DH Guidelines

[Vinelink]

Does anyone have any guidelines or rules that makes a track a "DH Track", other than the steepness, is it the length, rocks, jumps, as I have come across a few tracks that are very steep, and great fun, jumps, berms, rocks, but after talking to a few people they tell me that there are not any DH tracks in that area!!, So hence the query.

Any threads or sites that show the guidelines for DH tracks would be helpful or maybe via the headings below.

Length in metres:-
Angle of Terrain:-
Number of Jumps:-
Style of jumps:-
A-Lines:-
B-Lines:-
Rock Gardens:-

 

[Stef]

By the looks of what you wrote you have ridden many a downhill track, or at least one. I've heard plenty of talk about what a downhill track actually is and it seems to me that as long as there's not too much pedalling and it goes down then there you have it.

If you look at the tracks in a championship, then it seems that length plays a factor. All the tracks I've raced on have all of what you inquired about so maybe that constitutes a track.

I've been building a track on private property for sometime now which only lasts 1.5 minutes, it's minus B-lines and a decent rock garden but it gets steep and technical and has cool jumps and drops.

I can see why your asking.

 

[luke.b]

It's a DH track if it:

-Requires more bike handling skill than fitness to be fast at it (if that makes sense)
-Is 90% down hill.
-Is easier on a DH setup bike than your old rigid malvern star

A DH track is what you make it. There is no wrong answer. All track are different. Some are good for racing, some are more free-ride orientated. Although, alot of freeride tracks fit into the categories above.

Some people will say that some tracks are more "DH" than others. Thats just their opinion.

 

[thecat]

Are we talking race DH track or just muck around?

Muck around, anything that points down hill.

Oh and DH_ Maniac a good DH should require both skill and fitness to be fast. If you want a sport that is all about skill and not fitness take up darts

 

[samsty]

Oh and DH_ Maniac a good DH should require both skill and fitness to be fast. If you want a sport that is all about skill and not fitness take up darts

I Agree with DH manic on this one. I much prefer DH tracks that involve much more skill than just pure fitness. If you want it to involve more fitness than skill then XC is for you (Don't get me wrong here, Im sure there are heaps of XC riders with amazing skills). Thats the way I see it anyway.. When I design a DH track Ill make it mentally challanging and it will push everyones skills to their limits.

I don't want to see fit people with little skills beating people with awesome skills and not as much fitness just because the track had long flats or ups in it.

Just my opinion. But everyone will like different styles of tracks. But ill take mine with a need for skill over fitness anyday.

 

[roxy12]

I Agree with DH manic on this one. I much prefer DH tracks that involve much more skill than just pure fitness. If you want it to involve more fitness than skill then XC is for you (Don't get me wrong here, Im sure there are heaps of XC riders with amazing skills). Thats the way I see it anyway.. When I design a DH track Ill make it mentally challanging and it will push everyones skills to their limits.

I don't want to see fit people with little skills beating people with awesome skills and not as much fitness just because the track had long flats or ups in it.

Just my opinion. But everyone will like different styles of tracks. But ill take mine with a need for skill over fitness anyday.

i agree to an extent here.
I belive there still should be pedaling, good bursts that still require people not to be fat slubs with no fitness but not huge long lengths.

We do have pedals for a reason.

As I do remember there are guidelines in the mtba rule book or some other related rule book?

 

[luke.b]

I don't want to see fit people with little skills beating people with awesome skills and not as much fitness just because the track had long flats or ups in it.

Just my opinion. But everyone will like different styles of tracks. But ill take mine with a need for skill over fitness anyday.

Oh and DH_ Maniac a good DH should require both skill and fitness to be fast. If you want a sport that is all about skill and not fitness take up darts

True, but this is more what I was trying to actually say. I'm just not very good at saying it:

I don't want to see fit people with little skills beating people with awesome skills and not as much fitness just because the track had long flats or ups in it.

Just my opinion. But everyone will like different styles of tracks. But ill take mine with a need for skill over fitness anyday.

You should be able to make up more time on a DH track through skill, than through pedaling. However, for the elite riders, fitness would give them the edge that it takes to get the win.

 

[thecat]

You should be able to make up more time on a DH track through skill, than through pedaling. However, for the elite riders, fitness would give them the edge that it takes to get the win.

absolutely and that is reflected in MTBA tech regs

2.6.1 A downhill course will contain a maxium of 3% paved and or tarred/asphalt surface and should be all downhill. The course should be a mixture of single track, 4x4 road, feild tracks, forest tracks and rocky tracks. There should be a mixture of rapid and slower techincal sections. There should be little emphasis on pedalling, but rather the techincal skills of the riders should be tested. The minium course length should be 1.5km and the maxium length should be 5km.

It goes on to recommend an elite winning time of between 3 and 5 min

There is more to fitness than just pedalling

 

[luke.b]

There is more to fitness than just pedalling

Very true. Some rock gardens take it out of you more than a pedaling section.

To what else was stated, this is the outlines for a good race track. A DH track can still have these, but the length and time constraints can be smaller, or bigger.