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While the riders job is to get top to bottom as fast as possible, the course designer has their work cut out challenging the rider and making the job of going fast more difficult! Downhill courses usually feature big jumps and drops, as well as often being either rooty or rocky (occasionally both). A common feature is a "rock garden", which is a strip of moderately sized rocks. Another common feature is a ladder drop. Participants often refer to themselves as 'riders' rather than the somewhat stuffy 'cyclists', which recalls images of a Sunday rider rolling along a canal bank, gently rotating the pedals. DOWNHILL BIKES AND EQUIPMENT The bikes used in downhilling tend to be heavier than Cross-country Bike s, and almost always feature dual-suspension (both front and back), whereas cross-country bikes are more generally hardtails (front suspension only). As of 2005, 200mm is the 'norm' for suspension travel. Large-diameter 203mm (8 inch) hydraulic Disc Brake s bring riders to a stop. Riders´ gear is more protective than typical cross-country or road cycling gear, and features body armor and motorcycle-style helmets. The point is to ride as fast as you can. DOWNHILL RACING VENUES Many Ski areas are converted into biking venues in the summer. Bikers ride trams or chair lifts to the starting point at the top of the mountains. Recent World Championships have been held in Lugano , Switzerland and Les Gets in the Rhône-Alpes region of France . The 2005 World Championships were held in Livigno , Italy . The 2005 U.S. National Championships were held in Mammoth Mountain , California the Sea Otter Classic is a major riding venue that opens the season. {Link without Title} http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g267/devonharlan1/Sea_Otter_Classic_Saturday_379.jpg {Link without Title} Canada is famous for its Downhilling, as well as other sorts of mountain biking. Within the UK most good Downhill tracks are in Scotland, or Wales, as these are more mountainous. Fort William in Scotland is Britains only World Cup standard track. During a race event, racing fans line the course, congregating around the jumps or difficult sections. Cow bells are often rung to cheer on the racers. On the 11th of September 2005 Great Britain swept the field at the final round of the World Cup in Fort William. Steve Peat ripped across the line to the roar of a home crowd in a time of 4:11.44 beating his closest competitor Greg Minnaar of South Africa by 2 seconds. The women's final was won by Tracy Moseley of Great Britain with a time of 4:59.97, just under a second ahead of the ever popular Rachel Atherton. GOVERNING BODIES The Union Cycliste Internationale is the global governing body for downhill mountain bike racing. In the U.S., NORBA , as part of USA Cycling, runs the National Mountain Bike Series. British Cycling control the UK's mountain biking as well as road and BMX. Racers qualify to compete in World Cup races by earning UCI points, which are gained by being a top ten finisher in certain races, usually national. HISTORY OF DOWNHILL CYCLING The first Downhill time-trial race took place at Fairfax, CA at October 21, 1976. Ten riders descended 1300 feet of Repack in about 5 minutes; only one had arrived to the finish line, and subsequently he was declared a winner. Early bikes used for downhill descend were vintage 1930s "clunkers", as no fat tire bicycles were in production these days. Later two enthusiasts, Charles Kelly and Gary Fisher founded the first company that manufactured what is known today as Mountain Bike . |
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