What do you want to know from Steve Smith himself?
Ask away in the comments below starting at 10am PST / 1pm CST / 6pm BSTThanks Pinkbike, all sore from typing! Gotta get back on the plane to fly home.
Rules• Be courteous, being a jerk will get you banned.
• Use propping to acknowledge good - or not so good - questions. Bump them up or down to where they belong.
• Before asking Stevie a question, look to make sure it hasn't already been asked.
• Be patient with an answer, Steve is a world class rider, not typer.
NBC FacePlant is the beer to be talking aboat... Or AfterDark.... but fir shore, kokanee is old school and perfect for those valley parties :-)
2002 M1 (one of the most popular bikes at the time) in the slack setting, long wheelbase, size medium: 17.25" stays, 45" wheelbase (about 1.5" shorter reach than a lot of DH bikes now run in size medium), 64 degree head angle, 13.5" BB height, 9" of travel. Other than the reach (and front centre) being quite short, it's actually very close to current geometry, though it did run a 7" fork instead of an 8" fork like we've all been running since 04/05. Has the quality of the travel improved much? Noticeably (as compared to a Van RC or 5th Elephant) yes, but not so substantially that you couldn't get on one of those bikes and rip still. The much vaunted TPC damping that everyone's getting excited about in the Dorado and Manitou's other new forks was in fine form back then too. The big change that's happened since then is that bikes now weigh half as much and last twice as long. And people finally worked out how to attach toilet seat stoppers to their frames so you wouldn't have to hope your fork bumpers didn't shift or rotate.
Point is - can we take the tracks up a notch and develop bikes to match too, or have we already gotten to the point where you can't take the geometry/travel much further because it's no longer controllable or faster or whatever?
Anyways, I would LOVE to see the track that had the pros asking for more travel and crazy geo, and I think guys like Brendan and Hart would place higher if that was the case. I know the question is for Stevie, but I'm going to give me politically incorrect opinion: it won't happen because both male AND female pros need to be able to get down it. I'm sure that's not the only reason, but it has to play a part.
I have just come back from Thailand and can confirm that they do.
jk, keep it up :
I have a sofa.
The governing body (CCA/Cycling Canada) failed to send out a press release about my achievements at the Norway World Cup and Leogang events. They were focused on the road World Championships at the time and the communications person opted to cover the road side of things. This is really disappointing to me. That being said I do receive great support from lots of great people at the CCA, I guess the communications department doesn't love me.
For a country that usually has great pride in it's athletes (ie. Wayne Gretzky, Nancy Greene, Gilles Villeneuve, Georges St-Pierre, Geoff Kabush to name a few), I think it's a shame that you did not get the glory you deserved.
Anyhow... congrats on the win and although the personal achievement is one thing, I hope that the CCA will apologize and make up for it!
Cheers.
I think that all athletes have responsabilities, but the athlete can always choose how they interact with their fans.
Steve, what's you take on this?
canada lost there shit when rob boyd won a world cup ski race in canada when i was a kid , steves accomplishments this season were nothing short of amazing and should put him up for canadian male athlete of the year...... or priminister.
wheres this countries pride?
There were tons of twitter messages being sent to Rach Ath and the UK top TV channels - luckily her story got picked up (September) and she has had a fair amount of coverage - which is great! But the Ath's have been the UK MTB "royal family" for absolutely years now... taken a while to get the coverage!
Picture the scenario after your World Cup win you are celebrating in a bar. A hells angels gang turns up and starts a fight with the riders. You have to pick 3 other riders from the World Cup to battle your way out of the bar who are they :-)
Steve Peat
Marcus Stokel (MS Moondraker team manager)
when was the time in you'r riding that you started to get fast, i mean realy fast? an could you put it down to any one thing be it it bike setup, training, passion or just huge balls?
I'm no pro myself, but anyone can see the general formula for success is relatively similar for any type of passion/sport/skill, putting in lots and lots of hours of experience/efficient training and always pushing your lap times.
- Held & lykke med det, vi trænger fandme til noget dansk indflydelse i MTB verdenen, post Henrik Djernis
i.imgur.com/K5PLZdO.jpg
m.vitalmtb.com/features/Blue-Ribbon-Banter-Gwinning-Killed-The-MTB-Star,568
Any comments? Or you still out there having fun every time you drop in?
It makes me feel way more connected to the bike.
I thought he might have some good input on this considering he is the world champion. Hint hint SS
www.pinkbike.com/photo/10127073
It generated a lot of comments, most of it rubbish but it was funny for us fans.
What did you think? Did you take it in the good humour it was meant?
