Aaron Gwin Wins DH on a 29er - Jill Kintner Wins on a 650B - Sea Otter 2013

Apr 21, 2013
by Mike Kazimer  
Jill Kintner continued her dominance this weekend at Sea Otter, finishing ahead of Tracy Moseley in the pro women's downhill race aboard her 27.5" wheeled Norco Sight. Gwin snagged the top spot in the pro men's field on a Specialized Enduro 29er, narrowly beating Mick Hannah. Stay tuned for a full photo recap of today's racing action.

Jill Kintner also looking deadly fast and said she was pretty much ready to race after only a few pinned practice laps.

Jill Kintner was looking fast in practice, and today it paid off.


Pro Women's Results

photo

Gwin
Big wheels keep on turning, and this time they took Gwin to the top spot on the podium.

Pro Men's Results

photo


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Member since Feb 1, 2009
1,716 articles

233 Comments
  • 160 12
 Back to his Gwinning ways
  • 33 210
flag Devinallan000x (Apr 21, 2013 at 13:05) (Below Threshold)
 at least there is two pictures this time * applause*
  • 294 7
 So would you rather wait until tomorrow to know who won when we take the time to put a full post together? We do quick recap with 2 photos so we can announce who won the race... it's not supposed to be a photo feature....
  • 155 16
 just call me the new protour
  • 32 87
flag burnedbagel69 (Apr 21, 2013 at 13:21) (Below Threshold)
 take that gwin haters
  • 115 11
 With the top 6 men coming in within .5 of a second he's not exactly dominating yet...
  • 149 19
 @devinallan000x or we could just call you a bitch
  • 19 9
 It's a two minute course, I'm surprised the times weren't closer!
  • 41 7
 Danny Hart 28th? Da fuq?
  • 101 1
 Full Report says 'Danny decided to ride a Taco down today's track, while Sam Hill used a WalMart trolley painted Monster Green' Not a credible source
  • 7 2
 Yaa! Close call indeed. Top 6 are all 0.400ths of a second within each other... Crazy!
  • 17 1
 Man I was right there filming...he's so fast!!! Best birthday ever.
  • 12 3
 It's sea otter. guaranteed Hard and Hill didn't relly give a flying fk about the flat jump course, the thing is a glorified super-d . At least thats what I'm hoping for.
  • 16 1
 How old are Lopes and Gracia now and they showed up all these young blokes? Not to mention Peaty too and on such a pedally course. Looks like Stevie Smith has upped his fitness. With the Worlds in South Africa being a pedally course too this could be a good example of what those results might look like. Onya sick Mick.
  • 9 0
 Chopper- the time sheet has their ages to the right of their names... and apparently Richie Rude is 94 years old, hahaha.
  • 5 1
 Top 5 all within 0.3 of a second ... and you expected it to be closer!?

Danny Hart/Sam Hill, clearly taking the opportunity to bust some whips for the crowd!
  • 10 6
 All he does is Gwin Gwin Gwin no matter what!
  • 3 17
flag mcmahonad (Apr 21, 2013 at 17:05) (Below Threshold)
 haters gonna hate
  • 22 23
 Is it just me or is everyone else over all this wheel size talk ? The UCI need to make DH racing one size wheel and thats it, racheal atherton was right DH is all about the rough stuff, no point trying to smooth it out with bigger wheels!!!
  • 15 2
 If they want to use bigger wheels to smooth it out let them and then make the courses gnarlier
  • 7 23
flag michaelmarsh (Apr 21, 2013 at 20:05) (Below Threshold)
 Norbs got robbed
  • 6 0
 I just uploaded some clips of all the pro guys riding, check it out.
  • 3 0
 how could someone hat gwin?
  • 16 0
 maybe he's starting to go bald?
  • 2 0
 Richie Rude is abit old for racing at top 15 spots.
  • 3 3
 I think my golf cart could make it "down" that hill. What happens monday a.m. at sea otter when everyone sober up and realize season hasnt even started yet?
  • 18 20
 It ain't a DH bike if you can put 29" tires on it
  • 9 0
 Steve Smith...good start. But Im pretty sure theres no Bevelstoke or Nanino in BC
  • 8 0
 Looks like Gwin learned something after Mitch roasted him on a 29er at the last GRT. May the best rider/bike combo win.
  • 7 9
 It's not a DH bike if you can buy it 'off the rack' in the trail bike section of your LBS
  • 2 0
 A win on a 29er UCI wont be happy I foresee a ban
  • 3 0
 the all "29er" story gets me bored... who cares?
  • 4 2
 im not sure where the resistance to 29ers in DH comes from? the technology and money has shifted from DH to Enduro. every company out there is exploring every option to make their Enduro bikes faster. now because of such rapid improvements these trail bikes are becoming more capable than most DH bikes in a variety of situations. While a full DH race bike will have a clear advantage on some tracks (every one of the world cups for sure) its just not necessary anymore to have such a big bike as it would have been years ago.Tracks aren't changing. The bikes are improving. How is this bad?

