Gravity Bolivia was just on ABC Nightline for doing tours of the most dangerous road in the world, on
mountain bikes. The mainstream world gets so little exposure to mountain biking, that it's always great to see a bit of it on TV, over 3 million viewers in the US tuned in to this piece on a crazy kiwi running a company taking people mountain biking down the World's Most Dangerous Road... in of all places, Bolivia, South America. Check out the thrills and spills,
definitely not for the faint of heart...Check out www.gravitybolivia.com to learn more.
59 Comments
This trip looks sick, and i would be more than stoaked to go on it. Theres a huge death factor, and an even cooler bragging right to say "yeah dude, i rode the most dangerous road in the world".
Should be an impressing experience, if you have enough fantasy.
And, of course, there´s no speed limit. If you think you´re Steve Peat or whoever is good a racing, go on and show us how to do it! Everybody here can ride Whistler. Nobody ever raced that road...
Anyways, I liked the story, and I thought it looked fun and challenging in it's OWN right. Glad to see some bikes on TV.
That ride is def. more for beginner mnt. bikers or adventurous roadies. Bolivia does have killer downhill single-track that starts from even higher up, I think starting at around 18,000 feet above sea level. To bad they couldn't film that for the masses.
Downhill Mike
the guide is guiding new bikers and teaching them improperly. he telling them to lead with their left foot into lefthand corners, and right foot into righthand corners.
when cornering at speed you need to have forward pressure (on your front tire as it controls) on the outside of the corner. this is for a number of reasons:
1. due to counter-turning the front wheel is more stable by doing this, and
2. your body is positioned facing into the corner rather than away. this is the same principle as in skiing, always have your shoulders pointed towards the falline, which you can't do if your hips and leg positions are turned away from the falline/corner.
Se que vinieron un grupo de ustedes a correr a Maras., que otras singletracks conocierón?
Saludos
From a MTB perspective, it isn't a technically challenging road. It is wide, there are no jumps, teeter-totters, ladder bridges, etc. Far more people get injured badly at Whistler; from a skills standpoint they are so far apart it's not even the same game. But what does make it dangerous when riding a bike is that, well - there is a cliff you're riding next to. We've probably all fallen down in a parking lot for really no reason at all so that always sticks in the back of your head when looking down 1,000 feet just under you left hand. Doubtful anything would happen but the brain still thinks about it. Secondly there are still trucks which drive on that road and there is the possibility that when taking a corner some drunk Bolivian driver is hauling ass right at you. You now have a panic stop situation where going left (off the cliff) is not an option. Just hope he sees you and actually cares enough to slow down and give you space.
So is it dangerous? Well, yes but the risk is calculated and controlled. At last count 13 mountain bikers have died in the past 10 years while 52 vehicle passengers have died this year alone (when I was there Oct 28th anyway). Keep in mind that a lot of mountain bike injuries on that road are for stupid reasons. Guys try and ride it while still drunk from last night or after snorting cocaine. Some tourists are real idiots.
Why ride it? It's a day trip from La Paz and if you're in La Paz for a while you're going to want to get out of town for a bit. Also by all comparisons it is fairly inexpensive. The entire experience complete with full suspension Kona bike, riding gear, hot shower at the end with a hot meal and transportation back costs less than renting just that bike alone for a day at Whistler; and that doesn't count the cost of the park ticket either. The scenery is incredible and worth doing just for pictures. If you're an experienced mountain biker this will be more for the location, scenery, photos and experience than it would be for mountain biking. Don't expect a single track downhill trail like Freight Train - you'll be disappointed. Be leisurely, ride it fast and enjoy seeing things that most people never will. If you're a novice, just don't try and show off. Ride smart and have fun. Remember - the trail itself isn't difficult, you just have to stay on it.
I rode with Gravity Bolivia and from what I saw there combined with how they operated I can easily state that you don't want to go with anyone else. These guys know what they're doing and actually maintain the bikes!
Sure, I rode with 2 fingers on the brakes...1 index finger from each hand...
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