Congrats on the title, well deserved and great to watch.
Kept us hanging on right to the end.
Seriously, congrats on your great season, hats off for the show you throw down in MSA, that's what riding is about !
Do you plan to ride some enduro (it seem to be the fashion stuff to do among DH riders) ? And what is your feeling about this sport, were do you see it going ?
Also, is there any rule that doesn't allow racers to race without a visor on their helmets?
Cheers from Germany, great season!
Since this is about questions: Is it Steve or Stevie?
train hard and go after it next year. you got this.
And where's the stache???
All I want to know is this...are you going for the 3-peat next season in the Underworld Cup?
Needless to say, you bring the ride and we'll bring the noise!!
Big shout from Madeira Island, Portugal. We love you out there.
- Also, congrats on the wins, you're almost forcing me to buy a Devinci!
1.) How much involvement do you have in your suspension set up? For example, do you fiddle with compression and rebound knobs yourself, or do you give your mechanic feedback on how you want the bike to be riding and let him do it?
2.) If SRAM hadn't been able to deliver a 650b Boxxer to you for Pietermaritzburg, were you really prepared to run a Pike?
3.) What sort of tire PSI are you regularly running during races front and rear?
I was checking out Seasons not too long ago for the X number of time (www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Y3_Nygzq0) ... I had a chuckle when you mention you'd like to be standing next to Sam Hill and Steve Peat. How do you look back on this now. How does it feel to have accomplished what you were aiming for? (something that does not happen too often to many of us)
Save up lots of money and do UCI as a privateer or try racing locally first?
I live in a small country, so I don't know if racing locally will get me sponsors, even if I smash everything.
btw what do ya think about my phone case www.pinkbike.com/photo/10163109
Keep up the focus and training. It's working very well. Thought your consistency was superb throughout 2013! And the stache looked good ;-)
What would you have pursued in life if it wasn't for racing downhill?
Have there been features in a course that have scared you?
I know this isn't a question but just wanted to say this anyway.
See you in Méribel next year !!
Riser - my Truvativ Pro model 30mm!
Congrats on the win Stevie.
what do you think about the geometry on gee's fury?
the "longer frame for more space to move arround" thing.
at the beginning of the season he looked like he was unbeatable. much faster than in 2012.
do you think most people ride to small frames?
what size do you prefer?
While the rivalry between you and Gee made for good press, has entirely too much been made out of it? Was there tension between camps coming into the finals, or are you all pretty friendly about the whole thing?
Well done anyhow.
in the overall title( congrats by the way!) ?
Second, have you ridden tracks, trails in Costa Rica? If not, you should come down here (mid Dec thru April are the best months since it is drier). There's a Devinci dealer that will surely hook you up nicely (Carlos Castillo from Ciclon Bike Shop). Alot of good race tracks, and epic trails as well.
Third..Any plans on competing in the following PanAms as you've done before? There's pretty good competition (Marcelo Gutierrez, among others). I wonder why Gwin and other top US riders haven't raced at it yet.
Cheers!!!!
I have 2 question:What push you to ride every day? And What would you like to do(job) when you was younger?
Sorry for my english i'm a f*cking french!
One more question:a advice to progress on a bike?
with the World Champs at Hafjell next year (and you having won there twice in a row) and you being the man to beat at the minute, do you honestly think you could do the double?
if not, why?
I am a 16 year old racer out of calgary. I am moving up to jr ex next season. Being that you win world cups, what are some tips you could give me to mentally prepare myself before racing? That has always been a big obstacle for me
Ps congrats on your worldcup overall! Still so fired up!
Cheers!
I thought long and hard about what i was going to ask you and settled on: What does it take to become pro, especially coming from California just a mile or so outside of downtown LA. Everything is terrible around here for mtb. I am 14 years old and am a freshman in high school. I want to be pro slopestyle/freeride. Yeah, we have snow summit, which is pretty awesome but i definitely dont have time to go down there each weekend. My parents dont exactly believe in me either. So what will it take to be the best? I know freeride isn't your thing but just to be pro in general. I watched a video on you and it really seemed like you had a lot of support from your mom. I dont have that. So will i really need to drop everything and only focus on getting better? I cant imagine doing anything else as a job and will do anything to get where i want to be. Thanks a ton for your time.
-Miles Lopez
Great win this season StevieSmithDH.
other than gee who do you think will be your toughest competitor next season?
congrats in the WC cup
Greetings from the Crew of Destino all mountain
If you could ride any trail in the world tomorrow, what/where would it be and why?
Congrats on such a great season!
