I was thinking the same thing, whoever is supplying their rims will be showing that one off forever.
He bulldozed the rock garden with nothing but rim.
Showing some true balls and sportsmanship there.
Unfortunate run for Stevie and Bruni, they were both on pace for podiums.
Maybe it was the wheelset being so stiff that blew his tyre in the first place.......good to see everyone give him a standing ovation at the finish though!!
I'm pretty sure Gwins time WOULD have beaten most non-pros down that track, considering he would have taken 10th in the Pro Woman's, and they ain't slow... Unbelievable ride!
Yeah but it's such a shame for Minnaar to get dqed in Cairns for stuff that other people got away with in the past. He would have a fair chance to win the overall but with the shit rule interpretation of the uci guys it's all gone for him...
What I don't get is that Droplover writes his opinion and Pinkbike stops posting it because it receives a certain rating from other Pinkbike users. Proper English folk probably! So what? he has an opinion! I think Gwin would have won if he wouldn't have had a flat, but he didn't, and that's life! Droplover merely stated his opinion, but because he did not make concessions to the English people (Bryceland) he is chastised! I am an American and I am stoked that Josh won, but I am a huge Gwin fan and wish that he would have won! Our sport is unique in that it is relatively free of politics and bullshit (unlike the road scene), and we should all take each others comments with a grain of salt because I am willing to bet that Droplover would buy any of us a pint after a WC round to celebrate the sport of DH. Y'all that knit-pick and complain about petty things probably don't know what a hard life is. GET A LIFE.
CaliCol, where I come from, we have a thing called a tanty scull. Basically when someone has an undue rant or tantrum (hence the name "tanty"), you call them out on it, and they have to finish their beer.
More than likely that Loic would have won, not Gwin, even if he didn't flat @CaliCol, @Droplover.
Loic was fastest in both splits and then crashed. I think the probability would have been higher than Loic would have taken it than Gwin, but hey, these are all "what if's", and the simple fact is that Gwin did flat, and Loic crashed, and Ratboy won. Same thing could have been said about the ladies last weekend, with 3 of the top contenders flatting, but hey, that's just part of racing.
We will never know, but saying something like "he only won because someone else got a flat" is pretty darn disrespectful to the guys who didn't flat and made it to the bottom faster. Don't be a poor loser.
Gutted for bernard kerr , guess his did go over a pole then Don't think he gained anything from doing it other than shitting his pants praying to not miss the landing.
People keep saying "Loic would of won if he didn't crash" but the fact is he was going faster than he could control and he crashed rat boy was fast and in control that's why he won not because loic crashed and its unfair to try and take that away from rat boy!
It's the old auto racing proverb, "To finish first, you must first finish". Who here remembers the 2007 World Champs at Fort William when he punctured during his run in the junior's final? Big congrats to Ratboy! It's been a long time coming and truly well deserved.
Your countering your own argument in talking about Gwin. DH racing is about riding a fine line between fast and in control. Loic was pushing to his edge and lost control therefore he exceeded his line. Gwins situation is different being a mechanical. I can only tell you how many times I heard a racer say if I didn't crash I would have won....for you not to crash you probably would've been going a bit slower and might not have had the win. Close, probably, and should've have no meaning in our sport. Ratboy won! End of story and excuses.
jaame, that's not quite right. What Cullinan did was that he jumped across a bridge everyone else just rode across. The bridge was under the chairlift, and the story was that he had to time it so the chair was not passing over at that moment or he would hit it. I think the danger of the lift chairs being low enough to hit was probably exaggerated for the sake of a good story, but he never went off course.
@Iamwathog I was under the impression the briodge exit was on a corner and he was doing an over and back inside the tapes jump through the chairs. Still, I was only 12 at the time and I just read about it.
Buzzing for the Ratser! Been coming and coming, 2nd in Cairns and was up at first split in Pietrmartizburg before his mechanical! Just wish he did it last week at Fort Bill so I could of witnessed it Counting down the days til the next This is Peaty...
