Picture by Christophe Bortels for Landscape Magazine
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POD
Photo of the Day on
Aug 17, 2011
Selected by Ian Hylands - We haven't had an XC POD in a long long time, so it kind of sucks that this first one is a crash. XC is about going fast up and down on a lightweight bike, and sometimes bad things happen...
( 20 PODs )
Photo info
Photo details
- Photo Size:
- Camera
- Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
- Shutter Speed
- 1/320
- Aperture
- 4.0
- Focal Length
- 80.0 mm
- ISO Speed
- 400
- Date
- 2011:07:02
- Time
- 19:55:53
458 Comments
- 1069 11
dylantotaro
(Aug 14, 2011 at 13:49)
enjoying your super light rims?
- 189 59
So much XC haters it's not even funny. Why can't any of you accept you do the same sport. It's still cycling.
- 88 227
XC in my opinion is probably the most healthy form of MTB, as I ride it also! What kind of bikes do you guys have?
- 64 277
Rattsl, we have our different views and they dominate different sides of the mountains. I bike to get a natural high, I can't get that when I am going up a hill sorry but it just doesn't do it for me.
- 57 299
yeah but you do go up hill and when you go down hill you are not hitting big jumps and drops and that is what does it for me. so to me XC sucks. I get my workout in the gym, the mountains are for fun!
- 63 5
Most of my XC trail include some form of a jump or something you can make a jump or drop out of, just use the trail and the enviroment as your advantage.
- 39 377
@p-romano then ur not going big enough if u feel that comfortable on ur Xc bike doing DH stuff
@rattsl yeah no shit man that is part of riding but im talking about going big and fast
whatever im done with this, just accept that DH is more intense than XC but XC can be fun if ur old and cant do DH cuz u will break ur bonzesss
@rattsl yeah no shit man that is part of riding but im talking about going big and fast
whatever im done with this, just accept that DH is more intense than XC but XC can be fun if ur old and cant do DH cuz u will break ur bonzesss
- 155 11
WOW...Did you just say XC is for old people? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA, the WC consists of some young riders, in fact, the same average age as a DH racer. You are terrible at analogies you know that. "XC is fun if you're old and can't do DH 'cause you will break bones" What a load of bullshit. I believe in are in the right path for ignorance.
- 241 6
Anything with two wheels is fun in my opinion. Dh, xc, fr, dj... hell even road. Ride on brothers!
- 90 6
@Borocks...no natural high going up..?...you're not pushing hard enough sister...
anyway, didn't he just manual the rest of the way to a podium...??
anyway, didn't he just manual the rest of the way to a podium...??
- 32 2
@borocks.. its funny cause you think your hell mad cause you go big in dh, im sure there are people you go a shit load bigger then you that still enjoy xc.
- 13 7
@borocks you really think XC is all bad. i take my DH everywhere. i was just at the skatepark like 3 days ago. i ride XC and DH. i could agree that DH is the most fun thing ever, but XC is still riding and it is alsi quite fun to sit back and relax going through some double track trails.
- 35 0
@borocks: I love downhilling, but xc can be extremely tough and it takes a lot out of you, I would go as far as saying it takes more than DH. ps: after looking at your videos and pictures, you could do all of those stunts plus more on an XC
- 5 0
i do everything, down hill on my xc bike i find a lot of fun and im clearing all the big jumps and things, and there are plenty young xc's, both british junior champs were in my year at school!, so like 18 years of age, and so on and so forth, i do everything for different reasons, i do xc to get away but downhill for the fun really
- 7 0
there is no point on hating xc - its different to dh and other riding but it still requires skill
- 12 0
i would call myself a dh rider (maybe freeride as i don't race) but seeing as my local uplift is an hour's drive away i have a 6" bike that i ride UPHILL to get to my downs. you gotta earn it!
- 3 0
Lol i riding prefer XC to DH, plainly because i can't do the latter... But yeah @borocks, dude you should get out more, there are some wicked XC single tracks out there!
- 40 1
fuck it, i'm coming out of the xc closet, i love climbing hills! Downhill is awesome but a good technical climb is a properly satisfying thing when you reach the summit.
- 23 2
Borocks.
Anton Cooper, a 16 year old from Christchurch, New Zealand, my home town. Won the u19 WC XC race recently, by over a minute. It was his first WC race ever.
You were saying something about XC being for old people...?
