# Gwin goes to Special-Ed...



## mykel (Jul 31, 2006)

Looks like Specialized has bought out Gwins contract from Trek...

Aaron Gwin Signs With Specialized - Video - Pinkbike

discuss...

michael


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

Fawk that!


----------



## mtnryder56 (Sep 13, 2008)

I would think that there would be a much bigger (more professional) announcement than that. In my mind, I think the Trek team manager is probably right now yelling at Gwin, asking if he thinks this was funny, and how much backing trek has in him and so on and so on...

Or I could be wrong and Gwin has moved to the dark side...


----------



## mykel (Jul 31, 2006)

From what I have read...
Treks announcement of the resigning of Gwin is gone from the webpage.
The video came from a Specialized account.

Still a bit weird, as the red S usually does not do anything subtle - it usually gets plastered with branding, logos etc.
Give it a few hours...

michael


----------



## DHgnaR (Feb 20, 2008)

mtnryder56 said:


> I would think that there would be a much bigger (more professional) announcement than that. In my mind, I think the Trek team manager is probably right now yelling at Gwin, asking if he thinks this was funny, and how much backing trek has in him and so on and so on...
> 
> Or I could be wrong and Gwin has moved to the dark side...


It's confirmed, official press release on Vitalmtb.com
It's True - Aaron Gwin, Mitch Ropelato and Troy Brosnan Team Up With Specialized in 2013 - Press Releases - Vital MTB


----------



## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

I'm just staring at my computer, popcorn in hand


----------



## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

DHgnaR said:


> It's confirmed, official press release on Vitalmtb.com
> It's True - Aaron Gwin, Mitch Ropelato and Troy Brosnan Team Up With Specialized in 2013 - Press Releases - Vital MTB


wow


----------



## csermonet (Feb 2, 2009)

This comes RIGHT after the press release of Gwins contract extension. dont know the full inner details but this seems like a move that would be out of chracter for Gwin. Didn't fully expect that one. Seems as if whitely is going to be taking legal action.


----------



## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

wait so my demo is good again i don't have to buy a nukeproof?


----------



## Scythe (Nov 23, 2011)

ustemuf said:


> wait so my demo is good again i don't have to buy a nukeproof?


Yeah, until Sam Hill starts spanking everybody again.


----------



## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

Scythe said:


> Yeah, until Sam Hill starts spanking everybody again.


a comeback, hmm .. how sweet that would be ...


----------



## Fix the Spade (Aug 4, 2008)

Gwin already had a contract with Trek, Trek are very much not happy.

It would be hilarious (although also a shame) if TWR launch their legal challenge, win and it leave’s Aaron sat on his ass all year. If he's already contracted and their (hypothetical at this point) challenge is successful he could end up beholden to that Trek deal for the next three years, not that they'll be taking him racing anywhere ever again.
.
I think this is the end of Gwin’s winning run, maybe not straight away, but Spesh won’t offer the same level of support that TWR/Whitely have. He’ll win for a while, get hurt and then Spesh will hang him out to dry, just like Fairclough and Hill.


----------



## juanbeegas (Oct 1, 2007)

"Here's the official word from 23 Degrees - "The last several weeks have been a very difficult period for our company as owners of the Trek World Racing program. Despite the fact that on August 9 of last year, Aaron Gwin signed a legally binding Letter Of Intent with our team for the next three seasons, his agent wrote an email to the team in mid-December stating he had decided to race for another bike brand. Mr Gwin confirmed his agreement with our team in public statements, and he and his agent repeatedly confirmed the existence of, and commitment to, the agreement in written correspondence with us. Yet, only weeks before the team was required to submit the official team roster to UCI, Mr Gwin informed the team that he was abandoning TWR in total disregard of his contractual obligations." - Click to read more


----------



## Swissam (Apr 8, 2008)

The only winners here will be the lawyers.


----------



## wyatt79m (Mar 3, 2007)

Did not see that coming...


----------



## Fix the Spade (Aug 4, 2008)

Swissam said:


> The only winners here will be the lawyers.


