Do you downhill? If not why not?
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Do as much as I feel capable of, usually on a hardtail - have DH'ed on it in Les Gets / Morzine for a couple of years, just beginning to get more in to DHing over here, looking largely for smooth lines rather than jumps at the moment, as I'm not too comfortable in the air (yet), but largely just for sh#ts and giggles...Old hockey players never die - they just smell that way...0
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To quantify what I previously said I've ridden Fort Bill DH Red / Glen Coe DH and lots of natural Peak District DH on a HT, Pitfichie, Scolty and Laggan Black on my old Stumpy FSR, and Morzine/Les Gets on a borrowed Heckler, all tracks with varying levels of difficulty and none of the bikes being particularly geared to DH.
As long as you're confident, prepared and aware of the risks then I say go for it!0 -
CycloRos wrote:To quantify what I previously said I've ridden Fort Bill DH Red / Glen Coe DH and lots of natural Peak District DH on a HT, Pitfichie, Scolty and Laggan Black on my old Stumpy FSR, and Morzine/Les Gets on a borrowed Heckler, all tracks with varying levels of difficulty and none of the bikes being particularly geared to DH.
As long as you're confident, prepared and aware of the risks then I say go for it!
And armoured?
When things go wrong on a DH course due to steepness there is normal heavy bruising
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CycloRos wrote:To quantify what I previously said I've ridden Fort Bill DH Red / Glen Coe DH and lots of natural Peak District DH on a HT, Pitfichie, Scolty and Laggan Black on my old Stumpy FSR, and Morzine/Les Gets on a borrowed Heckler, all tracks with varying levels of difficulty and none of the bikes being particularly geared to DH.
As long as you're confident, prepared and aware of the risks then I say go for it!
hmm..
point is though that there is even a world of difference between fort bill and 'The Dreaded Coe'...
props for riding it on a hardtail.....I'm a big jessie and want the 222 weapon for that beast!Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.
H.G. Wells.0 -
there is no way my cheap ht would take it, so no.
also, as touched upon by a few people in the thread, i think some of the mags have done a really good job (or bad, depending on your pov) at pigeonholing rides. if it hasn't got a slack enough head angle, then 'you'll die descending' etc.0 -
nope, I'm too much of a wimp to ride it, I cant jump a bike off jumps and I am still improving my technical ability, perhaps in the future, but fast flowing pedally singletrack is my bag0
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Tell me about it!Thewaylander wrote:When things go wrong on a DH course due to steepness there is normal heavy bruising
Armour is likely if I do something like Aston again. Though not sure it would help with the side rib damage I got. Does body armour normally cover that? Probably more aimed at protecting the spine and neck.0 -
I have a bit of fun on DH trails on my Trance X but I won't push it too hard because I don't want to break it.
I am going to build a DH/FR hardtail soon though, just trying to decide on a frame, possibly a Cotic BFE.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
There's no box for "I run the country's only downhill club and build downhill tracks, but don't really ride a bike at all"0
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What downhill club would that be, Alex?0
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Northwind wrote:cee wrote:point is though that there is even a world of difference between fort bill and 'The Dreaded Coe'...
Yup, I'm coming on here all "give it a go" but so far I'm s***eing it a wee bit off glencoe... Looks proper tricky.
Indeed...
Glencoe is VERY technical..........
I can't remember who it was....but one of the SDA riders (might have been fergus lamb...but as i said...i can't remember) say things like...."....I don't usually like glencoe....it always makes me feel like i am not good enough to ride it....." then that gives an indication of just how tough it is...Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.
H.G. Wells.0 -
It's a proper track then?
There are a lot of downhill tracks that make you feel like a much better rider than you are. Moelfre, Cwmcarn, Cannock, Le Pleney.
Which is why some folk think they're awesome, and then get their arses handed to them when they go to a proper track.
Fast is fun, but hard is better.0 -
Ah, fair enough, I didn't know that.Alex wrote:www.racersguild.co.uk
The only other registered DH clubs in the UK are pro teams.
What are your thoughts on Super-Morzine? I thoguht it was great fun, like the best bits of the gnarliest trail centre, but steeper.