Errr, CaliCol. I'm sorry to say, your rant (and it is nothing more than that) is not only stupid, and disrespectful to an amazing rider who's been on course for a win all season. It's also pretty obviously quite racist. So in short, whats your f*cking problem? Ratboy won, cos he got down the mountain fastest that day. Stop making excuses so you can pretend your countryman was the fastest. Gwin put down a sick run. I was laughing my arse off and screaming for him to go faster and keep it upright all the way down. But he didn't win. Because he made a mistake somewhere and blew his tyre out. Poor guy, awesome rider.
It was a great race and fun to watch. Ratboy won, Brosnan podiumed, and Gwin earned a few more fans with his 1-tired run. DH racing is an awesome sport. I have attended and participated in a few races. Crowds at DH races are the best, and I live in the US. I could only imagine how much fun it would be to go to a race in Europe. @CaliCol, If I ever get the opportunity to attend a WC race there, I will buy all a pint of their favorite brew to say I partied with some of the rowdiest folks on the planet. That would make for one helluva story when I got home!!!
@jaamme, It's not your memory that's wrong, that is the way the race was reported. The problem is all the magazines just exaggerated to make a good story, and that telling has become the legend that most people believe, Here is part of the tv broadcast from the race and it does show Jimmy Deaton riding across the same bridge, and you can see that it's pretty straight and not directly under the lift. youtu.be/KFxL8yQakrk . Cullinan is the next rider down. Unfortunately there is no footage of Cullinan when he jumped the bridge, but if you google image search Dave Cullinan 1992 world championships, there is one photo of it and you can see he is inside the railing.
Yeah, I'm sure 650b isn't going anywhere, but I bet you'll see more people on different sizes in the future instead of everyone pushing for one wheel size.
I met a woman on a ride a couple of weeks ago who was selling her shiny new carbon 26" bike because she felt that the wheels were holding her back. I found it hard not to burst into laughter.
Welp.. I just bought myself a new 26" carbon XC/AM bike last week, so I guess that evens it out.
She might be right though. Unskilled riders are usually faster on a 29'er that doesn't require nearly as much attention and understanding of the track surface, because they more easily plow through bumps, roots, rocks etc.
I've been watching the last couple races from last season with a few of the 650b bikes ridden by some of the top guys.. and I'd have to say that seriously the 26 inch wheel bike looks smoother and able to pop and get through the rough stuff so much easier and also the riders on the 26 just get in and out of the corners way faster. I dunno man... I'm not a world cup dude, and if the top racers in the world look like they are struggling with the bigger wheels than their closest equal on a 26, then for an average dude that wants to have fun on his bike... I'll stick with the 26 I think. I think that just some of the world cup riders on the top of their game are able to muscle the bigger wheeled bikes around. Not that the bike itself is faster, but that's why they're on the top step. They make the equipment do what they want... I dunno. Does that make sense ?
Retro race maybe.... All the top 10-15 riders have to do a 2nd run on the 26 and see. haha. ( such a stupid idea )
as a guy who is now riding a 650b bike it feels so close to 26" that if you told me I was on smaller wheels I would believe you. they seem like they handle the same, corner the same, but rolling might be slightly better. its so close that I couldn't quantify it. It definitely won't hold anyone back on a dh bike on a dh track, but I don't think 26" would be any worse. they wheels are that close. so if handling is virtually the same you may as well go with the wheel that rolls faster, no?
Same as on our trail rides around here - the bikes that seem to always puncture and make a nuisance of themselves, frankly, have big wheels - coz their riders, and tyre manufacturers, are too sh1t-scared of the extra weight to scale them up properly to be as tough as 26in equivalent. How may recent tyre reviews have you seen where the 650B version is hardly any heavier than the 26in, and the 29er tyre just a handful of percent heavier instead of 12% heavier? 2 x pie x r. Just observing what I've seen.
Handling is virtually the same but rolling speed is faster on a 27.5"? Or how about Rolling speed is virtually the same but handling is better on a 26"?
I agree. You could say that you are technically more likely to flat on bigger wheels due to more surface area being in contact with the ground. Probably makes no difference though.
I'm still looking forward to trying 27.5 soon but that's just because I've been suckered in through all the hype.
@gabrriel-mission9, 27.5 faster sorry! One day you will have no choice but to hop on the train and when you do you will be wondering why you wasted so much time denying that fact...