I dunno, if Trek sinks the Spesh world cup team they'll be laughing.


----------



## arkon11 (Jul 26, 2009)

hmmmm


----------



## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

hahaha, $1 bills way to go Spec


----------



## jakester29959 (Aug 30, 2011)

sweet. why does everybody think big S is so bad? Im stoked for the next season and I cant wait to see gwin on the demo. Next season is gonna be awesome


----------



## 5power (Jul 26, 2010)

Like Lebron going to South Beach Gwin just created a mega team that will win many titles. Don't know what the hate is with the S but the demo is one bad machine.


----------



## ron m. (Aug 1, 2009)

I'd be more interested in finding out how he'd fare on a different bike. Just on the spec numbers alone, the Session and Demo seem to be different enough (I wouldn't know never having ridden either bikes at DH speeds). He obviously felt better moving from Yeti to Trek (traiing with Tomac helped too, I'm sure).


----------



## rep_1969 (Mar 25, 2004)

Aaron Gwin Joins Specialized for 2013 | Mountain Bike Review


----------



## rep_1969 (Mar 25, 2004)

jakester29959 said:


> sweet. why does everybody think big S is so bad? Im stoked for the next season and I cant wait to see gwin on the demo. Next season is gonna be awesome


Do some research as to how "The big S" got their start. You've never watched Klunkerz have you? You should, pretty interesting film.

Mountain Bike History

I don't remember the details exactly but basically the founder of Specialized took a frame created by Gary Fisher to Taiwan and had it mass produced, starting the Specialized brand. Or something like that. I personally don't like Specialized company or their bikes, my opinion. Unfortunately for me, I'll still be rooting for Gwinn on a Specialized bike. Greenbacks rule the world.


----------



## rideitall (Dec 15, 2005)

I guess Trek now knows how if feels to have something ripped off from them. (cough split pivot)


----------



## 53119 (Nov 7, 2008)

i wonder if gwin leaving "unprofessionally" is as big a shock to them as lance "alledgedly doping" under their umbrella for ummm millions of bikes sold by them for a decade. nice try posturing up on their oclv pedestal there.

go gwin


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

Lawsuit and Specialized. There's two things that you never hear together.


----------



## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I wish Aaron luck and hopes he races well this year


----------



## Josie7 (Feb 27, 2012)

Who knows all the interworkings of this, but.. why would anyone hate on him for going after the money in a career with such a short life? It could all end quickly and I am sure there is no retirement plan. The man is looking out for himself in a business sense and that is just smart, in the end he still gets to ride a bike for a living. Seems like a no brainer to me.


----------



## boogenman (Sep 22, 2006)

Gwin isno longer on the redbull athlete page....

nevermind....

Gwin makes Specialized switch - Photo - Video | Red Bull Bike


----------



## azdog (Nov 16, 2004)

No loyalty in any sport anymore. Just the way it is unfortunately. I definitely understand the limited life-span of a dh rider stated above by Josie7. Not much of a 401K plan in pro racing.


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

So how is the whole 40 doesn't fit on demo frames going to work out?


----------



## Josie7 (Feb 27, 2012)

azdog said:


> No loyalty in any sport anymore. Just the way it is unfortunately. I definitely understand the limited life-span of a dh rider stated above by Josie7. Not much of a 401K plan in pro racing.


I also wonder if there was some sort of profit sharing type of thing in the contract..personally I would want profit sharing from Specialized over Trek...I am sure Sam Hill made some nice money off the Sam Hill Demo's


----------



## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

StuLax18 said:


> So how is the whole 40 doesn't fit on demo frames going to work out?


im sure they will figure it out for gwin.


----------



## arkon11 (Jul 26, 2009)

To be honest, although I liked him to Trek, and what he did for the brand... I don't blame him for leaving.

Think about it this way, Gwin is a fantastic DH athlete, and although I don't follow downhill super close, not many athletes (beside CG, and Peaty) can make this a "life-time" sport.