Im sure someone tried to ban suspension on top level "Mountain bikes" in he 90s when suspension was first invented because it was an unfair advantage. 6 inches used to be over kill and unnecessary. Or it made things too easy. why cant we just embrace innovation and use our money as a vote to tell the companies what we want? They will only make bikes that people buy.
  • 100 11
 I don't understand why everyone has their panties in a knot over a 29'er winning... it's the right size for the course. Just like XC riders sometimes ride 26", or 27.5", or 29"... it's nice to see DH riders having the option and if they're a second faster on big wheels so be it, if another course is better suited to 26" rock on... It adds another element to what the team needs to consider for their strategy, do you want to stay on 26" and pick up time in the gnarly tight sections or do you want to try a bigger wheel for some more speed... do you want to ride what other riders are riding or do you want to try and get an edge from a different wheel size... all that just makes for more to watch at the races. If you don't want to ride them, don't... but more options is never a bad thing.
  • 71 17
 If every dh racer has to now take 3 diff bikes to cater for each wheel size to every event then the cost of racing will become outrageously expensive.. It will then become a money thing, you should expect to see big brands do well and small brands pull out of dh all together...

Just look at the "evolution" of motogp the last few years and the efforts they're going to to reduce costs....
  • 11 1
 Well said.
  • 18 6
 you and I dont have to buy 3 bikes, but i am certain aaron gwin could have 10 bikes if he was so inclined. professionals might be the only ones capable of benefitting from such a choice, but who better to have the choice?! im happy with my 26 wheels, but that doesnt mean gwin will be slowed down at sea otter because specialized cant afford to give him the bike he requires.
  • 21 9
 You're missing the point hermit, Motogp has gotten so expensive that two of the worlds largest manufacturers are not represented. Having so many variables is not conducive to good racing, that'd be like formula one cars being allowed to run different size engines...
  • 65 9
 First off... That's not what it means at all.. it means that if you want to race a 29'er, bring your 29'er. If you want to race a 26", bring it... If you have only one bike, ride the hell out of it and don't worry about the wheel size. Now, setting that aside, privateers aren't winning now so it changes nothing. All the top teams, the teams who are fighting for wins now, can easily afford to get a selection of wheels and frames from their sponsors and it won't be giving any of the teams a competitive advantage based on finances.

Beyond that, there's already a huge gap in finances... you don't think that a full factory team that can afford putting on brand new hand cut rubber every run has a huge advantage over a privateer who's been racing on the same tires for four weekends, regardless of wheel size??? You don't think that the teams who can afford data acquisition sessions with their riders and suspension developers to dial in bike performance has a huge advantage over a rider who pulls a RC4 out of the box and slaps it on his bike? There will always be financial limitations but that shouldn't limit the progress of racing. Choosing 29'ers will cost some riders victory at some races and will bring some riders victory at other races. The point is that the choice is a good thing, whatever you prefer in the end the option is good.
  • 7 1
 Pretty sure Gwin already has the bikes. He just didn't race them before. I mean how many vids have you see of Gracia on his Tallboy or Peat on his Chameleon?
  • 2 0
 I know, I saw every pro go down the first part of the course, props to Elliot Jackson, threw an extremely steezy whip, ill upload a vid of it tonight, the race was awesome regardless of who won its a blast to see all those pros in person
  • 9 7
 TO EVERYONE WHO REPLIED TO THIS....READ THE FIRST COMMENT ABOUT PANTIES IN A BUNCH YOU DAMN HYPOCRITES.
  • 26 4
 I agree, and the comparisons to motoGP are both ridiculous and irrelevant. Gwin beat a racer on 26" he usually beats, and by only 1/100th of a second, so you can obviously still be competitive on a 26" wheels, especially on a real World Cup DH track.
  • 4 0
 Exactly, this course does not need 8 inches of travel and has no technical rock sections, I have no problem with riders riding bikes that they feel comfortable on in different courses..if I were a pro I would use whichever bike felt the best on the course and could get me to the bottom fastest
  • 6 0
 protour amazingly posted something relevant. you're the one trying to start a shit show if anything....
  • 5 7
 I knew the wheelsize-f*ggotry will be exploited by our fellow marketing-"journalists"
  • 3 2
 Yeah cos 29er are only ridden by lycra clad road fags...! Oh no wait, I'm not a homophobe. Or an idiot.