Looks like clips are faster than flats, based on WC results. Maybe they should stop making flat pedals and we can start ridiculing everyone who prefers flat pedals for being luddites and PB whiners. A good start would be changing the threads on cranks so they only accept the new standard of clips and call it progress for extra strength and stiffness. Back it up with a BB length change so that new frames only take the new cranks; that'll really get this train moving. Or maybe they should just let the consumer decide on factors other than what is 'maybe' 1% faster for them if improving their time by a bee's dick is not as high on their list of priorities as getting sideways.
@Scary Gerry. 27.5 is faster on the more boring bits of track. Thats why road riders all ride 29ers and BMXers all ride tiny wheels. Tiny wheels are more nimble, sorry! One day you will ride a proper gnarly track and you will be wondering why that old luddite on a 26er is skidding around, right on your tail making annoyed noises every time you slam your brakes on for a corner or really gnarly section.
Funny you seem to think its a FACT that 27.5 is faster despite the 26" 1-2 at the last wc. I assume everyone but minaar and bryce just had an off day yeah?
When you factor in all the tight turns, gnar, and wide open sections, all three wheel sizes are about the same speed. Its when you have one type of terrain is when you might see a difference. My 27.5" wheels seem to pull away from my friend's 26" wheels on smooth downhills, but that could come down to hub bearings. I have a friend who tested the wheels back to back to back on the same track, same tires, and virtually the same bike. While one size wheel would excel in one area, the other would suffer. 27.5" seemed to be more middle of the road in terms of performance. But after it was all said and done, there wasn't a clear advantage in using either size.
ah the voice of reason. Some sizes are faster here, others are faster there. In the end it comes down to personal preference. Until they stop selling 26" that is....
Gabriel-mission9, I totally disagree with the 27.5's being faster in only the boring bits of the track. Fort Bill is made for 27.5 wheels and there is nothing boring on that track in my eyes. 90% of the teams have transferred to 27.5, are you saying sir, of all people, that you sir know more then team managers with engineers that are paid to make sure their bikes are as fast as fast can be??? What is the problem? Why cant 27.5 be the faster wheel? What difference does it make to you anyways? Why are you such an avid defender of the dinosaur wheel you call 26? Technological advancements are present in all facet's of life. It's what humans do. We evolve. Why do you refuse to? And another thing boy, I've been riding gnar trails when you were in diapers, I think I know what they are about. In 20 years, ain't nobody tail me that wasn't my buddy...
And to finish off. YES, Everyone but Minnaar and Bryce had an off day at the office. Did you watch the race?
@ScaryGerry Stop calling wheelsize technology. It's no more 'technology' than wider bars, fatter grips, longer stems, wider tires or larger T'shirts. Whether it's faster or not is irrelevant to whether it's technology.
Not everyone cares about 1% faster, (and whether it even is, on all tracks, is debateable). They handle differently. Some people will prefer the way one handles, while others will prefer the other. Why are all you 27.5 fanbois so adamant that we must all feel the same way, and jump on board just to satisfy your desire to kill something you don't prefer to ride?
I have tried about five different 27.5s and one of them I had for a week. I have not liked any of them as much as what I have now. It's called preference. For some reason, people like you like to sling abuse and insults towards those who don't share your preference.
Do you get on BMX forums and tell them that their wheels are too small? Some people happen to like riding 20" bikes. I don't and never likely will. But I don't want to take them away from them. Ride what you like and let the rest of us do the same. At least, for as long as we are able to buy parts.
Aww. Worked yourself into a bit of a tizzy there didn't you Gerry? Cute. So anyway... Sir or Boy? Which is it? As far as I know my date of birth is not mentioned on my profile, so your claim that you have been riding gnarly trails since I was in diapers is as unsubstantiated as your claim that 27.5 is faster everywhere. Wanna know the best way to make your argument look laughable? Make unsubstantiated claims.... I am not saying I know more than team managers about performance. I am 100% saying I care more about real world performance (and likely know a reasonable amount more) than the marketing fool who convinced you that 27.5 was all advantages with no drawbacks. If you believe that than I am afraid you sir (or boy?) are living in a fantasy world. What difference does it make to me? I'll tell you. I am not made of money. My current bike is awesome and does not need any upgrades, however the way things are going with all these noobs buying big wheels my bike is being pushed into unnecessary and forced obsolescence just so big bike companies can sell more stuff. I have no problem with people buying big wheels. I have a massive problem with 26" parts production being stopped, due to a stupid fashion, cuasing me to have to fork out £££££'s next time i pringle a rim, rather than £££'s. I have been riding bikes long enough to see many stupid fashions come and go. I fear this one will leave a scar.