After another 5 years Gwin most likely won't be the athlete he is today, and 10 years from now, who knows if he'll still be racing. From the interviews I've seen with Gwin, he seems like a nice and humble guy, but not a particular exciting one. 

He doesn't have the excitable charm, or the charisma that fellow (well former fellow now) Trek rider Cam Mccaul has, and who knows if he'll be able to make much of a living in the industry after his DH career. I figure Mccaul could be a great product salesmen, announcer, ect, but Gwin... I don't know.

He probably realizes this and just wants to make AS MUCH money as possible in the short term, while he's still in the game.


----------



## Evo. (Feb 3, 2009)

Cool Story, brah...


----------



## jakester29959 (Aug 30, 2011)

rep_1969 said:


> Do some research as to how "The big S" got their start. You've never watched Klunkerz have you? You should, pretty interesting film.
> 
> Mountain Bike History
> 
> I don't remember the details exactly but basically the founder of Specialized took a frame created by Gary Fisher to Taiwan and had it mass produced, starting the Specialized brand. Or something like that. I personally don't like Specialized company or their bikes, my opinion. Unfortunately for me, I'll still be rooting for Gwinn on a Specialized bike. Greenbacks rule the world.


To be completely honest I do not care how any bike manufacture started. That was one guy the company's has had good and bad people in it just like any organization. I really love my demo and wouldn't trade it for anything (except a newer demo  ).


----------



## Josie7 (Feb 27, 2012)

jakester29959 said:


> To be completely honest I do not care how any bike manufacture started. That was one guy the company's has had good and bad people in it just like any organization. I really love my demo and wouldn't trade it for anything (except a newer demo  ).


i agree.. gwin called me and asked my opinion on trek vs specialized so you can all blame it on me..


----------



## bing! (Jul 8, 2010)

there is nothing wrong about moving to greener pastures. but its best to give people who have treated you right an option to counter offer. 

if there was no animosity between trek and gwinn, and an 11th hour move like this was annouced, that is very bad business.


----------



## Boulder Pilot (Jan 23, 2004)

I could care less about what went on behind closed doors. I just watched the Specialized "Farewell to Sam Hill Video". I cannot wait to see the Trek "Farewell to Gwin" video.


----------



## esw116 (May 10, 2012)

Boulder Pilot said:


> I could care less about what went on behind closed doors. I just watched the Specialized "Farewell to Sam Hill Video". I cannot wait to see the Trek "Farewell to Gwin" video.


Yeah, about that...


----------



## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

StuLax18 said:


> So how is the whole 40 doesn't fit on demo frames going to work out?


40 and carbon demo have no compatibility issues from what I remember. The alloy had tubing/welds/ and gussetting that created some clearance issues and required the 40 to have a different bumper installed. But with a carbon frame... He should be all good.


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

his dudeness said:


> 40 and carbon demo have no compatibility issues from what I remember. The alloy had tubing/welds/ and gussetting that created some clearance issues and required the 40 to have a different bumper installed. But with a carbon frame... He should be all good.


Oh cool. Yeah I realized after I posted that he would be on the carbon and I didn't know if that would make a difference.


----------



## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

Aaron Gwin | World Cup Mountain Bike Racer

From Gwin himself


----------



## Trajan (Feb 9, 2004)

arkon11 said:


> To be honest, although I liked him to Trek, and what he did for the brand... I don't blame him for leaving.
> 
> Think about it this way, Gwin is a fantastic DH athlete, and although I don't follow downhill super close, not many athletes (beside CG, and Peaty) can make this a "life-time" sport.
> 
> ...


Well said.


----------



## Josie7 (Feb 27, 2012)

darkzeon said:


> Aaron Gwin | World Cup Mountain Bike Racer
> 
> From Gwin himself


Interesting.. sounds like Trek to not keep their word and therefore he didn't sign.. if this is true, i will like Trek less as they seem to be trying to give him a bad name when all he did was win 10 world cup races for them..


