The Olympic course really didn't look too difficult. Compared to my local area trails, the track looked very smooth. Locally, the trails here are covered with small rocks, gravel, and uneven patches. I was also expecting the trails to be more technical, with some serious obstacles. That's not to say that the Olympic mountain bike event itself wasn't difficult, with riders pushing themselves hard and all that climbing. And I did enjoy watching it, it just didn't look all that bad, at least from the comfort of my sofa.