What has happened to 4X in Australia?

krusty66

Likes Dirt
Hey crew, It seems like 4X is having a rough time this year. Not much in the way of a national series, its a shame. Just wondering what the future holds moving forward.
 

Burrito_Boy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yeah it seems to be a bit of a joke ay? More and more people are going over to 20" because of this.
 

feltq650

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yeah it seems to be a bit of a joke ay? More and more people are going over to 20" because of this.
couldn't agree with you more!
If you wanna race 4x, go OS. people that run it over hear do a fairly poor job. Hope it doesn't die but looks pretty probable.
 

DVS969

Likes Dirt
I am looking at a Gt power Series at the moment because of this reason. I don't want to race BMX but i don't want to sit around waiting for 4x either.
 

wsmtbdhvp

NSWMTB, Western Sydney MTB
So you have not raced NSW/ACT or Queensland series? I can tell you both NSW/ACT and QLD have been working very hard to build the sport of 4X. NSW/ACT has had success by bringing back dual slalom which is run along with the 4X.

4X has problems with tracks, I watch the general public on our Sydney Olympic Park track (which gets bagged out as to easy and a BMX track) and they scare the me as to how they do not kill them selves. A few months ago a young rider with out bar ends disembowled himself (for those who do not understand handel bar into guts cuts open stomach guts fall out). And you wonder why we keep Kurrajong and Ebenezer a little quite or open on club days only. Stromlo is another track with the same problem, open to everyone but world level. The cost is another issue $250,000 for Sydney Olympic Park 4X, $500,000 for the BMX track, yet if allowed we can build a track for about $5,000. although which club has that sort of cash lying around?
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
What WSMBT said, although my belief is that 4x died due to no one entering. I stopped racing this year because of a crappy bike and school/work, but when I was racing, at state level there was maybe 30 riders if that (a canberra round), and club races we were lucky to get double didgits (at olympic park, dunno about the other tracks).

I want to start building up a proper race bike, although i doubt this will happen in the near future, so my exploits as a mediocre 4x racer are on hold for the forseeable future.
 

camtb

Likes Dirt
Basically, no decent series (other than nsw act) poor tracks and poorly run national events has killed 4X.

In SA we have alright riders, but we can't race unless we go interstate. A lot of people have just started riding bmx, I've been doing it on my 4X bike and to be honest, club bmx races (held every week) have a bigger turnout than a national 4X race. I know a lot of bmx guys keen to try out 4X, I've had a lot of people ask me about it and when our races are, but due to no races or advertisement for races a lot of people stick to bmx.

Unfortunately this years national series doesn't look like its gonna do to much for 4X either.
 

kona_kona

Likes Dirt
Have a read of the interview with Eric Carter in the latest AMB magazine and you can probably apply the same ideas he has for world 4x racing to the Australian scene.
 

Landon

Likes Dirt
4X Racing

Yeah unfortunately, a 4x event takes a great deal of organisation and certainly isn't cheap to run. Hats off to any club that is able to pull off a 4x event in Australia that is awesome for riders, and leaves some money in the bank at the end of the day.

I guess 4x could be considered more dangerous than DH some of time. It certainly was with me on the track. :D Maybe this is part of the reason for smaller clubs and riders backing away from 4x in Australia.
 

Mr_Gareth

Likes Bikes
Ha! Have to race my hardtail with the bmxers at the local bmx track!! Can i get in touch with anyone around the albury wodonga area that knows of any decent 4x tracks close by? Is that one in sydney people r talking about open to the public?
 
Mmmm... Yeah, 4X - as EC said - is losing it's path. It's becoming more BMX based. But he said that it has taken a small step forward where some tracks are becoming varied like Mt Stromlo 4X. EC also said that 4X needs to have a "WOW!" factor, because today on most 4X tracks the jumps aren't insanely big. There needs to be more of a "risk" factor in there. I mean... all the pros should do tracks that are more dangerous than tracks like MTN X in Homebush. Not tracks that everyone an do. The track needs to consist of stuff thats harder than normal everyday 4X. I needs to be a step up.

Also 4X bikes are becoming very VERY light. Prokop races a bike that is 9.8KG's. Imagine Graves on a 9.8KG bike!! He'd be leaving the rest of the pact for dead!!

