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USA MTB National Championship's DH Course Preview

Jul 9, 2015
by Mammoth Mountain  
by MammothMountain
Views: 5,736    Faves: 8    Comments: 1


Mammoth Mountain is set to host the USA Cycling Mountain Biking National Championships next week, July 15-19. Mammoth's Gabe Taylor, with the help of Riley Meuller, previews the downhill course.



MENTIONS: @MammothMountain


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83 Comments
  • 46 1
 That was a great preview of Riley Meuller.
Now can you please flip the camera around so we can see the course?
Thank you.
  • 25 0
 facing backwards so no one can see the disappointment
  • 3 1
 "Boy you got a pretty mouth"
  • 42 1
 I hear it is snowing in Mammoth right now: www.facebook.com/VisitEasternSierra?fref=nf
Pro DH reg is $120 - $155. This doesn't include lift passes for $20/day starting Tuesday (other than seeding run & race day). So, potentially over $200 to race a "DH" course which seems better suited for an enduro bike. Ouch. Go USA Cycling!
  • 2 1
 The weather has been doing that for a few days. The snow is only sticking up at the summit, if at all. Should dry up by this weekend for the rest of the week. Best local weather guy: www.mammothweather.com
  • 4 13
flag Narro2 (Jul 9, 2015 at 13:57) (Below Threshold)
 this is a national championship, wouldn't the riders be sponsored?
  • 18 0
 So if they are sponsored, (assuming they get entries covered) It's ok to price gouge companies instead of racers, which 95% will be flipping the bill themselves to race this anyhow. USAC is absolutely terrible.
  • 3 0
 ...and No, this is largely an amateur driven event. Only the top 20 riders there may be on factory teams or regional support/shop
teams.
  • 5 2
 Hard to say without actually riding it... but it looks insanely fun especially that last section. I would love to ride that thing. And Narro- haha, yeah some riders are but you're forgetting, this is the US. Most of the people racing will have to pay. The scene here is still nothing compared to other countries. It is growing though so maybe one day.
  • 11 1
 They've ruined the end of Bullet with that new line elevator shaft.
  • 1 0
 just got back from mammoth yesterday. it was hailing at the base and very little snow at the top. it's really just raining in town. the mtn itself has been pretty dry for the past week despite the rainfall.
  • 18 0
 What I learned from this thread: if riders pay it comes from hard earned work. If companies pay, that money magically rains from the heavens.
  • 4 0
 ....like that one time in vegas.
  • 9 3
 course looks rough this year, better get your trail bikes ready.
  • 7 0
 Was won last year on a 29" Cannondale...
  • 3 0
 It's true
  • 2 6
flag meathooker (Jul 9, 2015 at 21:51) (Below Threshold)
 I used to race dh and now I race RZR's. $200 for a weekend is CHEAP.
  • 6 0
 It's really a shame, i haven't seen the new line but mammoth has the terrain for a nationals level course they just don't take advantage of it
  • 4 0
 Cmon guys lets give USAC a little bit of credit, because I'm just surprised they didn't use Kamikaze as the Nationals course. Whoops I shouldn't be giving them any ideas!
  • 4 0
 Don't worry itll be in the enduro for sure
  • 1 2
 To all you keyboard warriors talking about the course being smooth and easy but have never ridden the trail: I guarantee 85% of you would have a hard time making it down in under 6 minutes (approx 2 minutes slower than the fast guys) *middle finger*
  • 7 1
 ^hey needledick, no one cares what you think.
  • 18 0
 The Elevator Shaft huh. This could very well be the worst finish to a DH race in the history of the sport.
  • 16 0
 this is not elevating my shaft at all
  • 17 2
 My son is 6 and said "dad I could race that"
  • 5 1
 BEST COMMENT YET! well put son!
  • 15 1
 Pretty sure this same course was won last year by Marco on his Cannondale Jekyll with a lefty
  • 9 2
 Correct! and the Anglefire Chili Pro/GRT was just won last month with a Yeti SB6c, maybe western DH just doesn't cut it?...
  • 17 4
 CO doesn't qualify as the west then because our DH courses are stacked. Go look up Trestle Bike Parks Banana Peel... a deserved pro line. This course shown here would be a blue at Keystone. Mountain States Cup DH RIP.
  • 3 2
 Agreed on CO. ;-)
  • 5 0
 Jam Rock.
  • 9 0
 To be fair that yeti that won was equipped with a dual crown fork.
  • 5 0
 zeerob, I'll be the first to admit that Banana Peel looks great for a SLOPESTYLE pro line.
  • 3 0
 @zeerob
Banana peel would make for a terrible DH race track. Slopestyle, sure.
  • 1 0
 @zeerob, preach it sir...Keystone is about as legit as it gets.
  • 4 0
 The problem with "western" DH for racing is that most of it is on FS land, which makes it difficult to create competition tracks. Everything has to be approved by the FS. Wide, multi-line WC style tracks are not going to ever be allowed. The tracks also have to be somewhat sustainable, which causes problems if you want to include steep stuff. I feel like East coast and PNW both have better DH race terrain than Rocky Mountains or SoCal.