If you were indeed riding gnar when I was in diapers then you may well be better suited to a 27.5 or even a 29er. Old guys tend not to have to strength to go fast in the corners any more so have to make up for it on the straights. A bigger wheel will indeed help you there. I however don't give a flying f**k how fast I go on the straights. I think DH is all about corner speed. If no-one has tailed you in 20 years i suggest you get out there and ride more. Last person who I didn't know, who caught up with me on a track was richie rude jr. He would have caught you too. And yes I did watch the race. Your claim that everyone else "had a bad day at the office" is laughable. Everyone else lost, cos on the day they didn't ride as well as Minnaar or Bryce. Stop making excuses
@Kramster, I am not trying to get everyone to ride 27.5''... Everyone's preferences is not what I am debating here. I am just saying that for WC Racing, 1% faster is enough to win the race or lose the race. For us weekend warriors, it makes little to no difference what wheel size you have under you... I know dick all about BMX so I have no comment. I agree with you 100% on that. Where I do not agree with you is where you say that wheel size, tire width, bar width and stem length is not technology. These are definitely technological advancements in the sport.
@gabriel-mission9 Oh boy, where to start with you... First of all, I know you are not old from what you say. This is not an unsubstantiated claim. You are captain of all unsubstantiated claims. What do you know about my riding and how frequently I ride? I rode National for 5 years and I am damn proud of the way ride still today. I handle corners just fine thank you for your concern.
I've been through ALL the advancements in DH. If you don't have the money to upgrade your bike to follow the pack, may I suggest doing some odd jobs around the neighborhood? Cutting grass, emptying gutters a paper route perhaps??? Maybe washing your daddies car?
Don't worry about me, I don't get into Tizzies whatever the F*ck that is... Also this not the place to be finding older man cute, i'm just saying...
You know how old I am not from what I say? Whats that then? how about some facts to go with your opinions? How am I the captain of unsubstantiated claims? I can give you plenty of examples of ones you have made. Lets have 1 example of one I have made....
I know nothing about how often you ride apart from the fact that you claim never to have been caught up with. This suggests to me you are either Gee Atherton, or you just don't ride with other ppl much. I am not concerned with how you handle corners at all. I merely stated that if you are as old as you claim to be, perhaps it is time for you to get on a bigger wheel as they are very suitable for old men. You have been through ALL the advancments in DH? So you started riding in 1900 did you? I guess you are even older than i thought. You clearly do get into a tizzy quite easily. I can tell by the rather personal nature of your retort.
Must say your last comment hints at a mild case of homophobia. Shame. Just to clarify. I am a straight guy. I found your comment cute in the way i find it cute when a 3 week old puppy tries to growl at me. Perhaps sweet would have riled up your homophobic tendencies less? Whatever mate. I can see you struggle with the difference between "having a discussion" and "internet warrior flaming" so I'll just back away from this one.
"I am not trying to get everyone to ride 27.5''... Everyone's preferences is not what I am debating here." "Why are you such an avid defender of the dinosaur wheel you call 26?" "27.5 faster sorry! One day you will have no choice but to hop on the train and when you do you will be wondering why you wasted so much time denying that fact..." "Technological advancements are present in all facet's of life. It's what humans do. We evolve. Why do you refuse to?"
May wish to spend more time presenting yourself differently if your intent is being misunderstood. But it seems pretty clear to me that you are displaying contempt for anyone that refuses to 'evolve' to a bigger wheel, since they will have no choice one day; lest they become dinosaurs. You're making pretty big assumptions this early in the game to say that on all tracks for all riders that one is universally superior to the other.