Jono
What do you think, what makes the sport more popular, and more accepted by the society? In my country being a biker almost equivalent as being a criminal, because the society thinks we means threat to the environment. Wish you the best from Hungary, and congrats for your win!
I am just wondering how the relationship between top riders is. Is everyone chill with each other or does a lot of rivalry and competitiveness exist between the top riders?
Did you think a lot of the other top riders were a bit sour with your win?
Cheers from Portugal! Hope to see you around here someday!
Now that you've accomplished what was most likely the dream of your life, how does an athlete like you sees the future? You're obviously going to want to stay on top for as long as you can. Is there a risk that the dream will become "work as usual" or you have other goals to keep it challenging?
Hope you have an even better 2014 season. cheers from the Azores
Congrats with the overall win. You're absolutely an amazing rider with one of the best attitudes.
I have 1 question: blondes or brunettes?
My question is, did you always know you would one day take the title? Especially with such a stacked field of talent. Or did it creep up on you in a kind of "Holly shit, I can actually do this!!" kind of way
i have 2 question's for you, 1 is when you feel nervous about a certain line that is defiantly more faster but at the same time it scares you or you are not confident hat do you do to overtake that mental block and do it
the other, is how many times per week you go to the gym and do your road bike riding, enduro, and dh?
thank's
What do you think a WC track should look like? More roots and natural rocks and sutt, or some more huge jumps like in Hafjel?
What do you think about the track in Andorra?
Congratulations to your great victory!
just wondering if like me you ever feel that you hit a point with you riding speed that you can't get past.. then a few months later you manage to go up a notch. or do you feel like you gradually but consistently improve?
also how do you deal with nerves before doing something new that requires commitment (like a massive gap)?
cheers
also the nerves i get stop me from trying new things such as large drops (6ft+) or doubles and hamper my progress as a rider. should i just man up or am i just be being impatient trying to do too much with the skills i have.
Cheers, Tyler
i have 2 question's for you, 1 is when you feel nervous about a certain line that is defiantly more faster but at the same time it scares you or you are not confident hat do you do to overtake that mental block and do it
the other, is how many times per week you go to the gym and do your road bike riding, enduro, and dh?
thank's
Cheers Man!
BTW, congrats for your win, after having an awsome astronaut in the space, we now have a mtb world champion.
This year saw a big change in ranks in the WC series, the usual top 3 weren't dominating and the "Gwin era" may have ended (or did you decide). Who do you see as the main guys at the top to worry about and who are the main guys coming up biting at the heels.
(also if you got time)
the end of last season there were lots of team changes and letters etc, you got any plans for next season or you happy where you are?
Well done again and enjoy the off season dude
And of course big congratulations! You deserved it.
Stash for the win
(Could I be your orthopedist one day?)
Seen those geek stats DMag is regularly putting after each WC ...
Do you think it can be used for improving here and there ?
dirt.mpora.com/events/downhill/uci-world-cup/fort-william-2013-world-cup-geek-stats.html
dirt.mpora.com/news/val-di-sole-2013-world-cup-geek-stats.html
dirt.mpora.com/news/vallnord-2013-world-cup-geek-stats.html
dirt.mpora.com/news/mont-sainte-anne-2013-world-cup-geek-stats.html
dirt.mpora.com/news/geek-stats-2013-hafjell-world-cup.html
dirt.mpora.com/news/geek-stats-leogang-world-cup-finals-2013.html
Then ... you were sooooo fast ;-(( ;-)) in PMB that the radars can't even catch you !
dirt.mpora.com/news/geek-stats-2013-mtb-dh-world-championships-pietermaritzburg-south-africa.html
You made like only 50 meters after the start before crashing ... I was there for the masters one week before and crashed 150 m before the finish line (money maker) what's better ?
congrats and cheers!!
Seriously though, tecate? why not some spinakers or phillips or something.
When you were riding in Brazil or in any other extremely hot conditions how do you cope/train for the heat? Have you suffered from heat stroke or exhaustion?
it's not always easy not to think about the fear.
feel free to answer sincerely and directly, thank you and congratulation for the inspiration that you give us
Whenever you become a free agent, would you stick with a Canadian brand out of patriotism, or go for fat stacks from the highest bidder? I realize a sponsored rider is contractually obligated to answer a certain way; however, for the sake of fun, who would you choose other than Devinci if you could chose?
You talk a lot about how much training you do to keep in shape and ready for race season. I'm curious to know more detailed how you train. Obviously riding Prevost as much as possible is huge for keeping on your DH toes but as for fitness do you just ride Tzouhalem to keep fit or run or what's your fitness flavor? Curious how much effort towards fitness the world cup champ puts in.
ps- congrats. super stoked for you. did a lot of clapping and waving my arms like a moran in front of the monitor this yr that's fo sho
How particular are you on cockpit setup? Are you sensitive to stem length or the hight or backsweep of your bars? Do you find that small adjustments such as rolling your bars forward or backward can affect your confidence on the bike?
