Opinion: Does Mountain Biking Need a Race of Champions?

Feb 13, 2020
by Mike Levy  
While on a ride a few weeks ago, a friend asked me who I thought was the best mountain bike racer of all time, and whether I defer to the stats or my gut to make that decision. How you answer the second question probably says a lot about your personality, but the only correct answer to the first question is Anne-Caroline Chausson. ''Sure, you could make an argument for a dozen or so other names when it comes to second place,'' I said to him, ''But this isn't one of those things that's up for debate.'' Good thing we were at the bottom of a long climb.

Anyways, aside from realizing that my friend is completely wrong about who he thinks mountain bike racing's G.O.A.T is (Minnaar ties for second with everyone else), I also came to the conclusion that our sport could use some sort of Race of Champions-style event. What the hell is that? The motorsport world has countless formulas and categories, from rally cars, open-wheeled cars like F1 and Indy, touring and stock cars, and even electrics and motorbikes; the Race of Champions takes some of the best from each and pits them against each other in equal machinery at the end of the season.


photo
Mountain biking's Race of Champions would invite the best of the best from different disciplines, pitting XC, DH, enduro, and freeride competitors head-to-head against each other on a course that would (somehow) make for fair racing.


It's a given that anyone and everyone competing at the ROC is a current or future legend with otherworldly abilities, and that's why winning the whole thing is such a big deal. Imagine if mountain biking had an event where the sport's finest competed aboard identical bikes and on a specially designed, spectator-friendly course to find who really is the best on that day?

Here's how that might look...


Who, where, and when

The good folks at the UCI, our sport's worldwide governing body, are probably too busy governing other things to come take all the fun out of our new Race of Champions competition. Besides, I think fans would appreciate a more festival-like atmosphere, something similar to that little-known event called Crankworx Whistler. Oh, you've heard of it? It's essentially a massive celebration of all things mountain biking, home of the most prestigious slope event, and also where you'll find some of the fastest gravity racers for two weeks in the middle of August.


A massive crowd again for joyride.
Crankworx Whistler is already the alternative Championship of the Galaxy and the perfect setting for the ROCMTB.


August wouldn't work, though, with the EWS, and both World Cup cross-country and downhill racing calendar going into September, not to mention World Champs. You'd need everyone's seasons to be over if you expect them to attend; remember, they're unlikely to risk injury until the big victories and titles are wrapped up. There's also the not small issue of sponsorship conflicts, but that could matter less in the fall when everyone is more relaxed. So there'd need to be some juggling, maybe move some things forward and Crankweek back, but I couldn't think of a better place or organization to tackle the new ROCMTB event. Thanks @crankworx

So, who gets invited? All you really need to do is look at the top-ten names at any world-class competition, be it the Enduro World Series, World Cup cross-country and downhill, and especially at Rampage and Darkfest. And why can't some roadies attend if they wanted?

Just imagine hearing the announcer screaming, ''Up next, Mathieu van der Poel goes head-to-head with Cam Zink. The winner faces last year's ROC champion, Martin Maes!'' Wait, what'd that guy just say?

Also, what the hell kind of race would pit Maes against van der Poel without you having a good idea of how it'd end? Don't get me wrong, I know Maes is a monster, but van der Poel would walk away from him if the race put too much emphasis on pure fitness, and vice versa if it was too gravity-oriented. Mathieu has immense skills in his world, sure, but we know who'd win in a rowdy downhill time trial.
Another ferocious attempt at the win would come unstuck just moments later on the final jump.
I bet the freeriders would surprise some people.
Then what kind of racing would it need to be?


The racing

I'm not entirely sure what it'd look like, but I do know that its gotta be head-to-head and exciting. It also has to be a single style of racing because we're trying to get away from different disciplines, but while also still being representative of all disciplines. Aaaaand it also has to make for somewhat fair-ish racing where [monster truck announcer voice activated] the world's best cross-country, downhill, enduro, and freeride competitors face each other in a last-person-standing cage match to the death that sees the winner crowned as the Mountain Bike Champion of the Galaxy.

We'll definitely need Tippie on the mic to run this party.


Image by Piotr Staron
Four racers at a time would face each other on a course that puts an emphasis on fun, but there'd need to be a fitness factor as well.


The best I can come up with is some sort of relatively short course, maybe between three and six minutes long, that has its finish line lower than its starting line. How much lower? Someone might need an algorithm to answer that one. Don't get too excited - there'd still need to be some difficult climbing - and the descending would obviously have to reward those with the most skill rather than who has the least to live for. Also, if we're deciding on the ruler of the galaxy, you know we're gonna need some flat grass turns in there, if only because it was starting to sound a bike like cross-country eliminator racing and we don't want that.

Okay, so I don't really have course design locked down yet, but I'm open to ideas. Anyone?


The bikes

The best racers get paid a lot of money to ride a certain company's bikes, so it's easy to see why said racers might be hesitant to be photographed and videoed tearing it up on a competitor's bike, and especially if they were tearing it up so well they end up winning. I'm sure whoever signs those cheques wouldn't be all that stoked, either... But what if the ROCMTB supplied complete bikes, all being identical aside from sizing, from a company that doesn't even exist?

I mean, if Pinkbike can bumble its way through doing the Grim Donut, someone with some common sense could probably get a few dozen frames made in half the time. Assuming the ROCMTB is being bankrolled by someone who likes to flush money down the toilet for laughs, all that'd need to be done is to reach out to a factory, maybe a place like Genio that manufactures high-end aluminum frames, and pick an already tested design. Or maybe it'd end up being an all-new design; either way, the point is that the bikes would be specific to the Race of Champions and not for sale.


Wyn making sure Wheelie Wednesday was on regardless.
What kind of bikes would they race on? It doesn't really matter, and it might change every year.
No one complained about the opportunity of seeing Nino doing more whips.


Okay, but what type of bike? Given that we're looking for the best mountain biker in a group of the world's best mountain bikers, I think there's a good case to be made for it not mattering what type of bike it is, how much travel it has, or even its wheel size. These are the most skilled, fittest, strongest riders who can pull things off that you and I wouldn't even think of, so they should have no trouble getting used to a new machine. In fact, maybe the ROCMTB would supply different bikes each year, keeping the exact details secret until a few days before the event when racers show up for whatever minimal practice would be allowed. You might see everyone on hardtails with 27.5" wheels one year, only for the following year's ROC to put them on 180mm-travel 29ers. Maybe there's only a course walk and zero practice? Maybe it ends with a huge wood super-booter of a lake jump?


As the season progressed so did the courses. Venues took advantage of the technical terrain at their disposal and implemented it when possible.
The ROCMTB course would finish lower than it starts, and it'd reward skill a bit more than fitness.


When it comes to the build kit, some leniency might be required. Fox wouldn't want Gwin using a Boxxer, and I doubt that RockShox would be okay with Hill using a 36 on the front of his unbranded ROC mountain bike, but maybe there's another company with less OE spec who's a relatively minor player sales-wise but still offers top-notch performance? You get the idea: a spec sheet that has minimal branding and the least amount of conflicts. Besides, we're all mountain bikers who just want to have a good time, right?




