What requires the most bottle

[darkstar]

Hitting tarmac or hitting Snow. Dunno, you choose? :-)

If downhill runs were soft snow you think they would go as fast as they do? It's ice, listen out when your watching! It's also ridiculously steep, the tv doesn't do it any justice. A fall at over 150kph into the netting causes serious injury. With no breaks (attempting to stop at that speed is impossible on steep technical sections) it's a no brainer for me, downhill skiing takes more skill than downhill cycling.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I know it would require more bottle from me to do the bike downhill than the skiing, simply because in skiing you are in more direct contact with everything and the equipment is more part of you.

And I don't like mountain bikes, they're all wobbly compared to sensible bikes.

 

[BrumJim]

More bottle to do downhill biking. You don't have to worry about rotational inertias on skis. Also, coming off skis you can shed them fairly easily, and there isn't much mass for them to attack you later. A big heavy bike with some nasty hard corners and spiky bits is going to be less forgiving.

 

[Kirstie]

In terms of what you have to overcome ie your own fear and the human nature to recoil from danger they are both the same deal. Having done DH mtb it takes a massive amount of courage to let go of the brakes and attack the course. Having watched the michael johnson half hour doc on the mentality of DH skiers the other day I identified with a lot of what they were saying - which was that it's about not letting 'the fear' get hold of you.

Technically they are both quite different, but both carry with it the risk of death or serious injury, and require very high levels of commitment and skill.

 

[darkstar]

Remember if you bail, skis don't come off at that level, it's not just like pootling about on holliday, where if you fall over the foot slips out straight away. They stay on the foot and if that means breaking the leg, fine. Has anyone seen the video of the skier who had to have his leg amputated because it was so badly broken, pretty horrific.

 

[Aperitif]

I have just had a look at the Beloki blow out crash I mentioned earlier. Wince? Absolutely!


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr89ku-K2WU

 

[darkstar]

Bit confused, are we talking about downhill mountain biking or road cycling? I've mentioned on here before i raced downhill MtB for a while, (until i injured my back) and thats a whole different argument, i'd say it's hard to compare the two.

 

[Kirstie]

Bit confused, are we talking about downhill mountain biking or road cycling? I've mentioned on here before i raced downhill MtB for a while, (until i injured my back) and thats a whole different argument, i'd say it's hard to compare the two.

Downhill mountainbiking was how I read it. In terms of the head you need on your shoulders I'd say they were quite similar.

 

[meenaghman]

Its a matter of practice too.. I've not got a problem with road cycling -regularly clocking over 45mph (over 55mph in the alps) on downhills. Put me on an mtb though and I start pulling brakes and walking the bike down technical descents. Its a state of mind. On the Marmotte last year saw a number of offs due to poor descending and also lots of punctures due to brake hugging. One thing I will say is if descending in a group on a bike to chose the wheel you follow carefully.

 

[postman]

45 mph 55 mph .Downhill mountain biking .Pah .I once said No to the wife .

Now that takes 'Bottle'

 

[BrumJim]

Personally, I'm far happier flying down a black slope at lunatic speeds than I am on a bike. My balance isn't great, but ski-ing gives a much greater sense of being able to rescue a wobble, the grip increases the further you lean over (remembering to keep the weight downhill), and the subtle changes in weight and distribution seem to make much more of an immediate change to what you are doing and where you are pointing.

Also your balance area is much greater on skis.

 

[slowmotion]

Personally, I'm far happier flying down a black slope at lunatic speeds than I am on a bike. My balance isn't great, but ski-ing gives a much greater sense of being able to rescue a wobble, the grip increases the further you lean over (remembering to keep the weight downhill), and the subtle changes in weight and distribution seem to make much more of an immediate change to what you are doing and where you are pointing.

Also your balance area is much greater on skis.

Yes, I agree. Another thing that ski-ing has in its favour is that, although ice feels just as hard as tarmac when you hit it, at least it doesn't try aggressively to remove your skin. Also, some of the kinetic energy is dissipated by a long slide on ice, rather than a short high friction one on the road.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Both disciplines deserve mutual respect.

 

[chap]

A professional cyclist hurtling town a mountain at full speed or a professional downhill skier hurtling down a mountain full speed???

I think they both require about the same level of skill and courage. Generally, if either of them fall mid-way, they are going to get hurt. However, they should have enough confidence bourne through experience to handle most situations thrown at them. Therefore, were they in the other persons shoes and had the same amount of experience, it would be exactly the same.

It's almost like the doctor who has to perform last minute open heart surgery during a power-cut...Ok that should never happen, but they would at least know what to do, what to look out for, and be able to handle the situation.

 

[monnet]

I was only thinking about this after the downhill at Kitzbuhl the other week.

Respect for both, as others have said.

I've hit just over 80km/h on a downhill (road). I know the road well and felt in control and knew how the bike would behave and that brakes will scrub a bit of speed off if necessary.

On the other hand watching the skiers drop into the finish at over 140km/h with nothing but two planks of wood strapped to their feet terrified me.