Results: Tokyo 2020 Test Event

 True that! Parts of it also look like a mini golf course lol

 Imagine riding that gasping for air and anaerobic 60 minutes in, while on 100mm with delicate tires. It's awesome!

 I like it when the gnarly bits have more than one line so a better technical rider can gain a place or two down the A-line. I hope there's something on this course - risk for reward.

 Nino will now forever be Nino-san in my head.

 Agreed. Side note - remember when long stems were the norm?

 Oh Crap. I was just looking for news on why she DNF'ed. Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery.

Was also looking for news as to why Jenny did not start. Nothing on her Instagram account since the 25th of Sept.
There's a post of her doing a track walk in Tokyo but that was a year ago.

???

 Just found something on the Team-31 IG account. Jenny also had a crash in practice and couldn't start the race. While the pictures of the track look cool I'm not encouraged by the toll it's taking on the riders.

 Over on mtbr.com there's a guy from the Philippines posting who in Tokyo.
From the reports it was not good. Wet, slippery and lots of wrecks. Numerous trips to the hospital.

forums.mtbr.com/xc-racing-training/ready-steady-tokyo-tokyo-2020-test-event-1116969.html

Also, from his report riders where breaking out the Elbow and Knee Pads while they were sessioning various parts of the track.

 Equality, bruh. Those XC girls can get more rad than you do, guaranteed.

 Something like ナル (naru), ストーケ (sutoka) and シレッド (shireddo) ______Since English terms and slang are typically not translated into the closest equivalent original Japanese word, but spelled out and said phonetically in Romanji (one of three Japanese alphabets typically used to simulate the sounds of foreign words).___________________________________________________________________________________________ For example, "mountain bike" translates to マウンテンバイク or Mauntenbaiku (Ma U N Te N Bai Ku).

 Punctuation is your friend.

 @axcooper: for some reason ¶ Pink Bike ignores pilcrows ¶

 @Dlakusta LOL, Right!. Before you attempt it please allow me the time to get my Tatami Cushion and a good bottle of Sake. When in Rome and such. Oh, and while I'm at it would you like me to pick you up a good Boil & Bite Mouth Guard? It'll be less expensive than a trip to the dentist. [Sarc]

 She had six stitches in her knee from a practice crash. Don't think she raced the final.

 @johnnyboydh: Yeah. She said she could ride, but didn't want to push it.

 Seems like it really is about time they develop some kneepads that XC racers would be willing to wear. Body armour got a lot slimmer and more comfortable over the years whilst still providing enough protection. I think it would be well worth it to develop something that protects XC rider for the kind of slams they are likely to encounter and still be comfortable enough to pedal in. Traveling all the way over to Japan and not be able to race because of something like this is kind of a waste.

 @vinay: There is answer to that: Leatt Airflex.

 @AspidMan: Or Fox Enduro knee guard

 @vinay: You have plenty of options as it is. Thing is the rider must have the right mind set. For example Jitka Čábelická (Škarnitzlová) wears pads during training on many courses and ditches them for the main race.

 @vinay: G-form

 @vinay: Given how many racers are pouring water on their legs during even moderately warm days due to thermal stress, the idea of adding even more insulation and making it that much harder to shed heat is a bit crazy to me. Comfort isn't the problem; it's shedding heat.

 @LeDuke: I wonder how the enduro dudes survive the heat then.

 @TheJD: By taking chain lifts up to the top, or pedaling at less than half the intensity of an XC racer? Was this a serious question? Or do you genuinely not understand that they are two different sports with very different physiological demands?

 @LeDuke: I certainly wouldn't say that they go at half the intensity compared to XC racers. It's not like it was a trip, it's still a race... Just not timed the same way.
Also I wouldn't say it's about comfort or shedding heat. It's simply about what's optimal and complies with the rules.
And the most important thing is that for these guys the pads would be most useful during training, because in the race they know the lines, have practiced them and the probability of them crashing is not as big usually I would say.

 @TheJD: It's not a race uphill, though. Going hard uphill is just robbing them of energy for the racing. Of course they're going slow.

 @cparrett89: I wouldn't say they're going slow. The time limit is not that generous.

 I don't mean to say that the current kneepads can't be used for XC. I ride my IXS Dagger kneepads for all mtb/bmx riding including XC. Last Saturday I did three 25minute laps almost completely in Z5 wearing these pads. Pads were fine. And i understand there are loads of pads nowadays with viscoelastic stuff which are even more comfortable. My point is more that for some reason apparently the current XC racers competing at the top level don't race XC wearing kneepads. They may wear them for training and probably for their enduro and DH type rides. By not wearing them they are accepting bigger consequences so there must be a trade off they're making. So suggestion was that body armour brands work towards those compromises to the point that they have something that these athletes are willing to wear at the races.

 @TheJD: Well, I suppose that depends on our definitions of going slow. Looks relatively chill to me: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGtRT6QZokY, youtu.be/n-YYfyXz0LI?t=8, youtu.be/n-YYfyXz0LI?t=133


But all this discussion is related to your comment, "I wonder how the enduro dudes survive the heat then." You really can't see the difference between the two? Of course XC racers could 'survive' wearing pads, the point is that they don't do it because they'd go slower, and going fast is kind of important in their sport.

Enduro racers go fast downhill, where pads don't slow you down, and protect you from higher crash risk+gnarlier terrain. Going uphill in pads and a full-face might suck, but it's fine since you aren't going 100% anyway, and you'd rather go a bit slower and sweat a bit more than DNF because you smashed your knee.

So what exactly is your point?

 @cparrett89: Are athletes proven to climb slower when wearing kneepads? If so, can someone link to that article? Not meant to be skeptical but I'm curious whether this is just a perception or whether it is proven. As mentioned I ride with iXS Dagger pads and when climbing I try to go fast and spend a good bit in Z5. To me it doesn't feel like my pads are holding me back. And these are pads commonly used by DH racers like the Athertons at some point. There are much more comfortable pads out there.

It may be unthinkable nowadays but there used to be discussions about whether racers were required to wear helmets. At least in road cycling, despite some serious accidents and injuries. And of course with the head being one of the bigger "radiators" of body heat, it may have indeed been an issue. But I ride my mtb with helmet and commute without and to me it feels like even that doesn't matter that much. So yeah, if that's my experience with the head, I wonder how much of an issue it really is with the knees.

 @vinay: You do understand the absurdity of asking for a scientific journal and then citing your own experience riding your bike to work as evidence, right?

 @cparrett89: No, I just stated my experience as my experience. I'm curious about how much harder it is to climb with kneepads compared to without and am asking for something to support your claim that they'd go slower with pads and how much slower that is. Could be a scientific journal if that's what you have, could also be an other article with a citation from an athlete trainer, could be a quote from one or more athletes claiming they've tried with and without pads and with pads is slower. Just some source to back up your statement.

My original question in an earlier post of course was provided the currently available pads are unacceptably restrictive for top level XC racing, can't the brands release something even more slim/light/unrestrictive so that the pros outweigh the cons. Some people here responded they are already there but considering racers aren't wearing them yet still are getting injured to the point that it compromises or ends their race, it seems like the balance point for them is somewhere else.

 I think it´s a picture of the last Olympics race. Cause you can see on Schurter´s Instagram post that he won with his rainbow jersey while on the other picture he wears the swiss national shirt.

 @alexander80: I just barely saw that haha. He's apparently not going to race this year.

 @kdstones: not sure about his plans for next year. But It it is possible that he does the mtb race cause imho the road race course is too hard for him