Video: Racing Psychosis - What Bikes, and Tires Do the Pros Run? - Crankworx Summer Series

Aug 6, 2020
by Pinkbike Originals  


Riding Psychosis is no easy task. The athletes competed against each other in a race down one of, if not the steepest trails in B.C. But to come out on top it requires a fine mixture of confidence, traction and the right bike. Find out what types of bikes, tires, and rotor sizes the athletes are running in the 6th event of the 2020 Clif Crankworx Summer Series.





Posted In:
Racing and Events Videos Crankworx Crankworx Summer Series 2020


Author Info:
pinkbikeoriginals avatar

Member since Feb 15, 2012
1,110 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
[UPDATED] Elite Finals Results & Overall Standings from the Fort William DH World Cup 2024
162288 views
Semi-Final Results from the Fort William DH World Cup 2024
105791 views
Elite Qualifying Results from the Fort William DH World Cup 2024
83104 views
Extra Tech Randoms: Fort William DH World Cup 2024
53789 views
4 Tech Takeaways From the Fort William DH World Cup
52555 views
Bike Check: Greg Minnaar's Norco Prototype DH Bike at Fort William World Cup
51172 views
More Tech Randoms - Fort William World Cup 2024
47205 views
Timed Training Results: Fort William DH World Cup 2024
44747 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

110 Comments
  • 68 0
 Dead Dog at the top is heinous. I was too scared to take a practice run when I raced Psychosis in 2007 and crashed multiple times during my race run. Big ups to all these peeps—gnarly track to race.
  • 10 7
 were you like 14 when you raced it?!
  • 3 18
flag nvranka (Aug 6, 2020 at 10:22) (Below Threshold)
 Key words “to race”
  • 20 1
 Evan upping the difficulty: www.instagram.com/p/CDaJJmYnSaG
  • 4 1
 @quinnltd: now that is serious psychosis! Made it look easy too.
  • 4 0
 Where can we find the race results?
  • 6 0
 @lastminutetech: They'll be releasing them tomorrow during the live broadcast for the Maxxis Kicking Horse DH.

Friday, August 7:
Maxxis Kicking Horse DH
- Live Broadcast: 2:30-4:15 p.m. PDT
  • 1 0
 @sarahmoore: live broadcast where?
  • 8 6
 How is it "Live" when it was 2 days ago?
  • 1 3
 @quinnltd: there we go, a little spice
  • 2 0
 The top of dead dog is the chillest part of the trail. scree>rooty chunder any day
  • 2 0
 @bikesandbeers: @bikesandbeers: The live broadcast today will be of the DH track in the park...not Psychosis. They will run the highlights from Psychosis with results before hand :-)
  • 1 0
 I didn't realize that? Crazy. You'd come back now and kill it! I on the other hand...07 and 08 was my speed hay day...I don't think I'd get down that thing in 15mins now a days.
  • 1 0
 @quinnltd: man that's just insanity!
  • 72 5
 Is Maxxis going to come out with a titteguy tire some day for those of us who aren't assegai's?
  • 26 4
 If they do, the hot set-up will be the former on the front and the latter on the rear. We can then argue about whether we prefer a small and firm size or large and soft.

P.S. Mods, I wouldn't blame you for deleting this entire thread. lol
  • 1 0
 @nvranka: peeps have been calling for the tits ever since they released the ass...sadly I don't think it's gonna happen
  • 20 0
 To put the steepness of the Dead Dog trail in perspective: Most of the Whistler double black DH trails are around -20% grade. The bottom part of the Andorra DH world cup track is about 40%. Dead dog has an average grade of 60% over its entire 600 ft elevation drop. 3 times steeper than a typical DH trail. Insane!
  • 8 0
 There's a section at the Kandahar ski piste in Garmisch called the free fall with a 45% grade. I stood up there and asked myself how the f*ck I'm supposed to get down (admittedly this was a few years back so my brain might exaggerate). Really would like to see how 60 looks in person. The cameras just dont do it justice.
  • 2 0
 So is it confirmed as the steepest DH trail in the world?
  • 7 0
 @Upduro: you're probably talking about a 45° section, which is a 100% grade. Still, 60% of average grade on a bike (in super loose conditions!) is beyond insane
  • 5 0
 @crashtor: oh shit right I had the big stupid
  • 3 0
 @Upduro: the steepest in-bound ski run (said to be Rambo in CB) in the US is 55°. Most double-black extreme ski runs are much less than 50°. Jump turns on a 50° slope is like stepping off a cliff; you fall like 6 feet on every turn. I can’t imagine riding my bike straight down one…
  • 3 0
 @wilbersk: not sure what horseface at windrock is in terms of grade but it’s pretty damn steep
  • 3 0
 @clindblomenduro: based on what I’m seeing on trailforks, horse face has a steeper average grade top to bottom. Of course which is harder to ride is not obvious based on stats. As someone who’s ridden horseface I’d love to hear from someone who has done both.
  • 1 0
 Well, dropping 200m over 300m of trail is 40% grade... Still insane
  • 1 0
 Apologies. Error alert... ^^^

