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Downhill Mountain Biking
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Published: September 30, 2006
They do it for the rush – the adrenaline powered 20-second blip. And if they're lucky, they come out alive. Or at least with both tires intact.
These are downhill cyclists. Their should-be motto: blink and miss the action.
A sector of mountain biking, the downhill variety is a time-trial, gravity-assisted cycling event. Competitions can range from 20 seconds to three minutes in length and the terrain is just as varied. We're not talking smooth riding but rather hard, rough and rocky ground interspersed with jumps and drops.
The goal: make it to the end of the course in one piece with the fastest time.
Donned in full body armor and helmets, these brave souls have propelled the sport into its 30th year of existence. Technology is on their side with advancements continually occurring in the industry and gear specifically adapting to the extreme nature of downhill mountain biking
Simultaneously, the American public has grown increasingly aware of the action with televised competitions and widespread mountain-bike sales.
It wasn't until the 1980s that mountain bikes – cycles equipped with chunky tires, large, round-frame tubing and shock absorbers – were mass-produced for public purchase. Now most every teenager in America is riding these fairly young bikes to their local parks. And while it is widely believed that cycling enthusiasts have been taking their rides off the road for quite some time, the sport didn't take shape in the public eye until the late 1970s.
Downhill mountain biking was largely birthed in the United States and, more specifically, on the West Coast where groups of individuals began to manually adjust their bikes to withstand the off-road challenges in the mid 1970s. In 1976, the first downhill race took place in Fairfax, California. Only one of the 10 riders made it to the finish line and, thus, was declared the winner.
While interest may have been growing as early as the 1970s, downhill cyclists would soon face many of the same battles as snowboarders during this time period. It was all about land access.
Originally, trails were fire roads, animal paths, hiking trails, etc. Now many competition grounds are ski and snowboard slopes converted during the warmer months to biking terrain. But opposition to the sport from environment advocates has been strong with individuals arguing that biking leads to soil erosion. In opposition to the opposition, mountain biking groups have developed to educate the public and improve biking paths.
With these challenges and numerous successes, times have changed for the sport. Now professional downhill teams are known to spend tens of thousands of dollars perfecting their bikes. They try to save weight, increase suspension and improve handling, and will pay the hefty costs to attain said perfection. New technologies are supporting these endeavors and the majority of research and improvements are taking place within the downhill mountain biking sector.
The other main change: competition. In less than two weeks the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships begins in Rotorua, New Zealand. The competitions will last from August 22 to August 27 featuring downhill runs in addition to cross-country races, 4-cross events, trials and team relays.
Only time will tell where the next race will take downhill mountain biking.
These are downhill cyclists. Their should-be motto: blink and miss the action.
A sector of mountain biking, the downhill variety is a time-trial, gravity-assisted cycling event. Competitions can range from 20 seconds to three minutes in length and the terrain is just as varied. We're not talking smooth riding but rather hard, rough and rocky ground interspersed with jumps and drops.
The goal: make it to the end of the course in one piece with the fastest time.
Donned in full body armor and helmets, these brave souls have propelled the sport into its 30th year of existence. Technology is on their side with advancements continually occurring in the industry and gear specifically adapting to the extreme nature of downhill mountain biking
Simultaneously, the American public has grown increasingly aware of the action with televised competitions and widespread mountain-bike sales.
It wasn't until the 1980s that mountain bikes – cycles equipped with chunky tires, large, round-frame tubing and shock absorbers – were mass-produced for public purchase. Now most every teenager in America is riding these fairly young bikes to their local parks. And while it is widely believed that cycling enthusiasts have been taking their rides off the road for quite some time, the sport didn't take shape in the public eye until the late 1970s.
Downhill mountain biking was largely birthed in the United States and, more specifically, on the West Coast where groups of individuals began to manually adjust their bikes to withstand the off-road challenges in the mid 1970s. In 1976, the first downhill race took place in Fairfax, California. Only one of the 10 riders made it to the finish line and, thus, was declared the winner.
While interest may have been growing as early as the 1970s, downhill cyclists would soon face many of the same battles as snowboarders during this time period. It was all about land access.
Originally, trails were fire roads, animal paths, hiking trails, etc. Now many competition grounds are ski and snowboard slopes converted during the warmer months to biking terrain. But opposition to the sport from environment advocates has been strong with individuals arguing that biking leads to soil erosion. In opposition to the opposition, mountain biking groups have developed to educate the public and improve biking paths.
With these challenges and numerous successes, times have changed for the sport. Now professional downhill teams are known to spend tens of thousands of dollars perfecting their bikes. They try to save weight, increase suspension and improve handling, and will pay the hefty costs to attain said perfection. New technologies are supporting these endeavors and the majority of research and improvements are taking place within the downhill mountain biking sector.
The other main change: competition. In less than two weeks the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships begins in Rotorua, New Zealand. The competitions will last from August 22 to August 27 featuring downhill runs in addition to cross-country races, 4-cross events, trials and team relays.
Only time will tell where the next race will take downhill mountain biking.
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