What's downhill??

CycleBabe · 03-09-2008, 05:48 PM

Is this just any version of starting at the top of a hill and going down? Or is there something specific like downhill with no brakes! LOL

jimonroad · 03-10-2008, 08:33 AM

That's a really great question! I have been trying to get a handle of biking jargon for a couple of years! I think of races like Mount Mitchell, but that's more of an uphill!

ickyshorts · 03-10-2008, 02:03 PM

It can be those enormously easy sounding questions that make you laugh at yourself. Everytime a firend of mine tries to get me to invest time in this I have mental images of when I was a kid flying helter-skelter down our neighborhood trails. Did we invent something in the 50s and 60s that took a while to catch on?

ickyshorts · 03-10-2008, 02:40 PM

What type of shoes do you need to strap you into your pedals for this adrenaline rush? Does anyone have statistics on aaverage age or injuries. I am an adrenaline junkie, but my age might preclude me from this!

bikerbaby · 03-11-2008, 12:54 AM

from Wikipedia:

Quote:

Downhill cycling (DH) is a gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event

Don't you love that. "Gravity assisted"

lol

Regardless...it's a timed race. So it's a two to five minute course and they have to do it as fast as possible...pretty much like downhill skiing. Makes sense. The components needs to be strong but light. Again, makes sense.

The UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships will be in Italy this year.
http://www.uci.ch/Templates/UCI/UCI5...?MenuID=MTYxNw

CycleBabe · 03-11-2008, 02:39 AM

Hey, anything gravity assisted has to be fun. Heheehehe
Ask my 4 year old! Ask the bandaid companies!
I've never timed myself down hill. I think I'm going to go time how fast I can get down a very steep hill a few blocks from me.

What I won't be doing? Timing how long it takes to get back up it... LOL

jimonroad · 03-11-2008, 08:18 PM

THis seems like one the most logical questons. With only one answer. But I think you can define it as lots of things.

HLancaster · 03-11-2008, 08:26 PM

What are some of the limitations of downhill in competitions. Is there a point where sanity breaks off and those nutty video bloopers takes over? Just wondering!

marypedal · 03-11-2008, 08:27 PM

That's always a nightmare! Seeing footage of your insane mistakes. We travel about together doing stuff like this . . htere is ALWAYS a camera ready to catch our stupidity.

doug · 03-12-2008, 01:16 PM

I use to DH race, the places by me are all Ski areas so you & your bike ride up the lift. The trails are in the woods, and the harder ones do get pretty insane - drops, chutes, jumps, etc.

the bikes are specific made, bigger brakes, more travel, heavier/beefier, low seat, etc. and we'd have on body protection (knee/shin/elbo/foreharm/chest) and full face helmet, a lot of the races I did someone would end up headed to the hospital.