If the 200, 300m numbers are correct, the trail is @33.7deg
  • 3 0
 @audeo03: @clindblomenduro: Haven't ridden either, but based on trailforks, dead dog is at least twice as steep. Over the last 200 ft distance of both trails (which are the steepest parts for both), horse face drops 100 ft (-50% grade) while dead dog drops 200 ft in elevation over the same distance (-100% grade).

Makes sense when in the 'Season' movie segment for this trail, they say: "world's fastest riders talk about going as slow as they possibly can and it's still too fast."

Yes, 200m drop over 300 m distance is 33.7 deg which = -67% grade.
  • 1 0
 I guess it also depends whether you mean “steepest section” or “steepest overall“
  • 13 1
 I would love to hear what tires are being run by the non-Maxxis-sponsored athletes. There are other good tires out there. This felt way too much like a commercial, and not actual reporting on what people are running... or were the racers chosen based on their sponsors for this mini-series?
  • 12 1
 Definitely wasn't a commercial or intentional on our part. I wasn't there, but I'm guessing at least some of the non-Maxxis-sponsored athletes were running sharpied out competitor tires, and as a result didn't talk to us about tires.
  • 4 2
 @brianpark: Wait... I want to be sure I understand what you are saying. Are you suggesting that everyone is running Maxxis, regardless of what their sponsor is? If so, that's definitely noteworthy as a piece in and of itself! If there are non-Maxxis tires out there, I would like to know what they are, even if you are reporting surreptitiously. Both these stories would be of more value than hearing every sponsored rider continuing to sing the praises of their sponsors.
  • 1 0
 @erikkellison: Finn is...
  • 14 0
 @erikkellison: Many riders on the WC and EWS circuits use blacked out tires from their sponsors' competitors on certain courses where their own sponsors don't make an appropriate tire. That's well reported and not breaking news.

