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what makes american/australian/euro riders so fast??

jnooth

Monkey
Sep 19, 2008
384
1
Vermont Country
another thing to concider is the countries that produce good DHers. from what I understand Dh is very popular to the general public in places like new zealand. I think Gee said in follow me. "walk down the street in NZ and any given person is going to know about mountain biking and the world cup" If growing up your national heros are DHers and not basketball players your going to get a higher percentage of kids wanting to grow up to be racers.

before I got into biking in general I knew who dave mirra was but couldnt have named a singel downhiller. thats why I started as a BMX rider.
 

p-spec

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2004
1,278
1
quebec
p.s 97% of the tour is doped.

There is allot of pressure on these guys to win and make the compagny money.

Key words.


million dollar lawyers.
 

Banga

Monkey
Sep 7, 2001
362
11
Wellington, New Zealand
another thing to concider is the countries that produce good DHers. from what I understand Dh is very popular to the general public in places like new zealand. I think Gee said in follow me. "walk down the street in NZ and any given person is going to know about mountain biking and the world cup" If growing up your national heros are DHers and not basketball players your going to get a higher percentage of kids wanting to grow up to be racers.

.
Nope, maybe in Queenstown due to the Gondola but any other part of the country if it isn't rugby it isn't a sport.
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
Not to mention BMX racing is not very popular outside of the states. I know the French have some programs but that's all. I'm yet to meet a living bmx racer in Poland. I know some people who own racing bikes but none of them really race.
I have yet to meet a polish downhiller...and I have been at this for a looooooooong time.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,428
1,663
Warsaw :/
I have yet to meet a polish downhiller...and I have been at this for a looooooooong time.
The differance is I live here ;) Most of the local guys could be fast if they decided to race outside the country. Right now every 3 years we have a new super fast junior that at age 15 gets top3 elite results but at 19-21 decides to stop racing after hardly going abroad. That meant we ended with a Klausman like situation where we had 2 guys racing each other for the last ~3-5 years and no one came close. Funny since the other one is mainly a sbx rider.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Someone mentioned, in regards to americans, that our athletes chase sports with money. Not so

Dear stik. Please come back to earth. You're arguing that there's no money in what's now an olympic sport, has been in the x games for years, has a much longer history than dh mountain biking, and has been an industry decades longer than the very first mountain specific bicyle was ever built.

The pull from the big money, nationally syndicated ball sports is stronger with the bmx without a doubt.
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
I can never tell with you, but I will assume sarcasm.
I am not 'arguing' that BMX has yet to see 'big money', I am just telling you facts.

A 37 year old, nearly retired, Steve Peat is making more than the top 5 BMX guys in the world, combined.
Facts


Dear stik. Please come back to earth. You're arguing that there's no money in what's now an olympic sport, has been in the x games for years, has a much longer history than dh mountain biking, and has been an industry decades longer than the very first mountain specific bicyle was ever built.

The pull from the big money, nationally syndicated ball sports is stronger with the bmx without a doubt.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
"BMX" is not not just the guys lining up, 8 guys on a gate. FAKT :D

But with the inclusion of the sport in the olympics there's now some development money available.........and that's still just the racing side of it.

There's WAAYY more promotional opportunity in a much more visible sport that's also much more accessible to a wider variety of demographics........just like skateboarding. You honestly going to tell me there are fewer kids wanting to be Chad Kagy, Ryan Nyquist, or Van Homan than Steve Peat? How many highly paid dh mtb racers are there? Maybe a dozen? WAY more in bmx......again.......not just the racing side.
 

p-spec

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2004
1,278
1
quebec
No way guys like hoffman or mirra are making or made less the peat.

SAM I could beleive him making more money then everyone.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,148
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
you mean like motocross?
there are significant non-monetary rewards for moto vs bicycles...
even if you dont go turn into bubba stewart... being a moto rider has you rollin´in the pussy, man! (well not really, but i love Clerks).

how many a bright-eyed flirty girl has asked me "do you moto?" (when they see my helmet and goggles), only to be dissapointed when i answer "no, they are for my bicycle"...
 

marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
1,770
520
just like how snowboarding is for the short, fat, ugly, un-coordinated kid that can't ski...

so is mtb'ing to moto.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,428
1,663
Warsaw :/
there are significant non-monetary rewards for moto vs bicycles...
even if you dont go turn into bubba stewart... being a moto rider has you rollin´in the pussy, man! (well not really, but i love Clerks).

how many a bright-eyed flirty girl has asked me "do you moto?" (when they see my helmet and goggles), only to be dissapointed when i answer "no, they are for my bicycle"...
You must move here. They don't understand the sport but they dig it. Though it's better to be a dirtjumper since it's easier for girls to hang around. Well they are a bit stupid but it's not like you are to marry them ;)


@Marshalolson couldn't be further from the truth.
 

supercow

Monkey
Feb 18, 2009
969
128
So tell me this - out of the three South Africans that ride DH at WC level, 2 of them are in the top 10.
Furthermore, the local scene is pathetic in comparison to any of the rest of the world.

In the local SA race scene, a handful of rich kids have nice bikes and the rest have sh!tters. There are no SA DH orientated shops even, so much so you can't even buy 5.10 shoes locally and have to buy internationally via CRC.

Good genes I tell you!
 

trib

not worthy of a Rux.
Jun 22, 2009
1,499
445
It doesn't really matter where someone's from, it's where they train and Minnaar spent a vast portion of his early career in the US and UK I think, Needles has a similar story.