Mountain Bike Racing - Downhill Racing

I am 17 and from Minnesota and I am interested in starting to Downhill race... I have been searching for information on the internet for the last few days with nothing that helps very much. I was wondering if anyone knew any starter sites, or information on how to start racing, like how to train, equipment, etc. I have been riding my bike my whole life and enjoy off roading. I plan on getting a new bike soon, because I dont know if the bike I currently own will be able to handle downhill racing... A pic of my current bike is attached

try NORBA's site, probably www.norba.com or just google it, also for dh racing you will want a big travel bike (like 8" minimum rear) and a dual crown fork, and slack angles. I'd say the best way to get better is practice.

A pic of my current bike is attached


Um..I don't see the attachment.

I am 17 and from Minnesota and I am interested in starting to Downhill race... I have been searching for information on the internet for the last few days with nothing that helps very much. I was wondering if anyone knew any starter sites, or information on how to start racing, like how to train, equipment, etc. I have been riding my bike my whole life and enjoy off roading. I plan on getting a new bike soon, because I dont know if the bike I currently own will be able to handle downhill racing... A pic of my current bike is attached


I remember the first time I started looking to start downhill racing. I couldent find hardly anything on the internet. I think the best thing is to try to find some local races, maybe go to a bike shop and ask. I know there are downhill races in wisconsin and michigan where I live, but you would have to travel. I am sure there are races in minnesota. I have a bike that i am selling that would be a great starter downhill bike. Its a specialized bighit comp that I upgraded and put a new fork on, a Marzocchi junior T. You dont need a huge travel bike if your just starting out, unless you think you have the skills to really use 8" of travel, and I dont even need that much and I am pretty experienced. My bike has 6.3" rear travel and 7" front. Most of the downhill bikes will use 6-9" of travel or even more and 7" in the front is pretty much normal. You want to look for something with a good warranty (which most bike companies have now, like lifetime frame warrantees) and you will need to spend $1500+ to get a decent bike that will take a beating all year and not break down. If your interested in my bike check out this link, I did put double crown fork on the front and an 8" rear rotor on mine though, so its a little more expensive. http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=5786&JServSessionIdroot=o14a35abp1.j27006

You might also want body armor, which you can find most of the stuff that people wear at this site http://www.cambriabike.com/dh/dhgear.htm from there you can visit the manufacturers sites or search the internet for better prices. I have pictures of my bike but I cant really post them here at the moment. Let me know if your interested and we can talk. I am selling it for $1400, but I may be able to go lower. I also have extra stuff I am including.

You live in Minnesota, so you have some pretty good riding up there! Which is what you'll need to get started. Have you heard of Lutsen Mountain?

http://www.lutsen.com/spring/sawtooth_park/mountainBiking.cfm

That's a decent place from what I've heard, not sure how close or far it is from you. But it's a good place to get started practicing, they have chairlifts running there for you.

As for a minimum of 8 inches of travel to start, I personally think is a little exsesive. I started out with a 4 inch travel bike... but I'd say to start off with stick around 6 inches of travel. Mainly because the begginer courses that you'd start racing on wont require 8+ inches of travel, and you don't want to have to lug around a huge bike when you don't need it....

There's a few bikes you could look at, like a Kona stinky to get you started

http://www.konaworld.com/2k4bikes/images/med/2K4_Stinky_1300.jpg

it retails for about 1700 bucks. Has about 7 inches in the rear.... or maybe check out used bikes.

The specialized big hit is pretty sweet too, cause it gets about 6.3 inches in the rear and if you wanted to you could upgrade later on to a different link in the rear and a new rear shock to get about 8 inches.

Good luck man! You'll love racing, just remember it's all about FUN!

try NORBA's site, probably www.norba.com or just google it, also for dh racing you will want a big travel bike (like 8" minimum rear) and a dual crown fork, and slack angles. I'd say the best way to get better is practice.


OMG I just noticed that you brought back a thread from like 2 years ago!!!!!

what thread would that be? And by the way http://www.usacycling.org/mtb/ is norba's site as best I can tell.

this thread! the guys got to be at least 19 by now!....

haha my bad, well maybe if he didnt start he will now..., geez, 2 years ago, i dont think i knew what a derailleur was, WOW!

...........Doh!

maybe we now know why you didnt see that attachment chuvak

the other day at a race i rode the downhill course (i race XC) and i was amazed on how challenging it was but i now have a new respect fodr downhillers

hahah u seriously saying that this trend is 2 years old??? then why the hell is it stil here??

Its called archiving. It allows for accurate searching so users don't always repeat the same questions.

hey. i ride down hill but ive been having problems getting myself down really steep slopes. it might be my riding position, i dont know, i need help cuz i keep hetting faster and stronger, but i also keep eating **** on all my drop ins, I NEED HELP!!!
thanks guys

lol and look, hte first response was in 03

i dont know how tall you are, but there are some closeout stinkys on wheelworld.com
they have large's and extra larges left....1360 shipped to your door. or you could buy a nice frame and buy the build kit off that website $900 for the build kit, comes with everything that is on the kona stinky, 6 inches of travel for the front fork, wheels, everything but the frame, so if your a little smaller and need a small or med(smaller bikes are better for downhill) you could find a used frame somewhere and build it that way...Kona stinkys are bad ass bikes that you can still take on x-country trails if need be...but who likes to pedal:)

hes got to be 20 years old by now! :roflmao:

Last Post : in need of advice
12-26-01 12:29 AM

i dont know how tall you are, but there are some closeout stinkys on wheelworld.com
they have large's and extra larges left....1360 shipped to your door. or you could buy a nice frame and buy the build kit off that website $900 for the build kit, comes with everything that is on the kona stinky, 6 inches of travel for the front fork, wheels, everything but the frame, so if your a little smaller and need a small or med(smaller bikes are better for downhill) you could find a used frame somewhere and build it that way...Kona stinkys are bad ass bikes that you can still take on x-country trails if need be...but who likes to pedal:)

I called wheelworld a week ago and they said they couldn't sell complete bikes (Kona's) except in the store, just like it says in their ad's and website. They would only sell me a frame and build kit (which worked out to several hundred $$$'s more than the complete bike). I told them I was hearing from people who were ordering complete bikes and they were like ..... No, I don't think so. I even asked if they could ship it or sell it directly to my LBS for set-up and they wouldn't. I was disappointed, to say the least but that seems to be their policy unless it just wasn't my day! :(

hi there i found an english web site that may be ideal for what you are after it is as follows cyclingtimeoutdoors.com

hope it does you fine regards glenn