This is not an out-and-out DH course - even if it is 'down' the 'hill' so why shouldn't they use a more or less appropriate bike? Is Sea Otter a UCI sanctioned event?

Even if this kind of trend did mean that racer had to keep a stable of different wheel-sized bikes it wouldn't mean that they would have to take each bike to ALL the races - just the ones that are appropriate. Much in the same way the pros probably don't take their road bikes to the races because they don't need them there for training.

Badbadleroybrown's point about privteers not winning is absolutely on the mark - nothing changes and that's fine. There is no industry consipiracy to take your 26ers away. Most people in the industry love and want to ride their bikes just the same as you. As we saw in the video that came out with Santa Cruz's Bronson; they released that bike due to customer demand.
  • 3 2
 Funfact: the times rather disprove that the wheelsize has any measureable effect on the race-outcome. Minaar is basically right behind on a full-blown dh -rig and one week before cunningham wanted to convince us that 650b would make up seconds. Lol
  • 4 1
 Im with ad15 on this. One wheel size is fine. It should be about rider skill and not who picked the right wheel size. More wheelsizes means it will be more annoying for amateurs with small budget trying to go pro. If we want more people entering this sport it should be easier not harder.
  • 1 2
 Protour, if Gwin was on a 26 he might not have won...we will never know wether it was skill or wheel size. at least if everyone races on the same wheel size then that is one variable out of the window, it is the same reason that rally cars are restricted to a certain engine size, it's the same reason that olympic sailing uses one design class racing,, so its about the talent of the racer, not how much money they have.
  • 3 2
 Get your shit together: The six fastest riders where all in the same second with 650b, 26, 29, enduro, trail- and dh-bikes. To say wheelsize has a measureable effect on the outcome of that race is ridiculous and you know it.

do you think gwin won because he's gwin or because he's on a 29er? Minaar being just fractions of a second behind him on a 26 V10 means either that minaar is fit like hell or 29 is bad.
  • 4 2
 Jesus christ... shut the f*ck up tabletop. We get it, you don't think big wheels mean anything. Reality check, you're a keyboard warrior who thinks he has a clue but the best riders in the world are choosing to ride the big wheels which means that they feel there is some advantage to be had. Given that a typically very close race was made closer by several riders opting for big wheels, I think it's pretty obvious... Who's to say Minaar wouldn't have won by a full second if everyone was on 26" wheels... or that he wouldn't have still won by a second if he was on 29" wheels like Gracia, or 27.5" wheels like Peaty... if your head is so far up your own ass that you can't see the correlation and just want to pretend it's "ridiculous', well then cheers... enjoy the view. The rest of us are out riding big wheels laughing at you.
  • 2 0
 Also though, it's important to bare in mind that there are of course infitinite other external and internal factors which either can or can't be measured, like the racers' positions in their training schedule, their ability to pedal vs descend (not mutually exclusive, I know), their mood on the day, their 'comfortability' on a new bike and/or in a new team, etc... Who's to say that Gwin wasn't having shit day and not have smoked the competition by further seconds had the race not been held the next day?

My point being that, as XC showed, it wasn't one victory that made 29 the go-to wheel size, but a series of wins, so no we won't we be able to tell from this race what the best wheel-size is for mountain biking in general (if there is such a thing) but we can take a guess that on a fairly flat course with not to much tech and turns with lots of pedalling, that a larger wheel size is going to be preferable.

I'm super interested to see how the pros approach South Africa this year.
  • 2 1
 @badbadleroybrown

helloooo sheeple. LoL @ "what the best riders in the world choose" - does 'marketing' ring a bell or are you completely oblivious?