Anton Cooper, a 16 year old from Christchurch, New Zealand, my home town. Won the u19 WC XC race recently, by over a minute. It was his first WC race ever.
You were saying something about XC being for old people...?
- 9 0
i think they should have a good xc POD, like not a guy about to it shit but a rider doing an epic ride or trail.
still its a amazing shot.
- 27 0
just a response to borrocks ealier comments about old people not being able to dh. my dad is almost 59 and still rides whistler once a year with me
- 15 1
@Borrocks
To ride downhill, you have to get uphill? Think about your logic, it hurt me to read how stupid it was when you mocked cycling up hill.
To ride downhill, you have to get uphill? Think about your logic, it hurt me to read how stupid it was when you mocked cycling up hill.
- 15 1
@borocks dont you realise that most world cup level XC tracks as techie as DH tracks, and dont deny it because I have riden both, and yet when doing DH riding you have 8 inches of travel front and rear instead of just 100mm hardtails therefore in many ways XC is more hardcore and gives a bigger rush. Not saying I think DH is bad though, for me as long as I'm riding my bike, I'm happy.
- 6 0
i think for my part starting riding xc did help me being a better rider in dh
just ride a bike an anjoy
- 17 1
And the main lesson for today is @borrocs is an idiot 
go ride whatever you feel like kids lol. Awesome pod ! Bet his face hurt bad
go ride whatever you feel like kids lol. Awesome pod ! Bet his face hurt bad
- 44 3
gators gonna gate
taters gonna tate
freighters gonna freight
skaters gonna skate
waiters gonna wait
and
raters gonna rate
BOOM.
- 15 2
@ BOROCKS. Btw, according to your photos, I boost it a lot bigger than you on my 6" 'XC' bike. You can ride whatever you want. XC or DH, I can get my natural high either way. In fact, an XC ride is a lot more rewarding. You climb hard to the top, rest at an awesome viewpoint, then get to bomb down natural terrain using it to create 'big' jumps and drops. There are trails I would never get to ride if I didn't have an XC bike.
- 3 0
im with davio615xx, i race road bikes and i DH and i fr and i dj and i bmx and i xc and i can also use propper form in listing but what fun would that be? haha. yeah xc is awesome, just as fun as DH and everything else to me. and in my opinion it takes a lot more leg strenght than any other biking besides road biking.
- 6 1
tbh xc is incredibly fun and its a really great sport but why dont we mix dh and xc together and get all mountain...
- 6 7
haters gonna hate
Lovers gonna love
I dont even want none of the above
I wanna piss on you
Just playin XC is fun but I do it on 6 inch bike with a gravity dropper, it's just gravity influenced XC, I even ride cross bikes are fun
Lovers gonna love
I dont even want none of the above
I wanna piss on you
Just playin XC is fun but I do it on 6 inch bike with a gravity dropper, it's just gravity influenced XC, I even ride cross bikes are fun
- 18 2
Hey Borocks why is it that you say you go sooooo big on your DH, but in every picture you have you're hitting stuff most people could do on a push bike.... Let alone you wear a neck brace, and ride a tr450 while doing it. Pansy ass motha f*cka.
- 12 79
dye1721 that is all there is in my canyon if there was bigger stuff I would be hitting it, and ur gunna hate on a neck brace.....ur a dumbass why don't u just complain that I am wearing a full face too!!
@all the rest of you people that neg prop my comment, blow me
@all the rest of you people that neg prop my comment, blow me
- 14 1
Pretty sure all of us are heterosexual males here, but if you'd like to find a stray, you are more than welcome to start asking around.
- 9 0
Agreed with dye1271. borocks is hitting stuff on a tr450 that myself and most other "XC" riders I know would be doing on our "XC" bikes. Sad day for borocks. Get a hardtail and get back to the basics of riding a mountain bike and then you'll find that you would never need a bike like a TR450 for the riding that you do.
- 4 0
shit i ride an XC hardtail Kona for all DH races and XC trails. not because i think it superier, but because i cant afford a 1400 full suspension. its hard enough buyin tires for all these bikes. oh well iam a newb and proud. one day i will have a full sus. and i will prob us it for XC.
side note. i wonder how hes likin thouse Easton rims now? that should be there advertisment!
side note. i wonder how hes likin thouse Easton rims now? that should be there advertisment!