One factor that has been overlooked... most technical trails top speed is determined by the amount the rider touches the brakes. Not by how fast that bike is able to go. The top speed then becomes more relative to the riders ability to control the bike and make quick line changes and rail corners. This is not the case in pedally tracks where riders would go faster if they could, which seems to be the way WC is going unfortunately. But the world is full of tracks where the last thing you are doing is trying to push the bike to go faster into corners. To say that one wheel size is all advantage without any disadvantage is foolish, and only makes your argument look weak. You may be right, that 650B is faster at Pietermaritzburg, but I would bet money that it wouldn't be the case everywhere and under everybody.
Thanks mate! you make me feel better. I've been studying English for more than TEN years and still found Manon a little difficult to understand. Almost the same as my first time hearing Ratboy!
Sure Rachel is still in recovery mode, but Manon literally smashed the course like one of the guys. She attacks the course and sees lines like the guys do. Watching her ride in first person was actually very impressive.
@pospist - I had a vision reading your post of Manon and Josh having a child. That child would probably be the most fluent speaker of all mankind somehow. lol
@RaleighVoid I got my Master degree in the UK so I totally understand what you are saying. I was in Durham at that time and the northeast accent did give me some trouble at the beginning. But, Ratboy's English (or we should name it another language?) really frustrated me when I first heard him. Now Manon is here. Just like @Piniator said, it would be interesting how their child would be speaking like.
Anyway, two excellent riders and congrats for their wins!
@RaleighVoid Exactly! Actually I went back to Durham at the beginning of May. Still same old town and make me recall those days riding my Rockhopper through it.
His run had me on the edge of my seat and laughing at the same time. I kept waiting for that rim to go. Crazy run, and cool to see he seemed to find the humor in the run himself.
Awesome victory for Ratboy finally!
I think he has a few less haters after today...that was ridonkulous. I would imagine he was letting his frustrations out on the tire/rim and also trying desperately to salvage some points. Good to see him put on a show despite all of that. Legendary!
Agreed. He had the fastest speed of the top 5 and seemed wildly speedy at both splits... It's gotta be heartbreaking to not pull out a win at that sort of velocity.
As much as you have to pull for Ratboy, I was hoping Loic pulled one out of the bag as well. I like both riders, so I was happy one of them was going to get the win. Tough way to lose it - on the last techy corner on the track, really. He'll get one very soon I'm sure!!
Bruni will win one of these soon enough, I don't doubt it one bit. Bryceland has been thru enough of those to where he finally had the best run for a change...finally! I would imagine the party is still going on and it's sunrise over there.
Stoked beyond words for Josh, pretty gutted for Bruni though, Gwin is just a madman/mental, happy/relieved for Minnaar to pull another top result in his 101st world cup (legend!) and cool to see Brosnan have a go at wearing the leaders jersey next round. Big shake up again in the overall, it's really anyone's this year, its shaping up to be the best season in a few years!
Well put. You have to go back several-to-many years to see the overall as tight as it currently sits. It always seems to be a 2-3 man race in recent years. A different winner each race as well.
I hope Rob Warner's heart can hold up down the homestretch of this season!
That was an amazing run. I knew there was no way he could win but found myself pumping fists in the air and screaming as he flew down the mountain on that rim! Insane run, and he even seemed to find the event a bit funny. A true champion.
Notice he kept getting faster as he realized tires are over-rated? Almost like he learned how to ride WC downhill on a rim over the course of 2 minutes. I was scarred for him but super stoked he decided to pin it on the rim!!
Yeah.. I have to say I enjoyed that show of ... ah heck lets try this and see what happens attitude .. I was just hoping at that speed the tire didn't lock up and throw Gwin off the bike... that would have been bad obviously.
Bryceland deserved this one, Bruni was unlucky. Gwin is insanely quick without tyres and great to see him smiling at the end still. Super happy for Manon as well. What a race!!!
Question... How many top riders even rode 26? And the only 2 guys on em got 1 and 2? 650b could be a clear disadvantage. And when u watch the riding, 26 just looks way more radical.
650 will be a disadvantage on some courses--this being one of them. You are right about it looking more radical for sure. 26 just makes it look like the rider is owning the bike 100%. Also, it could be my eyes playing tricks on me but I swear under super hard cornering I can see the 650 wheels flexing the frame massively. Especially right before loic goes down I saw a massive flex
i always considered myself a good english speaker. gotta change that after not being able to understand ONE SINGLE WORD coming out ratboy's mouth still, stoked for him. 4 races, 4 different winners. what a championship.
