Off road cyclists are mental

[Will1985]

Last weekend saw the BUCS (British Universities) MTB and Downhill Championships take place in Wales. The videos of the event were uploaded yesterday and today of some frankly insane action. The number of spills seen on these videos is frankly amazing - obviously due to the wide range of ability. I think I have a newfound respect for the downhillers - some impressive balls out skills there. My limit with mountain biking is Thetford forest and fireroads!

There were something like 600 people taking part which is phenomenal. If only the road side were as well attended...

The videos are here....

 

[blubb]

Most of these crashes could probably have been prevented if they put their saddle a lot lower.

Looks like a lovely event .

 

[Salad Dodger]

I didn't realise that there were quite so many ways of crashing off a bike....

 

[thomas]

LOL. You can tell it's a bunch of roadies doing all the crashing. Not a baggy short in sight :

I am sure I'd of gone down the course more on my arse than on my bike

 

[fossyant]

Thanks for the link Will.

I went out with MTB'ers when I was a roadie (many years ago when it first took off) - we roadies killed them up hill, but they killed us down - noticed all the downhillers got the tractor up - WTF....

Some serious skill there. I've always bottled out down hill off road, 'got a race next week, got to ride to work tomorrow' - my excuse now is I'm not as 'rubber boned' as in my 20's.

Fab video's - cheers - real delight to watch.

Cheers mate !

Also - flippin nutters................

 

[darkstar]

I went out with MTB'ers when I was a roadie (many years ago when it first took off) - we roadies killed them up hill, but they killed us down - noticed all the downhillers got the tractor up - WTF....

I'd love to see you get one of those downhill bikes up a steep hill, bloody heavy!

Watching this reminds me of the broken back incident in my teens, tough times. Looks like a fun trail though!

 

[Cubist]

LOL. You can tell it's a bunch of roadies doing all the crashing. Not a baggy short in sight :

I am sure I'd of gone down the course more on my arse than on my bike

No, not roadies, XC whippets. That piece of descent is definitely not somewhere to try and stay in the saddle!!

Fantastic few minutes of video, thanks Will.

 

[Headgardener]

Looks like even being a spectator you took your life in your hands . Some of the riders were making some silly moves with the bike while airborne which probably lost them some time.

P.S. Could have been better if there was sound.

 

[Fnaar]

Excellent stuff! Wish I'd been into that in my teens/20s... I'd be a total wuss at it now

 

[montage]

Gutted I didnt go to this, made the plans to, but unfortunately had to drop out last minute because of a big assignment that was due in on that monday

Pretty sure I would have bailed on that hill......loving all the calls from the spectators "stay off the brakes"

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Video 2: at 2:47 lad in yellow top; was impressed the way he got to his feet and then caught his bike that was preceding him down hill

Yes, I noticed that when I first watched it - though I think the bike alone was pretty impressive - it rolled along without a rider, did 2 somersaults and then jumped into the rider's hands. I wonder if they go dancing together.

 

[Amheirchion]

Gutted I didnt go to this, made the plans to, but unfortunately had to drop out last minute because of a big assignment that was due in on that monday

Pretty sure I would have bailed on that hill......loving all the calls from the spectators "stay off the brakes"

I think they had half a point, it looked like many people that went over were on their front brakes. I don't know what the best way is but I suspect I'd be on my back brake only and praying it worked (with my rear end as far over the back wheel as possible).

 

[montage]

One of the reasons for so many crashes was the fact that part of the course used was an old DH course... harder than many of your usual XC descents

 

[Flying_Monkey]

One of my students broke both wrists in university mountain biking a few year's back... that was a pretty good excuse not to get his essays in. He seemed remarkably pleased about it!

Mind you he was a half decent rider - I have just watched the XC video, and there is some really poor riding there - no line selection, completely stupid use of the breaks, we're not even getting anywhere near 'flow' - just people with no idea how to ride an mountain bike. Very entertaining though...

 

[marzjennings]

There were something like 600 people taking part which is phenomenal. If only the road side were as interesting...

Fixed it for you.

Thanks for posting the vid, I'm impressed with the number of folks who signed up for the race, but with no mtb skills at all.