And so far Gwin won vs. 26 in fractions of a second - that's a few inches difference so maybe wheelsize might have something to do with it...
  • 1 0
 Hate to blow your hole world apart tabletop, but race results ARE marketing.
  • 1 1
 they may be exploited by marketing but what makes a race result is the technical ability and the physical fitness paired with the mental attidude of an athlete. Not so much a bike or even an energy drink if you mixed that up.
  • 68 1
 It's amazing what an "all mountain" bike can do these days. We are pretty lucky to be riding at a time when technology can provide a bike that you can ride all day and win a DH race on. Call the Sea Otter DH what you want but I still think we are lucky to have these killer toys we call mountain bikes.
  • 4 1
 Well didn't Graves win on his 4x bike last time? I think for such courses it doesn't really matter how big your bike is as long as you can handle it. Sometimes it seems to be wise to stick with short travel or in this case with bigger wheels. Kinda reminds me of everyones special features back in Canberra Big Grin
  • 11 6
 Yeah, and I still wouldn't buy one
  • 10 8
 yeah a DH race. on a non-DH course. lame sauce
  • 3 1
 TG-air, best answer on PB
  • 1 0
 Killer toys that in less than five years we will have to finance in order to purchase. Or randomly have 10K on us.
  • 23 1
 Why is it such a big deal what wheel size people use? If you think you will post the fastest time on big wheels, then why not?
  • 34 3
 because some people need to know that the money they lost selling the 6 month old 26er they had to buy the 29er they have just sold at a huge loss to get their new 650b bike was worth it. fashion is expensive people.
  • 3 2
 @b45her - best reply on PB ever!
  • 3 0
 b45her great answer. 100% of new wheel-size haters on here.
  • 16 0
 Why is everyone raging so hard about the 29ers? like actually can some one who is annoyed about them/doesnt like them tell me what the issue with them is? Jared graves won it on a 3 inch travel 4x bike a couple of years back its not exactly a challenging track. I literally couldn't give a f*ck what wheel size my bike has. If the bikes been designed well then it'll work well. my 29" xc bike is great fun to ride and so is my 26" dh bike. Its really not that big a deal.
  • 13 0
 It's because people like to put themselves into sects and tribes and argue over things that don't really matter. I ride a 29er. If you ride a 26er, nice. If you ride a 650b? I want a go, I haven't ridden one yet.
  • 2 1
 Do it, the climbing and acceleration are both really worth it
  • 19 0
 Is Rachel ok?
  • 3 0
 yeh what happened there.......
  • 16 0
 Richie Rude 94 years old and smashing it!
  • 28 16
 29" enduro bike wins. What a POS downhill track.
  • 14 6
 LMAO. Yeah... cause Canberra is soooo challenging.
  • 14 10
 Also a POS track. No arguments here
  • 9 4
 They shouldn't call tracks like this DH, maybe call it a wannabe DH.
  • 4 1
 Maybe they should have DH Beachcruiser class !
  • 5 0
 If you would have been there you would of had fun on any bike you brought. Course was fun and so was the atmosphere!!!!!
  • 9 0
 EVERYONE CHILL, it had a long flat section, can we not accept that the best rider on the day won, since everyone was on enduro bikes
  • 75 0
 NOOO we must argue angrily over 3 inches of wheel diameter!!!!!!!!!!
  • 9 0
 Of course the real issue is spoke count ......... 28 32 36 or 48
  • 4 0
 Next, it will be the color of your paint job. Flashy gold or ninja black...
  • 9 0
 Let the riders choose their weapons of choice for their battles, why are so many people against evolution?
I'm not saying go pro 9er, or 6er
  • 9 1
 Because people are worried all the pros will go 29er, or 650b, or 28.25 or whatever's new, and can't be seen riding a bike that the pros aren't riding!
  • 10 3
 Is anybody contemplating the reality that this course is not technical, Sea Otter doesn't count for World Cup points, and serves as a mini-interbike media extravaganza? I am sure the Team Managers are pushing certain bikes. Gwin probably got a "win-on-an-Enduro-29er" bonus check.
  • 11 0
 Gwin ran multiple practice runs on 3 different bikes.
  • 2 1
 Then why were all the pics from practice of him on the 29" Enduro?
  • 1 0
 I haven't seen "all" the practice pics but my good friend who's a Trek Pro 'Eye' witnessed him trying multiple bikes in practice runs.
  • 2 0
 ah your friend. of course.
  • 12 6
 .010 of a second between 1st and 2nd. Yeah couldn't possibly be the riders. Gotta be the wheel size that made the difference. NOT. If that's all the 29er is worth between 2 pro riders, I'll keep my 26 thank you very much.
  • 8 2
 Mick Hannah was on a 650b... who's to say that .010 didn't come directly from the difference in wheel size?
  • 12 2
 True enough. Or tire pressures for that matter. Too many variables to say that the wheel size made him. I'm curious if Gwin chose the 29er or was told to ride it.
  • 2 1
 @badbad are you sure sikmik was on 650b? i heard from factory guys it's not race ready yet, sikmik is using standar 26" polygon TX..
  • 2 0
 Just before the race I saw shots of the prototype 650b that he was supposed to be riding.. full carbon, I think it was called the Orion or something like that. I haven't seen the actual race so I'm not 100% sure that what he rode. It's possible he changed his mind at the last minute but I don't know for sure either way.

