people always mock xc jeyboys….

yeah i look after my race bike but if the fast line meant dinting a rim id take it

You have the choice of stopping/trackstanding and waiting 5 minutes for a clear line, or you get off and run, when you can go through the undergrowth, and take very different ‘lines’ to the single rideable line

Do you want to tell that to the two guys who moaned at me for doing exactly that on the first lap of SITS this year. 😀
Loved the way one of them said to his mate “It’s the guy in the Go Vegan jersey” as if they were making a note so they could report me later.

Only issue I’ve got with people walking/running sections is when they think it’s OK to do it right down the middle of the trail, or block the trail while they restart, and end up slowing down riders who’ve just ridden the section they wouldn’t.

Agreed! Always a problem at enduros, because of the mix of abilities and the multi laps. Not such a problem in XC as you only have similar riders on course at any one time and the only risk is when you’re lapping people, and they really should know to get out of the way!

I don’t quite get people being put out by others running at xc races, there is no prize for the person that stays on the bike the longest so you might as well do whatever is fastest it is a race afterall.

Iain

I don’t quite get people being put out by others

Full stop. Unless of course their actions affect you directly.

Am I bi???? I wear Lycra shave my legs and ride a 5″ full susser.

Am I bi???? I wear Lycra shave my legs and ride a 5″ full susser.

Yep

I’m not being hubris, but in regard to the first few pics in this thread I would ride that on my rigid Rockhopper with my carbon rigid forks on no problems! Come on that is nothing more than a curb in a wood. Even with a high post!

seth-enslow666 – Member

Come on that is nothing more than a curb in a wood.

You’re right- and the person in the picture is only 4 inches tall!

It tickles me how fussy xc riders are about their bikes and kit, but when they’re racing they treat them like ****.

I’m fussy about what’s on the bike, and how it’s put together, so I can treat it like shit during a race and know it’s going to get me to the finish. Mechanicals are something that happens to the unprepared.

Anyway, here’s Katy Winton, a 17yo girl riding that drop yesterday.

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mountain bikes are supposed to be treated like shit

Mechanicals are something that happens to the unprepared.

I like this alot, I’m going to use this along with “Pain is just weakness leaving the body”.
The words of a warrior. 😀

think the word you were looking for is “fanny”

I also really like that! Think it’s an excellent comment, very valid!

no it’s not, all the preparation in the world won’t keep your bike mechanical free when riding a risky line at speed goes wrong but you probably only mean for the type of XC rider who thinks running down the track (ruining the sport) is safer 🙄
I have zero respect for runners in MTB races (even more so at WC level)
that’s an easy drop and IMO any professional mtb racer should be ashamed of themselves if they don’t ride.
I recently tried to watch a WC XC race on freecaster but simply couldn’t bare it. IMO XC needs better, more technically challenging course design with chicken lines that take longer than main line features to bring skill back into it and penalties need to be introduced for impeding competitors flow – stopping to get off and run in the middle of singletrack forcing all those behind to do the same is cheating!, I’d run over anyone that did it to me. run if you want, but pull over and let the riders who can actually ride through.

And here are the keyboard heroes…

I’d run over anyone that did it to me

Do it then FFS – enter an XC race and run over someone who runs infront of you, nothing stopping you. Don’t come on the internet being a tough guy and sounding like a prick! Go into the real world and be the prick you clearly aspire to being!

I assume you’re in Champery racing the World Champs, as you’re clearly better than all of them?

IMO XC needs better, more technically challenging course design with chicken lines that take longer than main line features to bring skill back

They already do-think Olympic course and Dalby to name but two in this country. The rest of your post was so idiotic that it merits no further comment 😐

No need, I’ve already ridden over another rider in an XC race (back before XC was quite so lame).

No need, I’ve already ridden over another rider in an XC race (back before XC was quite so lame).

Did you rip his head off and shit in his neck as well?

No need, I’ve already ridden over another rider in an XC race

Was it you who ran over the squirrel at Bristol Bike Fest too ?

No need, I’ve already ridden over another rider in an XC race

**swoon**

So where are you gridded at Champery?

I like where this is going…
Can I have your autograph GW?

**swoon**

So where are you gridded at Champery? In the Bar of course 😉

funny thing is njee, there actually is a rule to back up my view

8.3.8 A rider must act in a polite manner at all times and
permit any faster rider to overtake without obstructing.

But seems to be no rule to stop you/me deliberately riding over that rider!
Don’t worry, I’d run over you politely, might even use my forearm to soften the impact.

No need, I’ve already ridden over another rider in an XC race (back before XC was quite so lame).

Not quite sure which courses you’ve been riding, but over the 20 years that I’ve been racing, they’ve got a lot more technical.

funny thing is njee, there actually is a rule to back up my view

And as I said above – I totally agree with you about slower riders obstructing, it’s a real pain, and again as I said above, is a big problem in the ‘endurance’ type races which are now so popular.