Maxxis and Schwalbe are the two most common brands of blacked out tires on the circuit, but there are others too.
  • 4 0
 As a Schwalbe girl myself... I had a Magic Mary up front a Hans Dampf in the back, both Super Gravity and 2.35 width. I wish I had some 2.6 for that run! It was tricky to lock up the rear but the rest of the 7.5 km track it was perfect! All but about 4 riders were on Maxxis... Sounds like we need some tire companies to step up share the spotlight ;-)
  • 3 0
 @brianpark: hahah can confirm! I was the only Schwalbe tire'd bike around. Saw some Kenda's and some Bontrager's as well.
  • 1 0
 @christinachappetta: Thank you for that info! Much more valuable than hearing who chooses DHF vs. DHR2 vs. Assegai.
What Kenda? Bontrager? Is really no one in this mini-series running Michelin? Hutchinson? WTB?
  • 1 0
 @brianpark: Continuing to update your readers on who’s blacking out what at each race is more valuable than hearing from the Maxxis fan club. I was suggesting that it was newsworthy if everyone was running Maxxis, including non-Maxxis athletes. Of course blacking our tires is not news. What is news is WHAT they’re blacking out. Also, we get it: people run DHF, DHR2, and Assegai. I want to hear what other people are doing. Heard quite enough from Maxxis.
  • 9 0
 No one calling out that new norco?
  • 2 0
 Some much better angles than the shot before...
  • 3 0
 Rode this track back in 2010 after a few weeks in Whistler. Going as slow as possible down dead dog still felt way too fast and nothing has ever delivered the fear (an elation) of getting down dead dog (although I did crashed every run).
  • 1 0
 It's true! Lifetime achievement award for sure!
  • 3 0
 We lived in the campground by the Kicking Horse river back in the summer of 2001 for around 2 months and rode this and the other tracks on Mt 7 religiously. The best trail and area we visited on that BC trip. Racing it would be a whole different ball game!!
  • 2 0
 Long Live Psychosis! I remember when Sam Hill raced this and thought it was the longest DH of his life. That's a testament to how intense this run is. By the time you hit Dairyland you can't even hold on to the brakes anymore Smile Awesome to see all the new generation racing Dead Dog on enduro bikes! Finn's got the right idea though. Way to go guys!
  • 3 0
 This video gives a little better perspective on how steep this trail is. But just a little. www.youtube.com/watch?v=maldqwBS4js
  • 2 0
 To anyone who comments about that trail without having ridden it......... carry on keyboard warriors!! Psychosis was a rad event, so cool to see it brought back to life! Golden is effn RAD!!
  • 3 0
 Maxxis is the Canadian tyre of choice then , and nothing beats a dhr II on the steeps
  • 7 1
 That was like a Maxxis commercial. Why...because on every terrain Maxxis tire just work.
  • 2 0
 I'd go cut mudspike on the back full spike in the front. That trail is scary. The easiest part is wet dream
  • 7 4
 @vjunior21: I honestly can’t understand why Vittoria or WTB can’t get people to ride their tires. In my experience Vittoria and WTB have superior traction and longevity to Maxxis.
  • 7 3
 @Unrealityshow: I am a total WTB convert. After a few bad casings from maxxis and tires that just tore, I went looking. Love the WTB stuff.
  • 3 0
 @adrennan: Think the casings might be the answer. WTB hasn't nearly the same offerings that Maxxis has. Looks like Schwalbe has fiiiinally stepped up to the plate, maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them.
  • 1 0
 @Unrealityshow:
I guess it depends on where you ride. In Phoenix the very sharp rock are unforgiving. Every rider that I have known has shredded a new tire within the for couple rides at some point out here. Maxxis tires have simply delivered with few to no problems...that is with normal non double down casing. Maxxis work in other territories well too. At the cost of $55 to $80 a tire...I go whit what I know will last until the knobs are worn off.
  • 1 0
 @makripper: Lots of riders considered it but DD is only 300 meters of trail on a 7.5 km long course. So the rest of the rack was sweet on normal tires.
  • 1 0
 @christinachappetta: when I raced it it most of the track was deep dust and blown out.
  • 3 0
 Nice ending POV! @christinachappetta I’m sure it’s much steeper than a GoPro can portray
  • 1 0
 it was mind blowing! Would do again though hahaha maybe on a DH bike next time
  • 3 0
 The Canadian competition has never been so strong. Oh wait, they are all Canadians!
  • 16 2
 If more people listened to Dr Fauci maybe you’d be allowed to come out and play.
  • 3 0
 All Canadian residents, but not necessarily citizens :-) we had some French, Aussie, Kiwi, and I'm American!
  • 1 0
 @Honda750: Ha, I’m just jealous the best resorts are north of the border. Oh ya, I caught #Rona in June. Don’t believe all the doom and gloom in the media.