Edit - Here you go www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2013-Sea-Otter-Classic-Pit-Bits-1st-Edition,5449/Mick-Hannahs-Full-Carbon-Prototype-650B-Enduro-Bike-Sea-Otter-Classic-Pit-Bits,53974/bturman,109
  • 1 0
 Mick's 650B is a nice looking bike... I want one.Thanks for the pic link Leroy.
  • 7 2
 Anyone know what Minnaar was ridding? Over at www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2013-Sea-Otter-Pro-Downhill-Bikes,5466/Greg-Minnaars-Santa-Cruz-V10c,54156/bturman,109#.UXRfeYQRjL8.mailto they showed him with his V10, where almost everyone else was posing with their short travel bikes. If he did place fifth riding his V10, then mad props to him!
  • 5 0
 2 Things:

1) I'm happy Holly managed to be in the top 5. Way to go Holly.
2) Steve Peat a head of Sam Hill by 4 seconds. Wow, I must admit I was not expecting that.

This season is going to be incredible. Can't wait to see what happens...What the hell am I saying??? Can't wait to ride next month.
  • 5 1
 So, it isn't the gnarliest track in the world, that's not the point of the whole event. Whatever the grade of the track its the same for every rider and they all have to try and beat each other. If the fastest weapon of choice is a 29er then so be it. It's not as if they've changed bikes with rocket boosters, the wheel is just a bit bigger...get over it. It would be ridiculous if we banned 29ers from races or gave them a separate category, just let the pros choose their wheel size. If they are slower on some tracks then riders won't use them on that track, simple.
  • 5 1
 Specialized Marketing Director: "Hey Aaron, do you think you can win this race on our 29er?"

Aaron: "Yeah can do on 26, 27.5 or 29, no problem"

Specialized Marketing Director:"Good, go for the 29er then, that will make us sell a lot of expensive bikes"
  • 1 0
 Spesh couldn't lose here. Even if he didn't win, they can still spin it as an all-mountain bike taking on DH.
  • 4 0
 Maybe the UCI should only allow 1 frame per rider for the whole DH world circuit, where if the frame gets damaged, the damaged frame may only be replaced by an exact copy of the original. It would add another element of strategy to the season where teams would have to analyse the strengths/weaknesses of their riders and the right bike frame to use for the whole season based on the event venue list. One of the main downsides of this ruling would be that prototyping testing of frames in the world circuit would occur to a much lesser extent. However, such a ruling could lead to the off season development of DH frames that have a lot of adjustability technologies such as dropouts (or similar) that allow for easy and cheap wheel size acceptance and geometry customisation. Such a bike could have positives for all types of riders ranging from the ‘set once and ride whatever’ riders through to the ‘tinkerers’, and in the long run save a lot of people a lot of money. I don’t think the industry would shoot themselves in the foot like that though???
  • 3 0
 Did Minnaar race it on his V10? If so, he should get the 'Rockstar' props for being that close in time on that track running a DH bike when the top 4 are on AM bikes with bigger wheels. Other then that, if Gwinn pulls off some actual WC races on the Enduro 29, then he is the true Honey Badger!
  • 2 2
 Gwin knows he won't win anymore world cups so he gave it everything he had at a race he knew no one was trying at. Take one win early bin the season to feel good.
  • 4 0
 I'll take that wager, sir.
  • 7 0
 Top 6 within 1 second!
  • 5 0
 yup Stevie right there. wicked racing
  • 2 0
 Whats amazing is Greg Minnar full DH rig .36 of a second back from Gwin and he beat all of his teamates on AM bikes, on the same second as Gwin, if you want to get scientific about wheel advantages thats embarrassing for every AM bike on that course regardless of size or where they finished!
  • 1 0
 No clue what he raced on but I did see a video of him riding a Bronson in practice at some point.
  • 1 0
 nevermind, i just saw the post of him racing the v10. mad props!!
  • 2 0
 If 659b bikes and 29ers bring more riders to the sport because it makes them believe they can ride trails faster or more confidently - good. It means more money invested into the sport directly, and also indirectly through increasing the quantity of financially accessible, good quality bikes in the second hand market for newbies to the sport. If youre smart enough to look past all the marketing and realise that a bike can be good and fun regardless of wheel size, you'll go out and find some really sweet second hand deals.
  • 2 0
 I'm glad to see a 29er take the mens, despite being a seriously invested and devout 26" enthusiast. I'm sure the larger wheel sizes offer performance advantages, but I'm not some racer wanna-be and just like to have fun, so I'd love for the dust to settle on the mid and big wheel debates. We like what we like and I do just fine.... I love a good challenge on the downs.
  • 5 1
 sikmik! sikmilisec! too bad orrin650b is not race ready yet... but great results and congrats all.. tup
  • 11 6
 To be more appropriate:

