What is it with downhillers

djvagabon

Why do most downhillers think all other forms of mountian biking is pants by comparison? Give them a downhill bike and they think they are Sam Hill or Steve Peate.
I was out on Sunday and I rode past the top of a course. They all looked at me in disgust, like I had no right being there.
I couldnt resist a dig so I stopped and watched them. I was mocking their lines and braking points. 1 of the guys said "if you can do any better, you have a go" I borrowed the guys Patriot and ended up beating 8 out 10 of the guys on the course. They all looked totaly shocked.
I forgot to mention that I was an ex A.M.C.A British motorcross champion. Perhaps in future they wont think all XC guys are lycra wearing poofs only good for riding down the canal.

xtreem

[b]djvagabon[/b] wrote:

I forgot to mention that I was an ex A.M.C.A British motorcross champion.

People who don't have enough stamina choose the DH, because they think they'll be
better in that discipline.

.blitz

They are a friendly bunch on the Chase. Turning up at Stile Cop on a hardtail wearing a hoody and jeans often helps break the ice.

There are also quite a few that venture outside their natural habitat, all kitted up with CF full face and the latest Troy Lee Designs or Royal Racing pyjamas, pushing a 40lb Fox 40-equipped rig up the green trails. Can't resist a cheery 'hellooooooooooo' as I ride past.

Great Ayton

So you mocked some one just because they looked at you? Dont you think that says a lot more about you as a individual that “downhillers”?

Nodnol

Meh, most downhillers I've met either keep themselves to themselves, or are pretty cool. Whenever I ride round Cannock, I have an extended route that goes over to the S.E.A and down the Red Run at Stile Cup, then back over for the rest of FTD. Everyone I've met is cool, and I even stayed for a bit and chatted with some lads who helped me out with lines and stuff.

Everyone's different at the end of the day, but pigeonholeing people either way gets us know where.

nicklouse

djvagabon

Yeh right tar all DHers with the same brush.

you just cycled past some ****s

streako

Ha, ha, I like the bit about you being a motorcross champ!

It always amazes me in mountain biking that there are various factions which seem to think you either xc or downhill, and cant be both.

Some of the best xc racers have raced downhill, just as some have raced roadies. Its all good, and people really should keep an open mind.

SiLanc

Got to agree with Great Ayton :P

bomberesque

Xtreem wrote:

People who don't have enough stamina choose the DH, because they think they'll be better in that discipline.

Not always of course, but I do get your drift. It's ironic though as, whenever I watch any of the better (ie pro racer) DHers, I'm always left thinking "how do they get that tank moving so fast, let alone get out of teh saddle and sprint the damn thing!"

Takes all sorts, I ride road, XC/trail/endoru/whatever is the term of the month and a bit of DH in my spare time (when I'm probably about as good as the guys the OP describes, but then that's not all I do)

hopefully once you'd convinced them that you were "worthy" you stuck around to pass on some wisdom? If not, they'll just be sore for a week then be staring down the next XC guy who comes past the top of their chute.

shin0r

Did that really happen? It sounds like a scene from an American "coming of age" movie.

djvagabon

If you read my post it says most downhillers. I have met some really cool guys who are into downhilling, just some real arseholes aswell.
I had a dowhiller stop and help me fix a puncture so im in no way mocking all of them. It just seems to be the younger ones ive met. My mate is in his 40s and has raced downhill for years now and he aggrees with me.
I actualy had a guy say that xc shouldnt even be classed as mountain biking, and say that they are talentless softies.
I dont do downhilling but i admire them for being very talented at what they do. I dont take the piss because they choose a different form of mountain biking to myself.

djvagabon

Great Ayton wrote:

So you mocked some one just because they looked at you? Dont you think that says a lot more about you as a individual that “downhillers”?

I didnt mock them because they looked at me, just the way they looked at me. It was a look of disgust that i dare venture near a downhill course on an XC bike.

Alex

That look is often caused by a few factors:

1. Some day-riders still insist on wearing head-to-toe lycra. That's fine on the road or at a race. But on a normal day on a normal ride there's just no need for you to flash your package at us. We've only got little willies and the socks down your pants intimidate us.

2. (May apply mostly to cannock)
This happens several times a day, and has done for quite some time: Cross Country rider/riders turn up. Look at downhill course. Mince around for a few minutes. Ride the Red course at walking pace, skidding their way down the hill.
Or: Cross Country riders show up, big up their former motocross skillz, ignore the signs saying "Full face helmets, body armour, dropping your saddle reccomended", blast off down the red course like they know what they're doing and crash on the first jump. After that it's "Would you mind letting the ambulance in/clearing the landing area for the air ambulance Alex? Oh, and then filling out a forestry accident form and generally taking an hour or so out of your ride to fix the problems one rider has caused?"