I'm not saying any of the above is possible or will happen, only that I think it'd be pretty neat if it did. So, if mountain biking had its own Race of Champions, what would you like to see? And what type of bike would they race on?

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mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

333 Comments
  • 213 5
 Balance bikes.
  • 65 4
 That would be AMAZING.
  • 33 1
 Ellsworth recumbents. With Exo casing.
  • 54 0
 @mikelevy: You cant say that and not make it happen buddy. Pikebike staff RACE OF CHAMPIONS!
  • 1 0
 Mountain Bikes!!!
  • 10 1
 Paintball bike battle royale
  • 24 0
 One bike 4, 5 or 10 disciplines (including downcountry, upduro etc etc).

Everyone must ride a Huffy. They must all assemble it first and carry tools to repair it along the way.
  • 23 5
 THEY SHOULD ALL BE RIDING GRIM DONUTS!!!
  • 16 9
 THEY SHOULD ALL BE RIDING GRIM DONUTS!!!
  • 13 0
 @JimmyWeir: Brakeless fixie single speed Grim Donuts on DNM suspension. Kill most of those sponsorship issues.
  • 13 0
 Klunkers on a 4x course
  • 3 0
 @JVance

Luckily, Strider already sells adult balance bikes. We would just need some 20" knobbies!

striderbikes.com/buy/balance-bikes/special-needs/strider-20-sport
  • 3 2
 @markkarlstrand: Everyone races on a Grim Donut!!!
  • 1 0
 Everyone rides Transition Klunkers. Single speed and coaster brake. No sponsors to upset there!
  • 1 0
 @enis: I wanna see this
  • 1 0
 you mean the CANFIELD BALANCE which is the sh*t going up, and more importantly... DOWN. and i agree!
  • 2 1
 They already have this. Its the eBike worlds, which my country already owns. Yay.
  • 2 0
 @Wildeman21: Klunkers on a the longest EWS stage - and i'm talking proper Klunkers with only a coaster brakes.
  • 1 0
 @markkarlstrand: @mikelevy If you build it, they will come.
  • 2 0
 @jorgeposada: On tandem bikes ! Ride by shooting !
  • 1 0
 @markkarlstrand: I got my money on Dan Roberts.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: Please make this happen on the pinkbike youtube channel
  • 3 0
 $200 amazon gift card to each competitor, shipped direct to the startline and delivered by drones. Gun goes off, assembly begins, then let er rip tater chip.
  • 2 0
 Full rigid.
  • 2 0
 @PNdubRider: Klunker that are built (and maintained) by the rider from scratch (including building wheels).
  • 1 0
 mtbiking needs to bring the Fking standard back. Have all the championships you want but bring back the time when I can swap bike parts from different brands!!! Stop being greedy mtb industry!!!
  • 89 4
 Need? No
Want to see it? Hell yes
  • 4 10
flag scott-townes (Feb 13, 2020 at 17:41) (Below Threshold)
 I beg to differ. I would die if this didn't happen therefor we need this to happen.
  • 71 1
 What if you had the top ten riders in the world start the first day with an XC race, day two would be enduro, day three would be downhill, and day four would be slopestyle
  • 11 0
 I like the idea of mixing/requiring all types of racing into one event similar to a decathlon where you are scored based on points.
  • 31 1
 There is a race similar to this idea, check out the Downieville Classic. 26.5 miles up one day and downhill the next. Followed by the launch ramp lake jump and other shenanigans. Still my all time favorite place to ride so far.
  • 3 0
 This is exactly what I was going to suggest. I just don't think its possible to create one race course that would evenly (or accurately) represent all the major disciplines.
  • 16 0
 @vonroder77: This...

Downieville All Mountain Classic is what came to my mind.

No need for neutral bikes or sponsors in ROC with this format, just that you would need to use the SAME bike for the up and the down. Choose wisely...

Even Roadies could hammer up at world class speed on a hardtail, then hang on for dear life on the way down. There'd be plenty of drama.
  • 1 0
 @krka73: In the ROC the top three should have to face off in a game of Bike Summo.
  • 16 1
 @vonroder77: Or a violent game of foot down?
  • 4 1
 @mikelevy: Same principle. Put two people in a ring on child size bikes. They have to knock each other over or out of the ring, but they cant use hands or feet to push or kick. last one standing will be crowned Yokozuna of the ROC.
  • 1 0
 Sounds like crankworx + an XC event
  • 4 0
 Day 5 everyone in hospital apart from the slopestyle riders !
  • 3 0
 @vonroder77: it's a river jump bro but yeah let's leave Downieville alone it's perfect the way it is.
  • 3 0
 like combined alpine skiing, in the old days
  • 3 11
flag lateandsweaty (Feb 13, 2020 at 14:37) (Below Threshold)
 It would always fall to the top 5 on the climb and pedally section, the downhill splits wouldnt be separated by enough when minutes can be put into someone on a climb. Unless they add speed and style but even then style cant count for much. He shouldve gone for a second ride and come to the conclusion the best mountain biker is the customer who pays and does it for themself. The best mountain biker ever never blows up the spot refers to rule number one: Obey rule number. Two refer to rule number one. And three dont blow up the spot, also stats for declaring best mountain bikers means there will eother always be new records or the sport will wither and shrivel like snakeskin, as a consumer the best mountain biker and I know he didnt ask but im sharing anyway youre welcome is ratboy josh bryceland because hes such a lost boy woodlander and he can hardly even seperate one word from another and because in the long record he hardly even was a name besides his voice lol. What person to cheer for, and his hugs with his teammates were more like wrestle moves, huck to flat 4lyfe ratboy you saved us. ✊
  • 15 0
 @lateandsweaty: whatever you're smoking, I don't want some.
  • 2 0
 @lateandsweaty: say it again !
  • 3 2
 @JimmyWeir: just keep your hands over your head for awhile and youll catch your breath.
  • 3 0
 @sino428: Exactly my thought. No matter what the course design, if you're on the clock for the entire time, some super fit XC dude with an XC bike will crush
  • 7 0
 @lateandsweaty: I feel like you'd get your point across better if Ratboy was translating for you, homeslice. Punctuation 4lyfe.
  • 3 0
 Man the slope style day would be carnage!

Even top DH guys balk at going down a Crankworx level slopestyle course.....much less say an XC pro!