- 10 10
i looooove XC because of how rad the clothes are. ahhhhh, the feeling of my nuts getting hugged so tight you could see them from across the parking lot. and the skintight jersey, sometimes i dress myself up at night and stare at myself in the mirror, maybe rub my nipples a little, or i just imagine Lance Armstrong doing it for me. i can't wait to put on my nut huggers and go out to ride with a whole group of other nuthuggers so we can pedal uphill looking into eachother's asses for hours on end. ohhhhhh, XC can be SO DAMN GOOD for a guy like me. XC IS THE BEST!! all you haters are missing out on the good stuff. just thinking about it makes me want to get some lotion. SEE YOU ON THE TRAIL BIG BOYS
- 7 0
@ Pinkbike. I think it's time to start a new section: COM (comment of day).
This pod has 235 comments, so far, & 'slayersxc' has 443 props.
He should run for president!
This pod has 235 comments, so far, & 'slayersxc' has 443 props.
He should run for president!
- 5 1
This guy borocks, I wouldn't say he was right. Or wrong. But see the "blow me". That cracked me up.
- 14 0
borocks if all you have is little stuff to ride how do you expect to get your "natural high" from extreme DH. If you want to make another analogy, I would go as far to say that you riding your tr450 on the stuff in your pictures is the equivalent of an asian buying an extra large magnum condom
- 1 8
ah man i had to sign in for this. that is comedy pic of the day, bit sore on borrocks imo. xc at this level of weight weenie is just stupid and that pic proves it. i describe my style when taking uphills into account as all mountain, xc is just slightly dirty roads with a few knobs on the tires.
- 6 15
I would say i like XC, but all the XC riders whine and complain on the trails I like. AM is the way to go. XC is just road riding on smooth dirt roads.
- 6 1
Far out!!!! Borocks is definitely having a hard day at the office. Every one of his comments is negative proped below the threshold!!!
- 2 0
can i just say some of the best DH riders in the world, Gee, Racheal, Dan Atherton ride xc and dh and every other form of the sport, Steve Peat rides DH and XC, Cedric Gracia, Fabien Barrel, Sam Hill, Greg Minnar ALL ride XC and DH! Just to say the landing after that buckling had to hurt!
- 1 12
wouldnt doubt it, and just cuz i commented on this pic again ill get neg propped for it ahhahaha i dgaf what all u haters think!!
- 4 0
this is too funny...ahaha..... blow me.....instant classic. who cares what kind of riding you do as long as you get to pedal something
- 3 0
I still ride my old school full ridgid diamondback with vbrakes just for the pure excitement of feeling every bump and not being able to stop in time... good stuff every once and a while.
- 3 0
sounds like fun man all this technology nowadays sometimes fun to get back intouch with the beggining of things
- 3 8
screw all you haters, you guys are just all acting hardcore because one, its the internet, and two, cause you cant tell how steep gnarly or big stuff is in photos. i can guarantee that all you cocky ass xc guys on here would come to our riding spots, see how it looks in person and ride your asses back to the top of the hill. www.pinkbike.com/photo/6302185 www.pinkbike.com/photo/6302184 potaters gonna potate
- 4 2
Sorry, to all the XC haters but seriously, why hate on it? It is indeed still cycling. A different form of it yes, and FYI, many - infact all - the top DH worldcup racers, ride XC or road bikes. I do it all, cause it's all fun and I just love riding my bike(s), ofcourse I love freeriding and downhill, alot more, I do find it more intense to me, but everyone is different, leave it be, it's biking. Don't turn this into skating where freeriding or downhilling will turn into just a trend, it's all cycling and we're all having fun, LEAVE IT AT THAT, go hate on some trend whore skaters or something. Save your words for that.
- 2 0
Wow is this idiot contest or something? The guy is obviously stupid why you all reply to him like fools.
- 1 0
Agreed I was a little late on this one, but bikounet and immacaroni are telling you to shut up yourself.
- 3 1
borocks thats total bullshit i ride DH and XC and i have to admitt that DH gives me a bigger rush than xc but when am not going to whistler mt wash im just riding some xc at hartland and it is f*ck fun....................BOOM!'
- 1 10
So what you are saying is that you would rather do DH than XC cuz it "gives me a bigger rush" as you just said but seeing that it is not as convenient as XC, and you still want to bike, like all of us do, than you go ride some XC.................................you just proved what I was saying, except i think i said that DH is better but yeah whatever I dont care. this is from like 3 or 4 months ago so STFU already
- 1 11
and your BOOM at the end of your comment was dumb... were you trying to say that you beat me with your comment when you put a BOOM at the end because I dont feel beat or hurt in anyway.......