2 questions if you have time:
1) Would you say that riding Mt Prevost over the years is the foundation of what has made you the rider that you are? Or, put another way, have you ever encountered anything on a WC track that you wouldn't have already experienced at Prevost or around home
2) Sushi connaisseur that you are, is there a place in or around Nanaimo that you would say is the best?
Enjoy the limelight Steve, you deserve it.
Look so damn good . Makes me want to get one and pretend I'm you
PS if you have kept yours after shaving it off, can i have it ?
Kris
In light of your recent amazing success with the World Cup over title, would you be interested in being in a student film over in Vancouver this fall?
Also never shave the stash!
I meet you at the fox tent in 2012 at fort William and so stoked to of met you.
What you got planned for the off season?
I have a question, how can you get to be a redbull athlete? Do they notice you at the races or how does that work?
Cheers, your awesome!
I was at the race when you set your fast time on a borrowed bike as a u15 racer. How much influence did Shaums March have on your racing technique and success early on?
Do you think it's all over for Arron Gwin?
Congrats on your wins. Even tho I am a Brit I was totes rooting for you this season.
And do you have helmets special built for your head because I think not every helmet of your sponsor fits your head...
Thank you for answering my questions
Congrats on the overall. This come almost ten years to the day of your fast time on a borrowed bike as a u15. Do you think your work with Shaums March in the early years helped you attain your goals?
Which bike park in BC would you recommend for an overall awesome experience for freeride/DH (on a student budget)?
My question is, have you ever done any riding of any discipline here in New Zealand, if you have, where did you go and what type of MTB did you ride?
Can you ride either foot forward if you need to?
Ever raced road? If so how did you do?
2. Is it true that the claw wrestles a grizzly bear once a week
cheers!
Would you go straight or turn left?
LOL
Or maybe I should ask Bryn that question?
Does pro life ever get overwhelming? Have you ever tried snus(wet tobacco)?
PS check out the rest of the black hippy crew if like kendrick lamar.
How old were you when you started riding? How were your riding days when you started?
Cheers from Portugal!
And at what age you started to ride DH?
thank's!(:
Cheers
All the best for next year :-)
Cheers
How many time do you spend training on a speed or xc bike along the week ?
How much time do you spend training on a speed or xc bike along the week ?
Oh and I am the kids who met you at crankworx in the village the night after air DH and hit on your girlfriend, sorry
What haven't you done, that you'd still like to do in life?
" if you only had 30 days to live, what would you do?" RIP SM.. Respect xx thank you btw - love watching you ride (I wish )
Congrats on a sick season, you make us Canucks proud!
Im wondering, there was in your career momen when you start progressing very quickly, or you progressing smooth, without 'jumps' all the time?
My question is..., If you could ride for any other team other than Devinci, which team would it be and why?
(Atherton rejects remain f***ing talented by the way)
most questions have been asked but..
Have you EVER noticed anyone in the crowd trackside whilst racing and been put off your run???
You're an awesome guy, hope to say at Worlds 2015, or even maybe next year!
2nd- If there were a WC at Whistler and you designed the course what trails would you use?
Congrats
Do you attend any local, not important races?
Cheers and all the best from Austria :-)
Best of luck for the next season!
its got to be in the mustache right??
you really didn't rode bikes before 12, you serious on this one ?!?!
(I did really your old mustash!)
That'd be cool...
MASTER I NEED YOUR HELP
also whats your diet like?
2.Where would you like to make a roadtrip?
thank you!
What do you think about DH hardtail racers ?
Cheers
Can you give me juste one word to help me in my downhill training ?
Congrats and enjoy the ride !
I thought you looked better and a lot faster on the Wilson
Are you gonna ride rampage ?
You should checkout Parkway Drive, if you haven't herd of them!
Y is my ? Keep gettin erased
What advise you can give to a new riders , who just started
What brand of bike or frame can you advise to buy under the 2000$
hope the question has not been asked before.
Congrats
How has winning at the ultimate stage influenced your day to day perspective on life?
Where do you usually go over winter?
thanks
www.pinkbike.com/photo/8252822
www.pinkbike.com/photo/8252942
Thanks.
did you know that?
and congrats on the big win!
Right now I am more comfortable on 26, but who knows with time what will be best
Congratulations on your win, never liked Gee Atherton anyways!