Maybe something a little tamer...like pump track?
  • 3 1
 @JimmyWeir: The funny part is, Downieville is where I learned about bike summo.
  • 1 0
 This would be absolutely amazing! Also since all except the last day, slopestyle, are based on time, make the slopestyle a tiebreaker of sorts. You could move up or down say 3 spots based on the results and everything is head to head.
  • 2 0
 Slalom run, timed tech climb, air DH, timed flow climb, DH. Each stage individually timed, points for positions. Total points takes it.
  • 1 0
 And one bike all stages
  • 1 2
 Plus rampage style freeride, way more mtb than XC
  • 3 0
 @azogas413: yea if the course has any extended climbing the XC racers would likely have a huge advantage. Can put huge chunks of time into someone on a climb that just can’t be made up on the downhill sections.
  • 1 0
 @EthanRothermel Companies would submit a bike beforehand for their athletes, preventing the branding and bike sourcing debacle.
  • 1 0
 @lateandsweaty: Points based on ranking rather than time?
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: I like this.
  • 1 0
 Cant have slopestyle Only 20 people world wide can do it.
  • 1 0
 THIS!!!!
  • 1 0
 Slope styles not racing @Matt115lamb:
  • 1 0
 @sino428: gapped jumps with no b-line might balance things out.
  • 51 4
 Martin Maes VS Amaury Pierron VS Nino Schurter VS Rheeder?
Cecile Ravanel VS Rachel Atherton VS Kate Courtney VS Casey Brown?

Who would you want to see?
  • 60 0
 All of those but on the Brodie 8-Ball
  • 38 1
 Levy vs Kazimer vs Sapp vs RC
  • 58 2
 It'd be me in 1st, and then Kaz, Sapp, and RC in 10th, 11th, and 12th even though it's just the four of us.
  • 4 0
 @lRaphl: Hope you meen Bob Sapp. That would be epic.
  • 59 1
 @mikelevy, you wish. I'll crush you.
  • 60 2
 @mikekazimer: I see a video in our future...
  • 5 0
 @dylansanderson2004: on a XC bike.
  • 3 0
 @dylansanderson2004: and Mathieu Van Der Poel on a YT Tues. Smile
  • 18 5
 @mikelevy: let’s get the Grim Donut done first, before we get distracted with any other videos.
  • 34 1
 @ReformedRoadie: It's scheduled for a 2030 release.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: come on, we are all waiting to find out how much corner it took to turn that thing.
  • 26 1
 @Supermoo: It's like riding a tandem by yourself but you're sitting in the middle!
  • 1 0
 Surprised Red Bull hasn't done this already. They have their riders, they have their media.
  • 1 3
 didnt like half of them dope?
  • 7 0
 Throw in Danny Mac, Akrigg, Ali Clarkson, and Wibmer...
  • 2 0
 @mikelevy: @mikekazimer: Please god race eachother, my money is on Kaz, sorry Levy :/ !!! Kaz looks like he consumes roughly 3 tons fewer donuts per year.
  • 2 0
 Maes vs MVDP vs Ropelato vs Wyn Masters vs Danny Macaskill/Akrigg/Pat Smage vs ... oh heck yes I love where this is going!
  • 2 1
 @mlangestrom: lol, Jeezuz Christ that would be more insane than him trying to compete in MMA.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: Chapetta 1st, Levy 8th, Kaz 9th, Sapp 14th, and RC 20th (but first in his age group)
  • 3 0
 @swellhunter: You don't know mountain biking if you think Levy would take Kaz. Levy would lose on line choice alone, his decision making is terrible! Need proof? Choice of food, choice of car, choice of tatts. . .
  • 1 0
 @rrolly: But I do have Chapetta first. And IMO Levy would get in Kaz's head and he would go over the bars thinking about mocha lattes or something.
  • 1 0
 @rrolly: You're not wrong haha
  • 2 0
 Except that I don't drink coffee...
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: gotta say you and @mikekazimer are such brilliant counterpoints. It's like the odd couple of contributors.
  • 2 0
 @rrolly: Thanks, it works well. He's usually right, but maybe I have more fun? Who knows Smile
  • 29 4
 ......or do mtbers constantly need to be asked silly questions ?
  • 158 7
 Shit, the UCI is here!
  • 10 0
 @mikelevy: the UCI are always taking the piss
  • 4 6
 @mikelevy: That's not a very good cover for a bad idea bro
  • 1 3
 Seriously all it be is a pedally outdoor bmx track up the road down a trail through a bmx track, or 4x doesnt really matter. Its like a state championship xc foot race run through a park up and down some hills then a lap and some around a track. Sound the alarm the marketers and their despots are out of ideas.
  • 1 0
 Off season going too long!
  • 1 0
 @Matt115lamb: silly because for clicks
  • 2 0
 @mikelevy: THE UCI VILL ASK DE QUESTIONS!!
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: The UCI is good at taking the fun out of racing!
  • 35 0
 multi lap slalom-XC hybrid. you have to slam a beer before every lap, and everyone rides an ellesworth.
  • 12 0
 The beer might give the downhillers a chance.
  • 20 0
 Multiple laps on an Ellesworth? Nobody finishes, all the frames snap, Tony denies the warranty claims and sues everybody involved.
  • 6 0
 You just described Cyclocross....
  • 31 0
 If you need suspension forks and shocks for a neutral build without competing with the mass production stuff I would sponsor some Intend forks and shoxks for this builds!
  • 11 1
 Hover shocks all around?
  • 10 0
 @mikelevy: Hover shock is already in stock and the first pieces are already delivered.
  • 2 0
 Can I come over and play!?!?
  • 10 0
 @Bommelmaster: Efficiency level: Deutsche Technik.
  • 31 0
 John Tomac would just climb off his tractor and work everyone anyway.
  • 14 1
 Agreed, and he'd do it in flannel before going back to tractor stuff or riding a horse.
  • 3 0
 lol...well said
  • 3 0
 I came here to say similar. Him or Mr. Akrigg would be my bets if it was a multi faceted race event. Or maybe Ropelato.
  • 3 0
 He'd smoke them all on his old 1991 Raleigh Signature ti/carbon drop bar mountain bike.
  • 3 0
 Most people don’t know how good he was.
From bmx to MTB xc, dh and roadie at the Tour!!!
  • 1 0
 @FurryCrew: to my knowledge Tomac on his 91 Raleigh Signature was the last rider to win XC worlds & 2nd DH worlds on the same bike in the same year .

(Juli Furtado won XC & DH worlds, but on different bikes a few years apart (yeti c26, gt rts))
  • 2 0
 @Adam43 I need to create some ghost accounts to uprate your comment a few hundred times
  • 1 0
 @scantregard: One would guess 1992 was the year that the 2" travel "downhill" bikes of the time made a splash. Who even won it that year? Cullinan won in 1993 I seem to recall, with the super hyped between-the-chairlift jump that is not on film, on the Sintesi/Iron Horse high pivot thing. 1994 was Gachet on Sunn and Vouilloz on the LTS in juniors, 1/100th of a second slower. 1992, Bromont. Off the top of your head? XC was Djernis on the first of his three-peat on Ritchey. DH I can't remember.
  • 1 0
 @jaame: cully was 92.. i just checked the results, I'd forgotten Tomac had 2nd again in 97. Djernis was screwed when he moved to proflex
  • 1 0
 @scantregard: So then who won 93 in Metabief? Mike King! I had that video taped from eurosport and I have literally watched it tens of times!