I can't beleive Bernhard Kerr was DQed on his best run in ages. From the live stream it appeared he did not pass a pole on the wrong side of the tape, but after he'd been over it they moved the tape out by a few meters to stop it happening again, giving an advantage to following riders. Ridiculous.
Less than 250pts separate the top-9 men in the overall with a couple others just beyond that mark. You have to go back a loooooong way to see it this tight past the midway point of any season...if it's even been this tight ever before. We've yet to see anybody win a second race this season as well.
I haven't seen anybody else mention the coverage today. Good on Red Bull to show some of the techy spots on-course today. The cable-cam up top was pretty sweet as well. Keep up the great work!!
Wow. What an amazing WC round. So happy that RatBoy took his first win. I can't believe that Troy is now leading the WC overalls. Looks like its going to come down to a battle between the two specialized riders. Its going to be an interesting season.
how hard was gwinn pumping it on the berms that he rolled off a tire! then he proceeded to go faster than the other athletes (not to mention 90% of us).
chuckled when he just shrugged at the finish line and pointed up to the sky to thank the Man above. good advert for the rim! i am curious, what rims does he run?
Yeah Ratboy, bummer for Loic...helluva run....but Gwin that was absolutely spectacular! Puting it in perspective, I know some very fast DH riders that can't quite match Jill Kitners time in local races. To go 20 seconds faster with no tire is INSANE!
O Fu yeah....major congrats to rat-a-tat-dat -boy..........woo hoo ..feelbad for bruni...dam , gwin ridi with no rear tire..next time ...... Another amazing race!!!!!!!!1 RAT-BOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
there's anyone betting for this season overall because if there is they going to have a though time to decide the best wc season so far in my humble opinion no one is favorite and anybody of the top five can reach the overall exciting to say the least good luck to the racers and thanks for the show.
P.S. I think this year world champs is going to be unfit for cardiac by the way things are rolling rigth now everybody is pinned
With Bryceland finally getting one under his belt, Fairclough should step it up. These guys are the best Peaty disciples.. Also, I'm amazed of Minnaar in 2nd. It seemed like he wasn't into this race.
you brits didn't say that when peaty crashed at world championships in les Gets 2004!! Double standards i think... Anyway Bruni will win, it's a matter of time
So pleased for manon rach and tahnee seagrave makes up for a gutting fort bill last weekend. so stoked for ratboy get in finally a sport us brits are good at.
I think I got a stiffy at first when I saw them riding roots and rocks. Being at a resort in their home country, Red Bull had no excuses this round.
Still a little miffed on the Ft. Bill coverage, though. I know, I know......free, but there was no footage in the main wooded sections where runs were being made or broken.
Well, actually he did repeat his performance from qualies. And that was the problem right? 3:31 for both the final and qualies. Other guys went faster in the finals. He repeated almost the exact same time.
What happened was Luca got held up by Loris, who had crashed and was riding slowly down the track. When Luca caught him he was stuck behind him for a few corners. Apparently Loris had taken a bit of a knock to the head and was a little out of it, so he didn't realize Luca was behind yelling for him to move out of the way. Heard Loris might have a concussion, hopefully he isn't hurt very badly.
Still a few races left and nobody is walking away with anything in the overall. A different winner each race. Two first-time winners so far. If this continues, Rob Warner will explode.
There´s a mistake in overall standings?? Sam hill ended 5 in cairns and blenki in 6 and there appears hill 6 and blenki 5. with the points being changed too...
Didn't Rachel go around two poles at Fort Bill the season before last? She came into the corner too hot and couldn't make it. She took the win instead of a DSQ.
297 Comments
They are EX471 in this photo added 9 days ago
www.iamspecialized.com/members/aarongwin
Go RAT!
I call tanty scull on you sir haha.
Loic was fastest in both splits and then crashed. I think the probability would have been higher than Loic would have taken it than Gwin, but hey, these are all "what if's", and the simple fact is that Gwin did flat, and Loic crashed, and Ratboy won. Same thing could have been said about the ladies last weekend, with 3 of the top contenders flatting, but hey, that's just part of racing.
We will never know, but saying something like "he only won because someone else got a flat" is pretty darn disrespectful to the guys who didn't flat and made it to the bottom faster. Don't be a poor loser.