----------



## SV11 (Jan 2, 2011)

Josie7 said:


> Interesting.. sounds like Trek to not keep their word and therefore he didn't sign.. if this is true, i will like Trek less as they seem to be trying to give him a bad name when all he did was win 10 world cup races for them..


Trek is not to blame here. Gwin and his management team had signed with Trek for the next few years.
Why would Trek let him go with the success he's had?


----------



## Rob-Bob (Jun 11, 2004)

I am really disappointed in the way Trek has been conducting themselves. They just released a video of Aaron signing the letter of intent.. The fact that Gwin didnt have a formal contract almost 5 months after he had signed the LOI kind of speaks for itself.


----------



## the.vault (Oct 11, 2006)

Rob-Bob said:


> I am really disappointed in the way Trek has been conducting themselves. They just released a video of Aaron signing the letter of intent.. The fact that Gwin didnt have a formal contract almost 5 months after he had signed the LOI kind of speaks for itself.


A lot of this isn't Trek but rather Trek World Racing which separate from Trek. They do share the name.

I can't imagine Trek is happy about how Trek World Racing is acting. An employer publicly threatening to sue a former employee, who quit, doesn't garner much good will.


----------



## Tim F. (May 22, 2006)

StuLax18 said:


> Oh cool. Yeah I realized after I posted that he would be on the carbon and I didn't know if that would make a difference.


I think Specialized is teamed up with Scram for their components packages, so he'll more than likely will be running a boxer.


----------



## Josie7 (Feb 27, 2012)

SV11 said:


> Trek is not to blame here. Gwin and his management team had signed with Trek for the next few years.
> Why would Trek let him go with the success he's had?


did you read Gwin's statement.. he never signed and they never came to terms with what was agreed..


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

Tim F. said:


> I think Specialized is teamed up with Scram for their components packages, so he'll more than likely will be running a boxer.


I know that's how it's been, but somewhere in one of the Gwin threads it said he's supported with frame and tires by Spec, so I took that to mean he's on all his old stuff prior. Although he signed with TLD recently I saw so who knows what will happen.


----------



## DHgnaR (Feb 20, 2008)

StuLax18 said:


> I know that's how it's been, but somewhere in one of the Gwin threads it said he's supported with frame and tires by Spec, so I took that to mean he's on all his old stuff prior. Although he signed with TLD recently I saw so who knows what will happen.


You're right Specialized is providing him with frame and tires like you said, but Fox and Shimano were sponsors of TWR, not specifically Gwin, so technically it's still up in the air. Same goes for his new deal with TLD, Gwin himself was not sponsored Royal Racing, Trek World Racing factory team was, so now that Gwin is no longer part of TWR, he is free to make independent deals with other clothing companies. 
Also, as mentioned above, Trek World Racing and Trek are two sperate entities. TWR is owned by Martin Whiteley and his company 23 Degrees. Trek would be wise to distinse themselves from TWR and pull their frame sponsorship after MW's mud slinging.


----------



## SV11 (Jan 2, 2011)

Josie7 said:


> did you read Gwin's statement.. he never signed and they never came to terms with what was agreed..


Yes, it's a load of horseshit.

Did Gwin Breach His Contract With Trek World Racing? - Pinkbike

Trek is considering suing Gwin.


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

At this point who knows what exactly happened. And apparently the full details can't be revealed so we just have to wait and see.


----------



## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

TWR is acutally giving Trek a bad name.

SV11 - TWR is the one planning on suing not Trek.


----------



## Rob-Bob (Jun 11, 2004)

the.vault said:


> A lot of this isn't Trek but rather Trek World Racing which separate from Trek. They do share the name.
> 
> I can't imagine Trek is happy about how Trek World Racing is acting. An employer publicly threatening to sue a former employee, who quit, doesn't garner much good will.


You are right ..it is TWR who is being unprofessional.Trek needs to put them in their place and tell them to get it together.. TWR is going to give Trek a bad name and cost them more sales than Gwin leaving.


