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Originally Posted by Rutnick
(Post 7338261)
but what is your point? The olympic course was what? 4.4km done 8 times so that's about 21 miles. The winning time was just sub 2hour. The pros at the 11 mile course that I listed earlier do it in around 48 minutes so that's 22 miles in about 96 minutes.
While the course might not look all that challenging, the constant up and down of the course for 4.4k with 8 loops leaves little room to really build speed in the flats which means you are constantly up and down with no rest. Sometimes...you have to look at a course hard. We might ride it and think...well that wasn't tough. Try to ride it fast...multiply by 8, add passing and the heat of a 3pm start time. Some course that I ride are a freaking breeze when I ride them. They become more challenging when you try to make places to go faster. As technical, no....hard...probably. slower...yes. |
Originally Posted by Rutnick
(Post 7338261)
the constant up and down of the course for 4.4k with 8 loops leaves little room to really build speed in the flats which means you are constantly up and down with no rest.
This is a good description of KS trails. Never any extended climbs that reward you with a looooog/fast DH. Actually, I think I would do better riding in a mountainous or at least "hilly" area b/c I tend to do better when my speed is built up and I can "blow-through" sections or jump over technical sections. Who am I kidding? I'm not fast anymore, hehe. |
Man, you guys are a pretty tough bunch.
Parts of that Olympic course looked plenty tough to me. I would have been over the bars on some of the sketchy descents. Or eating trees. |
Originally Posted by Rutnick;7338261[COLOR="Silver"
]but what is your point? The olympic course was what? 4.4km done 8 times so that's about 21 miles. The winning time was just sub 2hour. The pros at the 11 mile course that I listed earlier do it in around 48 minutes so that's 22 miles in about 96 minutes. [/COLOR]
While the course might not look all that challenging, the constant up and down of the course for 4.4k with 8 loops leaves little room to really build speed in the flats which means you are constantly up and down with no rest. Sometimes...you have to look at a course hard. We might ride it and think...well that wasn't tough. Try to ride it fast...multiply by 8, add passing and the heat of a 3pm start time. Some course that I ride are a freaking breeze when I ride them. They become more challenging when you try to make places to go faster. As technical, no....hard...probably. slower...yes. |
Originally Posted by gfrance
(Post 7339740)
Man, you guys are a pretty tough bunch.
Parts of that Olympic course looked plenty tough to me. I would have been over the bars on some of the sketchy descents. Or eating trees. |
Originally Posted by junkyard
(Post 7339770)
I didn't see the competition, so I can't really judge. But, what I've noticed is that seeing video of a skilled rider on a gnarly course often makes the course appear easier than it is. Also, the steepness of a climb doesn't always translate well onto video. Without having seen the competition, I can't judge, but this might be part of it.
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The Olympic course was not as diffficult as most of what I ride, at least in terms of vertical gain and technical difficulty. Most of our trails have root and/or rock steps on all climbs and descents, loose rock on most and scree on quite a few. There are also mud bogs, cows and the occasional bear.
A good example of the riding we have locally is the UCI World Cup Course in Canmore, Alberta. I recall being at the top of the first pitch of the main climb, and watching pros pushing their bikes up the hill on the 3rd or 4th lap. The last [?] year they ran the race, it snowed for the women's final and a bunch of people got hypothermia. Normal daytime high at that tiime of year was about 22C, but it only got as warm as 6C that day. :D |
just got back from a 24hr race this weekend at a nearby park, and spent a while checking out the youtube coverage...
looks like a fun trail to ride! but taking the tougher of our local trails... the nearly impossible 50m climb, the huge switchback climbs, the fast downhills, technical rock gardens and whoops, and often slick catwalks, including that one that turns and goes uphill... our course seems faster on the downhills, but has gnarlier climbs methinks. lots of roots and they get steep. harder? i think the T.O. crew will likely agree, catalyst, P.A. and the dropoffs considered. (this is the city trail, the one for the 24hrs is def. harder. 15.5km, with massive climbs and sicker downhills for sure) |
Originally Posted by junkyard
(Post 7339770)
I didn't see the competition, so I can't really judge. But, what I've noticed is that seeing video of a skilled rider on a gnarly course often makes the course appear easier than it is. Also, the steepness of a climb doesn't always translate well onto video. Without having seen the competition, I can't judge, but this might be part of it.
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^^
thats actually another very valid consideration, and it all comes back into the earlier mentioned lack of rest periods, eight laps, smog, and stiff competition trying to kill themselves to pass you. i was thinking simply in technical chops, as in it is difficult to actually ride, not in race loop terms. There are a few recuperatory sections in our trails, even at the race there were some flats, so in that sense ours arent as difficult. thinking about it as a loop and taking endurance and speed into is key, but easily overlooked when you begin to compare swathes of dirt.. EDIT: and as an olympian, even hell should look easy to ride when you hit it :D |
Of course all these bad *** members could have beat any of those olympic contenders on any course...:rolleyes: I seen the subject on this thread and new all the bench racers would be out in full force saying how hard they have it on their trails and that the olympic trails are flat and easy, blah, blah, blah. You guys are funny....:roflmao2:
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Originally Posted by RIC0
(Post 7351246)
Of course all these bad *** members could have beat any of those olympic contenders on any course...:rolleyes: I seen the subject on this thread and new all the bench racers would be out in full force saying how hard they have it on their trails and that the olympic trails are flat and easy, blah, blah, blah. You guys are funny....:roflmao2:
re: the course - I would like to see more technical climbing. roots, rocks, ledges, etc. It seemed like all the rocks/ruts/roots were on the descents, but the climbs were basically paved. re: the race - It was pretty clear to me that Absalon won because he was so much smoother than the swiss riders on the tech parts. |
Originally Posted by RIC0
(Post 7351246)
Of course all these bad *** members could have beat any of those olympic contenders on any course...:rolleyes: I seen the subject on this thread and new all the bench racers would be out in full force saying how hard they have it on their trails and that the olympic trails are flat and easy, blah, blah, blah. You guys are funny....:roflmao2:
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Exactly, I never wrote that I could climb quicker or that I would pwn them on the descents. I compared the terrain.
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Originally Posted by mtnbiker66
(Post 7351788)
I didn't see anyone post that they could beat olympic racers. How 'bout posting that quote up?
I was basically saying that the technical level of the course was poop. I think the rider's endurance levels are most likely top notch and lightyears ahead of my lazy butt. I have been pissing and moaning this year an aweful lot about the lack of "off road terrain" on MTB races. Basically dirt/road races. There's more to high level MTB'ing than endurance. I feel that the focus should be on the technical skills aspect. Then you'd have Olympian Roadies pissing and moaning b/c they're not quite tough enough for the road course, but skinny lil' Ryan Leech kicked their tails on the MTB course, haha. (and no...I don't think the MTB courses should be a "trials course"...I was just giving an example of a person who has mastered their technical skills) |
66 could beat all the olympic riders. He is by far better than any of those hacks.
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