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About dirty biker

I am a fan of singletrack, singlespeeds, single women and single malt. Currently in Carbondale, CO Follow on Instagram @dirty_biker

71 Replies to “Happy Labor Day”

  1. Good lord.

    I can’t even wrap my mind around shit like that. I would crash 50 times doing that. And that’s on a good day.

    Congrats Danny.

  2. wow, i got chills watching that. reminds me of horrible conditions at mt snow and sunday river. good on you mate!!!

  3. I like the quote at the end of the video “how does Danny sit down with balls that big”
    Impressive

  5. I don’t mind Rob Warner’s commentary most of the time, but when he’s calling someone born in 1991 a legend and then screaming unintelligibly for 2 minutes it’s a bit tough to watch. Still an amazing run though.

  6. Muscles – 100% agree. That run was effin’ amazing, but I had to turn the sound off. I mean, I understand being a homer and all, but 3 minutes of screaming because your countryman is doing a good ride is a bit much.

    Thanks!
    Burt

  10. Pulse should be high from athletic stress — not terror — to warrant WC stripes. This is just XGames crap. Not cycling. Skills for sure, though.

  11. I dunno, Me. That kind of riding damned sure ain’t my deal, but the kid has chops I couldn’t begin to dream of.

  12. That was indeed some fine skills. i know when the clay here in the NE is wet, things get a wee hairy. Cannot fathom bombing what looks like really slik conditions and show-boatin’ the jumps. Bravo brudda. I guess your gonna need a push broom to scrub those balls tonight!

  14. X-games crap?? I was there and walked the course, which was almost impossible mud, and it was one of the most incredible displays of athleticism I’ve ever witnessed, and it is cycling! You know this kid could probably smoke you on an xc bike doing a wheelie. This isn’t just goofing around, these guys train hard and have a gift. Danny was riding as though it were dry and taking incredible lines and backsiding every jump, almost overwhipped it he was on fire. To be a WC at 19 years old is unreal. The course in Champery is incredibly steep and so fast your antique V-brakes would be melted by the 1/4 mark. DH mountain bike, XC mountain biker; who cares were all cyclists.

  15. Thanks to Freecaster.tv, The Dependants and I were able to tune into watch the majority of the race series this season. If I were home yesterday I would have gladly paid for the live feed. Its a shame they will not be available next yr as the UCI has once again ruined a good thing and gone with Rocky Road Network. Anybody ever heard of them?

    Danny’s race yesterday was something that will be talked about for years. Normally these races are won by mere seconds or hundreds of seconds. But 11 seconds in these conditions, and on the steepest track of the year? Unreal… Could I call this kid a baller at 19?

  17. i got to see giove at deer valley one year…fuck me, she rides fast. that was the first dh i ever saw….very impressive…those guys seemed glued to the ground.

  18. mad skillz 2 B sure, but where I ride, it seems like you have to pedal more.

    and yes, I’m bitter because I was born too early to do any of that.

  19. …“…as always haters gonna hate…”…

    …i’m not a “hater” but i’d suggest i’m a ‘non-relater’ & with (i think) a certain amount of good reason…& i know i’m not only one…

    …the dh bikes being ridden these days are amazing high tech machines, no doubt about it but they’re so completely heavy-duty that they’re more like motorcycles without the moto part than bicycles…

    …think about it…compare a present day full-on downhill rig to both an early hand crafted mtb or a motorcycle & it’s clearly closer to a dirt motobike…

    …i’d suggest you wake up & smell the roses, amigo…i resent that “…haters gonna hate…” bullshit when you clearly haven’t taken time to get a serious fucking perspective…

  20. such an amazing run, happily paid my 15 euro for the WC…to fully appreciate Danny’s run it needs to be seen in the context of the entire race…past WChamps and WCup riders sliding down the mountain on their arses…

  22. Watched it live on Freecaster, Danny Hart caps off an excellent season in world downhill, 11 fucking seconds and a mad whip in to the finish, awesome.

    BGW, I seem to recall the from the movie “Klunkers” there was shuttling to the top of the hill and people ridng bikes with motorcycle parts back in the 1970s before there were hand crafted mountainbikes!

    Weren’t you part of that scene?