- 3 10
haha I'm not!! I started this without giving a fuck what all these people think and I still don't!!
- 2 0
opinions are opinions, everybody can have their own, just dont talk shit on other peoples. thats what makes people hate you.
- 1 2
Nah, I think I'll pass on blowing someone. Especially one named borocks. You complain about xc yet you name tells me your scared of rocks. Sorta like you wanted to boo rocks but some dirt jumper probably already took that name. Secondly, you complain about jumps not being big enough? Get busy. Hymaphrodyotie
- 27 0
Having ridden with and raced againt some top XC racers, I bet most of the people on pinkbike couldn't stay with one of them descending on the same bikes that they do.
- 15 0
Too right. The top boys don't want to give away hard won time by sucking on the technical sections. They'd pull the pants down of most of these internet warriors.
- 4 0
If that's the way you see XC, then I suppose that's the only XC that you're capable of riding :p trust the people who know what they're talking about...XC is intense and it is challenging. You're thinking of cyclo-cross. And that sh*t is just crazy.
- 1 1
the xc that i ride is actually fairly bumpy, so i dont know what DHmental is talking about. but cyclo cross is instense!!!! i dont do it but i know a lot of people from road racing that do it and its really instense!! one time someone told me there was a pro cross country racer at a cyclo cross race and he bunnyhopped the barriers. haha.
- 1 0
Then you good sir are not riding XC, you are riding AM or FR. I was talking about most XC race courses wich are little more than glorified fire roads.
- 34 0
dude the pod on my birthday is a guy eating shit, makes me feel like i might have a sketchy birthday.
- 2 1
xc is sick and all, yet I now ride an AM bike because my XC bike cracked when I was riding downhill and the bike wasn't even a year old.
- 5 1
gotta wonder how fast he was going to Taco on a cross country course . To all the XC hater's guy's Remember that before we had long travel bike's XC was all there was . I for one enjoy riding XC ,Granted only w 1 gear because let's face it Xc is dull and every climb need's extra challanges
- 3 1
haha thats what i think, if your gonna ride an xc bike you mayswell single speed the damn thing to get the full experience.
- 3 0
Hehe singlespeed XC, you guys are sure, you don't have a damaged personality syndrome? Given specific terrain, SS is simply... a PAIN. Whether Xc is fun or not, or actualy possible to practice at all, it all depends on kind of terrain and trails you have around. I ride xc for fun because the trails i'm happy to have around are super fun and challenging. Though i could never train for proper xc racing as I'm mentaly impaired to appreciate riding so much road as it requires.
- 2 0
xc just doesnt excite me, but getting on a ss is way more fun. i just enjoy riding bikes. im not into genre bashing, its all relative.
- 4 0
its funny how much xc haters there are in the world, again as many others said, i do prefer dh by a long shot BUT its nice to have a break from all the fast dh and big stuff and go for a nice quiet long xc ride either up some trail center or just natural stuff or really push urself to get better and faster, its easy to either make xc into a big long day ride or just a quiet relax time after work when you dont fancy hitting some dh. whcih all comes down to personal preference or what you feel like doin so i dont understand why people hate it so much. sure i have done my fair share on hating on xc riders but now i find myself doing more xc i have grown to not mind it and not to hate on other xc riders.
- 5 0
i think a lot of the hate on xc come from A; the tight shorts. and B; a lot of the racers have an "interesting attitude" . i do my share of xc riding, but a lot of the racers are just asses (note the term "a lot", not "all")
- 2 0
i agree, a majority of xc racers have a pretty bad attitude, but when i ridem i dont wear tight shorts haha and when i ride xc, i do it for the fun of it, its just a great feeling to be out an a nice trail with no one to bug you, theres nothing like a nice care free ride, i also do it for the exercise haha
- 2 0
its great exercise, i have an xc bike, most of my riding is xc as a matter of fact. but i really do hate the image the racing scene has given xc. i used to really enjoy racing xc as a beginner in the sport. but the attitudes, and the little pissing matches sucked all the fun out of it. there were some older elite racers that were really cool guys who were more then willing to help new riders out, but most of them were just pricks! hell. i'd love to do some xc races to stay sharp between dh events, but the attitudes are too much of a turn off
- 4 0
Too bad everyone is commenting on the "lightweight" wheels buckling. 1950g wheelset on the 29er isn't lightweight...anything buckles if you throw it into a corner at speed turned sharply. No amount of front/rear suspension/wheel build makes up for that. The rock gardens on WC XC courses used to be part of the DH scene 4-5 years ago, so unless you float through it, you set yourself up...the picture is post-taco from before this position...no dirt flinging to the left and the wheel is in the air.