TrestleDH is certainly suitable for regional events, but we should have something better for national level events. Trestle DH does not have the line choice and air features that a national level course should. We need something like Whistler's Canadian Open course if want our national champs to be closer to a WC level race (which it should be).

Hell, if we continue to have a US WC stop, why not hold US championship on the same course?
  • 1 0
 I totally agree with you there. Remember when nationals were at Sol Vista (now Granby Ranch) several years ago... That was a great course with huge hits and a lot of tech multi-line sections.

Everyone else... I know Banana Peel is a slopestyle run, I'm just saying it deservedly earns it's pro-line status. When you toss pro-line status at it, I expect my testes to be hanging out in my stomach.
  • 19 5
 I was looking for the part that would give it a "Pro Line" designation.. I didn't see it.
  • 3 3
 I totally agree, I was thinking that does not look hard... Especially if your going to call it a Proline.
  • 10 6
 Bunch of arm chair quarterbacks. Don't open your mouth unless you've ridden the course.
  • 8 2
 @AZRyder Marco Osborne won it last year on a trail bike! That shouldn't happen on a National Champ level. Especially when Mammoth has the terrain. This kind of course does not help our riders prepare for Worlds which is on a steep and nasty track. USAC don't care they will make their money. And I have ridden it, it ain't that hard and they took out sections it looks like
  • 9 0
 Does anyone remember the Velocity course at Mammoth? Only DH course I've ever seen/raced with skid marks out of the start gate...full on steep and tech from the get go! I vote they start raking it out now and surprise everybody come Tuesday with a DH course truly worthy of a DH bike and National Championships designation. Anyone listening there?
  • 3 0
 Yes, yes, yes!!!..... and you could add in parts of Chainsmoke trail that have a couple steep granite drops. That would be a more proper DH course. Bullet is pretty much a 140-160mm bike trail now with the advancement of bike technology, hence last year at Kamikaze a 29'r trail bike won it.
  • 12 0
 Elixer 7's on a DH bike? I too like to live dangerously.
  • 19 8
 Lame.
  • 8 0
 Ha Ha HAAAA!!! I used to love watching Palmer rip Mammoth... this is simply embarrassing! What a $200 shit show! USAC is improving USA DH? Please...
  • 4 0
 This reminds me of the national's 'pro' course at Beech in 2011. Mostly smooth with 1 decent rock garden. Only things that made it difficult were the ruts top to bottom from rain, and trying to pass other racers in the midst of all that mud. Unfortunate.
  • 3 0
 Stupid course! Waste of money! No Bueno! I've been racing mtb since 1986, just for showing up to a national, u got a sweet gift bag, tons of vendors, chicks! Side attractions! Drunks! Weed! Total chaos fun! Today's race scene sucks balls
  • 3 1
 Mammoth Moutain sucks!! Period. And those who disagree have never ridden anywhere else. I have ridden Mammoth many times and after going to places like, Whister, North Star at Tahoe, Hyland, Big Bear, and others... I will never go back. The trails there have not been improved over the last five years. All that mountain and they put no money into improving the trail system. Mark my words this will be The Worst DH course of the year. The terrain there is nothing but loose sand and dusty silt! Brutal. And Bullet?? Of all trails to choose. With the exception of the one rocky section that is about 50 yards in length... the thing is damn near a XC course. And that new "awesome" elevator shaft?? WTF? Nothing but loose gravel... makes for a great WC finish. What a joke!
  • 2 0
 Wrong. Big Bear vs Mammoth???? Big Bear is complete shit. Absolutely no gnarly rock gardens or steeps whatsoever. You can literally ride every trail on that mountain on a 20" BMX bike. I'm embarrassed to have read that comment.
  • 5 0
 "the elevator shaft", it looked like a good course until the end
  • 1 0
 For those of you that do not live in the California, as a state, we are a soft socialist country with more lawyers than any other free country on the planet .