----------



## SV11 (Jan 2, 2011)

darkzeon said:


> TWR is acutally giving Trek a bad name.
> 
> SV11 - TWR is the one planning on suing not Trek.


Either Trek or TWR is considering suing Gwin.
My understanding is that it's Trek. I know TWR is the obvious, I could be wrong.
Either way, TWR is left in a pretty shyte position with comps and camps a couple of months away.
I may have to offer my services.


----------



## DHgnaR (Feb 20, 2008)

SV11 said:


> Either Trek or TWR is considering suing Gwin.
> My understanding is that it's Trek. I know TWR is the obvious, I could be wrong.
> Either way, TWR is left in a pretty shyte position with comps and camps a couple of months away.


No, TWR is the only entity considering legal action. Trek Bicycles has said absolutely NOTHING on this matter. Trek Bicycles is just the title sponsor of Trek World Racing, which is owned and operated by Marten Whiteley and 23 Degrees. 
TWR screwed themselves if you ask me. I'm not a Gwin fan by most measures, but from what the public knows he seems to be the better man in this debacle. If Martin Whiteley/TWR would have just kept their mouths shut and not acted like a broken hearted high school drama queen, both parties probably could have walked away unscathed.


----------



## SV11 (Jan 2, 2011)

DHgnaR, thanks for clarifying.
That statement from 23 degrees is pretty damming, to what extent I would not want to guess.
I'm referring to my link.


----------



## womble (Sep 8, 2006)

Not sure how the law works in the States, but under British-based legal systems he'd be left wide open to legal action under the principle of estoppel (which also exists under US law, but I'm not sure how).

That he allowed Trek to proceed with all their publicity after the letter of intent without contradicting them sounds like it falls under this principle.

(Note, there is not enough info in the public domain to really know this, and I'm not a lawyer, I've just casually taken legal courses).


----------



## Rob-Bob (Jun 11, 2004)

Looks like there will be no legal action taken against Gwin. Whiteley of TWR just announced in an interview with P.B. that what's done is done. I have a feeling that TWR panicked when Aaron left because alot of their sponsorships where dependent on having Gwin being part of TWC. Glad to see that both Gwin and TWC can concentrate on racing and forget about legal BS.


----------



## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

It does seem that things are settling down. Not to keep this going, but here's the Gwin interview from VitalMTB:

http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/feat...win-Interview-January-17-2013,17063/sspomer,2


----------



## oakhills (Mar 30, 2004)

It looks like Gwin is staying with Fox but moved to SRAM....no more brake failures for him...


----------



## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

Wow, he's been one of Shimano's main guys for many years. That's nearly as big a move as if he left Fox. I gotta say, after the last year having him switch to your company's frame is kind of a risky proposition. He might keep on winning and bring you great exposure or his competition could improve and his dominance could end. Then everyone questions whether the Demo is as fast as the Session.


----------



## Rob-Bob (Jun 11, 2004)

Katana said:


> SRAM....no more brake failures ...


That's a sentence i never thought I would read.


----------



## derby (Jan 12, 2004)

Probably just out practicing on his new bike....

Logan Binggeli Tops Aaron Gwin at 2013 Reaper Madness - News Blogs - Vital MTB


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

I don't know this for sure, but I'm guessing he wasn't going full speed so he didn't risk injury on some nonsense race. Just shows how fast he is, because he nearly beats everyone without running 100% (assuming he's not going full speed)


----------



## scaryfast (Apr 23, 2004)

Isn't this Logan's home course? He was born and raised near there, wasn't he? I believe this is his stompin grounds which makes sense why he won.


----------



## happybrandon (May 17, 2008)

Mikey Sylvestri 2 seconds back in 3rd! Nice!


----------



## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

Remember Sylvestri beat Minnaar, Hanna, ect at the 2011 Sol Vista Triple Dip Stage 1.


----------



## FMX_DBC (Jul 3, 2011)

Gwin looked pretty good over the weekend.


----------



## dwt (Jul 19, 2009)

KHS did put its money where it's mouth is with the 27.5" platform, Binggeli 1st; Aiello 5th. Season will be interesting. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## FMX_DBC (Jul 3, 2011)

It was close though...only 0.16 of a second

Reaper Madness/Pro GRT Round #1 Recap - Pinkbike


----------



## derby (Jan 12, 2004)

A Specialized carbon bike won a pro DH race in Fontana this weekend, except it was a 29'er. Gwin was second on a Demo.

Mitch Ropelato Wins Easter Sunday PRO GRT Downhill Event on a 29er | News | mountain-bike-action


----------



## Deerhill (Dec 21, 2009)

cool photo


----------



## elsinore (Jun 10, 2005)

derby said:


> A Specialized carbon bike won a pro DH race in Fontana this weekend, except it was a 29'er. Gwin was second on a Demo.
> 
> Mitch Ropelato Wins Easter Sunday PRO GRT Downhill Event on a 29er | News | mountain-bike-action


This reeks of an April fools joke, even though they state otherwise. Winning a DH race on a stump jumper? That seems pretty suspect regardless of wheel size.


----------



## FMX_DBC (Jul 3, 2011)

From what I've seen of Fontana it's not that unbelievable. Doesn't look terribly technical and there is definitely some pedaling. How many people are gonna rush out & buy that new Speshy Enduro 29er? Haha

(EDIT - I take that back. Just saw some footage of the course and it does indeed look pretty technical in spots)


----------



## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

I saw a photo of those results, but for some reason I thought it was practice.


----------



## mbell (Sep 9, 2008)

FMX_DBC said:


> From what I've seen of Fontana it's not that unbelievable. Doesn't look terribly technical and there is definitely some pedaling. How many people are gonna rush out & buy that new Speshy Enduro 29er? Haha


You're correct. I've ridden there a few times now and I've always thought I was "forcing" it on my DH bike. A great 6" bike is perfect for most courses that they set up. But then to have an efficient bike to pedal for the last 1/8 mile sprint, could make a massive difference on your time.


----------



## smellurfingers (Aug 18, 2012)

FMX_DBC said:


> From what I've seen of Fontana it's not that unbelievable. Doesn't look terribly technical and there is definitely some pedaling. How many people are gonna rush out & buy that new Speshy Enduro 29er? Haha
> 
> (EDIT - I take that back. Just saw some footage of the course and it does indeed look pretty technical in spots)


There's a small tech section followed by a long long pedaling finish. Probably about 80 percent pedaling. Joke of a downhill course.


----------



## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

That should put an end to ProGRTs being held on that course.


----------



## dv8xin (Mar 10, 2013)

smellurfingers said:


> There's a small tech section followed by a long long pedaling finish. Probably about 80 percent pedaling. Joke of a downhill course.


Quite an exaggeration, but it can be considered relatively pedally compared to others, due to the 2 relatively flat stretches of pedal sections. The difference between Fontana/Southridge and the other flat stretches found in other DH courses, is that they build rollers, tables, doubles, and such on those flat stretches in the other courses. I don't think you pedal for more than 20 seconds at a time in Fontana; compare that to South Africa or something, if you want to judge courses by how "pedally" it is. I prefer to consider factors such as the dirt characteristics of the course...


----------



## smellurfingers (Aug 18, 2012)

Southridge actually has uphill pedal sections as part of it's DH course. There's Enduro courses that are more DH like.


----------



## pizon (Jul 7, 2009)

does this mean all the pinkbike kids are going to sell trade thier demos for stumpjumpers?


----------



## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

After reading most of this, the one thing that really stood out... at round 1, Jackie Harmony was 44 seconds better than second place!!! 44... WHAT!


----------



## dv8xin (Mar 10, 2013)

smellurfingers said:


> Southridge actually has uphill pedal sections as part of it's DH course. There's Enduro courses that are more DH like.


You do realize they change the course every race?


----------



## smellurfingers (Aug 18, 2012)

dv8xin said:


> You do realize they change the course every race?


