Rio BMX and MTB **spoilers**

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Comments

  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,115
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    I want one of these massive cassettes on my road bike... some of them have got to be 40+ tooth.

    I'm planning on going 48 x 11-42
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,431
    ddraver wrote:
    sagan flats again...

    Think Smooth Peter!!

    There seemed to be suggestion from the commentators that technique played a part in his first flat?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    davidof wrote:
    3rd puncture for Sagan
    Looked like they were doing something with his saddle no?
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    It's all about the race for bronze now.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    TailWindHome wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    sagan flats again...

    Think Smooth Peter!!

    There seemed to be suggestion from the commentators that technique played a part in his first flat?
    Yeah there's a much bigger component of skill involved in not puncturing in MTB, as I know from bitter personal experience.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Moose-tash man takes bronze.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • jscl
    jscl Posts: 1,015
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Moose-tash man takes bronze.

    Impressive ride. Really enjoyed watching this race and MTB really isn't my bag.

    anchormanFILMSTILL.jpg
    Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/scalesjason - All posts are strictly my personal view.
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    I want one of these massive cassettes on my road bike... some of them have got to be 40+ tooth.

    50t for the new Sram 12spd.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    wasnt a puncture, he got pulled
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • jscl
    jscl Posts: 1,015
    Grant finishes in 17th.
    Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/scalesjason - All posts are strictly my personal view.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Grant Fergusson in 17th, which is really not too shabby for him
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,887
    TailWindHome wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    sagan flats again...

    Think Smooth Peter!!

    There seemed to be suggestion from the commentators that technique played a part in his first flat?

    My suspicion is that they are exaggerating the skills slightly to make mountain bikers look better than road bikers. The skills are frequently exaggerated in road and track racing too depending on what is being pushed.
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,115
    ddraver wrote:
    wasnt a puncture, he got pulled

    Didn't see, the second the French guy got dropped by Moosetache France TV cut to handball.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    JSCL wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Moose-tash man takes bronze.

    Impressive ride. Really enjoyed watching this race and MTB really isn't my bag.

    anchormanFILMSTILL.jpg

    I was getting more...

    House-Martell-image-house-martell-36439197-245-300.gif
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Why do they ride a single chainring with the massive cassettes then? Is that just a reliability thing? The jumps between gears must be huge. Not to bad by Ferguson really, if Sagan finishes I'm expecting some crowd pleasing antics.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Part real estate on the bars, part front ring security, part weight


    same as CX
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    TheBigBean wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    sagan flats again...

    Think Smooth Peter!!

    There seemed to be suggestion from the commentators that technique played a part in his first flat?

    My suspicion is that they are exaggerating the skills slightly to make mountain bikers look better than road bikers. The skills are frequently exaggerated in road and track racing too depending on what is being pushed.

    Nah line choice over rocks etc is really key in avoiding punctures. It's part of the skill. Kinda like avoiding potholes on the road except it's harder.

    When I used to MTB I got more punctures than others because I was pants at it.
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Moose-tash man takes bronze.
    The moose-tache seems to part of the Spanish mtb uniform. All three riders have them.
  • thchris1958
    thchris1958 Posts: 117
    party at Purito Rodriguez home, celebrating the bronze medal for Spain :)https://twitter.com/CyclingHubTV/status ... 7592679426
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    CqZkQTdXgAAH3HP.jpg
  • PuttyKnees
    PuttyKnees Posts: 381
    MTBing is tough. Getting punctures is part of the racing and it's just rotten luck. He could have been rough on the rocks, but everyone (even Schurter) gets a puncture. I hope he's fired up by it enough to enter some races on the WC circuit. Absalon: what a disappointment.

    I liked the racing, but I don't really like those course - they're not really 'technical', more just a big smooth course with some dangerous bits dropped in. I also really don't understand why the field has to be so small and why the women's and men's fields are different sizes.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,887
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    sagan flats again...

    Think Smooth Peter!!

    There seemed to be suggestion from the commentators that technique played a part in his first flat?

    My suspicion is that they are exaggerating the skills slightly to make mountain bikers look better than road bikers. The skills are frequently exaggerated in road and track racing too depending on what is being pushed.

    Nah line choice over rocks etc is really key in avoiding punctures. It's part of the skill. Kinda like avoiding potholes on the road except it's harder.

    When I used to MTB I got more punctures than others because I was pants at it.

    Sagan is a former junior world MTB champion. I think he is a cut above the average amateur, and I'm not convinced that three punctures is a reflection of the lines he took. Having said that I didn't see any of the footage of him getting them.