You’ve not answered my question – where are you gridded at Champery? I’m looking forward to watching you running over the backmarkers as you lap them so heroically.

Don’t worry, I’d run over you politely,

You assume I’d be running?

Internet forum rule 8.3.8
A poster must act in a polite manner at all times and permit any more grown up poster to make them look stupid if they start using the anonymity of the internet to act tough.

You’ve not answered my question – where are you gridded at Champery?

same place as you (unless you’re Liam Kileen or Oli Beckingsale, in which case, good luck for tomorrow 😉 )

Oli’s got a broken femur.

I’m not the one saying that it’s easy and being the internet tough guy, I’ve got respect for the riders. 🙄

the courses are easy and I do have respect for the “riders” 8)
oh.. and you are tough in your own way 😉

I sense a bromance developing.

I’m not the one saying that it’s easy and being the internet tough guy

Spot the ironing…
Get a grip ffs njee. It’s not because you’ve won a couple of gorrick series that you’re the king of the gnarly XC… GW made some very valid points. It’s BIKING and as such, faster or not, I don’t find it acceptable to have people running. And then for world class professional being able to ride over metre high jump, most people who don’t get paid to ride can do it.
Are you in the top 10 UK riders? Certainly not, so you’re probably not any better than GW or anyone else on here.

hypothetical situation, GW, you’re coming fast up to approach that drop, just before the turn right to get lined up perfectly to get airborne BIG.
the guy in front slips his pedal, stalls, and leaves you with no momentum and badly lined up. whats the best course of action if racing?

Are you in the top 10 UK riders? Certainly not, so you’re probably not any better than GW or anyone else on here.

I’ve never professed to be, he was making all the claims about racing being easy and what not, I’m a very mediocre racer, and my technical skill is far from my strong point, happy to admit that, never said anything else.

The point was that GW (and you frankly) came on here, being all hard and saying how easy it is and how they should be embarrassed if they can’t ride it, and people should be run over if they’re running etc etc etc, which just makes you sound like idiots. I expect you also watch the formula 1 and point out that Hamilton really shouldn’t have crashed, and how it was ridiculous that Rooney missed that shot, and what was Bolt doing getting a false start, and of course you’d have won Wimbledon 5 times if you’d had a shot?

And then for world class professional being able to ride over metre high jump, most people who don’t get paid to ride can do it

Define ‘most’? I’ll wager a lot of money the majority of people who buy bikes would not ride that. I’d wager the majority of people who call themselves ‘riders’ probably wouldn’t. I imagine even fewer would ride it on a 20lb hardtail with 100mm forks without dropping their saddle, flat out, 7 times in a row.

But then not everyone is a riding God like you. 🙄

not sure I understand the situation correctly Den.
if you mean I’m forced to hit the drop too slow then I’d probably wheely drop it or huck it and take the case.
if you mean if I’d run into the rider on the lip or hit it full on sideways, I’d bail. if it’s just slightly sideways it might still be hippable.
oh, and I probably wouldn’t be going BIG as by the looks of it there’s a short landing transition, overshoot that and you’d probably loose momentum. “Gas to Flat” is not always faster 😉

njee – Do you honestly think it’s idiotic to expect professional mountain bike racers to have a good level of mountain bike handling skill?
a World class mtb racer shouldn’t even come under the definition of “most” (or majority) they should be well above average all-round, that’s my point.

IDGAF about wendyball, pingpong, karting or any other random sport you care to try and use to back up your narrow minded views.

so far you’ve called me an idiot and a prick and you think you’re not an internerd hardman? 🙄

Might be worth watching the Trek World Racing video on midweek movies…

Can’t rememember which DH rider it is talking about rolling one of the jumps instead of jumping it…

Ohhh ek.. ducks..

Me Likie XC a lot. Not enough on TV for sure, just that downhill tractor stuff,
Me likie whippet racing..
Me play in my own way XC on my local trails..
In Lycra.

Mark Datz grew up, bless 😉

Whilst I sort of agree with your vague point GW, it’s how you’ve gone about it that makes you come across as an idiot, you’ve even said yourself how XC is now easy, and frankly beneath you. You are implying that when you rode XC there were features like this, and that it’s now easier, and how you rode over slower riders who had the audacity to get in your way. I’m sorry, but if that doesn’t make you idiot, what exactly does it make you?

As an aside, the riders aren’t necessarily professional, just Elite category, the 2 aren’t linked.

I’d happily call you an idiot, and a prick, as you rode over me if that’s any consolation.

XC is boring on TV though, it’s only the DH bits that are worth watching, and as you can get a whole compilation of those in DH, why bother!?

I’ve run with the bike at several races this year. Does that mean that GW and Juan don’t like me? 🙁

Oh and there’s bloody no way that I’d be going off that drop on my ‘race’ bike!