In downhilling, there are no world records because tracks always vary, so taking tenths of a second off every rider who comes down the hill is really not that important - speed in downhilling is only important relative to those riders who are competing on the day. So whether everyone wears skinsuits or noone wears skinsuits really doesn't matter in terms of competition, but if everyone is banned from wearing skinsuits to provide a better image for the sport then I think that is great.
When it comes to providing an image for the sport for marketing or attracting new athletes, I think the current gear worn by racers provides the better image than skinsuits.
Just my 2c
I won't get scientific but it is obvious a skinsuit is lighter and will drag less than baggy clothes when you're motoring along. That isn't too hard to grasp and I say allow the top level racers to wear the stuff if they are looking for that extra bit of speed. Look at it this way; If they are gaining an extra 2km on the speedo in a section of trail where you doing 70km you'll be going quicker than the next guy and that means you're riding more hardcore then the guy you beat. If you win by > < that much then you gamble of looking like a Chinese swimmer has paid off.
When you think about it, skinsuits are probably more worthwhile for downhill racing than they are for cross country racing.
If skinsuits are allowed to be used and therefore increase an athletes speed by > < that much, then everyone racing at the top level will wear them for the extra speed. But what then is the gain if every rider has increased their speed by > < that much? For example, a rider who would win by exactly 2 secs when everyone wears a standard race kit is still likely to win by exactly 2 secs if they all wear skinsuits because the whole field's speed would have increased by the same amount. Its all relative, and the only gain would be that all riders would then look like "Chinese swimmers".
In downhilling, there are no world records because tracks always vary, so taking tenths of a second off every rider who comes down the hill is really not that important - speed in downhilling is only important relative to those riders who are competing on the day. So whether everyone wears skinsuits or noone wears skinsuits really doesn't matter in terms of competition, but if everyone is banned from wearing skinsuits to provide a better image for the sport then I think that is great.
When it comes to providing an image for the sport for marketing or attracting new athletes, I think the current gear worn by racers provides the better image than skinsuits.
Just my 2c
t, skinsuits are probably more worthwhile for downhill racing than they are for cross country racing.
I reckon skin suits look far less ghey then all the racer boy wannabes turning up to clubbies in their full racing kit. What ever happen to racing in jeans and a T shirt and starting out on a beat up hard tail?
Kids these days.....:spy: