Gravity Check

There are always periods of time that we look back on fondly - memories that have imprinted themselves so much into our psyche that, for better or worse, may come to define us in our later years. And when you look at some of the more veteran riders out there, it’s clear to see that if you’re a mountain biker, you never grow up.

We are only really just starting to see the beginning of a generation who grew up riding bikes down hills now follow the yellow brick road into the Masters category. That isn’t to say that the category hasn’t been full of old boys giving it the berries on any given Sunday - apart from the juniors at club level, Vets and Masters are some of the most popular classes on offer.

The fact that the ol’ boys are still coming back in their later years to scare the s**t out of themselves is breathtaking. Downhill is a young man’s game, but the renaissance of mountain biking brought on by the popularity of the enduro series is bringing people back to DH. As much as I want to throw shade at the elder statesmen of the sport, the truth is I love the fact that guys that were involved at the very start of our sport are coming back to the racing side of things. I have huge respect for how tough it would have been to ride some of the early bikes. It’s hard to truly comprehend what was going on in the minds of the first few guys tackling the hills on something that wouldn’t be as safe as today’s $200 K-Mart bike.

Safety is a relative term though I guess. Future generations will most likely look back just as wide eyed at the current state of play as we do when we imagine a bike that has 600mm wide bars, three ineffective front chainrings and a frame heavy enough, even with no suspension, to double up as a boat anchor.

I’m unsure as to whether there would be enough of an appetite from the racing public to hold classic DH events, but it’s a shame that such few opportunities exist just to get a chance to see such kit on display, let alone in riding condition. Historic motorsport races are as popular as modern-day events, and the courage of previous generations is obvious without an engine even turning over. Simply looking at a bike or car that could carry the pilot over 200mph without any real protection sends shivers down your spine. We are beginning to see some glimmers of a classic scene emerging, though. Mammoth Mountain in USA are holding a legends event which spits the veterans down the famous Kamikaze run - where speeds back in the day reached over 90km/h. Most do choose to run newer equipment these days, and I get that.

Riding a steel hardtail with semi-functioning brakes and skinny tyres down a rough fire road at high speeds doesn’t quite have the same sex appeal as a 1970s Porsche weaving through the smooth set of esses at Phillip Island.

The event isn’t so much about the equipment, though, as it is about the riders who used to race them. And the same holds true for all those who are racing the Vets and Masters category at any of the DH and Enduro rounds these days. Some may have chased the lifestyle, others the glory, but in the end everyone is doing it for the pure enjoyment that only racing bikes can provide.

And it only goes to prove that it’s certainly an addictive habit, this bike racing caper.