History Lesson: Cap D Ail

Participating Members

Posts: 229

Joined: 7/24/2009

Location: Boulder, CO USA

Administrator

5/20/2010 10:55 AM
Edited Date/Time: 10/4/2011 5:11 PM

Stu from MTB Cut sent over some KILLER history lesson materials!

First up is this old euro-sport footage from the WC in Cap D Ail from way back when...

Nico crushes everyone. And look how gross those switchbacks were! The courses have changed a little on the World Cup series.

The New Boredom

Mr. P

Posts: 7

Joined: 5/8/2010

Location: Rocklin, CA USA

5/20/2010 12:21 PM
Edited Date/Time: 10/4/2011 5:11 PM

Rad. I love the vintage footage/riding/equipment, it really gives perspective.

I also dig the commentating: "strength sapping rock mattress" & "geared up too much" huh? lol.

sspomer

Posts: 496

Joined: 6/26/2009

Location: Ventura, CA USA

Administrator

5/20/2010 12:52 PM

so awesome. they're going so fast over the grossest stuff on those bikes! long stem and narrow bars are so awkward looking in hindsight.

monoraillcat

Posts: 2

Joined: 4/28/2010

Location: CAN

5/20/2010 12:59 PM
Edited Date/Time: 10/4/2011 5:11 PM

So much more speed through the corners, and feet up like it's supposed to be done as well. I wonder how much time he made up per corner?

macewen

Posts: 4

Joined: 5/2/2010

Location: Vancouver, CAN

5/20/2010 1:45 PM
Edited Date/Time: 10/4/2011 5:11 PM

@sspomer so are the steep headtube angles, tight pants & v-brakes! What do you think the average fork travel was in that race? 4 inches?

blogging @ http://ridingdownhills.tumblr.com/

k.shiz

Posts: 229

Joined: 7/24/2009

Location: Boulder, CO USA

Administrator

5/20/2010 2:15 PM

100mm fork back then would be generous. I'd guess they were running Judy DH's which had like 75 or 80mm of travel.

The New Boredom

Petey G

Posts: 7

Joined: 8/1/2009

Location: Lost Coast, CA USA

5/20/2010 2:39 PM

Judy DH 75 mm up front, LTS DH 100 mm rear...
Watch the shock top bottom out on the seatpost when Nico stands and pedals.
The 'alien' was and is still SMOOVE!
If he didn't move on to Rally Cars, who knows how many WC wins he'd have...
I believe that trail dates back to the Roman Empire.

Uncle Cliffy

Posts: 35

Joined: 3/11/2010

Location: Medford, OR USA

5/20/2010 3:15 PM
Edited Date/Time: 10/4/2011 5:11 PM

Saw this on Ridemonkey the other day:

bturman

Posts: 795

Joined: 8/1/2009

Location: Costa Mesa, CA USA

Administrator

5/20/2010 3:34 PM

Uncle Cliffy wrote: Saw this on Ridemonkey the other day:

The 90's were so awesome.

Team Geronimo / Banshee Bikes

tarka

Posts: 50

Joined: 10/7/2009

Location: Boulder, CO USA

5/20/2010 4:29 PM

haha, Grundig! It does look incredibly awkward riding those tall skinny short travel bikes, but I guess for comparison all you have to do is watch a current XC race. Downhill has changed for the better!

BMA Film Festival coordinator

muchentuchen

Posts: 12

Joined: 8/1/2009

Location: USA

5/22/2010 4:58 AM

Nicowned. Just wondering, why's he called The Alien? Even his Lapierre logo has a cartoon alien on it (and Blenki's an angry-looking Kiwi).

foxrider18

Posts: 27

Joined: 10/3/2009

Location: CAN

5/22/2010 11:13 AM

haha, crazy. pinning it with a little single fork and hardtails.

Hardtails can do everything duals can. Well... almost.

kidwoo

Posts: 110

Joined: 8/3/2009

Location: Grass Hut, FM USA

6/3/2010 2:06 PM

Oh man.......

When I was living on at skateboard in the early 90s I used to make fun of mountain bikers so hard.

Seeing this kind of stuff makes me realize how right I was. :p

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