Video: Course Check iXS European Downhill Cup, Spicak

48 Comments

33 2

trauty (Jul 19, 2014 at 10:40)

pretty much the best bike park in Czech Rep.

10 1

SunSetter (Jul 19, 2014 at 13:53)

I wanted to +1 and instead I clicked on neg prop. Sorry! The track looks amazing and it's one of the reasons I want to visit Czech Replublic.

mxwhitey (Jul 19, 2014 at 19:26)

I plus 1 for you

metong (Jul 21, 2014 at 16:32)

IXS eurocup dh tracks vs UCI...???? ixs no doubt!

14 1

steve45 (Jul 19, 2014 at 11:56)

Thats a really good looking course, rough, rocky, tight and packed full of features!

1 22

peanutbuter (Jul 19, 2014 at 13:06) (Below Threshold)

its short

14 1

gabriel-mission9 (Jul 19, 2014 at 16:07)

yet another real track for the ixs cup. compared to the wide flat smooth roads the uci seem to favour for the wc

Bdusty1 (Jul 19, 2014 at 17:21)

Yes so so true! This track looks badass/gnarly haha , UCI W.C better step up there game next year an get some real DH courses on the circuit, all the IXS tracks make even the gnarliest W.C track look like nothing! Step it up UCI!!!!!!!!!!!

peanutbuter (Jul 19, 2014 at 17:23)

I don't think this makes fort bill look like notthing

Bdusty1 (Jul 19, 2014 at 17:25)

Yeah thought the same just a min ago my b, not doggin fort bill, would never!

peanutbuter (Jul 19, 2014 at 17:27) (Below Threshold)

I agrey that that the wc tracks need to be better but they need to be long wicth this isn't

14 0

medievalbiking (Jul 19, 2014 at 17:49)

This thread has all the grammar.

peanutbuter (Jul 19, 2014 at 17:50) (Below Threshold)

what

dh257mx (Jul 19, 2014 at 20:06)

Track looks SO rad.. I was itching in my seat the whole vid!

As for the whole WC thing, I agree they were lacking on some tracks. Smooth, fun and flowy is "ok" in bike parks. NOT ok in the WC circuit. We expect Gnar. GNAARRR!!!

ehem.. Thank you.

vhp4315 (Jul 19, 2014 at 22:38)

@medieval - nail on the head, my friend. awesome!

Gweggy (Jul 20, 2014 at 1:27)

Fischbach, the fastest in seeding took 3min to get down, I mean that's not the longest track ever, but it's alright I think, I know a lot of tracks that are way shorter.
By the way, Gee Atherton won Val di Sole in 3:12min last year, so that's not a lot longer, and no one is going to argue that that's a worthy track.

medievalbiking (Jul 20, 2014 at 1:41)

I don't see why a downhill track has to fit within some time bracket.... are our best athletes so specialised that they can't race a 2 minute race or a 7 minute race? Far as I'm concerned as long as it's downhill on proper tech terrain it's fine....

1 12

peanutbuter (Jul 20, 2014 at 5:12) (Below Threshold)

enduro is the way forward

gabriel-mission9 (Jul 20, 2014 at 5:17)

enduro is the way forward for people who are scared of REAL dh. Perhaps a slightly inflammatory comment I know, but you did kinda ask for it.

1 10

peanutbuter (Jul 20, 2014 at 5:22) (Below Threshold)

scared of real dh riding simly corses on a trail bike

gabriel-mission9 (Jul 20, 2014 at 7:05)

simly corses? Or similar courses? Neither are true. There is not an enduro course in the world as steep and gnarly as the steepest gnarliest dh courses. Yes often UCI WC courses are similar to enduro courses, but thats cos a large portion of UCI WC courses are lame.

peanutbuter (Jul 20, 2014 at 8:49) (Below Threshold)

south Africa could have been done on a 140 cairns could have been done on a 160 im not saying that a enduro corse is as gnarly as the steepest gnarly dh track im comparing it to the uci

gabriel-mission9 (Jul 20, 2014 at 9:10)

You said Enduro was the way forward. I agree the lamer dh tracks can be ridden faster on an enduro bike. Thats due to them being lame. If thats what you were getting at the I agree completely. However I personally think techier, gnarlier more challenging tracks are the way forward

peanutbuter (Jul 20, 2014 at 9:14) (Below Threshold)

if the uci could get more challenging corses I agree it would be better but they need to be long