  • 3 0
 Hm, no other tires that Maxxis, eh?
  • 5 0
 I think there are only a few in the field who aren't contractually bound to ride Maxxis. Casey Brown and Brett Rheeder are both bontrager. Fab Cousine I think is still Kenda. And then Finn who is Specialized, but we all now know that that team is running blacked out Maxxis. So, yeah nah not many others.
  • 1 0
 @Trudeez: Brett is a Maxxis athlete.
  • 3 0
 Big surprise, Maxxis tires!
  • 3 0
 Looks like the Assegai has overtaken the DHF as the front tire of choice.
  • 1 0
 I don't ride like these guys (at all) but I switch between both. Assegai has a ton of grip but rolls slow. I like the DHF on my trail bike for summer time.
  • 1 0
 way more support and predictability where the dhf has channels and an on/off behaviour imo
  • 4 2
 Mt 7 IMO is DH bike territory unless you’re pedalling up. But you can shuttle So why pedal haha
  • 2 0
 Can't wait for the replay! Yihaa!
  • 2 0
 Jesse at 2:13... that back tire is letting ya know how steep it is!
  • 1 0
 Hard to tell from the video angle but is he riding an old-timey single rider bike or a DH tandem?
  • 1 0
 Don't care too much about tires but its gonna be a Downhill guy that take the win!
  • 3 1
 Never put an assegai in the rear.
  • 4 0
 Minnaar would like a word
  • 1 0
 @watchtower Minaar: *hold my beer*
  • 2 0
 Curious how this track would compare to horse face at windrock.
  • 1 0
 Dude, not even close.
  • 1 0
 @rideyourbikemore: have you ridden both? Horseface is gnarly.
  • 1 0
 @rideyourbikemore: alright after watching the video of Nate Hills crawling down dead dog I’m pretty sure it’s significantly steeper than horseface. Still not sure how much. I’d love to hear from someone who’s ridden both
  • 1 1
 Reminds me of parts of Sun Peaks and the gnarly madness of a trail they call Honey Drop.
  • 14 1
 Ive ridden them both ... this is much much steeper
  • 1 6
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 11:48) (Below Threshold)
 @benshaw: I would expect steeper overall...but trails can’t get much steeper than parts of Honey Drop without riders dying due to excessive speed and inability to brake, haha.
  • 1 6
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 12:06) (Below Threshold)
 @benshaw: Case in point — Honey Drop:
www.pinkbike.com/photo/19171180
www.pinkbike.com/photo/19171179
  • 10 1
 @WRCDH: Honey Drop has a grade of 22.3 Dead Dog has a grade of 63 ! www.trailforks.com/trails/honey-drop-7145 www.trailforks.com/trails/dead-dog. I have ridden them both, Dead Dog is much much steeper
  • 1 7
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 13:14) (Below Threshold)
 @benshaw: I’m not taking about total vert divided by total trail length, haha.
  • 1 6
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 13:28) (Below Threshold)
 @benshaw: Hmmm, no video footage or pics I’ve seen over the years from any angle can convince me yet — yes, Dead Dog looks as steep or about as steep as the sections of trail I’m referring to, but yes, Dead Dog is a consistently-steep longer trail than those sections.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/2236020
www.pinkbike.com/news/mount-7-psychosis-decade-2008.html
  • 1 7
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 13:47) (Below Threshold)
 @benshaw: Including this album www.pinkbike.com/u/brule/album/2008-Psychosis
  • 1 6
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 14:08) (Below Threshold)
 @benshaw: Oh, and the pics I included are from upper Honey Drop — you can cut in half way from other trails and lower Honey Drop isn’t anywhere close to as steep as the upper section.
  • 7 1
 @WRCDH: seriously honey drop is nothing compared to mt 7.
  • 16 1
 @WRCDH: Are you a flat earther?
  • 1 7
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 15:45) (Below Threshold)
 @makripper: I guess I’ll take your word for it as an overall impression of the trails, but all the videos and pics (on bike and off) of the whole first 1km+ look just typical pro-level double-black mega-steep but extra long and consistently thrilling because you can’t really stop on trails like that (but that section doesn’t have the solid jagged embedded rocks like in my pics). I’ve ridden with numerous top-20 World Cup DHer’s and was top-15 North American myself during the golden era of DH, but the way pros and non-pros alike (on various bikes) ride Dead Dog indicates it’s not gnarlier than my aforementioned sections of Honey Drop. Surely a much more challenging trail overall, but calling it “much much steeper” or “nothing compared to” the sections I’m referring to is an exaggeration — look at the pics and tell me I’m wrong =P. I would accept those claims regarding the trail as a whole, but not with respect to the gnarliest sections of upper Honey Drop at Sun Peaks in recent years. I’ve ridden with Kovarik and other top racers in the Pro class at races from 98-02, and the way they and others ride Dead Dog (on-bike camera, stationary, and drone) tells me it’s just a very steep trail in parts, long, and consistently very challenging and likely terrifying at times.
