Winning National Rounds on a non-DH specific bike?

[mike-]

First up, my intentions are not to bag out the You Yangs track, the event, or anthing or anyone involved.

I'm just curious as to what everyones oppinion is on Amiel's win this weekend at You Yangs on a Giant Reign?

For the National rounds, should tracks be more challenging and be needing a DH specific bike?

Should a elite national class require a DH bike?

Be good to see what everyone's oppinion on the matter is.

Personally I think good on him for winning, he played it smart and it payed off for him. He might have had the same result on a glory but who knows. Though I do think it's a little weird national rounds are won on non-specific DH bikes.

 

[Gruntled]

It's evolution of the sport. Imagine if someone back in the past had said "No, we must all ride hardtails, because suspension is cheating." Good on Amiel for thinking and riding outside of the square.

 

[syko]

and good on like Rhys and Shaun (i think) for riding their small travel bikes

 

[ozzy osbourne]

A giant reign properly set up is really a tuff bike. Think of it as a 5.5 inch travel Dh bike with like 160mm forks.

 

[Painey]

I dont think that you should have to ride a "proper" DH bike but the track should make you want to ride longer travel this is Downhill. There are plenty of spots in Aus that have not much pedalling.

 

[JSPhoto]

Personally I think a reign suits 95% of Australias DH tracks, its funny me and the guy at the lbs were having this convo just the other day, I ride and 04 atomik and I was saying 6" is more than enough for everything I have raced as of yet (that includes, YY and buller and the likes), and he totally agreed, he said Australias scene is fatastic but the tracks lack in 'meaness' he was commenting on how almost all the tracks in the UK (where he is from) have 10-15ft drops in the race runs, this is where a 8-10" DH specific bike comes in handy, but you just don't tend to see that in Australia at all, its not that our tracks are bad, not at all! I really enjoy the riding in Australia don't get me wrong, its just there is nothing to warrant the 'big rigs' out there really, I know that extra couple of inches definetly helps, but its not integral for riding here, I think the FR/extreme FR bikes will only become more popular. I also think good on him for doing it, I enjoy the YY on my bike, and in some places it seems to handle better than my mates norco with 9" rear. Perhaps the long travel FR and short travel DH will become more popluar in the Aus scene with victories like this?
Ahh I may of gone off topic there a tad, but thats my 2c

 

[Bodin]

I'm under the impression that the Sea Otter DH in the USA is a very big race that attracts many riders on smaller bikes due to the obvious advantages on that particular course.

Considering that it wasn't that long ago in the overall context of DH that bikes with the same amount of travel were "full on" DH bikes (Giant ATX), I don't think it really matters that much. Besides, I know a Reign is not a specific DH bike, but it's more DH than XC - I see plenty of them at the You Yangs and they aren't being ridden up the hills...

Personally, I'm glad that there are DH courses around that aren't all about "going big" and actually need some pedalling, because not everyone wants to take life-threatening risks in order to race in their chosen sport.

With Super D now having a national title in the US and more and more of that type of race popping up here, "soft" DH is probably going to become much more popular (most people ride bikes that are perfect for it - the average 5 inch trailbike) and "serious" DH will stand on its own 2 feet for people that have the guts (and bikes) for it.

 

[powley]

A giant reign properly set up is really a tuff bike. Think of it as a 5.5 inch travel Dh bike with like 160mm forks.

i thought it was a X0 ameil had reign with a glory hole, unless it was last years model it had to be part of the reign X range (X1 and X0 both have 6.7 inches of travel) as the glory hole was discontinued in the less hard-core range with 6.3 inches of travel (reign 0 and 1)

im terrible at explaining shit

edit:
reign 0

reign X0

there.. much better

 

[NASHWORTH]

i thought it was a X0 if it was this years model, the glory hole was taken out of the reign range but the reign X has kept it.

ameil had one with a glory hole

WTF are you on about? That makes no sense to me.

6 inch bikes FTW!

 

[dh damo]

It's not really a hard track to ride, but to do it fast and put in all the cranks is hard. so people with lighter shorter travle bikes will all ways do good there. Thats why Ash P got a 2.47 on HT singlespeed.

 

[chu]

WTF are you on about? That makes no sense to me.

6 inch bikes FTW!

I think that he is meaning that on Glory's and Reign X's where the shock goes through the down tube. I thought that Reign X's had 6.7" travel don't they? Or was that last years model?

 

[Plow King]

Nothing new...

Shaun O'connor raced at Lithgow a while back on his heckler or something, he did pretty well from memory. Plus Kavorik raced at Willingen on some intense freeride/4x bike with single crown totems...

Brad Kelly was riding his demo and came second...

 

[thecat]

Mick Hannah smashed up all the Nats a few years back on a mid travel haro.

Choosing the right equipment on the day is all part of the skill needed to win

If you are going to stipulate you have to ride a "proper" DH bike then you have to define what that is. Should everyone have the exact same travel, same tyres, same brakes...?

 

[powley]

6 inch bikes FTW!

you ride an enduro!

 

[powley]

Kavorik raced at Willingen on some intense freeride/4x bike with single crown totems...

it looked like single crown manitous to me

 

[mike-]

Yeah I tryed hard with my post to make it look like I didn't think it was a bad thing, as I don't, I just wanted to see everyone elses views on it.

I think we all know what a specific DH bike is though thecat... V10, Sunday, 224, Glory, and so on and so on...

 

[powley]

I thought that Reign X's had 6.7" travel don't they? Or was that last years model?

nope still have 6.7"

 

[RaID]

DH should be about the type of riding/track not the type of bike needed to ride the track.

Thats the beauty of biking racing you can race DH with an XC bike or vice versa.

If the track generally is downhill, has obstacles jumps drops etc it should be classified as downhill. Downhill does not neccesarly mean world cup type tracks.

This goes back to the debate whether Canberra is good world cup track. Its a different type of downhill track. This is what give our sport variety.

I think its a good thing

 

[stevenw]

I think it's silly using tracks like Adelaide and You Yangs for a National round. Nothing against these tracks, but the Australian Junior team is selected from the National series and Champs. A rider may be fast on a small hill like the tracks mentioned above, but put them on a world cup track and sometimes it's a different story. Ok admittedly next year the champs will be held in Canberra, so I guess the selectors might be looking for riders that can pedal, but tracks like Val Di Sole in Italy, was no place for a rider that can pedal well... National tracks should challenge the riders in every aspect of riding. Challenging tracks like Illinbah and Hobart are the tracks we should be using for the Champs and Nationals.

 

[spinner]

For the National rounds, should tracks be more challenging and be needing a DH specific bike? I'd like to think so , but if a club bids for a round , are accepted and their track doesn't have much vertical , then that's that. Amiel had the right tool for the job on the day , not to say a bigger / heavier bike didn't have a chance , but why make it harder than it has to be ?

Should a elite national class require a DH bike? In short , no. But again , the track dictates bike choice. I'm sure most of us would prefer to race tracks like Buller , Beauty , Thredbo , (insert "real" DH track here) , etc , not as much pedalling , more balls out skills required. That's the heart of DH in my opinion. It would be a shame to see DH reduced to a super D race. We can have both !