Video: Survival of the Fittest - Pinkbike Academy Episode 4

 Agree, this is part of the job. Elimination because of crappy gopro shots is not.

 People don’t seem to really care about this episode, it’s fine either for you or not. But last weeks I think deserved the hate for many many reason. But at the end of the day I agree with you, if people want mtb to get more “mainstream” and supported then “cringey content” like this will become more of the norm.

 you know these episodes are planned out even before filming starts right? They can't just "change" the show midway unless they had a lot of b roll footage which I seriously doubt as they are not a production firm.

 A series that just went from one stage race to the next eliminating the slowest rider would be pretty boring too. We already get to watch the very best do that in the World Cups and EWS events.

 @2pi: if you're not top 10 or so worldwide it most certainly is.

 @pbfan08: "last week deserved the hate"

It's a youtube show. Free content that you're free to watch or not.

 At last.

So tired of people thinking Richie and Kate are just somehow winning solely by tech skillz or jumps, cornering. Dont get me wrong, they are GREAT at that, but that wont win you a race.

These athletes train like a Mofo in the background, are insanely powerful and can sustain insane amounts of ouput.

Just see how your ramp test power/weight ratio result compares to world cup pro and prepare to be humbled.

 @noplacelikeloam These same people would also be surprised to learn that Jared Graves routinely throws on lycra and kills it in A-grade road races and crits in Australia.

 @LeDuke: 100%

 @noplacelikeloam: walking up a gravel road climb with a 51t cog...

kinda sad. No one racing enduro at a decent level is that aerobically unfit. By the 3rd stage they would be cooked, and probably end up on Friday Fails.

Getting into shape on the road makes mountain biking way more fun.

 I'll keep my job and ride and race for fun on the weekends, thank you very much.

P.S. This episode needed more Jo. Can you turn up the Jo in the monitors?

 Would have been cool to bring in someone like Yoann Barelli and get them on the trainer to really highlight how dedicated the athletes at the highest levels are and how their performance is influenced by these less shown aspects....or Flo and Christina could have entered the pain cave with them. I still find Ben's "character" so funny as in the group shots or the riding shots he is so incongruent to the interview persona. It's hard to imagine he is that kind of an overflowing douche basket in real life so I'm curious why it is being acted out that way? Is it satire of reality tv tropes?

 @snl1200: what would we be talking about unless there were some ringers to bring some drama / comedy to the table.....isn't it how all reality TV shows work?

 Very happy with this episode, wish they had thinned the herd to the best riders and then judged the soft skills, but this was my favorite yet.

 @ream720: you're really not getting the point lol

 It's PB comments man, people will always complain. I think the show does a great job at showcasing all sides of being a pro rider, not just shredding

 @MikeyMT: That came out really dark. Wanna talk about it?

 The kiwi got eliminated There is no pleasure here...

 @Curse-of-the-foot-long-sub: [*]

 YES! Thank you.

 I watch that show on repeat with my wife. We need a Paul Hollywood in there.

 @slayersxc17: @mikelevy is the MTB Paul Hollywood.

 I want to be the Mary Berry of BC mountain biking

 What's that? Please explain.

 @The-Foiling-Optimist: They need to bring her back. Prue is legit, but she isn’t Mary Berry

 Vlad -> Everyone

 @MajesticMOOSE: with the size of vlad‘s ego I doubt there is place for anything else in his life

 @Upduro: If I had to go on a night out drinking with any one of those people it would be Vlad hands down. No idea what everyone here has against him, seems like a fun dude to me.

 @Kptzbik: Ben is very clearly playing a character. That's how 'reality' shows work. I don't know the guy but people who do have commented on PB confirming he's super chill in real life. And come on, the 'evil Ben' alter-ego is so obviously intentional comedy

I'd happily have a beer with both. I wanted to say a bike ride, but they shred too hard for me.

 @bananowy: yeah he literally changes his appearance when they are playing up the Evil Ben character

 @MajesticMOOSE: 69 upvotes

 @bananowy: yeah i dont know him personally too but first episode told me that probably i will not like him.
But who knows... Maybe while drinking a beer or riding he is the guy you want to spend time.

 Are you Stanning on Ben?

 @suspended-flesh: All I can say is the guy better write me back! Hahaha

 So did Kennedy

 So frustrating that the only person I had seen on social media before the Pinkbike academy was Tom with his chamois-less Everesting challenge. According to me he's the only one with social media presence. What!?!?

 @theee-a-team: 2200 followers and 230 lifetime posts is not a social media presence. But everyone that has met him in person will remember him, huge personality and great rider.

 yea not real ftp, this one is the ramp test I think. Lighter riders go for less time to achieve same w/kg.

 There are varying ideologies about how to derive FTP from a ramp test, but they still just showed the final ramp stage rather than the FTP. I think Zwift/Trainer Road usually take .75 of the final ramp and call it FTP. Which would give Addison an FTP of around 300, which sounds about right.

 @kieran-nnilsen: FTP/kg is fine bro

 Agree. Since it was power to weight, why not judge and show us that info, not just power. Who cares if you get a 300FTP if you weight 220lb it may not mean so much . . . . Vlad would get destroyed if they published that data.