What the coitus is this feces?!
  • 3 1
 HAHAHAHA

Why would someone neg prop Stuuriaan??? Sorry bud, but if I could I'd prop you up to +100 to make up for these kids.
  • 3 1
 ^you are the medic. You should have these skills by now.
  • 1 0
 Totally agree that the average biker should stick to whatever he can afford / likes. Sea Otter seems like more of a "show - off " event, where the riders go and relax, and show some prototypes to the masses. Racing comes second, or third or whatever...the atmosphere is most important.
But when it's about racing for points and GC, there have to be standards. Wheel size seems to be a huge factor and there should be a standard for the rider's techinque, fitness and bike quality to become obvious. It's not like comparing handlebar lenghts or suspension settings, those are variables that help the rider to show his stuff.
Some bike spec's have to be regulated, others must be left to personal choice so that ( both ) skill and bike craftsmanship to surface. Being liberal about wheelsizes within the World Circuit , i think, would bring only hazard.
  • 1 0
 racer raced today too. place near the back but beat my buddy! !! second practice run broke my PRO stem which was a direct mount, bent my chromag bar up on left wierd! ! and next get news is to see CG coming up 15th! ! love to ride
  • 1 0
 6 seconds covers the field. Old guys, young guys, big wheels, small wheels, whatever it may be, you all know this course is about scrubs and pedaling so what's all the fuss? Nice tight race with different strategies, nothing wrong with that!
  • 4 0
 That seals it. I'm getting rid of my DH rig and buying a hardtail carbon 29er for my downhill race bike.
Big Grin
  • 4 0
 Would be interesting to know what time Gwin could of done on 26's compared to the 29er
  • 1 0
 What the f*ck is happening to our sport?!? Two big races at the start of the season won on big wheels and single crown forks?!? I don't blame the riders at all for choosing the best bike for the track, but surely the track designers or those who choose the courses for so called "DH races" have some questions to answer. DH courses for DH bikes, Enduro courses for Enduro bikes and XC courses for XC bikes. Doesn't that seem sensible? Our sport is being diluted, can't wait to see some proper DH later this season..... Why not just take all the gnar away and let a 'wired' Armstrong destroy the field? People will be riding time trial rigs in DH races soon....
  • 1 0
 Just trying to figure out the county/region codes in the results. Obviously Peaty's 'SH' is Sheffield, can't work out some of the others. Is Danny Hart 'Colorado' or 'Colchester' ? And since when does Josh Bryceland come from Poyton ? If so, there's a good chance he will have seen me riding by many times, and somehow become inspired by my awsomeness ! (more likely he would have said 'that rider looks shit').
  • 4 0
 let all the haters come out now. love to hear your professional input about 26, 27.5 and 29ers.
  • 5 0
 Lots of BC girls ripping in up in the pro class. So rad to see.
  • 5 0
 What happened to the bulldog ?
  • 1 0
 Crashed on the last corner
  • 2 0
 When will they start saying "__(insert rider here)__ wins _(insert race here)_ on a traditional 26!"

Making the story about the wheel, and not about the course/rider from the get go, I see.
  • 1 0
 Gwin won but not by much. I would be more impressed with the second and third place rider results. 29ers are an advantage so much that one day they will regulate what wheel size your allowed to use on the race course. Just wait and see.
  • 4 0
 6 men on the same second !
  • 2 0
 Garcia posted a picture of the results where 48 riders were within 7.5 second. A gap of 7.5 second between the 1st and the 48th. Tight. Very tight indeed...
  • 3 0
 Congrats to Jill Kitner! She is tearing up Sea Otter and is looking fast. Strong work!
  • 3 1
 Next year everyone needs to race on this...Dirty Sixer 36" wheeled, full Ti framed machine.