What does that mean? In our current metrosexual climate, this state will not put on a true to definition DH event even close to what the Europeans are showcasing. Just look at our Fontana series races.

Liability is the cash cow for lawyers here that prohibits land owners/spnsors endorsements. The elected cupcakes in Sacremento would call any mtb event bigger than enduro extreme. Even our MTN bike parks have no real GNAR. All are really groomed so that even the lil groms can blast the lines. And DON'T even think about building on open space here!!! I am saddened to say as a state resident that the majority of our "LEGAL trails are really doable on allmtn/ enduro bikes.
  • 6 3
 Mammoth Mtn is much prettier than this vid shows. Super awesome place to ride.
  • 11 8
 You kidding me? That course is weak for nationals. Bring that shiz to Windrock, TN to see what real DH is.
  • 9 8
 Seriously Windrock is the training grounds for 2 of the 3 fastest American World Cup DH racers. Anyone negative propping my comment is clueless.
  • 4 0
 This is westcoastbike after all
  • 3 1
 USA Cycling has had a horrendous west coast bias for years. A good portion of the up and coming taken is from the east, it'd be great if they could throw us a bone once in a while- but I'm not holding my breath. I guess it doesn't help that most of the runs on the east coast are super short and most of the resorts are difficult to get to (compared to CA at least).
  • 8 1
 Last years schedule had 4 of the 7 races on the east coast, and this years has 2 of the 5 with angel fire still being 20 hours from the bay area of California, and the east coast has far more downhill races than the west coast, so there's not really any bias. Also, judging off what I heard, Mammoth was supposed to build a new track for national champs but ended up just taping a straight line at the end of the old track... Personally I believe USAC messed up by choosing Mammoth for nationals because no world cup has terrain like mammoth, and there are far better venues all over the country that could have sufficed. Northstar, Mountain Creek, Windham, Sol Vista, and mt hood would have all been better; however, Mammoth pumped more money to USAC so obviously they got the bid...
  • 4 0
 preach Tanner
  • 4 1
 mammoth, as big as it is, you would think they would have a better pro line
  • 3 2
 Follow Me would make a much better DH course, but its not a red/pro-line the whole way down.
  • 2 1
 I think they should do a 4X race down recoil and twilight zone. Think about the hole shot through the trees before twilight zone, and the gnarly crashes in the pavers!
  • 2 0
 I saw it was USAC nationals, and went straight for the comments. I was not disappointed. I was however, disappointed in the course like always.
  • 3 0
 Anyone have an idea what the enduro courses are going to be?
  • 32 1
 This isnt it?
  • 4 0
 Whole lot of dust and sand
  • 9 0
 Kitty litter^*
  • 3 0
 Where's Claudio when you need him?!
  • 3 1
 Upper and lower velocity...bullet just doesn't Have enough vert but upper section flow is cool!
  • 1 0
 no offense to Mammoth, or Gabe, but where's Claudio? Course looks great, totally foriegn to those of us in north east. where every natural trail is a rock garden...
  • 1 0
 Props to the rider but the video makes the course look way easier than it actually is
  • 2 0
 Racing enduro at the nationals! So excited!
  • 1 0
 Hell ya brah! Me too! Haha
  • 1 0
 Slash with a dual crown... Interesting.
  • 9 2
 Looks like a session....
  • 2 1
 www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/gravity/session/session_88_dh_27/
  • 1 0
 The only part that looks remotely challenging is the "big" rock garden
  • 1 0
 And the rock garden looks like it was just put together in the last few days with a front loader...they just couldn't find any rocks all in one place at Mammoth mountain. You watch the video from Lenzerheide last week and this and you just shake your head.
  • 1 0
 Ya no wonder the UCI WC scene is so lacking Americans...If this course is the proving ground then its a long road ahead for DH in the the U.S.
  • 1 0
 Weak.....
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