Mountain biking is one of the most sought after adventure sports across the globe and its popularity amongst the fans is seeing a big surge with every passing day. Moreover, Downhill mountain biking is one of the aspects of the Mountain biking which is being performed upon mostly steep and rough terrains and include a number of Jumps, Obstacles ,Drops and Rock Gardens in the process.
The Format and Guidelines of the Downhill Mountain Biking
When it comes to the format and guidelines in relation to the Downhill Mountain biking, a specific and continuous course is being marked down while being defined by stripes of tape on each sides. Moreover, depending upon the Format of the event, all the Riders have been allotted with one or two attempts in the process and whoever reach the finishing line while being within the specified course, is been declared the Ultimate winner.
Moreover, Riders are supposed to choose their line by deciding amongst the shortest line and the line which can be covered at the fastest speed. Therefore, if a rider is found to be crossing the line or tape by breaking the given course, they are required to reach the closes possible point back to the exit, unless they get rewarded by the time advantage provision which allows them to resume with their Run.
History and Background of Downhill mountain Biking
The History of this famous Mountain adventure sport goes down to the late 70s when it was first been held at Fairfax, California on October 21, 1976.It was kind of a Trial run for repacking the hub brake after each Descent. Moreover, the bikes which were been used during the same trial run were mostly the Cruiser Bicycles that had a coaster of Drum Brakes which works by pedaling backwards.
While it was been known that the continuous usage of the brakes during the Descent would cause them to heat up, they were filled with grease in order to provide the entire softening grip to the same. Moreover, the first bikes that were being used were the famous “Klunkers” or the “Paper Boy Bikes”. The name “Mountain Bikes” came into picture in the 80s while the specific “Downhill Bikes” emerged in the 90s.
Some of the Famous Downhill Mountain Biking Racing Venues
While getting the tracks and courses ready for the Downhill mountain biking marathons was a daunting task altogether, it sometimes required the riders to be lifted towards the starting point with the help of Gondolas, Lifts and or Trams. Moreover, most of the Ski areas were used in the summers for organizing the event but later converted into a full time Downhill trails specifically developed for the Downhill mountain bike marathons.
Some of the major venues for the Downhill mountain biking marathons are:
Australia
Australia can certainly be termed as a country which has provided some of the most prolific Downhill Mountain bikers around the world like Sam Hill, Chris Kovarik,Nathan rennie and Mick Hannah. Moreover, Mount Stromlo can be stated as one of the best venues in the country for the Downhill biking marathons while hosting some of the round stages in the World cup 2008 and 2009 championship.
Austria
Austria is another bigger venue for the Downhill Mountain Biking marathons while offering a number fo trails and courses due to its closeness to the Mount Alps. Moreover, most of the trails and courses can be accessed with the help of Lift shuttles.
Canada
Canada is generally famous for its Mountain Biking Trails and courses and offers a lot of options for the Downhill Mountain biking races. The Whistler Mountain Bike Park in Whistler, British Columbia generally hosts the famous annual Crankworx and Joyride Huckfest racing events and also been home to various others large lift-serviced mountain bike parks, including Sun Peaks in Kamloops, BC, Silver Star Mountain Resort in Vernon, BC, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC and Fernie Alpine Resort. Also, The North Shore Mountains of North Vancouver, BC,comes as a outright downhill biking spot for all the Globally famous riders.
Basic Downhill Mountain biking skills
Downhill Biking is an art in its own terms and while you cannot take it just as a Normal biking experience, there are some basic ground rules and skills which need to be taken in account during the process.
Braking
Braking can be termed as the most important aspect of the Downhill mountain biking as it plays a crucial role in the conclusion of the whole ride. Your head must be steady and looking forward to the braking part as it’s not just about pressing those brake levers, its about the power with which you must be doing the same in order to get the desired result.
Good riders know when to shift their weight towards braking and with what power the push is required to be made.
Focus
Focus is one of the most important parts during the whole course of ride as you will be coming downwards to the hill and even a single miss or skid can make the bike go off the track. Therefore, you must be relaxed enough before being going forward to the ride and while doing the same, stay loose with your stance without locking your elbows or tightening your grip.
Steering
You are not required to over steer during the whole course of the race and just like a Downhill Skiing attempt, you must known when and how much weight needs to be shifted towards the run while coming through all those bumps, obstacles and Descents. Moreover, your bike generally follows the direction you are looking at, so all the shifts and leans of the body must go accordingly.
Managing the Sitting on the Saddle
While you are going down facing all the bumpy and technical descents during the race, you are not supposed to keep sited on the saddle but instead standing on the pedals and allowing your lower body to feel the whole pressure instead of the core.
Moreover, while coming through the steeper and more technical descents, you must need to drop down your saddle by 2 or 3 inches.
Pedals
The Pedals of the bikes must be parallel to the ground in order to avoid them from crashing or colliding with the rocks or descents of the mountains. Moreover, the front pedals is required to be bit higher in order to avoid the catch-up with the rocks on the mountains.
Stay Relaxed
It doesn’t matter how much efforts you make towards the ride, if you are not relaxed, you are bound to commit an error. Therefore, keep yourself relaxed during the whole course of ride.
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