It was great fun to ride, although I was not reaching anything near full-on race speeds on it.0 -
Supermorzine trails are fun, but there are a LOT of them, and I don't want to discuss many of them on the internet
If you want to feel slow and feeble, go ride the Freeride at Morgins, which is just about the steepest thing ever. Took me three years worth of attempts to ride down it. There's also the Celene Gros track to the right of the tunnel on Le Pleney which is good proper "Oh god I'm going to die" riding. There are lots more silly steep tracks on Le Pleney, but again I'm not going to discuss them.
There are also a couple of tracks in the UK that evoke similar levels of "Ferk that's ferking steep" levels of fear.0 -
I think the super-morzine we were riding was the old race track, liek you say it's a bit dodgy to reveal exactly where it is since it's been shut down for safety, and you have to go under, through and over some fences to get there.0
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Oh yeah, stay off that one. There are better ones down that hill anyway.0
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It's lots of fun though, apart ftom the bit where all the trees had fallen down, making it impassable.0
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I'm still waiting to ride the Champerey track. Keeps being closed every time I'm in the area.0
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Alex wrote:It's a proper track then?
There are a lot of downhill tracks that make you feel like a much better rider than you are. Moelfre, Cwmcarn, Cannock, Le Pleney.
Which is why some folk think they're awesome, and then get their arses handed to them when they go to a proper track.
Fast is fun, but hard is better.
Yip.
A proper track. Makes the WC Track at the fort seem easy.
I'm with you...
I'd rather have a slower speed technical trail than a full tilt wideopen descent...Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.
H.G. Wells.0 -
Exactly. I like to ride tracks where I'm unable to ride a section or two the first time due to its technicality. I like to ride tracks where the aim is to get down, not set a fastest time.
Most of all, I like to ride tracks where my bike handling is more at a test than my ability to unplug my brain and release the brakes.0 -
Alex wrote:It's a proper track then?
There are a lot of downhill tracks that make you feel like a much better rider than you are. Moelfre, Cwmcarn, Cannock, Le Pleney.
Which is why some folk think they're awesome, and then get their arses handed to them when they go to a proper track.
Fast is fun, but hard is better.
This is what i wanted to kinda say and failed about 8 times lol0 -
I'm with you there.Alex wrote:Exactly. I like to ride tracks where I'm unable to ride a section or two the first time due to its technicality. I like to ride tracks where the aim is to get down, not set a fastest time.
Most of all, I like to ride tracks where my bike handling is more at a test than my ability to unplug my brain and release the brakes.
Speed isn't an achievement for me, nor is distance or proving myself on hill climbs. It's about fun and the sense of surviving. Scary stuff is good for the heart and mind in my opinion. More so than just making the heart pound by sheer effort. 0 -
Hurrah for the league of really slow, but technically competent downhillers!0
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I agree with you guys, those tracks are great fun, and truth be told, are my favourite kind of trail.deadkenny wrote:
I'm with you there.Alex wrote:Exactly. I like to ride tracks where I'm unable to ride a section or two the first time due to its technicality. I like to ride tracks where the aim is to get down, not set a fastest time.
Most of all, I like to ride tracks where my bike handling is more at a test than my ability to unplug my brain and release the brakes.
Speed isn't an achievement for me, nor is distance or proving myself on hill climbs. It's about fun and the sense of surviving. Scary stuff is good for the heart and mind in my opinion. More so than just making the heart pound by sheer effort.
But I do also love a nice flat-out descent as well.0 -
cee wrote:I'd rather have a slower speed technical trail than a full tilt wideopen descent...
Aye, sounds good to me too. And not just saying that because my mates can take me apart on smooth simple trails but none of them can touch me on techy stuff :roll: Plus it makes the descents last longer Uncompromising extremist0 -
I rode Glencoe with a proper DHer recently - he's used to Wharnecliffe woods though and just couldn't cope with the technicality of Glencoe. I think my trail riding gave me a better heads up.
I've no balls for the outright pace of Fort Bill but the slow workout of 'Coe is amazing
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