 @noplacelikeloam: Maybe I'm mistaken, but they showed both the unnormalized power and the normalized power (i.e., power-to-weight ratio)

 @pmhobson: Ahh, ok, I stand corrected. Thank you!

 @pmhobson: Normalized power is an average to account for zero watt readings during coasting. It has nothing to do with the rider's Mass...

 @hardcore-hardtail: Thanks for the clarification. I was sloppy with the cycling-specific terms and referring to generic mathematical normalization "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalization_(statistics)"

 @Austin014: I knew before watching Addison would crush it I raced against him in fixed gear crits years ago and he is a monster on the road

 I thought it was ice water. I haven't watched it yet. I thought they would splash them or something.

 @nskerb: I haven't watched it either. But, as you can tell, I apparently have a darker hope for the coming events.

 I’m in. Desk jockey weekend warriors competition.

 @slayersxc17: Add in a "Fix Moar Bikes Than I Ride" elimination too...

 @slayersxc17: Sign me up for Sedentary Shredderz over 50

 How about mad dash to fit in a 3 hour ride on the weekend?

 RIP to a Real One

 For the vast majority of people and barring extremes, you are responsible for what your body looks like.

 @bentopi: BAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! We must NOT take personal accountability for our outward appearances! And, how DARE you judge man, I mean, how dare you.....

Great, you have ruined my weekend, where are my spandex shorts...... ;-P

 The show would have to feature e-bikes though, since that's what I see them riding around on at the local trails. But the great thing is that you wouldn't see any of them take their shirt off for attention or have to play the "bad guy".

 @digitalsoul: The other day (seriously) a guy (wait, it was 10/31) ...smoking a cigarette at the trails. Trash bag wrapped around his down tube on his new Levo (is that what the Specialized one is called?). I asked if it was part of a costume.....nope, he was protecting it from rock scratches until his "custom made" frame protector from "Europe" arrived....god knows you do not want to scratch the downtube on your ebike....have a smoke and relax.

 @digitalsoul: I don't think so, I ride once a week and can easily shred right along with the riders in this video.

 I click every week to read everyone talk shit about the show. Far more eentertinaing than the 4 minutes of Ep. 1 i actually watched. Two observations: fans of this all seem to think that contestants are removed for dramatic purposes rather than contest performance. Which means they are completley cool with spending hours ewatching a completely rigged contest (im not syaing it is rigged , but those that like the show sure seem to think this whwn somone they like is ousted). Imagine if UCI just determined too many Frechies have won world cups and someone from USA needs to win win the next race. The fans of this show seem like they would be cool with it becuase it would be done for dramatic purposes and they only watch races as a "guilty pleasure".

 Im triggered.

 @thustlewhumber: I'm grip shifted

 @colincolin: I’m single speeded

 @nskerb: I'm paddled like F1

 @suspended-flesh: I'm paddled like F1" =

You know, there are fetish sites for that.....

 @JustAnotherRiderHere: deleting browser history

 Appeared to be eagle cassettes

 Ahh sorry, standby!

 @brianpark: awesome!
Would you need a hand for the next episodes?

 Adapt. Overcome.

 w/kg. good enough That one dude's strong!

 I tried an episode, but couldn't make it all the way through. I got distracted by some wet paint that was drying.

 I think it will be more like Addison and Julia,... because, you know, equality and such. And I mean Ben seems to be a strong rider and all. But Addison just seems to have little more experience in all sorts of situations and its generally more pleasant to watch, talk etc,... Julia is by far the best most focused lass out there.

 yep I agree. He did poorly in both challenges whilst Misha just made a bit of a mistake going too hard on the climb off the start - easily done and easily rectified now she has that experience. I think they have to boot a girl off because last week they booted off a guy.

 Pretty sure he's just playing around, playing the heel but not actually being a "bad guy".

 not what I took from it. Looking at per kilo performance, Julia is right up there with Ben and Addison, showing just how equal the sexes are.

 @danielfeary: Um.....no.....At the end of the day, boys are boys, girls are girls. "All things equal", well, they just are not due to this pesky "nature" thing with most mammalian creatures. Under your context there is no reason a woman will not be dunking in the NBA or playing Linebacker in the NFL...or, pitching in the World Series.

Rachel McKinnon would of course not agree. Be as "woke" as you want, it will not alter scientific facts. But, everyone gets a trophy, right? We as humans simply are not equal. Not physically, not intellectually, not emotionally. I guess that is hate speech.

Side point. Percentage-wise WNBA makes far more than NBA players....seems that the total revenue never comes into the comparators of the "Woke". Plus, WNBA could not find a fan in the lighting dept of Lowes.

 @JustAnotherRiderHere: you've missed the mark here. I said "per kilo", so we're using relative comparison of their output rather than absolutes. But you went with some weird inclusion on woke culture, lots of "air quotes" and your feelings on WNBA.

 @danielfeary: no, I was spot on the mark. Power per kilo has no bearing whatsoever on reality being as women weigh in general less than men.