Shit race! It rained all week and the final race was the only time they had ridden it dry.
  • 19 0
 I think they should do the Westminster agility course. That's pure competition.
  • 20 0
 It could only work if the course included Matt Macduff's Loop of Doom.
  • 10 1
 I can't stop seeing the photo of him exiting the loop in my mind. Still so goddamn gnarly.
  • 17 0
 Immediately proceeded by Jordie Lunn's Tree of Peril
  • 14 1
 I say go for it.

Random bike type every year (balance bikes, offroad penny farthings, tandems, absurd mullet bikes, whatever, as long as it is secret before the race), known qualification criteria (top 3x riders by season points from each series?), and a few spots left for "the stig" type unknown riders (retired, or media personalities/etc) just for good measure.

First person across the line wins, but with a heavy emphasis of fun and ridiculous.

Basically the mountain biking equivalent of "who's line is it anyway", where the rules are made up, and the points don't matter, but its hilarious to watch, and everyone involved has a bunch of laughs.

So the winner could still have bragging rights, but because the discipline is kind of made up, and bikes absurd, sponsors can't be too offended, and no one "really" knows who would have won in a "normal, fair race", which should keep the comment sections/forums going in between each years event.

Or maybe I'm thinking of a Japanese gameshow. Or Mario Cart?
  • 13 1
 Yes, so much emphasis on fun and ridiculous. It'd have to be that way because it's just bikes.
  • 4 0
 @mikelevy:

Exactly. Bikes are the best.

And a ridiculous race which puts Sam Hill, Nino, and Loic racing against each other on 29/20 mullet bikes would be amazing. 10/10 would watch that event.
  • 2 0
 Legit laughed at the offroad penny farthings. So incredible.
  • 1 0
 I'm trying to wrap my head around an off-road Penny-farthing...
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: Tim Horton's sponsorships?????
  • 2 0
 This, but a Le Mans start where the riders have to run to the bikes, HAVING NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE. The first time they lay eyes on the bike is the second before they hop on them, and seconds after the timer has started.
  • 17 0
 Sounds like Levy's elaborate plan for a downcountry World Championship.
  • 6 0
 Shhhhh Wink
  • 16 0
 Just send the prize to Van der Poel and be done with it.
  • 6 1
 Highly likely.
  • 1 0
 Is Van der Poel a better descender than Nino though?
  • 1 3
 @nzandyb: No. Nino would rinse him.
  • 2 1
 @jclnv: considering he couldn't ever pull back ground on the descents after each time that MVDP had dropped him during the last XC season...I'd say the only thing Nino would rinse is his bike after eating dust.
  • 2 0
 @jclnv: you are hurting feelings of roadies and CXers who recently decided to give MTB a go. You are Watt shaming
  • 2 0
 @GeeHad: Reread the above. We’re talking a pure DH race, not descent times within an XC race.

Matthias Fluckiger is probably the best XCO descender I’ve seen though.
  • 1 4
 @GeeHad: what? Average descent on XC race is no more than 20sec - even if the difference between Nino and MVDP would be 2sec, it would translate into a couple of meters - so what are you even talking about?

I love this, a bunch of quasi roadies see MVDP making downhills without looking like he will die and they just want to smear that in the face of people. Some a*shole even posted a link to MVDP clearing dirt jumps with slight sideways rotation.

For Top XCers descending skill is not really to gain seconds on competition, even though it may be deceissive when trying to drop people. It is about not crashing, conserving energy and recovery. The better you are the less chance you have to crash, you can ride down efficiently and regenerate before it is time to spin again. This is not the case with racing on Enduro stage or DH race. And Enduro racing requires even more Advanced skill than DH, you can call it skill mileage that you acquire during years of skill practice and riding down the hill with focus on riding down the hill as quickly as possible - that is you need to be good at reading terrain quickly and have all your reactions down to automatic impulse. You need to be able to pull a full sequence of well executed actions using one command so that you can focus on next thing. If you don’t have it and I assure you neither Nino nor MVDP have it - you are occupying your head with too much target identification and choice of certain actions then executing them. Sam Hill or Jesse Melamed (oh oh oooooh I gave you a former XCer gove me your ovatioooon - ooooh it’s meaningless cuz he focuses on descending that’s why he never got good at XC, ooooooh bummer), they will come out of a corner take a milliseconds to see what’s ahead, make a plan what where, draw an imaginary line and instinctively do everything to follow it, then instinctively react if it’s not happening. Where Sam and Jesse see 2-3 actions, MVDP will see 5-10 and he will not be as confident whether he can pull it all off. All this is just on mental level. He will also be worse at executing whatever he planned.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: That's nice. Nino used to use his descending ability to gain valuable seconds on Absalon. He's not been able to do that with MVDP, because he can't. I don't really see what any of that has to do with Sam Hill. But I enjoyed your monologue.
  • 1 0
 @GeeHad: Once Absalon got on the 29” with a dropper he hardly lost any time on the descents.

Again, we’re talking a DH race. Not descents within an XC race where everyone is maxed. That said, MvdP does make more mistakes, like at the Euro Champs, than Nino. Hopefully the Olympic course is as technical as people say so it won’t become a MvdP power display.
  • 1 0
 @jclnv: The fact is, as gnarly as some sections look it’s all getting tossed around and wobbled. It’s the chatter and it’s a mental thing to a big degree: trusting you won’t die. Especially with high saddle where you can’t utilize much of any technique because The range of movement of your hips is limited down to 20% or less. It’s impressive by all means but it’s still Line choice and holding on for dear life more than making some amazing moves.

Now what would change things a lot would be proliferation of droppers and more jumps. But it’s still too little to be won on such short sections.
  • 11 0
 Dont tell them what the races will be till the day before and they have one bike and its run what you brung type thing. All rider have to have nominated their bike prior to the race info being released so they cant change it and just have to suck it up on whatever they brought. Then there is no complications with riders on stuff they aren't sponsored by.
  • 10 0
 Make it points based. Points for time on a climb, descent time, overall time, jumps and tricks. That way the fit guys can make up points for climbing, the endurbros for going fast on the DH and the freeriders can make up points for tricks and jumps. Include a few big jumps which have ridearounds, so if people don't want to hit them, they don't have to, but don't get any points. Straight air gets 10 points, whips 15, cashrolls get -10. It's all fair.
  • 2 0
 I think that points would be the easiest way to do it. Cause while the course should still be fairly balanced, the points would help negate any advantage any particular style of riding would have.
  • 1 0
 and only 1 bike for the entire events..bike of their sponsors of course..just to prevent them being sour..
  • 8 0
 somewhere in here there's a mathematical formula that could be created to try to figure out the course -- if the DH champ might be 15% faster on a DH course than the XC champ, but the XC champ would be 20% faster on a XC style course -- and then do similar calcs across each discipline -- you could sort of handicap each section type as a percentage of the course to try to even the odds of anyone winning. Hard part is getting the source data, but a few trial races could start to sort it out.
  • 1 0
 Divide the winning xc time by the winning DH time, and then multiply all DH times by that number. Add add each individual's adjusted DH time to their XC time. Could do the same for any timed course. BMX, enduro.
  • 10 0
 How about if you just start timing the climbing/transition stages (or add more climbing) in enduro races and start calling them "mountain bike" races?
  • 2 1
 Hmmm novel but it might work...?
  • 2 0
 @mikelevy: It would be the start of another species...TeXC (which is what "Downcountry" wishes it was)
  • 2 0
 Wait wait wait, if we're timing the ups and the downs, maybe we can call it......All Mountain!
  • 1 0
 DualDuro
  • 1 0
 @Dopepedaler: Super-D format is already a thing.
  • 6 0
 Someone should start a race where you have to compete in all disciplines. XC, Enduro, and DH. The catch: Only get to use one bike. The riders with lowest time in all the disciplines wins. That would be fun to watch. The bike choice would be crucial and very interesting. Doesn't have to be champions or pros and could have amateur races like that.
  • 2 0
 You've basically described the Downieville Classic. Just add an Enduro day and you're there.
  • 3 0
 @davidccoleman: sounds like mtn bike racing in the 1980s.

