Is It a DH Race If a Trail Bike Wins?

[Boeing]

29er DH win in Fontana!


http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Opinion-Mitch-Ropelato-Wins-Fontana-DH-on-a-29er-Trail-Bike.html

 

[hiero2]

The linked vid of the course is interesting. Way too much pain for me - ever - even when I was in my top form.

Interesting too that a 29er - 10 pounds (~4 kilos) lighter than the DH spec setups won.

Fun to watch though!

 

[DirtyWorks]

Granted, the Fontana course is tame in comparison to World Cup standards

Very tame. Short too.

This is a very insightful comment:
For downhill to grow and develop as an international sport, we need Americans needs to be part of it. It is supposed to be the fastest, most demanding pinnacle of our sport. If one of your top national race series is being won on trail bikes, you can't help but wonder if some people are missing the point...

With USA Cycling leading the way, it won't grow and any money it makes is siphoned off to developing road talent. A guy can win a downhill contest on a 29er because most national-level talent is spread all over the country, not getting paid, and therefore will not travel to race each other.

I don't have a bias one way or another when it comes to wheel size.

 

[hiero2]

Granted, the Fontana course is tame in comparison to World Cup standards

Very tame. Short too.
. . .

If that is tame? Well, I would never go sky-diving, either. Not my cup of tea, I guess. But apparently more than just the winner believed the course was non-standard, as the coverage noted that 4 other competitors rode non-DH standard bikes for the event.

 

[Boeing]

Granted, the Fontana course is tame in comparison to World Cup standards

Very tame. Short too.

This is a very insightful comment:
For downhill to grow and develop as an international sport, we need Americans needs to be part of it. It is supposed to be the fastest, most demanding pinnacle of our sport. If one of your top national race series is being won on trail bikes, you can't help but wonder if some people are missing the point...

With USA Cycling leading the way, it won't grow and any money it makes is siphoned off to developing road talent. A guy can win a downhill contest on a 29er because most national-level talent is spread all over the country, not getting paid, and therefore will not travel to race each other.

I don't have a bias one way or another when it comes to wheel size.

Tame as is too straight? just curious

Riders will have a quiver of bikes for various courses. Straighter the course the bigger the wheel/ Like ski shape for courses/ conditions or Golf Clubs for par..
,.

Turn-y with massive airs 26 tweeners + 27.5.

Have you seen the SantaCruz Bronson? so sick. I want a golf bag full of bikes.

 

[Boeing]

Yo D Dubs, I was looking for a reply to the question.

 

[hiero2]

Obviously, from my previous post, I'm not an expert in DH, or trail for that matter. But I do get your point about the nature of the course now.

Your thread title bears repeating, imo: althoght paraphrasing --

Is it still a DH race, if the top riders in the race think that a trails bike would be better suited to win it?

This was the US, right? If DH is as new to the US as the comments suggest, then maybe this is a good question. Newly organized races don't always get the stack right.

 

[badboyberty]

I thought those style of pedally trails were what Gravity Enduro was all about. I've heard of guys taking a state round here on 4X bikes, but that was due to the incredible tightness of the berms on that track. If you're head trail-builder and all mountain bikes are winning your DH round, step aside and let someone else design the course in future.

 

[dsut4392]

Judging by the video, I would ride anything on that track...and there are chutes and downhill switchbacks on local "XC" trails that I walk!

Having an 8 ft high concrete wall alongside most of the track doesn't exactly mesh with my idea of trail ambience either.