Gweggy (Jul 20, 2014 at 9:28)

Why would they need to be long???
As long as it's challenging, it's alright. I mean, 1min would probably be a bit short, but Windham was just about 2min I think, but riders were still wasted after their run, because it was gnarly and they had to put all their power down.

peanutbuter (Jul 20, 2014 at 9:33)

if there was a 3.30 long track that was like this I agree but the uci do try to get the best corses for the riders

gabriel-mission9 (Jul 20, 2014 at 9:52)

no. the uci try to get the best courses for tv. With a hint of roady/xc-ism that truely believes big thighs should be top of every professional cyclists list of requirements, with awesome bike handling being somewhere near the bottom.

Personally I think anything over 2.5 mins is enough to knacker out any rider if the course is gnarly eanough. Longer is nice, but I would absolutely 100% prefer to watch a short gnarly course that required awesome skills, huge balls and a long, slack 8" travel dh rig, over watching a 5minute+ tame track that required awesome lungs, tiny balls (due to all the roady style 'roids) and a pedalling oriented enduro/trail bike.

peanutbuter (Jul 20, 2014 at 10:07)

im argee with you 100percent

medievalbiking (Jul 20, 2014 at 23:40)

Fitness is always required on tech courses for the modern DH racer. Gone are the days of Hill/Peat/Palmer putting 10 seconds into people without training other than riding. Val Di Sole has virtually no pedalling aside from the last (albeit gruelling) sprint, yet a rider still needs to be in peak condition. It's a falsehood that only flat courses require fitness. The top 10 riders all have near perfect skill so the difference between 10th and first can be a mere few seconds dictated by a rider's ability to have enough left for that 15 second sprint or to hold it together down 3 minutes of chop.

gabriel-mission9 (Jul 21, 2014 at 0:59)

indeed. and that is exactly why we don't need any pedaling motorway style tracks just to prove riders fitness.

a good gnarly dh track tests all aspects of your riding, rather than just how big your thighs are. imo any extended pedal section (over 10 seconds lets say) detracts from a course as it allows less skillful riders to make up for their shortcomings by just pedaling their asses off. yes fitness is crucial, but the race should never be won or lost on a motorway sprint.

peanutbuter (Jul 21, 2014 at 4:35)

like the peadal at fort bill sam dale vs danny hart

aidy (Jul 20, 2014 at 15:35)

So nice to see something that isn't all bike park berms. Trail crews are even taking out root gardens and replacing them with berms in some places. I like a nice berm as much as the next man but i think it's gone far enough now.

ajh1133 (Jul 21, 2014 at 20:44)

Are there DH bike rentals available there? I studied abroad in Prague and I really want to go back. I would definitely hit up this bike park. How far from Praha?

kinny (Jul 20, 2014 at 2:51)

That looks like a minted track!

Ssmallss (Jul 19, 2014 at 11:53)

Track looks nice and awesome course check very entertaining

BornToGo (Jul 19, 2014 at 13:31)

Very nice rhythmic track, in my opinion. Must be fun to ride

RedBurn (Jul 19, 2014 at 12:17)

That table top at the end !!! !!!

maxram7 (Jul 19, 2014 at 14:50)

Are they sure they're not riding halfjell bike park right after the floods?

maynardle3 (Jul 19, 2014 at 17:51)

Would love to ride that. Great course check.

geordie-alex (Jul 20, 2014 at 4:30)

More 'woops' and 'yea boi' needed.

dirtchurner (Jul 20, 2014 at 12:26)

NOW THAT IS A NICE CHUNKY LINE with good features to boot!

andytheaussie (Jul 23, 2014 at 4:50)

Take the ixs cup courses and add Andorra, Mont Saint Anne and you have the perfect World Cup.

steblaeng (Jul 19, 2014 at 10:18)

Pretty sick

konadiaodiao (Jul 19, 2014 at 22:17) (Below Threshold)

why?

mrsmythe (Jul 19, 2014 at 13:21)

Awesome looking track

dabble (Jul 19, 2014 at 13:50)

Sweet track.

jdotr (Jul 20, 2014 at 3:18)

That course looks great!

ixsmtb (Jul 21, 2014 at 12:09)

Thanks for your support guys!