You had to do every event including trials with the same bike. Some were on points (if trials included), some percentage of winners time, and some were on total time. In some cases you couldn't even make wheel or equipment changes
  • 1 0
 It's just called an omnium. Our local club did it a few years ago. DH, XC, GXC, and DS. Points based.
  • 5 0
 Isn’t this what the King/Queen of Crankworx is meant to be? Who is best over multiple disciplines?

FWIW I have been to Race of Champions a few times and it was great, but the racing felt too contrived.
  • 2 1
 I've never been but it sure looks fun. I think the MTB version would need to focus on fun and interaction with fans, not a serious thing.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: Basically the Pro bowl (NFL) or the NBA All-Stars game, etc... Would be super cool. Also, add a super techy (dang near Trials section... (recruit D.M.!)
  • 3 0
 I think the resulting debate about the course design would be endless.... 'the course is too XC focused, the course has too much DH, not enough roots, too many rocks, the time lost on uphills does not match potential time lost on downhills, etc.'. A more fair format would be perhaps multiple dedicated events (XC, DH, freestyle). A single bike could be used for all events to keep it interesting.
Or everyone could just arm wrestle and winner takes the trophy.
  • 7 4
 NO...we dont.

What mountain biking needs is MORE RACES.

Theres only 8 WorldCup DH...thats not a season, its a WEEK! Instead of wasting money on a race of champions ( which ill admit would be cool af) they really need to step it up and develop the sport.
  • 13 1
 Agreed, I've written in the past about how the WC season needs more racing, but it gets expensive. Venues have to pay to host an event, and more events mean teams would need bigger budgets and so on. But yes, PLEASE WAY MORE WC RACES.

Imagine if it was a 15 race series?! Resorts have more than one track, so maybe there's a race on Saturday and a race down a completely different course on Sunday. Riders would have the mornings to practice each one. With so many resorts in Europe and many of them being so close, it'd make sense. But money and politics.
  • 2 0
 Indeed....why can't we have a dozen+ races. Start the season in March at the southern hemisphere where it's still sunny and end the season around November in Asia when the weather has cooled down a little....NA/Europe in between.
  • 4 0
 The only way to truly level the bike-technology playing field is by eliminating all the fancy variations that we have now. Everyone has to race on a coaster brake klunker.
  • 2 0
 "You'd need everyone's seasons to be over if you expect them to attend; remember, they're unlikely to risk injury until the big victories and titles are wrapped up"

WTF!? Clearly this is now thee most important event of the year!
  • 6 0
 Whoever wins I’m gonna say Brendog got robbed!
  • 7 2
 Short answer: No.

Long answer: Still no but with copious use of choice words and a profoundly "soap-boxy" feel
  • 2 0
 Top 10 riders in each discipline compete in ALL disciplines with the same bike. Let them use their sponsors bikes, but don't let them change out any components. Let them add or remove air, turn the dials, and move around spacers only. It would be cool to see what folks choose to use. Use combined finish order for all disciplines, lowest score wins!
  • 2 0
 "The motorsport world has countless formulas and categories, from rally cars, open-wheeled cars like F1 and Indy, touring and stock cars, and even electrics and motorbikes; the Race of Champions takes some of the best from each and pits them against each other in equal machinery at the end of the season."

And nobody pays any attention to it.
  • 1 0
 Exactly my thought. Before I spent all my time on PB I used to watch a ton of motorsport, all kinds of disciplines, all big races. Only time I ever heard about the ROC was in one short clip on instagram. Never saw it anywhere else in my life.
  • 1 0
 Personally, I love it.

Started watching, when it was still run in Gran Canaria, the Rallye drivers always seemed to have an advantage there.

I’ve also been to the ones in Paris, there always was quite a big crowd.

And the last one in Mexico looked like fun, too.
  • 2 0
 No thanks.
There would always be a bias towards one type of rider as the disciplines are so different.
We already have the king and queen of crankworks which is the closest thing barring XC. But XC is so far removed from enduro, dh, slope style, 4x, speed and style as they are all gravity based and XC is mainly about the best climber. Mix XC in with CX and Road. An uphill event and a gravity event, let's call the gravity one king and queen of crankworks... wait...

So.. let the uphill boys organize something as the gravity peeps already have an event. Wink
  • 1 0
 Valid points, the King of Crankworx already fills this niche and it would probably get boring if you added an xc aspect to it. Also the idea about having a generic bike instead of their sponsors bike doesn't give the racers sponsors much incentive to have them compete.
  • 2 0
 Include keirin and track racers too. I say a the course should include a grass track (3 laps) followed by a mile uphill and then two miles technical downhill with a huge shortcut if racers were willing to do a 30ft gap jump.
The only difference is the type of bike they can choose, racers can choose whatever bike they want, but certain bikes get a handicap, Choose a hybrid bike (correction, a flat bar gravel bike) get a 1 minute head start, penny farthing, 5 minutes, minder enduro bike is the benchmark. Choose an ebike and you cover to start with enduro bikes bike you have to race wearing only a helmet.
  • 2 0
 for the bikes , honnestly , the solution is quite simple.

you can make a bike that can be vesatile enough to do all the scenario that different classes of bike can do. a mule. Antisquat , Antirise , progressivity , even leverage shape ,geometry , and even axlepath can ALL be adjustable to 80% of what you can find across all the specktrum of industry. travel can be too.

this freak can perfectly be made by some OEM spécific compagy (i look at you , Giant ) or a small manufacturer with no logo , for the event only. it be the reference for ALL pilot , and let them adjust it to their liking or even every race. what a cool/nerdy thing to look at , each setting for each pilot on each start ??

it will not be the lightest or most beautiful bike of the century , for sure. but it can be made , as a grim donut can be.

im pretty sure someone too have a "OEM" fork and a shock that can be made unbranded too , can made that can be tune/stroke adjusted quickly , and who is not willing to take credit for THAT product. someone who tweak them and is no bonded to contract to a brand can made such thing done if it as the budget and time to do it.

i believe there is a lot of clever and techniqual enough men on this planete to make it really easy.