gp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb9472446/p4pb9472446.jpg
  • 3 0
 Lopes at 41 y/o still crushing it. And Peaty right in front of him. Nice work guys.
  • 3 0
 Cedrics 10 years older than most of these guys and he is still kicking butt. GO CEDRIC GARCIA
  • 1 0
 gRacia
  • 4 0
 "SATAN CRUZ BIKES" HAHAHA
  • 2 2
 Until some underdog wins because of his 29er or 650b i really dont think its the wheel size thats making them win. and even then people need to stop caring so much about little changes in bikes and focusing on their own riding skills more.
  • 1 1
 Maybe you should stop worrying about what others are worrying about and focus on your own riding skills.
  • 1 0
 Maybe you shouldnt worry about me worrying about what others are worrying about and focus.... ok this could go on forever. All im saying is I feel like people are becoming preocupied with how a 1 and a half inch or 3 inch change on their wheels are going to make them win races all of a sudden just because gwin, ropelato and other top people are winning on them. These pros are already fast and most likely would have won on a 26er too.
  • 1 0
 Sea Otter is a total marketing job , riders get told what to ride . The "downhill" race being pedally and more "cross-country " than a real world cup track was no accident folks.
  • 1 0
 Meanwhile, 700c wheels dominate the cyclocross race... Who'da thought...?