Yep, but it's still a lot of the same and always has the long pedal section at the end. Time wise the pedal section is always longer than the DH. A good part of the pedal section is uphill, and it's on every DH track variation.

A 29er will lost a bit of ground if the track has some of the tight hairpins they occasionally use, but pedal finish is long enough to more than make up for it.

There is a section of the track they rarely use and it's tough even for some pros to clean. It's a steep drop across the face that's really rocky. It's really not much of a DH race feature because you lose a ton of momentum to be able to roll it. Once you're through it you better be ready to pedal for a long time.


----------



## elsinore (Jun 10, 2005)

pizon said:


> does this mean all the pinkbike kids are going to sell trade thier demos for stumpjumpers?


No, but I think it means that middle age 29er Zealots will invade every gravity forum on the internet insisting all DH'ers switch to some type of larger diameter wheel with fundamental-like religious fervor.


----------



## Tim F. (May 22, 2006)

Any of you 29ers want to trade me for my M9 and some lycra?.....NOT!


----------



## Fix the Spade (Aug 4, 2008)

Lelandjt said:


> I gotta say, after the last year having him switch to your company's frame is kind of a risky proposition. He might keep on winning and bring you great exposure or his competition could improve and his dominance could end. Then everyone questions whether the Demo is as fast as the Session.


This strikes me as a bit of a no win situation for Spesh, if Gwin keeps winning it's because he's Aaron Gwin and he could win on a penny farthing. If he doesn't win it's because the Demo is holding him back.

Even worse, if Brooke McDonald wins then it's 'proof' that Trek make the best bike, not sure even Spesh's marketing men could make up the gap if that happens.


----------



## Fix the Spade (Aug 4, 2008)

elsinore said:


> This reeks of an April fools joke, even though they state otherwise. Winning a DH race on a stump jumper? That seems pretty suspect regardless of wheel size.


Don't forget Jared Graves won the Sea Otter DH with a Yeti 4X and the longest seat post in the world, a 29er with 120mm travel doesn't seem such a stretch against that.


----------



## dv8xin (Mar 10, 2013)

smellurfingers said:


> Yep, but it's still a lot of the same and always has the long pedal section at the end. Time wise the pedal section is always longer than the DH. A good part of the pedal section is uphill, and it's on every DH track variation.
> 
> A 29er will lost a bit of ground if the track has some of the tight hairpins they occasionally use, but pedal finish is long enough to more than make up for it.
> 
> There is a section of the track they rarely use and it's tough even for some pros to clean. It's a steep drop across the face that's really rocky. It's really not much of a DH race feature because you lose a ton of momentum to be able to roll it. Once you're through it you better be ready to pedal for a long time.


They haven't used that steep drop ever since they decided to make the course take more than 2 minutes. The "uphill" portion of the pedal section ends/crests at the road crossing. This is part of the DH half before it spits you out onto that fireroad with the slight incline.










Sea Otter has nothing like this. I don't even think they have anything resembling a rock garden nor a steep. Not sure why people like to compare them. There are people crashing and getting injured at Fontana, especially this round since it was dry and had little traction. Sure you can ride it on a trail bike, but I don't think there's many that will be faster than a DH bike in the more technical half. It's not as easy as people are trying to make it out to be. It's common to see a 30 second spread between racers within a class, that are not due to crashes.


----------



## Dispatch (May 16, 2011)

Pro GRT Round #2 at Fontana Video - Pinkbike
That's footage of the track they used that day. Race run starts at 0:26 and for about the first 40 seconds there is about 8 seconds worth of technical stuff. Then at 1:46-2:06 he is basically sprinting on a fire road. THEN at 2:17 until finished he is sprinting on another section of fire road. Total of about 1:10 worth of fire road sprinting and 0:32 worth of non technical single track. Thats 1:42 out of a 2:41 second race.


----------



## smellurfingers (Aug 18, 2012)

DH racing needs flow. Dropping a couple of technical sections, no matter how steep or rough they are, doesn't make it a DH course. Rolling a couple drops and peddling like mad is more Enduro than DH.


----------