650b suck my cook! Go on Ratty!
Best rider on the day won the race and that's it. He's had two podiums so far this year.
youtu.be/KFxL8yQakrk .
Cullinan is the next rider down. Unfortunately there is no footage of Cullinan when he jumped the bridge, but if you google image search Dave Cullinan 1992 world championships, there is one photo of it and you can see he is inside the railing.
She might be right though. Unskilled riders are usually faster on a 29'er that doesn't require nearly as much attention and understanding of the track surface, because they more easily plow through bumps, roots, rocks etc.
2nd: 26"
Everyone else: 27.5"
God it feels good typing that
2nd Place 26"
Thank You Santa Cruz for showing everyone out there that wheel size doesn't matter!!!
I think that just some of the world cup riders on the top of their game are able to muscle the bigger wheeled bikes around. Not that the bike itself is faster, but that's why they're on the top step. They make the equipment do what they want... I dunno. Does that make sense ?
Retro race maybe.... All the top 10-15 riders have to do a 2nd run on the 26 and see. haha. ( such a stupid idea )
Gwin=Flat
Bruni=Crash
Both were faster on 650B...
Handling is virtually the same but rolling speed is faster on a 27.5"?
Or how about Rolling speed is virtually the same but handling is better on a 26"?
See what I did there?
They weren't faster were tho were they? That'll be why they didn't win.
Or maybe they should just let the consumer decide on factors other than what is 'maybe' 1% faster for them if improving their time by a bee's dick is not as high on their list of priorities as getting sideways.
Funny you seem to think its a FACT that 27.5 is faster despite the 26" 1-2 at the last wc. I assume everyone but minaar and bryce just had an off day yeah?
Gabriel-mission9, I totally disagree with the 27.5's being faster in only the boring bits of the track. Fort Bill is made for 27.5 wheels and there is nothing boring on that track in my eyes. 90% of the teams have transferred to 27.5, are you saying sir, of all people, that you sir know more then team managers with engineers that are paid to make sure their bikes are as fast as fast can be??? What is the problem? Why cant 27.5 be the faster wheel? What difference does it make to you anyways? Why are you such an avid defender of the dinosaur wheel you call 26? Technological advancements are present in all facet's of life. It's what humans do. We evolve. Why do you refuse to? And another thing boy, I've been riding gnar trails when you were in diapers, I think I know what they are about. In 20 years, ain't nobody tail me that wasn't my buddy...
And to finish off. YES, Everyone but Minnaar and Bryce had an off day at the office. Did you watch the race?
Stop calling wheelsize technology. It's no more 'technology' than wider bars, fatter grips, longer stems, wider tires or larger T'shirts. Whether it's faster or not is irrelevant to whether it's technology.
Not everyone cares about 1% faster, (and whether it even is, on all tracks, is debateable). They handle differently. Some people will prefer the way one handles, while others will prefer the other. Why are all you 27.5 fanbois so adamant that we must all feel the same way, and jump on board just to satisfy your desire to kill something you don't prefer to ride?
I have tried about five different 27.5s and one of them I had for a week. I have not liked any of them as much as what I have now. It's called preference. For some reason, people like you like to sling abuse and insults towards those who don't share your preference.
Do you get on BMX forums and tell them that their wheels are too small? Some people happen to like riding 20" bikes. I don't and never likely will. But I don't want to take them away from them. Ride what you like and let the rest of us do the same. At least, for as long as we are able to buy parts.
So anyway... Sir or Boy? Which is it? As far as I know my date of birth is not mentioned on my profile, so your claim that you have been riding gnarly trails since I was in diapers is as unsubstantiated as your claim that 27.5 is faster everywhere. Wanna know the best way to make your argument look laughable? Make unsubstantiated claims....
I am not saying I know more than team managers about performance. I am 100% saying I care more about real world performance (and likely know a reasonable amount more) than the marketing fool who convinced you that 27.5 was all advantages with no drawbacks. If you believe that than I am afraid you sir (or boy?) are living in a fantasy world.