SO , a higly adjustable bike , with adjustable component , all unbranded , unique to this race and no sold out of it , can be made.
it's doable without a doubt, other than industry , there is genuinely passionnates lady and lads . and they do not have the industrys limitations like sponsorship/reputation.

so , we have a bike. and im pretty sure we can have a track , or multiple ones , to make this fair. we can even do multiplie line on the same montain and let pilot choose ! (remind you something ?)

and for sponsorship of such a unconventionnal race event ... Redbull , where are you ?
  • 1 0
 I feel like the true outliers are the freeriders, any form of racing deviates from their skill set too much if not a pump track/ jump course. Maybe it could be something like Crankworx’s king/queen title but with less of a gravity focus and a couple creative races.

Imagine a 10 race title battle with: DH, Enduro, XCO, XCE, Cyclocross, 4x, tech climbing race (maybe on e bikes?), Speed&Style, pump track, and some odd ball such as a flat turn grass slalom course, 100mt dash, sand/snow fatbike, game of footdown, on road downhill race etc.

I think that this could also be a test of the all around best bike brand if each athlete can represent their sponsor!
  • 1 0
 Why stop at just mixing the disciplines/riders? Mix up the bikes!

Lets see some Roadie action down A-line.
Enduros hitting Slopestyle.
DH bikes on an XC course!

Maybe the riding gear could be drawn out of a hat prior to each race...
  • 1 0
 Sounds like a GMBN video starring Blake Samson
  • 1 0
 This makes me think of a tennis tournament, which probably happened, probably I just dreamed it... to sort of eliminate the advantages that serve and volleyers would have over clay courters in the Masters event: half the court carpet, clay the other half. Anyway, I think it would be a fun race!
  • 1 0
 You could have three different races with everyone competing in each one and the person with the overall best result would win. Also you could have three different bikes or let everyone choose there own bike, that way you wouldnt have to battle with sponsors over who gets to build the bikes for who
  • 1 0
 I think it should be a stage race sort of thing, where each stage is a different day on a different course. Maybe 3 stages? An easy sprint XC race, a 3 stage enduro race, and a non-deadly DH race. Then the lowest combined score wins.

Question would be to limit competitors to one bike that’s predetermined and supplied, would be fun to see everyone race a clunker, or if the racers can use their own bikes. I think for the best competition letting everyone use their sponsors bikes, that gets the sponsors behind the race. Since not every sponsor has all 3 bikes in each event, maybe limiting racers to two wheel sets, two frames (shocks included), one fork, one group set, one of everything else, would create some really interesting racing. Imagine seeing a Fox 36 lowered to 100mm for the xc race, but still have Saints!

I’d love to watch it
  • 1 0
 How about there are multiple races from different types of racing (XC, Enduro, Downhill), and the same bike must be used? The tracks would be kept secret, and brands would have to submit a bike for competition before hand (or after, does not matter). This way there wouldn't be the whole mess with athletes and branding.
  • 1 0
 Course could look like: start out flat for a bit (sprint to get speed), then the hill would steepen and transition into flat grass turns, then transition into technical DH, transition into flow/jumps (carrying speed out of the DH will be important), then back to another section of technical DH, but then it flattens out for a bit of trail riding (carrying speed and pedaling will be important), then finishes with an uphill sprint (maybe about a minute?). Any changes? I think the XC portion is best done at the end so that people are not tired for the DH portion (could be dangerous when tired).
Any other suggestions?
  • 1 0
 The course: a stage race with an xc, slopestyle, dh, Enduro, etc. The same bike has to be used for the whole event. Each stage will have a winner and ranking will give points for the total winner.

The bikes: a boutique steel lugged frame builder will design an all around full rigid frameset and make one for each rider. Each rider can spec it with their sponsors. At the end, the bikes are actioned off for charity.
  • 1 0
 I like the c concept but what mountain biking really needs is a "normal" schedule where all the disciplines race every other weekend for a solid 4 months and most importantly, start mixing up the race venues/locations. I know there is $$ involved but I'm sure they could do a much better job of getting to newer locations than they are currently doing.
  • 6 2
 The clear answer here.. Stick them all on GRIM DONUTS.

Speaking of which, where's that grim donut video???
  • 1 0
 It has now officially been over a MONTH since that G*D video.
  • 3 0
 Unicycle section, or timed stages with different bike diciplines, really fun to think about actually, there would need to be beer stops instead of water
  • 1 1
 Clock stops when the can is empty?
  • 2 0
 Of course it would be great! Although it would just make the keyboard warriors pissed at whoever came up with the details of the course and timing because the internet can do it better.
  • 5 0
 We all know who would win this hypothetical race.... MVP!
  • 1 0
 What about a 20 lap pump track race? Maybe on a course that is a little longer and might require a pedal stroke here and there? Gravity riders have the skills, XC riders the fitness, all their sponsors should be able to supply a bike too. That way you would also get the backing of the industry.
  • 1 0
 How about they just all do a completely different activity. Like dodgeball. Or legos. Or mosh pitting. Or babysitting. Then we wouldn’t care (cuz no bikes) and I feel it would be more fair. Then at the end we would know who is the most emotionally stable and therefor the best person.
  • 1 0
 What if you put all the competitors on classic style clunkers? If it's about who's the best rider, then let's make it as little about the bike as possible. It would be a nice homage to the foundation of mountain biking, and it would be pretty sweet to see these bike legends tearing up a descent on a fully rigid steel bike faster than I could on a 200mm travel downhill rig.
  • 1 0
 Figure a kind of rocky bmx Track you would ride up and then down. Trial rules: no foot touching the ground. Chrono for quali and then 4x style. The bike should be a 5k$ pbers would vote for, nda till the very last minute. Wrench battle before the race: 1h to set it top notch, custom cockpit, pedals and tyres allowed. Mmmmm I like it.
  • 1 0
 Create a Bicycle quadrathlon, but don't limit it to mountain bikes:
1. Downhill
2. XC
3. Track racing (fixed gear oval)
4. Alley cat (messenger race)
Points awarded for top 20 finishers, most points overall at the end takes it.
  • 1 0
 Love the idea, but would probably eliminate all of the big organisations and sponsors, because alley cats... well you know how much attention is paid to any laws
  • 2 0
 Wouldn't this just be Nino and MvdP just destroying everyone anyway? Remember that PB video of Nino destroying an ex-DH pro on the Stellenbosch course while high-posting the downhill sections?
  • 4 0
 Nino destroying ex-DH pro Andrew Neethling on the DH sections of Stellenbosch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=azTdfVP8tPE
  • 1 0
 riiiiiiight..
  • 1 0
 *correction We need Tippie off the mic and on a bike. Imagine his smile when he hears about a ROC event for mtb legends. He wouldn’t want to be stuck holding the mic on an event he could get motivated to train for! I love how well developed this idea is: spectator friendly, head to head, different disciplines invited, race to allow different disciplines to shine, etc.
  • 1 0
 Course would be an out and back on the same route. Should contain terrain that you can’t ride up, and would probably want a DH bike to get down.