  • 2 6
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 15:45) (Below Threshold)
 @mexicanbikefiesta: @makripper: I guess I’ll take your word for it as an overall impression of the trails, but all the videos and pics (on bike and off) of the whole first 1km+ look just typical pro-level double-black mega-steep but extra long and consistently thrilling because you can’t really stop on trails like that (but that section doesn’t have the solid jagged embedded rocks like in my pics). I’ve ridden with numerous top-20 World Cup DHer’s and was top-15 North American myself during the golden era of DH, but the way pros and non-pros alike (on various bikes) ride Dead Dog indicates it’s not gnarlier than my aforementioned sections of Honey Drop. Surely a much more challenging trail overall, but calling it “much much steeper” or “nothing compared to” the sections I’m referring to is an exaggeration — look at the pics and tell me I’m wrong =P. I would accept those claims regarding the trail as a whole, but not with respect to the gnarliest sections of upper Honey Drop at Sun Peaks in recent years. I’ve ridden with Kovarik and other top racers in the Pro class at races from 98-02, and the way they and others ride Dead Dog (on-bike camera, stationary, and drone) tells me it’s just a very steep trail in parts, long, and consistently very challenging and likely terrifying at times.
  • 1 7
flag WRCDH (Aug 6, 2020 at 17:25) (Below Threshold)
 I conceed — it’s the steepest trail in the history of the world. Steepest trail that ever has been and ever will be. NOTHING compares in any way =P
  • 2 0
 @WRCDH: with a big right hand turn just when u can seem to drop anymore speed without going over the bars
  • 2 1
 "i run an ass-guy up front"....
  • 2 5
 With so much more braking power coming from the front wheel, I'm not sure why so many people run the exact same caliper/rotor/pad combo front and back. You either end up with not enough stopping power in the front, or more stopping power than traction in the rear.
  • 10 0
 I love the hearing the guy explain in detail his tire setup and then see a shot of him dragging a locked up back wheel straight down the mountain for the entire clip.
  • 11 0
 As a heavier guy, I’ve always thought the same, but the long and slack bikes of today do allow for a lot more rear brake action then in the “good old days” and my current theory, big rear rotor helps with preventing brake fade for more consistent use/ controlling speed, the front brake gets tasked for Rapid decelerations But doesn’t see the same heat soak brake drag that the rear gets.
  • 5 0
 Big rotor up front for power, big rotor out back for heat rejection.
  • 1 0
 I'm fairly confident I've never said to myself "I wish my brakes were less powerful" but I know I've wished for my fingers to be better at not locking up my brakes, which I manage with 2 piston calipers and 160mm rotors.
  • 2 0
 @Honda750: enduro-mtb.com/en/rotor-size-myth/?fbclid=IwAR0XHahnvYzvtGG9rJ6FR50GSFCEOfFHDha29ZoaQgz9P2hrmr7hTNk9gqw Looks like Enduro Mag not only agrees with you, but even goes so far as to suggest that the bigger rotor should be in the rear. That is the exact opposite of how I've always thought about it. Maybe it's time for me to make the move to 220/220 to help slow my 250 lbs of dad bod down without so much brake fade.
  • 1 0
 @pacificnorthwet: I sure wouldn’t got that far! I’m 190lbs and can definitely make Guides fade badly I can make Codes really work hard, but nothing that made me worried yet. I’ve stuck with SRAM for ease of bike fleet care as everything my wife and I own came with SRAM, keeps the spares and tool count lower.

Metallic pads for the win even though the noise can be a pain in the arse.
  • 1 0
 @Honda750: Yeah, I've been in the same boat with the SRAM brakes since I have them on three bikes, am used to the feel, and have the bleed kit. I would never actually run a smaller rotor in the rear, but I found their commentary interesting. I've been running 4 piston brakes with 200/180 and metallic pads for years, but have been thinking about upping that to 220/200. Now I'm wondering if I should look into 220 for the rear as well.
  • 1 0
 They dumbed down the wood drop?
  • 1 1
 Bontrager SE5 have been my go to for the past year. Zero issues!
  • 5 5
 Thank you for taking your sunglasses off at the end! Smile
  • 1 0
 welcome! It was sunny hahah I hate squinty eyes and have enough wrinkles already
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.071135
Mobile Version of Website