I don't really know if there is a way to bring 4X up to where DH is. 4X costs more than XC and DH combine! Which is a big set back for UCI.

Maybe have a DH type track but it's designed for a DJ/4X bike. Where the track is based off 4X but the track is like half the length of a DH track, and they time it like the DH. I don't really know, that was just a suggestion.
 
this might not have too much to do with this but ive also noticed that most bike companies have taken there hardtails to single speed...... Not too sure if this is the fact that 4x is dying. It would be fantastic if they could build it up, because i dont feel comfortable on a 20 inch. 4x was kind of the thing that if you wanted something like bmx racing on a more comfortable (well too me) bike. It was the balance between DH and BMX. It is a shame.............
 

camtb

Likes Dirt
What I would really like to see, is a more motocross oriented 4X, more riders (maybe go up to 6, or even 8), gnarlier tracks that are actually rough and need a dually.

Its obvious that corners have a huge fault in our current 4X tracks, I think we need to get rid of dual berms as they get rid of any possibilities of passing unless someone takes a wrong line. (world champs anyone?)

If we could have more natural stuff in 4X I think it'd be a lot funner, if we took some track inspiration from the Europeans, and got some BMX guys to race (Most love 4X) we could have a decent sport, right now i'm considering selling my 4X bike due to no races or places to ride on as BMX is becoming more appealing every time I ride it.
 
What I would really like to see, is a more motocross oriented 4X, more riders (maybe go up to 6, or even 8), gnarlier tracks that are actually rough and need a dually.

Its obvious that corners have a huge fault in our current 4X tracks, I think we need to get rid of dual berms as they get rid of any possibilities of passing unless someone takes a wrong line. (world champs anyone?)

If we could have more natural stuff in 4X I think it'd be a lot funner, if we took some track inspiration from the Europeans, and got some BMX guys to race (Most love 4X) we could have a decent sport, right now i'm considering selling my 4X bike due to no races or places to ride on as BMX is becoming more appealing every time I ride it.
NOOOOOOOOO, dont get sucked into the 20" way of life. haha, yer this sound like a good new sport?
 

Rexy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Tracks are expensive to build, hence a real lack of them. Hard for punters to get out to a legal track and practise. Hard to find localities to race at. There are a few people doing good things across the nation, but overall I would call it a flop.

What I would really like to see, is a more motocross oriented 4X, more riders (maybe go up to 6, or even 8), gnarlier tracks that are actually rough and need a dually.
QUOTE]

I like what this guy is thinking, basically mini-avalanche styled races with a few more riders on a wide course suitable for AM bikes/Mini DH bikes. Either something along that lines or head back to dual slalom with courses suitable for 4" duallies.
 
I think we should still have the Hardtails in 4X. After all 4X is a lot more jumpy than DH and the jumps are meant to be big (like +8m) so you'll need more pop. More riders is a good idea, the only problem I see with that is the track will have to be a little wider, which will cost more than a track for 4 riders, then you'll have to change the name from 4X to 6X or 8X which might be a little confussing at first.

But yeah, the tracks should be more technical. Like if you don't do this section right (obviously there will be to a few line options) there will be no way to make the next jump or whatever in order to come first.

It would also be cool if the finish was on a jump (like moto) and when 1st place comes through, flames would come out. That would be mad!
 

camtb

Likes Dirt
I dunno, I don't think you'd need a much wider track, just less multiple lines, this would make it more fair also. Good point with the hardtail thing, I still think tracks that need duallys would be more fun..

Finish line jump would be sick..
 

sullivanvizual

Likes Dirt
4X dead ?

E.C. is on the money for sure ,if anyone has seen sprung 4 or 5 he designed a course which even these days would be considered "Big" 40-45 foot gaps etc..

I would love to see it go off again, big jump's, big crowd's and even bigger sponsor's behind it !

The footage in this clip was a few weekend's when 4X was not dead, Sic Mic Hannah ruling...

Designed/Set up/Shot by Nick Sullivan

Set up/Edited/Produced By Christian Sullivan - Sullivan Films

[video=vimeo;16955279]http://www.vimeo.com/16955279[/video]
 
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