Is 4X doomed ?

[barnesy]

Tomorrow the National 4X series will kick off at Kurrajong Heights, followed by round 2 the day after at Ebenezer. Both great 4X tracks...fast, rocks, jumps, everything a 4X track should be. It's going ahead rain, hail or shine. It's MTBing after all and mud is also found on a mountain !!

The pre-entry numbers so far are still low. Is 4X doomed since UCI decided it would only make an appearance in the World Champs not the World Cup? It has always been a difficult sport for novice riders to enter. Your riding skills is on display and there is little time to recover from mistakes in a race. It also requires very specific training to be good (fast twitch). Having said that, it is awesome to watch and remains probably the best spectator discipline... you pretty much see everything.

I love it, but realise more and more it's entering it's demise...

Whats the reasons?... UCI, Event Organisers ( cost of entry), Event format or there's just not enough people who think rubbing is racing ???
How could it be fixed ? Can it be fixed ?

Thoughts?

 

[mik_git]

For me, I never thought much of it, you got XC which is mtb, and DH which is mtb... 4x is just bmx but a bit bigger. irate:

 

[haydenw]

Tomorrow the National 4X series will kick off at Kurrajong Heights, followed by round 2 the day after at Ebenezer. Both great 4X tracks...fast, rocks, jumps, everything a 4X track should be. It's going ahead rain, hail or shine. It's MTBing after all and mud is also found on a mountain !!

The pre-entry numbers so far are still low. Is 4X doomed since UCI decided it would only make an appearance in the World Champs not the World Cup? It has always been a difficult sport for novice riders to enter. Your riding skills is on display and there is little time to recover from mistakes in a race. It also requires very specific training to be good (fast twitch). Having said that, it is awesome to watch and remains probably the best spectator discipline... you pretty much see everything.

I love it, but realise more and more it's entering it's demise...

Whats the reasons?... UCI, Event Organisers ( cost of entry), Event format or there's just not enough people who think rubbing is racing ???
How could it be fixed ? Can it be fixed ?

Thoughts?

Something I have been contemplating too.... I think its mostly a lack of support from the local riding authorities (such as MTBA and local clubs) to put some coin into getting a full on legit series going. I know of alot of people here in Brissy who would love to race 4X, but there are no races...

 

[Steve-0]

I know of alot of people here in Brissy who would love to race 4X, but there are no races...

This.

I would love to race 4X but you really need a specific 4X bike. With like a max of 4 events (if that?) a year, and pretty much zero public access it's not worth it. I've always seen 4X as an event you attend if you happen to be there for something else. You rock up and train for DH (or XC) and race 4X because its there... never the other way around.

More events and I would race.

 

[akashra]

I would love to see 4X be great, but sadly I think it's time to accept it's a failed experiment. The cost and ability to build venues for it is just too prohibitive and difficult, which I think is the biggest hurdle that's been unable to be overcome.
Without an influx of riders coming through the BMX ranks, and without any venues they can easily access and see as they make that step, it's a very difficult prospect to bring new riders in to the sport.

 

[Calvin M]

I would love to see dual slalom come back great to watch anyone can ride it but skilled riders will still be fast. Can be riden on any bike and is more gravity feed. Plus the best rider cant be taken out.

 

[MARKL]

The problem with 4x is that it may not be BMX it ...ahhh who are we kidding yes it is.

I think gravity mountain biking needs a head to head format just no one has come up with a format that works yet. The need for specific tracks, that don't get much use otherwise, holds both dual slalom and 4x back.

Maybe the head to head format is something more like Super D where you can have a mix of terrain, variety of line choices that creates overtaking oportunities - like when you race mates you might get stuck behind on some sections but when (if) you can pass, you pass.

Imagine 6 or more riders going flatout down the firetrail at Thredbo!!!!!!!!!!

 

[driftking]

I think there is deffinately a lack of support, but that been said there is still a lack of mtb support in general which hopefully picks up.
I think it also comes down to the fact that with dh or xc you can go ride trails or build your own, you cannot really go build a 4x track without some heavy equipment, it is just too much of a task, this means more people are turning to those sports they can do on the weekends or arfternoons.