Would have been a better POD if caught at Taco Creation.
Would have been a better POD if caught at Taco Creation.
- 4 0
I have nothing but admiration for these guys I mean lets face it we are all invincible on our 8" travel DH rigs and full face lids but have you ever tried keeping up with an XC guy on a technical climb or decent on their set up?? I bet most DH people who dont skill themselves in XC wouldnt even smell the XC guys sweaty gooch! Tried it in Whistler getting away from the park for a few days and the XC riding there was unreal.
Anyway I still reckon he wishes he had a 729 right there!!
Anyway I still reckon he wishes he had a 729 right there!!
- 3 0
i find each one had their own perk, DH, i find i get more of a rush out of (only cause i like to go real fast with minimal control 
) however i find XC is more of a workout (which is my favorite part) its is also just all together a great time, i love doing XC, i also love doing DH...there i solved the argument now everybody chill !!!
) however i find XC is more of a workout (which is my favorite part) its is also just all together a great time, i love doing XC, i also love doing DH...there i solved the argument now everybody chill !!!- 3 0
IAlls i have to say is i used to race at the cat 2 level in both dh and xc and loved each side in its own way. actually what got me into DH was the fact at mount heed skibowl we used to race the same dh run for both the xc race as the dh and thats when i concluded that it would be extra practice on my descents. so i must say coming from both sides of the fence myself i think were all one sport and would love to see some of you try to descend your runs on a short travel bike sometime. it will build up your skills fo sure!
- 5 0
When we were going up on the chair for the DH there were a lot of comments like 'glad it's not me riding that on an xc bike' - and that's from guys racing the DH WC. It was a pretty gnarly section for skinny tyres and high saddles. Not much soft to land on either!
- 2 1
that's probably a giant anthem 29'r. a lot of 29'rs get problems in that section of the trail in MSA because aside from being rocky, there's also a tight turn which makes it hard for 29'rs because of their huge foot print.
but guess what who won XC at MSA this year? its specialized rider jaroslav kulhavy aboard a full suspension epic 29'r.
but guess what who won XC at MSA this year? its specialized rider jaroslav kulhavy aboard a full suspension epic 29'r.
- 1 0
They roll over things better, but they aren't as strong...bigger diameter, longer spokes, less likely to stay true...they've got they're advantages though. I'd have a 29'r XC bike for sure.
- 2 0
29 wheels roll over obstacles better and faster vs 26'rs. problem is cornering or turning. it requires more effort than the usual because of a larger wheel to ground contact vs 26'rs (larger contact = harder to steer). in the picture, he's about to make a turn but unfortunately, his front wheel got glued to the ground which forced all of the rider's weight on the front wheel. also, having longer spokes means its more likely to flex.
- 1 0
wow all these hater of all types of riding thats cool to hate the sport we all do but just so you all know DH riders are the ones going the biggest even if they ride a XC trail they still do it way faster than someone on a XC bike and as for getting to the top to go down thats why there are lifts or trucks to get to the top you dont always need to ride up XC riders on the other hand are gnarly to though there is no way in hell i can keep up on a climb with them they'd rip my legs off i don't climb but there is respect for all types of riding that it seems like everyone needs to learn
- 1 0
Why you all have to argue over such things ? It's all about what you enjoy doing. Me personally, I hate long climbs and I'd love to ride downhill all day, and my cousin is the exact opposite, for example
- 2 0
dude these rims are not that light. and its not like world cup downhillers arent going for the lightest shit. Syndicate is all on full carbon frames and rims. learn your shit before you assume all xc racers are weight weenies.
- 1 1
I love all the people hatin on XC! DH is fun but how often do you get epic rides doing dh? On xc you can get an epic ride everyday if you want and if you know how to actually ride a bike you can get the same adrenaline rush in xc as in dh. I am not saying DH isn't great since I race both DH and XC but everyone needs to stop being so close minded and realize it is the same sport and they are both great. The funny thing about both these sports is that the pros on both sides appreciate the other kind of riding and many of them do both