  23. I could have done without the Steve Irwin on speed yelling in my face the whole time…but damn that was some mad skills . To win in that with that much time. Insane. Thanks.

  24. You know the other thing about this sport? There’s no dope that can make you ride like that, it’s pure guts and skills and in that way it one of our purest forms of cycling sport. I never get that, “what kind of cocktail is he on” feeling when I see DH racing. Plus you can party like a Baller

  26. …specialneedz…touche’, amigo…but i’ll bet ya know what i’m sayin’…

    …the funny thing about that era is that gary, joe, charlie, otis, myself & others were all serious road riders & even before the gears were going on those ol’ klunks, WE rode ’em, pushed ’em & carried ’em up the hills to come bombing down…

    …it was really the influx of others who weren’t interested in road riding whatsoever that brought about the shuttle stuff…smoke the doob & get a lift to the top…much easier…& yes, there were times when i was paid in ‘buds’ to be the guy to drive fred wolf’s big ol’ truck (with very little in the way of brakes) back down the hill…

    …magura brake levers WERE de rigueur because nothing else gave you the leverage for the old drums or early adapted mafacs…

  27. I think everybody just needs to go ride a world cup downhill course and get back to me. Saying it isn’t athletic just shows how out of touch you are with this niche. whether they resemble dirt bikes or not, you still have to pedal them…this course just happened to be one of a few where it is so steep you don’t have a lot of pedaling sections. These boys at the top of the sport could hold their own in any Cat 2/3 group out there and some, like Brian Lopes, can and does crush it as a 1. Gone are the days of out of shape (pro) downhillers.

  28. …dirty b…i’d have to agree with THAT aspect 100%…it’s basically been true all along…fitness is the key along with a well developed skill set of handling, being able to read the course & adapt to changing conditions, etc…

    …any long downhill can be exhausting but those kind of courses gotta totally wipe you out…

    …i don’t claim to have furthered anyone’s career but i distinctly remember telling a very frustrated myles rockwell out in durango a number of years before he was an ace, that downhill was a total package as regards fitness…he was a local fairfax kid with great bike handling skills but he was getting smoked wherever he showed up…

    …kid got wise & fit…

  29. Denied… link comes back as “private”. Is there another link available? Need to see after reading all the comments!

  34. “More” and “less” are obviously relative terms, so pretty much meaningless in the current context, but driving a race car is an athletic endeavor, and DH mountain biking is more towards that end of the spectrum than XC mountain bike racing or road racing, rewarding balance and quickness over endurance and caloric output.

    That “sprint” at the end of today’s Vuelta stage was one serious clusterfuck, I must say.

  35. BGW – most real downhillers have done the hard yards earning their turns at some stage, they just have more advanced bikes than the guys in your days! Well they have in NZ, maybe that’s why our 4 million people can get 4 in the top 10 overall this year, and you guys with 300 million only have Gwin!

  36. Mikey, any weakassed bitch can step on a gas pedal. Hanging on to a bike when it’s doing THAT, not so much.

  37. Raced DH for a few years, had a Schwinn Striaght 6, lawill design. Last race got knocked the fuck out, broken collar bone (2nd time) 4 broken ribs and snapped my scapula in half. Needless to say that was my last DH race.
    That dude was in THE zone, and what is more amazing is he rode with that much control in those conditions.
    Dirty biker is right, half of you could not get down half of that course in dry conditions. REH. COG. NIZE.

  38. Joe— my advice? Set up the car really, really tight and do keep an eye on the mirror, okay? And if by some gross error, the car steps out, steer down, across the skid— the infield is a lot softer than the wall.

    Then, of course, there’s this, A. Senna qualifying at Monaco with a new lap record:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkCyo24fABg

    If you watch closely, the car steps out just after Loews, the downhill left-hand hairpin. 900 BHP in a car weighing 500 kilos. Who’s the weakassed bitch?

  39. Couldn’t answer that, Shirley. But I know for a damned fact that it ain’t the man that just hauled 50 pounds of groceries up a 12% hill in his panniers.

    And do try to post in English, m’kay? Alot of us around here aren’t from Dumbfuckistan and I imagine only afew speak the language.