Let everyone ride their sponsors stuff, but have strict specifications on the bikes... travel, wheel size, brake rotor sizes, etc.
  • 1 0
 Only way this works is to have each rider compete in each type of event, and score based on combined total time, but weight time gaps based on the length of each type of race. So a 1 second time gap on a DH race would be worth like 10/20/30 seconds on an XC race, etc.
  • 1 0
 In France, young talent spotted by the federation must be efficient in any discipline, including road and trial for example. They must perform in every aspect of bicycle in order to obtain their degree. This Race of Champions sounds logical, but do the riders agree with that? UCI ideas are always show-business oriented, let the athletes talk, please. Anyway, at the end it's always Mathieu van der Poel who wins...
  • 1 0
 This is a little bit tricky. I think it´s a matter of skills. I guess Enduro require the broadest range of skills if its a matter of a race from A to B, at least if its not a track where you can train multiple times until you know every turn and rock.
And despite I one time started with xc, I feel that it does not require much skills to be successful - its a matter of marathon endurance. I´we actually have a few friends that came directly from marathon, did road cycling with great success and then the same with xc. Having ridden with them I can tell that most trail/enduro amateurs I know is eons ahead skill wise. Watched Jenny Rissveds (both live and before that video) and she is probably the most competitive and determined athlete I´we seen. But her riding skills is far from good compared to the average trail/enduro rider. That said, there are xc guys that train at demanding and technical terrain and becomes amazing at general bike riding. Jesse Mellowed have a background in xc and have since then learned bike skills most of us dh and enduro riders could dream of.
So my point is, if it is biking, the most relevant attribute should be skills on a bike. If its not a race, its hard to judge. The bmx , trial, dual slalom, slopestyle and free ride all have superb skill levels. So to determine the broadest range of skills if its not a race, I guess it should be multiple competitions in all disciplines that require a lot of skills.
  • 1 0
 Yeah this would be amazing! Reckon the speed and style guys would do well overall on this - but the fun and key thing would be to try and incorporate a bit of everything into one single course, perhaps with noticeable changes in terrain from one section to the next - rather than multiple events. Could be amazing to watch.
  • 1 0
 Did Levy just re-invent cross country???? "...some sort of relatively short course, maybe between three and six minutes long, that has its finish line lower than its starting line. ... - there'd still need to be some difficult climbing - and the descending would obviously have to reward those with the most skill rather than who has the least to live for"
  • 1 0
 Yeah, I'm all in on this idea. But please call it BikeRoyale instead! First you'd climb up a mountain for about 15-20km on steep gravel roads and single trails and on the other side it would be an epic, gnarly enduro course back down the mountain with a couple of huge downhill features at the end so that the finish-line crowd would get to see some big high-speed jumps. Also you can bring and ride what ever moutainbike you want. That of course excludes "e-bikes"!
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy "While on a ride a few weeks ago, a friend asked me who I thought was the best mountain bike racer of all time, and whether I defer to the stats or my gut to make that decision. How you answer the second question probably says a lot about your personality, but the only correct answer to the first question is Anne-Caroline Chausson"

sorry but I couldnt disagree more, you need to check further back in mtb history. Anne-Caro was the greatest female downhill mountain bike racer. John Tomac won 91 worlds XC AND 2nd place downhill 91 worlds (on the same Raleigh Signature bike). Juli Furtado won worlds downhill AND cross country. Sure it was an earlier time, but any mountain bike racer who excelled across disciplines deserves "the best mountain bike racer of all time" accolade more than any rider who dominated in solely in one.
  • 1 0
 When they tried this amongst the best of NASCAR, Indy, and sports cars they started with 911’s, and the sports car guys dominated, then they switched to IROC, which were just stock cars, and the NASCAR guys dominated. It proved nothing to me. Mark Donahue dominated in the sports cars, Mark Martin dominated in the IROC’s. Go figure.
You can’t make a competition between Aaron Gwynn and Brendan Semanauk, it’s a waste of time.
  • 1 0
 I love the idea however without the support of the industry you would never have all the top athletes. Companies like Rockshox, Fox, Shimano, SRAM, Trek, Specialized, etc. all want the bragging rights, and the athlete contracts specifically state that they can NOT ride anything other than what they are contracted to ride. OK all the marketing/legal BS out of the way, I love this idea and I think we might all be surprised at how well some XC riders descend tech terrain as well as how well some DH riders climb. As much as I would want to see my favorite riders (Sam Hill, Troy Brosnan, Tawnee Seagrave, Greg Minnar, and Marine Cabirou) absolutely crush it, I wouldn't bet against Nino, Yolanda Neff and the rest. It would truly be epic and no matter who won we would all find excuses as to why someone else did not (the course was too climbing focused, the course was too technical, etc,etc, etc.). If nothing else, the results would blow up the servers on Pinkbike!
  • 1 0
 PinkBike hot lap format. Pick your own bike. People are more likely to remember whoever set a good time on the Top Gear hot lap more than the motorsport 'Race of Champions' winner.
  • 4 0
 Sure, but put them all on cheap Walmart/target bikes.
  • 1 0
 Finally! A place for Viathon bikes!
  • 1 0
 The multi-stage event with common bikes per stage type and aggregate timing seems like the format most likely to actually work. Side-by-side racing should not even a part of it.
  • 2 2
 No we do not need a ROC

What we do need is a more unified UCI that listens to its athletes & maybe a riders union with a clause for long term care for injured athletes, more thought put towards where races are held with a emphasis on youth racing and a eye always on the future it is bright there is incredible talent coming up. To the top level pros please consider more mentoring give your time to the young.
  • 3 0
 Contact Tony Horn and Clark Lewis. They'll tell you how it works. WORCA were doing this shit years ago.
  • 2 0
 3 stage race. One stage each weekend for 3 weekends.

One Dh race
Enduro (3 stages) race
XC race.

Points earned based on position. Most points wins.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy I love everything about this. Not the least of which is the opportunity for Mongoose to make an IBOC again. But, I'll respectfully disagree about the GOAT based on stats. That's unquestionably Juli Furtado.
  • 1 0
 Cheap & crappy bike challenge doing something not related to mtb. Or maybe 1 race for XC/enduro/DH for everyone SlopeStyle I think is too specific,maybe too hard to do for some riders.
  • 1 0
 Matthue Van der poel is making a break into Enduro this year I think enduro is the race of champions just add a few more hills!
  • 2 0
 Take the top 3 from each discipline and enter them in the Pisgah Stage Race, end of story.
  • 1 0
 We don't even have a proper National Championship Series, it's ridiculous. Just a thought however, we might want to start there..... Holy hell!
  • 1 0
 Just like the Paris Bercy. Lopes, Tomac, King, and Gracia on the gate. Huge!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri7x1JZJhqg
  • 2 0
 I think this would be brilliant. In a serious note,3 enduro stages, one DH bike stage, 1 lap of an xc course. All timed.
  • 3 0
 Timed stages on a circuit with multiple bikes and types of racing.
  • 2 0
 cross country 1:30, downhill 0:05. Even if cross-country riders walk downhill in mixed competition, they win
  • 1 0
 Starts with Garbo DH race course but cruises straight into the Joyride line and once at the bottom you sprint to lost lake, drop all your clothes, and swim to the nude dock
  • 2 0
 Mountain Biking DOES NOT NEED ANOTHER RACE! Mountain biking just needs to be mountain biking!
  • 1 0
 They cant even get the judging right for 'Speed & Style' to be fair to racers vs tricksters.