Last weekend I had to interrupt my ride twice to take care of fallen riders at the downhill course. Both were blokes on cross country bikes who were patently out of their depth, had ignored signs at the top and bottom of the hill telling them that they were out of their depth and were both lacking in safety equipment or common sense.

That "look" isn't disgust, it's "Here we go again".

If you're capable of crossing disciplines, good for you, and I'm glad you assessed that your cross country bike wasn't suitable for riding down a downhill course. I think it's a rather good reflection on the downhillers in question that they were willing to lend you, a cross country rider who'd just been given a "look of disgust" a bike though.

cee

Alex wrote:

I think it's a rather good reflection on the downhillers in question that they were willing to lend you, a cross country rider who'd just been given a "look of disgust" a bike though.

I agree. I know some guys who wouldn't lend a bike to a mate, never mind some random at the top of a DH track on an XC bike, no matter how good they say they are.

justresting

djvagabon wrote:

Why do most downhillers think all other forms of mountian biking is pants by comparison? Give them a downhill bike and they think they are Sam Hill or Steve Peate.
. I was mocking their lines and braking points.

never given it any thought before, but after reading that I think I'm on the downhillers side.

Alex

cee wrote:

I agree. I know some guys who wouldn't lend a bike to a mate, never mind some random at the top of a DH track on an XC bike, no matter how good they say they are.

Quite. I've lent my spare bikes to mates in the past, but there's no way i'd let a stranger go any further than a few feet with my Socom.

deadliest

djvagabon wrote:

Why do most downhillers think all other forms of mountian biking is pants by comparison? Give them a downhill bike and they think they are Sam Hill or Steve Peate.
I was out on Sunday and I rode past the top of a course. They all looked at me in disgust, like I had no right being there.
I couldnt resist a dig so I stopped and watched them. I was mocking their lines and braking points. 1 of the guys said "if you can do any better, you have a go" I borrowed the guys Patriot and ended up beating 8 out 10 of the guys on the course. They all looked totaly shocked.
I forgot to mention that I was an ex A.M.C.A British motorcross champion. Perhaps in future they wont think all XC guys are lycra wearing poofs only good for riding down the canal.

No offence mate but if you had turned up mocking my line choices you would have got to the bottom of the DH course without the need for a bike :twisted:

justresting

maybe we should take the story with a pinch of salt?

deadliest

Yes that is what I am thinking as well. No doubt he wowed them with a double backflip and 360 tailwhip as well Hmmmmmmmm :roll:

shin0r

deadliest wrote:

Yes that is what I am thinking as well. No doubt he wowed them with a double backflip and 360 tailwhip as well Hmmmmmmmm :roll:

They were all standing around and someone said "put him in a body bag, Johnny" and then Johnny went to sweep the leg and broke his ankle, but it was all ok because he did the Crane move and won the prize

deadliest

And dont forget that every story needs a montage

moggy82

There are plenty of guys that ride XC aswell, almost all the Dh'ers i know ride XC, i was over doing the follow the dog and a saw a elite rider with his mates and a well known DH race organiser going for a few laps.

All of my mates seem to have 3 bikes a DH, XC and 4X/jump bike, we dont just do one discipline and try to socialise with anyone we see.

We were digging our local track and a couple of new to the track riders were there and came over and introduced themselves, very friendly. I have only ever met a few unfriendly DH'ers.

Alex

Hehe. Paton's regularly out at Cannock, quite a few of the shropshire elites get out to toddle round the dog too. It'll only get worse as we open up the new trails too, before long you won't be able to have a pootle without being mowed down by some world cup racer or other.

Ben Ormshaw

i've heard of some guy called Steve Peat who used to do XC but gave it up for Dh. Ha what an idiot, i bet he got nowhere....






GO PEATY!!!!!!!

Airwave

Now,now girls play nicely

whyamihere

Downhillers are generally a lovely bunch of people. I've occasionally gone up to the Cannock Chase courses when there's a race on to have a bit of a watch on my road bike, fully decked out in lycra (due to me being out on a 50 mile road ride). I'll get a couple of confused looks, the odd joke about whether I'll be racing on it, nothing nasty, all jovial.

On the other hand, some of the times when I've been over to the cafe near where the XC courses start on my road bike, the looks I've had from the assembled XC riders could kill...

passout

I've cycle in the Lakes quite a bit (nowhere else really except the odd trip to Scotland) and I have never met a downhiller. Not on Garbun, not on Walna Scar - nowhere. Do they only ride centres? Don't they ever push to the top of such passes? Or is this just coincidence & the fact I don't do bank holidays?

Anyway, I'm sure their alright really.