  42. “Alot of us around here aren’t from Dumbfuckistan”

    @Joe— You’re a moron. “Yes they do, Otto, they just don’t understand it.” —A Fish Called Wanda.

    @Jefe— if you thought Kanaan’s deal was scary, did you see the part where the field came down to restart the race, and discovered a “safety truck” motoring against traffic between turns 1 and 2? Hoo boy.

    Oh, and did anyone else watch the Vuleta GC trade hands three times in the last kilometer today? Holy shit.

  43. …probably 75% of the drivers in ‘nascar’ & the ‘irl’ could give 75% of us a run for our money on a bicycle…

    …in this day & age, these guys cross train for both strength & endurance & it doesn’t take a genius (just an intelligent personal trainer) to know that a bicycle is a great way to get & maintain the fitness required to deal with the ‘g-forces’, the heat, the stress & yes, the physicality involved in high speed racing, open wheel or modern ‘stock cars’…

    …that tony kanaan crash was literally amazing in that he walked away to race the next day & on top of that he ‘podiumed’, in 3rd, in the race…without brushing & glancing off helio’s tires at 190mph that kind of speed, straight into even the safety barriers might have been fatal or at least catastrophic for kanaan…

    …helio castroneves & tony kanaan have been best friends since they were 12 year old kids, back in brazil…being a car racing fan since i was a kid & knowing that, considering that they were the two involved & understanding the seriousness & severity of “what might have been”, fuck me, i had a serious lump in my throat seeing them console each other…

    …race car ‘tubs’ (monocoque chassis)…now THAT is an intelligent & life saving use of carbon fiber…besides the advantage of being light weight, the nose, tail & sidepods are designed to crumple & absorb the g-forces…thank goodness…

  44. The worst conditions offer the best rides. This run was killer. That guy had g(od)ravity on his side.

    And, Joe, bigot much? It’s 2011 guy, get with it or get over it.

  47. “…probably 75% of the drivers in ‘nascar’ & the ‘irl’ could give 75% of us a run for our money on a bicycle…”

    Red Neck Noise!!! NO EFFING CHANCE…on my best day I’d dust without sweating, now in my old age I’d just kick they’re (their ;)) asses.

  49. “You know the other thing about this sport? There’s no dope that can make you ride like that, it’s pure guts and skills and in that way it one of our purest forms of cycling sport. I never get that, “what kind of cocktail is he on” feeling when I see DH racing. Plus you can party like a Baller”

    -Chimp

    I don’t race downhill(I need to be at work Monday AM physically functional), but I love watching The World Cup and The World Championship’s. The full spectrum of countries represented. Kids who would otherwise would end up being plumbers and electricians are given an opportunity to show talent that can’t be faked, cheated or taken in a syringe. These kids are the top 1%, or less. Good job Danny Boy.

  51. …i gotta admit, mikey, i missed his infringement on the racing surface at the start…

    …i saw him using the truck to knock the tire barriers into place on that last parade lap & i remember thinking to myself that it seemed rather late for that type of action…i guess i surmised correctly that the drivers had complained during the ‘parade laps’ but i missed the near miss…

  52. I suppose my generally antagonistic attitude to motor “sports” is more about the fans. Jesus, a more brain-dead gaggle of mouthbreathing cousinshaggers you’ll not find anywhere. Well, maybe at WAL*MART. I feel abit unclean any time that I am exposed to that lot.

  53. Hey, BGW, just looking for some clarification:

    “…i’m not a “hater” but i’d suggest i’m a ‘non-relater’”

    “i resent that “…haters gonna hate…” bullshit when you clearly haven’t taken time to get a serious fucking perspective…”

    So which is it?? You can’t resent something you’re not correct? And if you feel the need to curse at me over a comment that wasn’t directed to you, then you are the one who needs some perspective.

  54. Joe- You ever been to a NASCAR race? I live right by Chicagoland Speedway and went to a race a couple years back…the crowd is really quite different than your perception. LOTS of $$. Nice families. Actually, it was a good time. I pity your narrow vision at times.

    I bike 5-7 days per week, mountain and road, geared and singlespeed, and I love it. But I’m also a gearhead that LOVES fast cars and fast boats. Nuthin’ wrong with me.

