Mountain Biking - What discipline?

What discipline of Mountain biking puts you in awe most?

I think extreme freeride is amazing, and Trials is beautiful.

northshore freeride and trials does it for me. i like northshore freeride cause it has some trials riding aspects to it

Dj, Fr, Dh.

Oh yeah, and street.

Trials puts me in the most awe. But being an XC rider i envy those who can do the really gnarly hills without getting off and running it.

When A 60 year old geezer hands me my ass on a platter. Or I watch a talented 12 year old turn in a lap time an expert would be proud of. But maybe what I have is not awe, but respect. I know what it takes to become an accomplished rider and I tip my hat to all who make it. How they do it is beside the point. But if I had to pick one, I'd say Trials.

The dues paid to master any of the discplines in mtn biking are substantial. Not many folks are willing to pay the price. So I guess I am really in awe (read respect) of all you folks who have stuck with it long enough to understand what it is really all about. You, the bike, and the particular challenge you have chosen to overcome.

Downhillers and freeriders for the huge gonads to take the lines at the speed they do.

Trials riders for the amazing talent they have.

Cross country riders / racers for the amount of time they spend doing intervals, endurance work, gym time, and riding at times they would really rather not be. On top of that the amazing ability to puke in the middle of a climb and just keep going when you are hurting so bad you would rather just lay there and die.

Roadies for their countless hours of training, intervals, hill repeats. Their nerves of steel and ability to have total concentration. On top of all that their ability to be able to read the peleton and know what break is going to make it. Oh, and being able to go off on a solo breakaway and be able to out ride a group the whole time just hoping to be able to go another minute, then another and another.

There isn't a group of riders that I don't admire. To be good, never the less great, at any of the disciplines the amount of work involved is amazing.

I admire all cyclists at the elite level. Yeah, including some roadies.

However, the discipline I enjoy most is Mountain Cross (4 x). It takes me back to my BMX racing days. The way those guys blast out of the gate, hit the jumps, swoop around the berms...etc. Gets me pumped up just thinking about it. It amazes me how fast these guys are through the courses.

Despite being a XC guy who claims to "ride for the pain", trials really blows me away. The control that those riders have over their bikes is just amazing to me.

Cross country riding in the mountains has taught me alot about humility. I absolutely hate to get off my bike, or to stop for that matter. Ever since I took up XC I find myself in some of the harder sections, pushing my bike, or just plain sitting down for a breather. Im 51 now and my recovery time takes longer. Discipline for me now, is riding with a bit more care, as I just don't heal up as quickly. This shot of me is one of those rest breaks on the top of a really long climb. Wondering how freaking far the car is from this point, and praying its downhill.

http://www.user.shentel.net/vonz/Jaeger.htm/mesm.jpg

What discipline of Mountain biking puts you in awe most?

I think extreme freeride is amazing, and Trials is beautiful.
extreme free riding is not as "amazing" as you think.

trials puts me in "awe"

Ooh, I forgot. Another discipline that truely amazes me is those people that can mountain bike on a unicycle. Now that takes some freaking talent!!!

Freeride, Downhill, and 4x really amazes me. Manly because it takes guts...you crash, your most likely out for a couple of weeks and then the courage it takes to get back on the bike and try it again until you make it is just amazing.

Solo endurance xc riders. Aside from the physical requirements, you really need to have a load of mental stamina to ride a bike for 24 straight hours.

Pro DH racers. If you ever get a chance to watch folks like Sam Hill in action it will blow your mind.I can;t start to tell you how fast they go on what looks like impossible terrain. If you get a chance to see a pro DH race.....go!

XC endurance solo is where it's at. In particular, SS solo.
Trials is amazing as well.

DH.

To go that fast down those lines....insane