MORE FREAKING XC ON THIS CHANNEL!

@markush7001

2 күн бұрын

@@ttambm8639 first gmbn video I’ve watched in years. XC has been ignored quite a bit.

I used to race in the Scottish XC series, which had some knarley descents for the days of 26” wheels, longs stems, short hardtail frames, high bottom brackets and fixed seat posts. The challenge with descending wash’t really the tech, it was competitively pacing and recovering from the climbs enough to be able to mentally focus on the features in the decents. Acute oxygen debt affecting brain function was the biggest hurdle to overcome. As much as the descents could be super steep, rutted, rooty and rocky they never really had drop-offs or jumps. I understand the shorter tracks a crammed with big technical features we have nowadays are an attempt to make XC a spectator sport, which it wasn’t in my day. More spectators = more sponsors = more money…

@peterswanson2090

5 күн бұрын

I don't think its just about spectators - its actually rewarding riders with technical skills and also reflects the moderns bikes which are so much more capable. These are not outrageous features - technical sure, but we aren't talking double gap jumps here or 20 foot drops. Like you I remember doing XC series in the north of England in the 90s - back then I would ride my hard tail in both XC and downhill - before downhills got too epic. Bit different now for sure, but so much better too in many ways. What I would love to see is a 3 race event where you have to do it all on one bike, same tyres - XC, downhill, and short gravel (50kms) event - that would be an interesting test to see what configuration would be best!

@kennywallace1

5 күн бұрын

@@peterswanson2090 Yes, bikes are more capable than they've ever been and the tracks look incredible and enjoyable to ride. But, we can't escape the fact the sport is a business first and foremost..Without spectators, sponsors and bike sales it wouldn't exist. Someone has to pay for it all...

This is what XC racing should be like. It's mountain biking! I used to call XC racing "Road Racing on Dirt" because that's basically what it was. This is a lot more like it! Skills required as well as endurance. A road racer can't simply get into a mountain bike race and easily win it now without developing some off-roading skills. It's super cool to see this. And if some racers don't like it they can do road or gravel racing...😉

@markdunne818

5 күн бұрын

Exactly. There's nothing stopping a rider from dismounting for features they're uncomfortable with, you know just like any mountain biker would while progressively improving confidence and skill.

@MFR03

5 күн бұрын

pidcock is still superior 😅 but xco is cool ✌️

@keirfarnum6811

4 күн бұрын

I raced XC in Alaska during the early 90s and it was anything but “road racing on dirt”. We did have some races on gravel roads, but even those were brutal because of the washboard. But most of our races had plenty of technical singletrack.

Awesome edit!! Love the detailed shots!! The face in the rut was hilarious! Nice work Team!!

@gmbn

4 күн бұрын

Thanks for your feedback, it means a lot! 🤘

@richardpayne5176

4 күн бұрын

Cheers dude glad you like it

Really nice video would love to see more of this for the xc race course breakdowns.

Crans-Montana also was something special, really gnarly

I’m getting more and more into xc as I get older, I absolutely love it too. I get out and ride xc trails as often as I can and it really shows in my fitness levels. Let’s see more xc.

Exciting times, I might start watching XC races from now on :D

More of this please!

Amazing content! Several details explained! Keep going, please!

Awesome course review! I would love to see a lot more XC content like this 👏🏻

Is Val di Sole the gnarliest XC track on the World Cup circuit? What other XC content would you like to see?

@bitumen83

6 күн бұрын

This year Crans Montana in Swiss looks more challenging IMO 😬

@alexpeartree2019

6 күн бұрын

How the pro's choose eyeware. Tinted, clear, no glasses etc.

@lloydjarm

5 күн бұрын

Like others have said, the Swiss stop seemed more extreme. In fact, too much IMO. This one is good amount for me :)

Crans Montana was epic. The drops without the wood.

Awesome review of the course and the race. Love more of this please.

XC of today... endurance, skills and more technical tracks 👍 love to see more of this!

Man XC is a different event from 20 years ago ..Obviously as mountain bike tech and design evolves so does the intensity and difficulty of the courses in all event styles . I cant wait to see how insane the sport will be in the next 20 years

Amazing video Rich!! Looking forward to more of THIS!! Maybe more lycra next time?! 😉

Thanks for the XC content. ❤

@gmbn

4 күн бұрын

Our pleasure! Keep your eyes out, more will definitely be coming 🔥

@richardpayne5176

4 күн бұрын

My pleasure, more incoming👊

Great insight and one of the best videos I've seen on GMBN. 6:11 Now someone teach Oli and Rich the difference between less and fewer!

