Chris Boardman talk about obsessive marginal gains on MTB's.

[Rampage]

Another thing I thought the commentators got wrong was praising the course. I thought it was bad - any course where mtb are running with suspension almost locked out and single chainrings has missed the point about what mtb racing ought to be.

Seeing Kulhavy on a FS overtaking a hardtail up a hill to win the gold ought to be an adman's dream, but it takes the shine off it when you realise that he had the rear end locked, so he was only getting traction benefit from the few mm of negative travel that the Brain allows, and no suspension.

The problem was that the course was artificial, with 95% of it smooth high-speed bombing and 5% gnarly downhill. So the best option was run the bikes almost rigid and just survive the 5% mtb bits so that you could be fast on the easy bits. I guess it was a bit like xc races from the early 90s, but not really a test for modern bikes. There should have been some gnarly uphill, and the majority of the lap twisty and bumpy with muddy sections.

And also, why the hell is there no DH in the Olympics?

There was at least 10 meters of very rocky uphill, as far as I remember it was shown once near the end. You must have blinked and missed it?

As for the downhill racing, I think it is in it next year, from what I've heard it could have been in it this year but there aren't any good enough hills in London seeing as it was the London Olympics not the UK Olympics

 

[xerxes]

seeing as it was the London Olympics not the UK Olympics

They seemed to manage with the sailing.

 

[Neil]

There was mention of one rider having ther nose drilled to get more air in?? That a joke or serious?? But thinking about it u would save a couple grams and in your head it would lower your centre of gravity.

Yes, I have heard of it before!

Surely a bit of (ok, then, plenty...) of weezil dust would sort that, kind of all by itself, with no need to go under the knife?

Might be a bit tricky passing the doping tests, mind.

 

[Drewson]

There was mention of one rider having ther nose drilled to get more air in?? That a joke or serious?? But thinking about it u would save a couple grams and in your head it would lower your centre of gravity.

Yes, I have heard of it before!

Surely a bit of (ok, then, plenty...) of weezil dust would sort that, kind of all by itself, with no need to go under the knife?

Might be a bit tricky passing the doping tests, mind.

I can understand wanting to trim the cartilage in your nose due to a deviated septum which can quite badly restrict breathing through your nostril on the affected side.....makes sense to me.....but am i missing the point & being to literal??? Oh, and if they mess it up and go right through the septum you could be left with a whistle when you breath through your nose....now that would be annoying

& yup, white powder would probably sort it too