What difference does it make to me? I'll tell you. I am not made of money. My current bike is awesome and does not need any upgrades, however the way things are going with all these noobs buying big wheels my bike is being pushed into unnecessary and forced obsolescence just so big bike companies can sell more stuff. I have no problem with people buying big wheels. I have a massive problem with 26" parts production being stopped, due to a stupid fashion, cuasing me to have to fork out £££££'s next time i pringle a rim, rather than £££'s. I have been riding bikes long enough to see many stupid fashions come and go. I fear this one will leave a scar.
If no-one has tailed you in 20 years i suggest you get out there and ride more. Last person who I didn't know, who caught up with me on a track was richie rude jr. He would have caught you too.
And yes I did watch the race. Your claim that everyone else "had a bad day at the office" is laughable. Everyone else lost, cos on the day they didn't ride as well as Minnaar or Bryce. Stop making excuses
@gabriel-mission9 Oh boy, where to start with you... First of all, I know you are not old from what you say. This is not an unsubstantiated claim. You are captain of all unsubstantiated claims. What do you know about my riding and how frequently I ride? I rode National for 5 years and I am damn proud of the way ride still today. I handle corners just fine thank you for your concern.
I've been through ALL the advancements in DH. If you don't have the money to upgrade your bike to follow the pack, may I suggest doing some odd jobs around the neighborhood? Cutting grass, emptying gutters a paper route perhaps??? Maybe washing your daddies car?
Don't worry about me, I don't get into Tizzies whatever the F*ck that is... Also this not the place to be finding older man cute, i'm just saying...
Cheers!
I know nothing about how often you ride apart from the fact that you claim never to have been caught up with. This suggests to me you are either Gee Atherton, or you just don't ride with other ppl much. I am not concerned with how you handle corners at all. I merely stated that if you are as old as you claim to be, perhaps it is time for you to get on a bigger wheel as they are very suitable for old men. You have been through ALL the advancments in DH? So you started riding in 1900 did you? I guess you are even older than i thought. You clearly do get into a tizzy quite easily. I can tell by the rather personal nature of your retort.
Must say your last comment hints at a mild case of homophobia. Shame. Just to clarify. I am a straight guy. I found your comment cute in the way i find it cute when a 3 week old puppy tries to growl at me. Perhaps sweet would have riled up your homophobic tendencies less? Whatever mate. I can see you struggle with the difference between "having a discussion" and "internet warrior flaming" so I'll just back away from this one.
"I am not trying to get everyone to ride 27.5''... Everyone's preferences is not what I am debating here."
"Why are you such an avid defender of the dinosaur wheel you call 26?"
"27.5 faster sorry! One day you will have no choice but to hop on the train and when you do you will be wondering why you wasted so much time denying that fact..."
"Technological advancements are present in all facet's of life. It's what humans do. We evolve. Why do you refuse to?"
May wish to spend more time presenting yourself differently if your intent is being misunderstood. But it seems pretty clear to me that you are displaying contempt for anyone that refuses to 'evolve' to a bigger wheel, since they will have no choice one day; lest they become dinosaurs. You're making pretty big assumptions this early in the game to say that on all tracks for all riders that one is universally superior to the other.
One factor that has been overlooked... most technical trails top speed is determined by the amount the rider touches the brakes. Not by how fast that bike is able to go. The top speed then becomes more relative to the riders ability to control the bike and make quick line changes and rail corners. This is not the case in pedally tracks where riders would go faster if they could, which seems to be the way WC is going unfortunately. But the world is full of tracks where the last thing you are doing is trying to push the bike to go faster into corners. To say that one wheel size is all advantage without any disadvantage is foolish, and only makes your argument look weak. You may be right, that 650B is faster at Pietermaritzburg, but I would bet money that it wouldn't be the case everywhere and under everybody.
Anyway, two excellent riders and congrats for their wins!
How did the rim survive that beating?!
#26forlife
Stoked for Josh tho 1st Win !!!!
chuckled when he just shrugged at the finish line and pointed up to the sky to thank the Man above. good advert for the rim! i am curious, what rims does he run?
btw Gwin was insane riding that only on the rim
How's about a review on 26' bikes?
This one works for me!
End of story.
Sam hill ended 5 in cairns and blenki in 6 and there appears hill 6 and blenki 5. with the points being changed too...
Consistency please UCI.
Maybe post the actual results, not the women and kids race?
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