@alexpeartree2019

6 күн бұрын

Pro level pedantry there, chapeau!

@richardpayne5176

4 күн бұрын

Thanks mate glad you liked it, it seems like less people were strugglin at Val di Sole than Crans but fewer people could ride the A lines there 😆

@phoenixinthetrees1446

4 күн бұрын

@@richardpayne5176 Ha! 50% right - I'll take it.

@phoenixinthetrees1446

4 күн бұрын

@@alexpeartree2019 Thank you. That's amateur level, really, but I'll take the backhanded compliment! 😄

Awesome video.

Great video

I like that it's getting a bit more technical but I'd rather have them not have to walk their bike. For me they could dial it back just a bit with the tech, but it's good to have some of it so the rider with good technical ability stand out instead of just being a pure endurance event.

Season ending or even career ending is how tough they are now!!! At least in DH you can wear full face, neck brace, body and knee armour!

@gmbn

4 күн бұрын

We might start seeing more protection being used in XC as well!

@richardpayne5176

4 күн бұрын

Remeber they dont have to ride the scary/tough lines there are options around

@TheTrailRabbit

Күн бұрын

These courses are far too dangerous for XC

Crans-Montana!

Rich, I wanted to see you hit that wooden drop on your XC bike man. Funny that next came Crans Montana with "oh you think that was hard, watch this". I hope you guys do these for the other events but make the videos longer. Better yet, do it for Enduro events. They need some exposure.

@richardpayne5176

4 күн бұрын

I know dude that Crans course looked sick, gutted to not film on that one but i also think the weather plaed a huge difference, had Val di Sole been wet then ☠☠☠

@JeffMTBinVA

3 күн бұрын

@@richardpayne5176 Definitely the rain played a huge part. Especially in that man made rock garden and wooden stump section.

How about on XC tires? Syerra are trail tires. Throw on something with only a hint of tread and try the course in the wet. The people that say XC riders don't have skills aren't paying attention. The current world cup level courses are tough!

I suspect must riders would think the downs were like enduro and the ups like riding dh in reverse.

How many laps did they do?

@JeffMTBinVA

6 күн бұрын

7

@hurriedlemon8146

6 күн бұрын

@@JeffMTBinVA Thanks!

awesome vid, i always thought xc was easy lol guess not

"Pro's"? Surely someone at GMBN should have spotted (and fixed) that one.

You need edit this video after Crans Montana 😂

@richardpayne5176

4 күн бұрын

Ah man tell me about it, i shot this vid then saw the Crans course and was like "hold my beer i need to ride this" Just means next year i'll have to shoot a vid on that course for ya'll

This style of XC makes me wonder what the difference between XC and Enduro is anymore. I couldn’t imagine hitting any of that on an XC bike, let alone in a race setting.

@bartek.igielski

5 күн бұрын

clearly you've never been on any enduro trail

...and then there was Crans Montana.

Why is UCI trying to make XC more like enduro?

Should I ride smooth in the downhill section? 😂

@richardpayne5176

4 күн бұрын

Apparently so....easier said thean done lol

@KP-ol3tc

4 күн бұрын

@@richardpayne5176 Those roots though 😳

It's blurring the lines between Enduro and XC which I think is a mistake. Call me a purist but XC racing was, and I think should still be, more about your fitness and strength an athlete competing all out as fast as possible. i still race XC and have been for a long time, so not happy to see it going this way. And yes, it still required mtb skills and I can take on the most technical drops, rock gardens, jumps, etc. however to me that not XC! Now I'd rather watch an enduro race over XC.

@gmbn

4 күн бұрын

That's an interesting point, although this type XC racing is done in a loop making it easier to watch in person. With this new level of riding it could bring a lot more people into the sport 🤔

@lwittrock1

4 күн бұрын

@@gmbn I get that, but as a XC racer I'm not interested in getting a new bike or modifying my current bike just to ride more like an enduro bike. I've raced Enduro and Downhill and I'm very happy to keep all three of these disciplines very separate. It's just my opinion/view.

I'll let the pros ride it 😂

Yeah it's cool but it makes XCO a race-only sport and XC bikes a race-only machine. If pros have to push up a hill or barely make it down, what to do for casuals? It's not building passion anymore because riding as a casual on your local xc course does not feel like what you see in pro sport.

@JernejBu

6 күн бұрын

It would make sense if people didn't recreationally ride enduro and other stuff. And XC race bikes are taking geometry cues from downhill oriented ones as well, just made much lighter.

Tough enough people whine that they're too tough, apparently.

There are enduro stages less technical than this