Box Jump gone from London SX Olympic Track Options

[Uncle_Todd]

I think the 20 something to even 30 something crowd is so amped up on xgames/video game type "show" that we will never see much pedaling in the last straight again except at local tracks. I personaly can not think of anything less exciting than a bunch of guys manualing through the last few obsticals to coast across the finish....no way in my world does that speak excitement. I have no idea what mindset builds the tracks but its not excitement based...imho.

Totally agree, the only thing I can think of is sprinting to the finish line endangered some moms at the finish line and it grew from there.

[Stileman]

I think the 20 something to even 30 something crowd is so amped up on xgames/video game type "show" that we will never see much pedaling in the last straight again except at local tracks. I personaly can not think of anything less exciting than a bunch of guys manualing through the last few obsticals to coast across the finish....no way in my world does that speak excitement. I have no idea what mindset builds the tracks but its not excitement based...imho.

I defintley think that a lot of track design doesn't provide much side by side racing. I think that a rytym all the way to finish line is fine if the section is technical and shows who has the skills. A last straight that is easy does little to separate the riders. They all go the same speed. WHen you are tired you really find out which rider has the better technique. The best passing I saw at Rockford(A track that has a lot of pedaling to the finish) was 05ish when the first half of the rythym was really technical. Bubba went right by Kyle and Warwick. The other years when the last straight was easy Bubba made some passes but it was really difficult for him. The year the jumps were tech he went by riders way easier. In General when I see flat pedaling to the finish I don't see as much passing as a technical last straight.

A big problem to the racing in the US is in my opinion is how the turns are built. They are usually pretty one line coming out of the turn which single files and makes it harder to pass(when you are single file it is a full bike that you have to gain to pass where if you come out side by side you might only have the distance of the wheel to make up). This last Reno the turns were actually built pretty well. The second turn espeically. You could go side by side through and out of the turn. How a turn is shaped and built has a lot to do with the raceablity vs single file of a track.

Most of my opinions of raceable tracks have come from a career of racing BMX with horrible starts. I always had to come from behind. Some tracks, turns, jumps, sections made it easier to come from behind than other tracks. I find longer straights, wider exits of turns, and more challenging jumps lead to more passing and less single file racing.

This post has been edited by Stileman: Feb 20 2012, 11:01 PM

[Weaver]

There's gimmick jumps in MX racing? Huh........


Wall rides and other goofy elements make SX look like a circus instead of an olympic discipline.

you dont need gimmicks when youve got guys entertaining like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy3Yg1CB9pA...eature=related#

even the SX stuff seems like a track meet these days where only the participants and friends/family are going to make up the crowd.

[Weaver]

I think the 20 something to even 30 something crowd is so amped up on xgames/video game type "show" that we will never see much pedaling in the last straight again except at local tracks. I personaly can not think of anything less exciting than a bunch of guys manualing through the last few obsticals to coast across the finish....no way in my world does that speak excitement. I have no idea what mindset builds the tracks but its not excitement based...imho.

so mikey day manualing the entire rhythm section while passing people at reno (right?) is less exciting than watching robert macpherson and wade bootes sauce out, i mean sprint, to the finish line?

[snickadams]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q9rIses1cc...feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUo-Az3Mf0M

The footage on these races (both the same race) lacks a little on the quality side but this is one of the greatest races I have seen. The Beijing track was a great racing track that allows for plenty of lead changes and this race exemplifies that. Glad we will get to see another race on this track next month.

[klakke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q9rIses1cc...feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUo-Az3Mf0M

The footage on these races (both the same race) lacks a little on the quality side but this is one of the greatest races I have seen. The Beijing track was a great racing track that allows for plenty of lead changes and this race exemplifies that. Glad we will get to see another race on this track next month.

Chula pretty much have all the elements that makes a track good for passing. It has long and technical straights, where even the slightest error results in a significant loss of speed. And it has turns that a big and wide, which means that the rider in front not have the single-file-advantage that the rider in the front has on ordinary bmx tracks.

Id say the turns are the singlemost important factor, when looking at how to build a bmx track where passing can take place.