1 2 BERDEN Ben DORPSSTRAAT BELGIUM 44:04 BEL19752808
2 5 WELLS Troy DURANGO CO 44:10 112599
3 3 TREBON Ryan BEND OR 44:10 136658
  • 1 0
 I have to admit/agree - I am very surprised at the results. Sam Hill and Danny Hart being that low down although I guess it's not really there kind of track! Was hoping Peaty was going too win though! Congrats to A.G
  • 4 0
 Go Yeti. Graves and Cole. Woot. Hopefully a precursor to the season.
  • 4 0
 I wonder if we'll see a 29er win the air dh this year...
  • 4 0
 Dude can win on anything.
  • 3 3
 To all those who say this was a course for a niner, I disagree. It was smooth, so the advantage was actaully with the smaller, more powerful wheeled bike. The roll over advantage was just about nonexistant. I think Gwin would have been quicker on a sixer Enduro. The weight advnatge over other AM bikes and DH bikes he had with the very light Enduro niner he did ride probably cancelled out some of the disadvantages he may have had against teh smaller wheeled but heavier bikes. Just my 2c/theory and we'll never know the answer...
  • 2 2
 Just FYI, posting something that actually makes sense will get you neg propped here. I gave you back a + since you are actually right. The "more nimble, funner, better handling" bike (AKA 26") should have won if the 26 actually has those advantages. It simply doesn't no matter what the kids want to believe. Spesh hired Gwin to promote the 29er in DH. They publicly bashed 650b, so they needed a big gun who could win on anything (29er designed DH by Spesh will probably work really well anyway.)
  • 1 1
 Headshot, I hear what you're saying. My experience with the 29" wheels was that it was the smooth pedally sections where I had the advantage over the other guys in the group. Even much fitter guys had to put out more to maintain. I agree that this course was inconclusive for the debate (if there's even a conclusion...). With such an array of bike styles ridden against each other and the results being so incredibly close, I'm even more inclined to dismiss the hype over wheel size. Hardly an evolution with those margins eh? More like just another option. Logically speaking, different geometry should shine on different tracks. I'm interested to see the results come in over the next year.
Stoked to see the trails drying up around here!
  • 1 0
 Minnaar looked so fast on his race run, just going to put it out there but if he was on a short travel he would have covered that extra time and won it
  • 2 0
 STEVE PEAT STILL WELL INSIDE THE TOP TEN AT FORTY .... THE GUY IS A DON !!!!!
  • 2 0
 I would say this proves something about 29'ers, but Gwin could win a DH race on a unicycle if he had to.......
  • 1 0
 It's a very strange time for mtb where riders are choosing their wheel size depending on the track... cleary some new rules have to be taken in consideration.
  • 1 0
 Oh yeah... there was also a women's race. Jill crushed it by 2 seconds! Hell yeah!
Wheel size? You are arguing about wheel size?
  • 4 1
 let the argumentative discussion begin!!!!!!!!!!
  • 11 8
 The bigger news here is the enduro bike part not the wheel size
  • 2 0
 yeah wonder why people choose not to discuss about it. i'm super curious about what kind of bike sik mik used this time, he's so good with his new bikes
  • 4 1
 When you are good you are good no matter you ride a poo...
  • 3 0
 Beaumont, Fairclough, MacDonald????
  • 3 0
 Brian lopes and Steve peat... Respect.
  • 2 0
 42 and 39 years old... much respect
  • 1 0
 i would venture to guess that all the sea otter DH course haters have never been to sea otter before. once you attend, you'll shut your stupid face for sure.
  • 2 0
 Damn gwin I don't think you can get any closer than that.
  • 2 0
 GO GWIN, even better...HELL YES CG!!! #15 after a killer last season
  • 1 0
 Let's hear about 29ers winning a "DH" race when the "DH" race is on an actual down hill course....
  • 1 0
 If someone wins a WC round on a 29er then I will be impressed. See you in Vallnord!
  • 1 0
 Man, with those times you'd swear it was an F1 race or something. That was PRETTY DANG close! Wow...
  • 1 0
 Best woman time would place her 85th in the male standings. Is this big gap normal in DH?
  • 3 1
 Now uci is going to change the wheel size rule!
  • 2 0
 Malvern Hills Classic just called and want their DH course back.
  • 1 0
 I can hear the "cha-ching" fro here down at Specialized HQ as all the Gwin fan-boys run out to buy an Enduro 29
  • 18 16
 MERICA!!!!!!!!
  • 4 3
 Big wheels is the shit give it one year and you will see_______0^0________
  • 2 0
 29ers have been around for over ten years. It took this long for someone to win dh with them.
  • 1 0
 Tbang..got the point, it start with Gary Fisher back in 70s , 40 years until now ... ! Gwin is the man even on a "big wheel"
  • 2 0
 Yea tracy!! Nice result
  • 1 0
 I WANT A LIST OF WHEEL SIZES!
  • 1 0
 Its gwin. Give him a radio flyer red wagon and he'd win.
  • 1 0
 Wow ! In 14th place, is Richie RUDE, 94 years old ! Big Grin
  • 1 0
 Posted in the wrong place and can't find a way to delete this...
  • 1 0
 HAHHA 29er yeah all you haters!!
  • 1 0
 Its a short 'Super D' actually. ;-)
  • 1 0
 And you've been there?
  • 1 0
 Yes, I have, in 2006, last time in 2008, and solidly 'Super-D' by definition as well with the short uphill sections, albiet a short one as defined by the avg ET. ;-)
  • 1 0
 Yes! Top 3 women are all well into their 30's!!! Love it!!!
  • 1 0
 No Anne-Caroline though, bummer...
  • 1 0
 PEATY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All these years and still killing it.
  • 3 2
 Gwinn 1st, Hill 27th. Boom!
  • 2 0
 nice Stevie.
  • 2 0
 How'd that 36er do?
  • 1 1
 shocker that the best riders were put on bikes that are trying to break into the scene (29er Dh and 27.5)
  • 1 0
 Do you honestly think they worked themselves into the position they are do someone else can tell them what bike to ride at which race? Get back under your rock. Each rider chose their ride.
  • 1 0
 Smith from Nanino? Must be a new city!
  • 1 0
 I gotta specialized 29er,watch as i zoom past you...
  • 1 0
 wuuuuf!!! what happen from pos 27 down O.o luke strobel pos 35 wow
  • 9 10
 If so many people have issues with 29er's in DH racing why not just make it a separate racing category?????
  • 4 0
 They don't need a different class. Most of the world is OK with progression. Its just the kids who don't want their current components (26") more closely resembling Wal Mart bikes than a modern race bike who are upset by the progression. They tried every lame argument out there to maintain the illusion that what they currently own is better than the newer designs, and are on their last argument: "Its the lame course's fault my old standard equipment got beat!!!!" Its really quite sad. The same arguments happened over front suspension, rear suspension, aluminum frames, carbon frames, disc brakes, and its now wheel size. Look at the bikes in thread on the 1996 WC event. If bikes didn't change incrementally, we would still be riding those old designs.
  • 1 1
 Thanks for the quick recap!
  • 1 1
 Is it an enduro or a DH race?
  • 1 0
 Atta boy Gwin
  • 1 0
 Gwin GET BACK TO TREK!!
  • 1 1
 Bahahahah. Awesome troll pinkbike. He was on 26" after all!
  • 1 1
 Ow..danny boy...something have went wrong?
  • 4 7
 29ers are super cool. just kidding they are super gay. actually i am becoming a fan of 29ers . they roll over everything
  • 1 1
 +1to you!
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