    Check out some classic motorsports action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpj_NYNDKgs

    Oh…and Senna was a freakin’ GOD.

  55. Been. Hated it. Prayed for a bullet to the brain.

    “Go fast. Turn left.” Wait. What? That’s it?

    And as a construction worker I’m around noisy gas-powered machines all day long. Bugger if I see a reason to spend a second of my precious scarce leisure time around ’em, let alone pay my hard-earned money for the privilege. As to the fans, the less said the better.

    Reckon that’s why my ideal downtime is on a bicycle, preferably fixed gear, and ideally in solitude. But whatever trips your trigger; just leave me out of it.

  56. Oh, and as to “LOTS of $$…”-There’s rich assholes aplenty in this world. Astounded beyond words that it’s escaped your attention.

  57. Oh, and how did this mutate into a smog monster thread in the first place? Thought the topic was bikes. Downhill to be sure; not my cuppa. Bicycles though, so close enough.

    But it used to be “Drunkcyclist”, not “Drunkmotorhead”. Call me a retrogrouch. Call me a curmudgeon. Call me late for supper , though, and I’ll kick your ass. But whatever you call me, I miss the old days. Can’t there be just one car-free site? And why not this one?

  60. Joe, the old days of this site were filled with porn. And it was awesome!!!

    -nyhc00

    And what happened to TheFixFixFix link? Church on Sunday’s now too? Sheesh.

  61. …son…if you can’t pull your head out of your ass far enough to understand what i said, then you just go on back to whatever the fuck it is you think you’re good at…

  62. Joe…curmudgeon does not even BEGIN to describe you. For one thing, “go fast, turn left”…hahahaha…obviously you haven’t DRIVEN a Cup car…I have. I’ll be DAMNED if those guys aren’t athletes. As was stated earlier…many of them could probably ride circles around some of us (especially you).

    Rich assholes? Sure…there’s plenty now…but wait until Obama gets ahold of them. Then, they will just be assholes. Kinda like you…

    +1 for porn.

  63. @61-I understand fine. That don’t mean I have to give a rat’s ass. As to what I’m good at, enough folks seem to think I’m good enough at it that I make a decent living.

    @62-“…ride circles around some of us (especially you).” No doubt. Most days I’m grateful just to get out of bed and give a good solid eight hours. I figure as long as I’m fast enough to beat the undertaker I’m doin’ okay.

    And damned if we don’t agree about old Barry Hussein. But he ain’t a king; not yet anyway. Any shenanigans will have to go through Congress, and they’ll only have to hold him off for another year and change. Hell, he makes Jimmy Carter look good.

  64. Great. Another year and change of BS designed just to tear down Obama.

    The fact that millions are suffering isn’t important.

    And given the pathetic crop of GOP candidates, it looks like I’m voting Dem again this time.

    Perry ? Really ? I wouldn’t elect him to be dog catcher.

  66. Neither would I in normal times. But nothing is normal anymore.

    When in doubt, I always choose to split power.

  67. Good point. Hell, your boy had both houses for two years. Ran up more debt than all his predecessors combined. Now he wants to spend more money we’ll never be able to pay back, sice the last stimulus got so many back to work. Fucker ain’t got a clue. “We have to pass the bill so we can find out what’s in it.” Behind closed doors yet. And him promising* to put the legislation up on the Internet for all to see.

    *and cut the debt in half**

    **and end the two wars we already got***

    ***never mind the third one he started in Libya****

    ***and close Gitmo****

    ****and blah blah blah

    Jeeze, I think I’ll have that drink after all.

  68. “****and blah blah blah”

    OK.

    Except for Libya, all you posted was all Bush.

    Helloooooooooooh ??????????????

  69. You can’t have it both ways. You excoriate our 43rd president for his policies. And yet no one dares to criticize your vacation aficianado in chief, despite his continuation of said policies. Usted muy loco, I theenk.

  70. And my point, in case you’ve been hitting the sauce awhile, is this:

    The hoop-shooter at 1600 promised to do away with all that Bush nastiness. He broke his promise. This goes to his character, and ultimately his fitness to serve a second term.

  71. And have you forgotten that both houses were ruled for two long years by his sycophants, not to mention the mainstream media serving as his de facto propaganda machine?