XC carnage at 2011 student champs (video)

[a11y_m]

Spotted this over on STW...

http://vimeo.com/21034147

Hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!

Some jokers moved the course tape during the 2011 BUSA student XC race to take in a steep loose downhill. Crashtastic.

BTW, best to put down your tea/coffee/juice beforehand otherwise you'll be in danger of needing a new keyboard!

[KrazyIvan]

momentum is a bh.

[a11y_m]

If there's ever evidence for how dropping your seatpost on a descent can help. (yes, I know it's a XC race).

Some pretty awesome riding in amongst the carnage.

[722Adam]

No! Was just about to post this!

Half the video is made up of Loughborough guys, including the first one on the Giant, and the two that come together at 1:49

Seriously thinking of going in for it next year. Just need to get fit again...

[village idiot]

i used to compete in the BUSA nationals each year in the downhill.

the first year (down in Cornwall somewhere), I qualified on my dh bike and then rode the (VERY muddy) final on a BMX with street tyres... this included sliding across the finish line on my face in the mud.

another year (and my best effort yet), I was competing on the IOW using my shiny new dh rig... After a cracking start, i stopped on the side of the track for a can of stella with my mates before heading off to finish. i very proudly came last (the whole objective of the exercise).

that year was quite epic... i was banned from the beer tent for repeatedly riding into it flat out in just my pants and then i managed to land on my head in a bonfire lit between a set of double jumps late one evening.

oh, those were the days!

[Digger]

Lol at the frame-rattler egging on the fallen!

[mk1fan]

XC racing and bike control rarely go hand in hand.

[mchammer89]

I love the Jedi-like bike catch at 2:52!

[Omaruk]

Crikey, no bike control for the majority, like a bunch of roadies on MTBs for the 1st time. Put my flame suit on

[shalmaneser]

Lol that looks like great fun!

Would love to have a go at that turn and actually see how hard it is! Looks pretty cut up to be fair, even the guy on the Glory isn't making it look easy!

Don't know why everyone seemed to be jamming on their front brakes Rookie error 101!

[mchammer89]

Probably more difficult than it seems as it's an XC race, so their saddles are gonna be up too high for that sort of descending. The guys who make it all have low saddles, great for descending steep hills, but st for the other 99% of XC courses.

[Digger]

mchammer89 said:

Probably more difficult than it seems as it's an XC race, so their saddles are gonna be up too high for that sort of descending. The guys who make it all have low saddles, great for descending steep hills, but st for the other 99% of XC courses.

One ninja-looking guy takes it flawlessly at speed at the right angle, crucially speedway stylee with his right leg out for balance. Bravo!

[mchammer89]

One of the few downsides of using clipless pedals, I still haven't got the hang of unclipping going into a corner to put a foot down.

[scubadude]

Hopefully that was steeper than it looked, otherwise some embarrasingly bad riding (and a couple of complete ninja's to be fair!)

Loved the person bum-scooting down, looked like my Cat with a Klingon :-)

[y2blade]

that is bloody superb

[danger mouse]

mchammer89 said:

I love the Jedi-like bike catch at 2:52!

It just came back to him! crazy.

[militantmandy]

scubadude said:

Hopefully that was steeper than it looked, otherwise some embarrasingly bad riding (and a couple of complete ninja's to be fair!)

Loved the person bum-scooting down, looked like my Cat with a Klingon :-)

This! What's with all the folk going over the handlebars!? I haven't one that since I was about 6! There were indeed to expert looking folk totally nailling it though. Looks a laugh anyway!

[rhinochopig]

I have to say I always thought of myself as distinctly average, but unless the vid was deceptive, that didn't look at all hard. Most riders seemed to be weight over the front, on the front brake and looking down the fall line rather than where they wanted to go.

[scz4]

Omaruk said:

Crikey, no bike control for the majority, like a bunch of roadies on MTBs for the 1st time. Put my flame suit on

Yeap dressed like roadies and certainly the technical (or lack of) skills. That's the problem with XC races, plagued with roadies, great on a bit of fire road and can therefore put in quick lap times, but absolutely no use when it's a little bit technical and therefore hold up proper XC riders.