Olympics MTB Course Video

[mrkawasaki]

Whyohwhyohwhyohwhy... Is it me being a retro grouch or does this course not look anything remotely like mountain biking??

See video:

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/arti ... ghts-29728

 

[Drencrom]

It's not just you.

So the football can be held in Wales, but not the mountain biking. Muppets.

 

[drystonepaul]

The synthetic trail-centre terrain of modern mountain biking taken to new extremes.

Truly awful stuff.

 

[Andy R]

The synthetic trail-centre terrain of modern mountain biking taken to new extremes.

Truly awful stuff.

I'm inclined to agree with this (never having even set eyes on a trail centre, mind - we don't have or need any here) but presumably it's designed for easy media coverage and plenty of spectator viewing which, I suppose, is basically what the Olympics is all about.
3 laps of a "real" 12 mile loop in forests and mountains might be nicer to ride but far harder to have decent TV coverage etc. It'd be like trying to give decent coverage to a fell race compared to something like the 10,000 metres.

Having said all that, I know which I'd prefer to watch...

 

[FluffyChicken]

The synthetic trail-centre terrain of modern mountain biking taken to new extremes.

Truly awful stuff.

I'm inclined to agree with this (never having even set eyes on a trail centre, mind - we don't have or need any here) but presumably it's designed for easy media coverage and plenty of spectator viewing which, I suppose, is basically what the Olympics is all about.
3 laps of a "real" 12 mile loop in forests and mountains might be nicer to ride but far harder to have decent TV coverage etc. It'd be like trying to give decent coverage to a fell race compared to something like the 10,000 metres.

Having said all that, I know which I'd prefer to watch...

Well Dalby (where some world cups have been held, so media access is established) while 'trail centred', has forrests, hills and was already there. Some of the trail parts have been made and to be honest or not so good*, but the trail parts where it is just to get through the natural surrounding look good, feel nice to ride on and well could have been there in retro time and made by bikers regularly going down them.
I'm sure there are similar XC course areas around the country.

Of course that would be to far from London for the media people to travel. It is called the London Olympics for a reason and not the UK, GB or even English Olympics. It's for Londoners only, not the rest of us.
No idea how Wales managed to get involved (other than a cracking stadium and surrounding for it), but then you could say that about Dalby :?


*they don't interest me and are obviously man made and look a bit out of place, that and one section damaged my hand and i'm still grumpy about that

 

[BerthaPog]

The synthetic trail-centre terrain of modern mountain biking taken to new extremes.

Truly awful stuff.

I'm inclined to agree with this (never having even set eyes on a trail centre, mind - we don't have or need any here) but presumably it's designed for easy media coverage and plenty of spectator viewing which, I suppose, is basically what the Olympics is all about.
3 laps of a "real" 12 mile loop in forests and mountains might be nicer to ride but far harder to have decent TV coverage etc. It'd be like trying to give decent coverage to a fell race compared to something like the 10,000 metres.

Having said all that, I know which I'd prefer to watch...

Well Dalby (where some world cups have been held, so media access is established) while 'trail centred', has forrests, hills and was already there.

One difference between the World Cup XC events and the Olympics - Olympics will most likley be watched by more people "live" on telly, which presents differing media access issues, where-as World Cup XC events it is generally more watching a packaged highlights where absolute continuity of coverage is not such a high priority.

That said XC racing and the mountian biking I do haven't been the same thing since doing a couple of the Essex Winter Series races in the early '90s. Quite probably the same story for most people on here, and in the wider mountain biking community.

Of course that would be to far from London for the media people to travel. It is called the London Olympics for a reason and not the UK, GB or even English Olympics. It's for Londoners only, not the rest of us.

Whilst true it is the London Olympics, it's probably there nearest one to anywhere in the UK for sometime in the past or forseeable future. Rio in 2016 isn't exactly convenient unless you at Heathrow.

Edited to correct wrong quote assignment.

 

[Andy R]

Of course that would be to far from London for the media people to travel. It is called the London Olympics for a reason and not the UK, GB or even English Olympics. It's for Londoners only, not the rest of us.

Whilst true it is the London Olympics, it's probably there nearest one to anywhere in the UK for sometime in the past or forseeable future. Rio in 2016 isn't exactly convenient unless you at Heathrow.

No, no yessir! - it was Fluffy Chicken that said that ^^^
I don't even live in the UK, so these things never really affect us.

We do sometimes host the Island Games though

 

[BerthaPog]

Ooops - apologies - will go correct it!

 

[Andy R]

Ooops - apologies - will go correct it!

Don't bother on my account

 

[Scarfacexxx08]

Considering there are already places well equiped to do this, i think this is a joke. How much money has gone into making this? Its not exactly a technical track is it??? You mention things like viewing and media, well look at the winter Olympics when they do the cross country event they go off into the woods.... :evil: :evil: :x