I personally love 4x and dual salom, only riding it a handful of times it was good fun, I much prefer dual salom but i think they both have places in the sport still, but the lack of support and lack of general access is a big issue to get people involved. Likewise I would say 4x takes a bit of a back seat to xc road and DH and now days people are focusing on one disipline, no longer crossing over and doing multiply events and the other disiplines seems to win when it comes to choosing one.

I also feel that along with support, the World cup tracks almost set the standard and with the worldcup tracks not really stepping it up and the recent issues regarding 4x it seems almost certain that it will funnel down to the local scene. Unfortunalty it seems the only way 4x will really come back is if there are some big changes in the tracks and support.

Imagine 6 or more riders going flatout down the firetrail at Thredbo!!!!!!!!!!

Better yet imagine thredbo dh run but 6times as wide with 6 riders racing down it, that would be damn interesting.

 

[A.G.Thomas]

4x

How is that Mark Twain "the reports of my death have been exaggerated". Love and other things have been proven to be ineffective against death.
As much as we like 4X - I thnk that Mark has this one incorrect - its reported death may not be exaggerated.
4X is possibly a better match to BMX, build two tracks at the same venues .................... and have BMXers grow into 4X.

 

[Slave]

4x is a bit of missed oppurtunity. Example, the Stromlo track could have run weekly gates to keep interest going, but after all the cash spent on the Stromlo 4x track it was hardly used.

Tracks need to be fun first, technical second. The mid-life changes to the Stromlo track essentially killed any 4x racing Canberra had left in it - it's now an unused location, a total donkey. It's gone from being 5 out of 10 on the fun scale to now about a 2 out of 10 (or possibly even a 1 out of 10).

Tracks play a major role. Example, the Melba BMX club had a nice little track that all could ride and had about 230 members - it was changed to have mental jumps only pros could clear and now the Melba BMX club has about 80 members - took about 18 months for this decline to happen.

In the glory days of BMX the tracks were so easy anyone could race them - so heaps of people did. I consider 4x to be BMX on mountain bikes so I think the relevence is there.

Maybe the fun factor has gone for 4x?

 

[haydenw]

Maybe the fun factor has gone for 4x?

I would have to disagree there, first two rounds of racing the nats on the weekend at Ebenezer and Kurrajong had everybody raving. Both tracks were proper MTB tracks, and both had a pro / novice option with different sized jumps side by side on straights.

 

[muvro]

I love racing 4X. I'm no pro and don't hit any of the A line jumps or gaps. But regardless of this I still have a blast every heat I race in. The comaradery and friendlyiness of everyone at the events is great and a big attraction.

I also love DS, I actually prefer it a smidge over 4X, due to there being no big gaps or jumps. This puts everyone on a more even playing field, placing more emphasis on bike handling over balls. lol

Either way, I don't want to see either of these disciplines die.

They are too much fun!

 

[Dozer]

www.4xprotour.com
Sort of like the DH1 series was going to be but a series of it's own I guess.

 

[thecat]

I think gravity mountain biking needs a head to head format just no one has come up with a format that works yet. The need for specific tracks, that don't get much use otherwise, holds both dual slalom and 4x back.

Dual eliminator was awesome, really combined balls out speed with fitness and tactics they just needed to add features to the trails/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBWgfEu_oVI

For me I always thought 4x was great to watch but never got over keen on racing it and without the big fields it lost the spectacle . I guess I do mountain biking because you are really just competing against yourself, the whole idea of being taken out by someone else pulling a suicide move up the inside just never appealed

 

[MARKL]

In the glory days of BMX the tracks were so easy anyone could race them - so heaps of people did. I consider 4x to be BMX on mountain bikes so I think the relevence is there.
QUOTE]

One of the most fun riding day I have attended in the last couple of years was a "BMX Bash" that we held at an old council BMX track, everyone had a go including the wives and kids...

Dual eliminator was awesome, really combined balls out speed with fitness and tactics they just needed to add features to the trails/

Dual eliminator vid was fun - just add waterbars, a couple of rock gardens and 4 more riders and we have a new category!