-serious way one discusses unimportant issues on the internet. I was devastated, worst anything ever. I’m actually writing to my MP about the matter, and my MEP as it happened in Austria; might tweet NATO and all.

monkeyfudger talks sense. I think Minaar has been the most consistent rider in the years I’ve been following the DH and still looks more than capable of winning on any track. I do wonder if he can pull back enough points from his DQ at Cairns though.

stilltortoise – Member

Has anyone tried running tubular tyres for downhill and if so, are they any good? No burping of air and no pinch flats.

I use it, works well for me with specialized, conti and maxxis dualplies, but I am a total mincer.

I can’t remember any real details but Dirt had an article that mentioned some of the pros experimenting- it might have been Marc Beaumont? Anyway, the gist of it was that it worked but for a race run they were adding 10psi extra because it’d lose that much every run. Greg Minaar used to do tubeless, don’t know if he still does.

I use it, works well for me with specialized, conti and maxxis dualplies, but I am a total mincer.

I can’t remember any real details but Dirt had an article that mentioned some of the pros experimenting- it might have been Marc Beaumont? Anyway, the gist of it was that it worked but for a race run they were adding 10psi extra because it’d lose that much every run. Greg Minaar used to do tubeless, don’t know if he still does.

Tubs, or tubeless?

Tubs would appear to make sense on the face of it if you can make them stiff/tough enough. My guess would be that the advantages of a nice supple carcass really aren’t what you want for DH, where they need to be stiff enough to support some rather aggressive handling, which probably doesn’t make for a good tubular carcass.

Gwin said he rolled the tyre off the rim in a corner so it sounds like he had the pressure too low.

Northwind, I was referring to tubular tyres, not tubeless. Like the pro roadies use. A quick Google suggest they do exist and whilst I can appreciate why they are not popular for general use, for a 5 minute single run DH track they perhaps have some advantages.

Has anyone tried running tubular tyres for downhill

I was wondering that. Maybe there’s not a glue strong enough to keep them on the rim?

Ah, sorry, I misread tubular for tubeless!

Maybe it’s time for Scott to transfer what they’ve learned with XC and Dugast to get Brendan Freeracing on some tubs and see how they stack up 😀

Or, sounds like what they all need are UST tyres… maybe

so the second split he’s at 32 seconds, the finish he’s at 39 – 7 seconds lost with no tire, and i’m fairly sure most of it was on the last (smooth) section..

Spend any more than 5 mins on any pinkbike thread regarding DH and you just want to throttle most of his followers

Has anyone tried running tubular tyres for downhill and if so, are they any good? No burping of air and no pinch flats.

IIRC last year at ft bill(?) there were some tubs rolling about, dugast with maxxis treads on them stickered up as maxxis.

*hunts pics*

sea otter, pics:
http://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/Downhill-Freeride,5/minnaars-sew-up-maxxis-DH-tires,6479

the Gwinn thing is a bit like the Gee thing, dull, dull & dull. Hard to get excited and connect with. At least Gwinn hasn’t gone all sulky like a teenage girl when her favorite boy band split up. Gwinn also knew that if he got down the would probably get some points which might make a big difference in an open season. It was a rear wheel so probably a better chance of making it. See Rachel at Ft Bill trying to get down and get points for the same thing.

Contrast that with some of the young kids who seem happy to be there and loving every moment.

The comment about some being has beens/also rans Peaty is competitive with guys 15 years younger than him and faster than a lot. Bryceland looks like he’s put the hard work in to step up. The likes of Hart bleating on about courses not being steep enough etc. which really means he didn’t do enough training for the courses that he knew were in the events he had entered make more more annoyed.

which really means he didn’t do enough training

He didn’t look like he’d done no training the way he was pedalling on the motorway section at Fort Bill

thats why I said not enough.

When I watch Gwinn race, its sort of the view I have when it’s Gee Atherton. I admire the often telepathic skill on display and if its a straight fight between them then I root for Gee. I can’t ever “like” them ( although I’m sure they’re both personable blokes) they just don’t fire up my engine. Throw Peaty or Ratboy into the race though and I’ll be bouncing up and down on my chair yelling myself stupid

I think it comes down to the fact that we like to think that we’re almost like Peaty and Ratboy only without the skill, but were nothing like Atherton or Gwinn because of their focus, determination, dedication, skill, training ethos, and mental strength.

The gits 🙂

He didn’t look like he’d not done enough training the way he was pedalling on the motorway section at Fort Bill
🙂

fair enough then, it was the way he was moaning in South Africa and Cairns about the tracks and having to pedal.

Would a set of ENVEs survived that battering?

would the syndicate riders have dared to ride their bikes down on the rim?

how many points did gwin get from riding down like that? enough to tip the balance in a very tight season?

