Can you imagine if they were still racing the Daytona 500 on the beach, or if the Indianapolis Speedway were still paved with bricks? Advances in auto technology mandated improved speedways. Race track builders had to comply, or someone else would build a better race track.

While it's quaint that pro XC racers can still win on 1990s equipment, it doesn't represent the state-of-the-art of the sport. While it may be perfectly acceptable - even necessary - for you and I to compete on last year's stuff, the professionals don't have to buy their bikes. Their not riding hardtails to save some cash, but because they can win with a hardtail.

State-of-the-art is being pressed by freeriders, not by racing pros. How ironic is that? Freeriders demand better equipment, XC racers demand more carbon fiber and 100g lighter frame.