    During the cobbles season there are always comments about the skill of avoiding punctures, and how some riders are better, yet, they almost always follow the same lines. Some people like Sep, and Sagan today, are just unlucky.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,887
    PuttyKnees wrote:
    I liked the racing, but I don't really like those course - they're not really 'technical', more just a big smooth course with some dangerous bits dropped in. I also really don't understand why the field has to be so small and why the women's and men's fields are different sizes.

    Thanks for your comments and insight. It is the first race I have watched and I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of technical elements - it seemed more a course for a good engine as I posted upthread.

    It has more inspired me to get on my mountain bike rather than watch more of the pros racing.
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    PuttyKnees wrote:
    MTBing is tough. Getting punctures is part of the racing and it's just rotten luck. He could have been rough on the rocks, but everyone (even Schurter) gets a puncture. I hope he's fired up by it enough to enter some races on the WC circuit. Absalon: what a disappointment.

    I liked the racing, but I don't really like those course - they're not really 'technical', more just a big smooth course with some dangerous bits dropped in. I also really don't understand why the field has to be so small and why the women's and men's fields are different sizes.

    You called it right. I would have like to have seen how Sagan would have faired with no problems. I don't think he would have won though, Schurter was a class above.
  • PuttyKnees
    PuttyKnees Posts: 381
    TheBigBean wrote:
    PuttyKnees wrote:
    I liked the racing, but I don't really like those course - they're not really 'technical', more just a big smooth course with some dangerous bits dropped in. I also really don't understand why the field has to be so small and why the women's and men's fields are different sizes.

    Thanks for your comments and insight. It is the first race I have watched and I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of technical elements - it seemed more a course for a good engine as I posted upthread.

    It has more inspired me to get on my mountain bike rather than watch more of the pros racing.

    You're welcome! I would take a look at the WC racing on redbull tv - it can be really really good. Absalon being absent really killed the racing today as those guys are like Albert vs. Nys - always watching each other for mistakes and attacking each other. A bit of a shame really. But yeah, riding the bike is always better than watching it :-)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Sagan punctures because he was having to take risks to keep up with the pure MTBers. He was also looking shakier over the technical sections before the first one anyway.

    Add in that to close the gaps to the other riders he would have had to expend more energy, I just don't see him hanging on for much longer. 3 punctures is not unlucky it's either horrendous set up (unlikely) or pushing too hard and making mistakes

    The steepness and technicality of XCO NEVER comes across on screen (same with CX and DH) which leads to Bean's issue above. It's only when you been and tried a Real XC, CX or DH course that you realise just how hard the riders are working (a problem with many other sports)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    ...add in that XCO courses for the Olympics seem to be directed to be open tends to remove a certain sense of mountain-y atmosphere too.

    Not helped much by half of it being on fire a few days ago either...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,887
    ddraver wrote:

    The steepness and technicality of XCO NEVER comes across on screen (same with CX and DH) which leads to Bean's issue above. It's only when you been and tried a Real XC, CX or DH course that you realise just how hard the riders are working (a problem with many other sports)

    I could see it was steep and it's always going to be hard work - it's a race! It just wasn't as technical as I thought it would be. For example, they had a few randomly placed logs but they were about 10m apart and tiny so you could probably roll over them on a road bike if you wanted to.
  • PuttyKnees
    PuttyKnees Posts: 381
    You might be right about Sagan being heavy on the tyres, but I'm not so sure. I had a quick look at the first puncture on the BBC replay and it's on the rock gardens after the pits. He looks smooth enough, but Schurter definitely took a different line and I suspect that Kulhavy did also. Interestingly Fontana was right behind him and also got a puncture on the very same section! I'm going to mark it down to bad luck / possible bad line choice. 2 punctures only - the 3rd I think is being confused with being pulled.
  • PuttyKnees
    PuttyKnees Posts: 381
    TheBigBean wrote:
    ddraver wrote:

    The steepness and technicality of XCO NEVER comes across on screen (same with CX and DH) which leads to Bean's issue above. It's only when you been and tried a Real XC, CX or DH course that you realise just how hard the riders are working (a problem with many other sports)

    I could see it was steep and it's always going to be hard work - it's a race! It just wasn't as technical as I thought it would be. For example, they had a few randomly placed logs but they were about 10m apart and tiny so you could probably roll over them on a road bike if you wanted to.

    Yeah - another example is the uphill technical drag that looks like it's strewn with rocks, but actually is smooth with a few step ups that can be taken at pace. It's hard, just not as hard as typical XC courses which are generally continuously technical.

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