No chance of getting it together to be fair for everyone.
  • 1 0
 Geoff Kabush could help you sort it out - considering he would most likely be a favourite in over half of the categories mentioned
  • 1 0
 A EWS enduro when the liaison stages are timed. Don’t forget to add the boner log from Whistler at the finish line. Cause freeride.
  • 3 1
 Sounds like something that Chris Akrigg would excel at.
  • 1 0
 Agreed. Would probably be pretty hard to try and stop him from winning every time.
  • 1 0
 only if sam hill and semenuk compete, or if they were the only contestants. bmx downhill maybe
  • 1 0
 EWS is exactly that! You'll find XC, DH, CX, Road dudes and dudetes riding under the same tapes.
  • 1 0
 This exactly the letter of love ❤️ my passion for MTB was waiting for the day of St. Valentine ????
  • 1 0
 If there isn't wheel to wheel racing either as a DS or 4x (old school style, not glorified bmx) it'd be a miss.
  • 2 0
 Brodie 8 ball for the bikes
  • 3 1
 I dunno, don't we want everyone to survive? The ol 8-Ball is SO sketchy these days.
  • 2 0
 @mikelevy: everyone on a Donut
Can't wait to see the Double Double boarder cross tho
  • 3 0
 tandem bikes
  • 1 0
 Tandem Ebikes!
  • 5 2
 Tinker Juarez
  • 6 2
 "Just gonna climb 10k feet with rocks in my backpack and not wearing a chamois"
  • 5 0
 @mikelevy: and 55 psi in his 2.0" tires
  • 4 1
 no.
  • 4 2
 UCI?
  • 2 1
 Race of Champions??? You are drunk PB go home! If there is something like Cam McCaul's Slope-Duro-Cross Challenge maybe.
  • 2 1
 How about an Enduro event with timed uphills? Total time = uphill + downhill. Fastest time wins!
  • 1 0
 like the old up down events
  • 1 0
 Won’t work. Any format that simply adds uphill and downhill times will leave van der Poel bored, because winning was so easy for him.
  • 4 6
 This is the dumbest thing I've seen on this site. While it would be great to compare Van der Poel to Maes, there's far too much variation in the focuses of mountain biking to try and pick one "best ever". Just be realistic that gravity and endurance mountain biking are two different things, not to mention freestyle and slopestyle.
  • 2 4
 Saw after writing this comment that it was Levy that wrote this article. Levy, you're better than this.
  • 6 1
 @JasonALap: Apparantly not Wink
  • 3 2
 @JasonALap One of the douchiest comments I've seen on this site.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: apparently your spell checker is busted
  • 2 0
 Like the gambler 500 of the mountain bike world.
  • 2 0
 J Tomac.....already been done
  • 1 0
 That crazy mass ride down the ski hill that is making the rounds on social media. Last one in the hospital wins.
  • 2 1
 I wouldn't be interested in the event but I guess a lot of other people would like it.
  • 1 0
 Team championship event?
Individual? Might be a task to attract the creme de la creme
  • 1 0
 DH, XC and trials, all on the same bike. Points rather than timing. Just like the kids competitions in France
  • 1 0
 We already have races that prove who the best is. It's called UCI world cup DH.
  • 1 0
 I love this idea! That would be so cool. I do feel like all the riders' sponsors would make it tricky...
  • 1 0
 Blind format and riding discipline. Get invited and show up and race. Whatever format and course it is.
  • 3 1
 April fools already?
  • 1 0
 UCI-approved matching unitards?
  • 1 1
 Tear....DirtRag could have done this.... And Maurice would have worn a spandex bib. RIP DirtRag.
  • 1 0
 this is a great idea, A++ I enjoyed the read very much so.
  • 1 0
 We already had this in the 90's. Gould v Tomac v Overend.
  • 1 0
 Lets face it. Semenuk wins that.
  • 1 0
 Are 14 or what?!
  • 1 0
 Hasn't Cam McCaul solved this for us already with his Slope-Duro-Cross?
  • 1 1
 24" BMX bikes with only a rear Magura HS33. Pretty sure sponsors would be OK with that
  • 1 1
 Send everyone to the single speed world champs, and just come up with a suitable course.
  • 1 1
 Yes, but must compete in all categories on the same bike. The bike can be any non-assisted bike of there choice.
  • 1 1
 I thought we already had a race of champs series for MTB, its called the EWS =P
  • 2 1
 Endure but with timed climbs
  • 1 1
 Are we talking like sscx style but with huge jumps and maybe a touch more fire, alcohol and costumes? All done on clunkers?
  • 1 0
 I approve. this would be incredible to watch
  • 1 0
 4X DH Biggest whip XC You can only use 1 bike.
  • 1 0
 Mtb needs freeride bikes again
  • 1 0
 This is fun!
Will Gwin always have to race chainless or tireless?
  • 1 0
 Uuuum 4X racing... but multiple laps..
  • 1 0
 As long as there is a Grim Donut round.
  • 1 0
 You had me at log booter lake jump finish!
  • 1 0
 Gladiator games for bikers. Lions vs roadies.
  • 1 0
 Backflip and road gap mandatory?
  • 1 0
 No interest in a bogus race...there is already Ebikes race.
  • 1 0
 YES... now add trials to list and watch the herd thin out
  • 1 0
 North Shore triple crown - but Geoff Kabush would be hard to beat
  • 1 0
 Make it happen @mikelevey
  • 5 5
 isnt that what enduro is all in one race?
  • 2 3
 Not at all.
  • 1 0
 Yes, It requires the ultimate mountain biker.
  • 1 0
 @Endurip: You mean someone that can take a lift to the top of a mountain, or climb really slowly for an hour?
  • 1 1
 Breezer 1 frame with modern build
  • 1 0
 CCM bikes
  • 1 0
 penny-farthing madness
  • 2 1
 HECK YEAHHHHH
  • 2 1
 Make it happen!
  • 1 1
 Some sort of Mega style course! I’m intrigued !
  • 1 1
 No to the original question "does mob need a ROC"

No
  • 1 1
 I believe Cam McCaul already created such a thing
  • 1 0
 yes, on tricycles
  • 1 0
 IROC of mtbing
  • 1 0
 Soooooo 4X?
  • 1 0
 I vote yes.
  • 1 2
 Please watch "Death Race 2000" and try again... Wink
  • 3 3
 Semenuk vs. the world.
  • 2 3
 Isnt that what king of crankworx kinda is?
  • 1 2
 $100 bike/team/pit limit.
  • 3 5
 Only if Jordie gets to hose you in the face mid race!
  • 1 3
 24hr E-bike and beer chug off!
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