No idea

Probably

43 points

Wouldn’t gwin have got the same number of points had he pootled down slowly so long as he got to the end? (genuine question, not 100% on the answer)

points based on finishing position and there is a cut off for points – he wasn’t last

I might be reading this wrong but https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://dirtmountainbike.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DHI_ME_Results-1.pdf&chrome=true has him last with 3 points?

edit: I’m ignoring quali here just to clarify.

OK must have been qualifying points too then, he could have made up more if others had problems so worth keeping going. Just spotted that Kerr got DQ’d I’m guessing for landing on the tape which is a big shame for him.

Even if I had the skill and cojones, I couldn’t do what Gwinn did purely out of mechanical sympathy. Poor rims.

Has anyone tried running tubular tyres for downhill and if so, are they any good? No burping of air and no pinch flats.

I’ve had 4 weeks out in Morzine and Les Arcs with 2 cut tyres to show for it. There’s no chance a tubed tyre would have faired any better. Both were fixed by bunging a tube in to get me home then fixing later with a tubeless patch.

Both were fixed by bunging a tube in to get me home then fixing later with a tubeless patch.

You can’t bung a tube in a tubular tyre. You’re mixing up tubeless with tubular. A tubular tyre is a fully sealed tube that is glued onto the rim. The “tube” is the tyre carcass, sidewall, tread etc

For the same PSI, Stevie can burp all the air out of tubeless DH tyre in one berm.

stilltortoise – Member
Both were fixed by bunging a tube in to get me home then fixing later with a tubeless patch.
You can’t bung a tube in a tubular tyre. You’re mixing up tubeless with tubular. A tubular tyre is a fully sealed tube that is glued onto the rim. The “tube” is the tyre carcass, sidewall, tread etc

i assumed you’d just typo’d it as no-one makes tubular DH tyres (ok there have been some sightings of some glued together bastardisations but you can’t get them off the shelf). Can’t see how they’d offer any advantages and how would you stop them just rolling off the rim? Is the glue that strong that it could handle the lateral loads these guys can exert?

As everyone seems to have ignored my first post about it, i’ll say it again….

Minnaar has raced on tubs DH. Not off the shelf, but for a lot of XC tubs they’re not off the shelf either (though more are appearing)

http://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/Downhill-Freeride,5/minnaars-sew-up-maxxis-DH-tires,6479

Pretty sure nobody has ever used tubs in DH racing.

confused

1) was Aaron running tubeless then?

2) what rim was he running? just curios if its carbon or metal.

Looked like he was running tubeless to me, didn’t see an innertube pop out.

DHI-Mens-Elite-Standings

DHI-Womens-Elite-Standings

Looking at the Current Mens Standings I’d say Gwin is actually in a pretty strong position and Stamping his way down like that sent a clear message. He’s only 29 points behind Brosnan now, Had he been able to grind a few more seconds out of that rim the gap would have been a shade less and the next two rounds are back on his side of the Atlantic… He was demonstrating his form, ability and determination for all to see, you can it’ll be the most talked about 39th place finish this season, sort of reminds me a bit of Hill’s 3rd at Champery in 2007, the result wasn’t quite as important as what the run showed…

I’d certainly not write off Brosnan, Bryceland, Gee, Minnaar, or for that matter Hill just yet, but without that rear flat a top 20 finish would have put Gwin in front after this weekend…

Of course the rider to watch out for at MSA will be Steve Smith, He’s not had the return he wanted so far and winning the overall WC title from where he currently sits (29th) would require some stunning luck, and probably for him to win every qualification and final for the rest of the season, but having the the best part of a month and a half to get ready, and being on home turf means he could well deprive all the others in that top spot chase of a good few points…

At this point I’d still tip Gwin to take the 2014 title…

As for the Womens you’d Have to say Manon Carpenter is on for the title, if Rach can boot the bugs she should be able to challenge Raggot and Nicole, but I think Manon being in front at this point should only bolster her confidence, I’d love to see her win it.

Its a very good season of DH racing…

Glad this thread’s still alive and kicking, any excuse to talk about Manon 😀 I think (and hope) she’ll do it this year, she seems to have developed more confidence and self-belief which I think was where she’s been slightly behind her rivals in previous years

Glad this thread’s still alive and kicking

Ditto. It’s always a shame that STW doesn’t really cater for us downhill fans, especially since the UK does so well

Of course the rider to watch out for at MSA will be Steve Smith

I’ve got a feeling he might be holding back a touch and keeping his eye on the World Champs in Hafjell.

He won there last year I think?

Bruni for the win at MSA (or Bryceland, or Gwin, or Greg, or Gee, or Troy…)

Looked like he was running tubeless to me, didn’t see an innertube pop out

Yeah can’t see one:

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/11076435

Ditto. It’s always a shame that STW doesn’t really cater for us downhill fans, especially since the UK does so well

Hot off the press: http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/interview-josh-bryceland/