XC what is so fun about it.

PB Forum :: All Mountain, Enduro & Cross-Country
XC what is so fun about it.
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Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:00 Quote
Okay, Not tryin to hate on your guys riding but im just wondering what you guys find so fun about riding up a hill... I've seen alot of xc riders and alot of them have like... fox forks and other good components but why do you need these if youre just gonna go up hills and probably down really smooth ones... also why do you wear tight clothes?? does it make you faster??
flag jimdog
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:05 Quote
i like xc because it is an excuse to wear lycra and show off the smooth curves of my luscious body
flag mr-wilson
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:07 Quote
XC is more than riding up hill. There's a challenge to it like any other riding. Few hills are smooth on the up or down. Why do dh bikes need nice parts? Better componentry can aid the performance and handling of a bike in any given situation. I don't wear spandex when I'm out so can't comment on that.
flag
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:10 Quote
i just see old guys riding these xc bikes with super nice fox forks on them but all they do is ride the bikepaths and roads? im just wondering if youre gonna spend money on nice forks why dont you just get full suspension and go ever faster and catch air.. if youre gonna go on bikepaths and roads get a rigid fixie and gimme your f*ckin fox so i can huck some real shit
flag qwiksand99
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:11 Quote
I ride xc/am and dh/fr. I don't wear tight clothes. I have good components because I like my bike to work proberly when I'm depending on it. Going up a mountain results in a ride down. xc/am bikes can take a lot more than you think, heck I used mine on Mammoth last year and it worked just fine for everything except double diamonds. The trails I have locally do not require a dh bike and would be a pain in the ass to bring one to the top. Last but not least, this thing called excersise, and being in shape....the girls kinda like it.Beer
flag mr-wilson
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:12 Quote
Those people are great, they buy expensive stuff and help out the industry, they stay off the trails and then sell them super cheap at the end of the year.
flag Ishatawk
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:14 Quote
Well...quite a question.

First of all, XC isn't all climbing. XC is going on flats through unspeakable beautiful alpine meadows. XC is going 45 mph (70kph) down loose, dusty fireroads riddled with braking bumps. That's a kind of peace and fun anyone can identify with. XC is climbing, though, for a part. Definitely.

There are multiple kids of climbs - the short, technical ones, the relaxed ones where you can sit, spin, and enjoy the scenery, and the lung-burstingly intense ones where you bow your head and pray to every god in the world that the top is just around the next switchback.

The technical ones are short, intense, and enjoyable in the same way that clearing a super gnarly rock garden is.

The middle-level ones allow you to truly let the bike become more than a means of transportation but also an extension of your body and a profound connector to nature. It allows you to meld with your environment in a way I find that you can't really in downhill except while you're on a lift or about to drop.

The climbs that leave aches in your legs for a few days afterwards aren't fun. Not in the moment. The satisfaction you get from clearing one, though - and the knowledge that it's made you that much stronger - that is fun. It's a special feeling that only endurance athletes can get. It's why I run marathons.

I suppose the fundamental truth is that XC is riding a bike. Just like DH, or DJ, or trials, or road riding. Everyone likes it a bit different. I happen to like it in pretty much every form. When I want to clear my head with exercise and nature, XC is what I do.

And about the clothes - that's really a misconception. I generally wear at least baggy shorts (with a chamois) when I ride XC. The core reasoning behind the tight clothing habit though is that:

1) They don't scrunch up, chafe, or get in the way.

2) They're lighter.

3) The tight stuff tends to be made of more breathable fabric.

and

4) When used correctly, tight stuff helps regulate and control blood flow so you don't ache the next day.

...and it makes you feel faster, too.

That's my 2 cents
flag frolosophy
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:15 Quote
it's a physical challenge that keeps you fit, allows you to experience the outdoors and get away from everyday life, and the feeling you get from climbing a huge hill and then bombing down it again just can't be beat. hop onto a cross country bike, throw on your hydration pack, and go out for an epic all-day ride. don't knock it till you try it. one of the most fun things you'll ever experience in my opinion. it's what got me hooked on biking and without my XC background, i wouldn't be half the downhiller i am now.
flag natan
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 21:18 Quote
the challenge and fact that you get to earn your way back down the hill is what makes it fun for me. When descending on a xc bike, I personally push it as hard on the skinny tire bike as I do on a long travel bike with taking similar lines no matter what bike im on and that can be a challenge, thats why we like the good brakes and forks, plus descending on a xc bike can help you get faster on a dh bike and real guys ride hardtails. the tight shorts help when having to get behind the seat and then come back up when it gets real steep.
flag anti-guitar-hero
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 22:39 Quote
I dont blame you for wondering (op), a lot of people do. Now, like previously mentioned, xc is not all climbing hills. The Leadville 100, one of the gnarliest races in the world, has some 50+ miles of descending in one race. If your idea of cross-country is a bunch of old guys riding along a bike path, you are sorely mistaken.

I ride xc because i get to go places, i travel for races, i ride 50 miles in a day.

Trust me, the suspension is needed. Some of the xc trails where i live are so technical kids my age on 8+ inches of travel wont even go near them.
flag bankturn
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 23:22 Quote
Everyone seems to be getting the point across pretty well, but I guess I'll put my two cents in too. I just recently started riding some xc in addition to dh riding. I found the first couple rides really sucked, and then I started to find the rhythm and looked at it as more of a challenge. I was shocked at how technical some climbs can really be. For me it combines exercise with bike riding, and you can really rip it on the downhill on the xc trails around me because the descents are pretty easy. You also don't get hurt nearly as much or as badly.Confused
flag greg939
Posted: May 25, 2009 at 23:32 Quote
Well I ride XC because I have a sick river valley with lots of fun trails that don't require a big travel bike. XC can still have the big descents on sketchy terrain and you can get air but trust me it is a little scary on an Epic.

This doesn't mean I don't ride other forms. I ride street a couple of hours a night usually on a P3 and I use that to hit dirt jumps or a BMX track. Plus if I want to hit the bike parks I work for an LBS with plenty of demo downhill bikes to sign out and use at my disposal.

I think I ride XC because I find it as fun as all those other things. Riding mountain bikes is riding mountain bikes, it all makes you feel great. Whether I finish a huge climb to a big descent or hit a jump I never have before I still feel great doing it.

You learn a little something from every discipline so go hit up an XC trail somewhere and see how it is. Trust me it will help you out in some form or fashion. Oh and I ride an Epic in jeans most of the time, you don't need to wearing lycra, just be comfortable. I love smoking buy a group of XC riders in lycra while I am riding in jeans.
flag Anderz
Posted: May 26, 2009 at 0:16 Quote
I ride XC because
1) It's a good introduction to the sport
2) It's a good way to keep fit
3) It's not all up uphill all these "trail centres with red ,black etc are actually XC"
4) You can see a lot more on your XC bike than your DH bike
and XC is a great way to train through the winter to keep fit for the up coming DH seasonSmile
flag
Posted: May 26, 2009 at 0:44 Quote
people who dh/fr ride xc too because you gain strength and endurance while riding a bike. Look at it this way, if you can pedal a bike uphill pretty well, you are going to benefit by being able to pedal better on flat sections or downhill. Riding xc also teaches you how to make smooth and consistent pedal strokes.
flag wanabe
Posted: May 26, 2009 at 0:51 Quote
the best part about XC is that i can avoid the hole convincing myself im mussel bound when im really fat thing
because it provides enough exercise
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