# Downhill or MX? which requires the biggest balls?



## sickspeed16 (Apr 9, 2008)

So I personally know what my answer would be, but for all you Downhiller's that also ride the motorized two wheeled kind which is more exhilarating?


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## fastmxer99 (Feb 10, 2009)

I think it's going very between what they're most comfortable with. i.e. I've been a motocrossers all my life and am not intimidated by any supercross track or obstacle (with the occasional exception of whoops). I do get intimidated by some downhill obstacles.

Also I believe that a good motocrosser will be a good downhiller. I do not believe that a good downhiller will make a good motocrosser. IMO motocross is more technical than downhill.


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## mark03 (Jan 17, 2008)

i think DH is more technical, and MX is more speed w/ flow.


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## seanzombie1336 (Jun 28, 2008)

Freestyle MX requires bigger balls.

But then again, freestyle (slopestyle) biking is pretty gnar.


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## Jettj45 (Jul 25, 2004)

If you're comparing Downhill to motorcross you need to be more specific ei: Enduro races b/c there narly and technical.


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## bdamschen (Jan 4, 2006)

They're both fun as hell. Why would you need big balls for either?!?


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## motoholic (Oct 13, 2008)

fastmxer99 said:


> I think it's going very between what they're most comfortable with. i.e. I've been a motocrossers all my life and am not intimidated by any supercross track or obstacle (with the occasional exception of whoops). I do get intimidated by some downhill obstacles.
> 
> Also I believe that a good motocrosser will be a good downhiller. I do not believe that a good downhiller will make a good motocrosser. IMO motocross is more technical than downhill.


I agree with you 100%, I get sketched out by stuff on my bike that I would charge on my mx. This prob. stems from me riding mx for longer, and starting on a hardtail on mtb so I pick careful lines.

MXers usually make good downhillers, and although a downhiller wont be a great mxer my mtb skills do apply/help when it comes to the downhills on the trails with my dirt bike.

Experiment for you mx/dowhnillers: find a gnar downhill next time you go dirt biking. Shut off the bike. Charge down the hill and see how you do.:thumbsup:


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## mtnryder56 (Sep 13, 2008)

having started riding DH, I would say Motocross. Hitting the big tracks at the races, the table tops are huge and as we saw from the news today, the consequences are just as huge. I say Motocross


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## hucker1960 (Sep 30, 2008)

R.I.P. Jeremy : (


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## FreerideMonkey7 (Oct 12, 2007)

FMX hands down reguires the biggest nuts, they need to be the size of cocnuts or you cant become pro, you're just not allowed


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## Djponee (Dec 20, 2006)

mx beats the hell out of me, and i think its harder, but i enjoy dh thousand times more.


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## lostinstates (Oct 19, 2007)

this reminds me of the 4 stroke vs 2 stroke war.
i have the most fun on my bicycle.i mean i get arm AND cheek pump.
i am definately faster on my 4 stroke,but,
my 2 stroke is just way more fun.
back to the OP,shouldn't it be rephrased which one can YOU push it the most on?


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## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

Snowmobiling. Levi Levalle, 'nuff said.


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## daway (Jun 15, 2008)

MX sounds so fun, I really want to try it but never have had the opportunity. For me, riding areas for MX are far and not as accessible as biking trails. Although the cost of mountain bikes almost approaches the cost of MX bikes, the fact that I can hop on my bike whenever I want and ride it anywhere I want makes mountain biking more appealing (also, I can throw mountain bikes on the roof rack of my Subaru...transporting motorcycles is a different story). Now, if I lived somewhere where I could ride MX in my backyard, things might change. 

As far as which one requires more balls? Watching motocross blows my mind, the speed and the size of those jumps is just ridiculous, compounded by the fact that they are hitting them while rubbing elbows with other riders. FMX is just insane...that's a sport where one crash can have serious consequences. As far as mtb goes, even the for the ultra gnarly slopestyle guys and world cup DHers, for the most part, crashes result in the rider getting up, brushing themselves off, and being fine.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

6 of one 1/2 a dozen the other


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## cactuscorn (Feb 5, 2004)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> 6 of one 1/2 a dozen the other


what are ya tryin to say? i feel like some eggs all of a sudden. thanx alot...

bein a old. skeered wuss of a rider, theres stuff id never do on a bike that i cant even imagine never doin on a moto.


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## csermonet (Feb 2, 2009)

Raptordude said:


> Snowmobiling. Levi Levalle, 'nuff said.


he doesnt have half the talent that lets, say, ricky carmichael has. watch videos of him and tell me anyone is better on a dirtbike


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## csermonet (Feb 2, 2009)

but as far as which would take more balls, i have to say mx. those guys are rubbing elbows and 60 whipping a 300lb bike through the air, those guys are absolutely nuts. although i suppose if they saw some of the things we do on mountain bikes they would say the same


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## Desert Pig (Dec 8, 2008)

Well as long as you don't land on your head doing back flips, probably okay in either sport.


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## huntandride (Sep 29, 2007)

I agree that a mx rider can pull of dh easier that the other way around. As for snowmobiling i think that with the exception of flips the tricks seem easier then fmx because its wider and more stable in the air for a person to get off and hang on by the seat etc. And i dont think that anyone has ever landed a moto facing backwards. 
As for the OP on what requires more balls it depends on comfortableness.


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## infagon (Jan 25, 2008)

alot of the same principles apply to both mx and dh. mx gets crazzzzyyy when you hold 5th gear pinned over gnarly **** like whoops, hillclimbs, and jumps, plus cornering is alot harder you cant just throw your weight around you have to use throttle. While dh your going half the speed and your alot more agile or flickable. But i like both in there own way..mx take bigger huevos


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## kamikazee ideki (Jul 2, 2007)

Bender Hucks FTW


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## cyrix (Jan 29, 2008)

MX. That's really all that needs to be said. DH is insanely difficult and requires a metric **** ton of finesse. But just the sheer size of the jumps and the weight of the machine you have to control makes MX leaps more difficult for me personally. There are crossovers from both sports in regards to skills, but each has it's own individual needs. DH is by far and away more finesse than MX to me.

For anyone thinking of ripping me apart note the following quotes from above: "for me personally" "to me" Thank you.


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## rideactionsport (Jan 29, 2007)

if i didnt have 6 concussions from racing motocross for 3 years i think i would sell my dh bike right now and get a 250f. motocross is super gnarly, so is dh but you know

as far as physically, id have to say motocross is more physically demanding. i rode a few motos on my buddies practice bike last month for the first time in 2 years and i couldnt walk the next day i was so sore. the only mountain bike workout i can think of that comes close to doing a 30 minute moto was racing downieville last year. 

on the other hand hitting a rock section fully pinned takes quite a bit of balls:thumbsup:


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## Uncleroxk (Jul 28, 2007)

If you are hucking like josh blender then you need a bigger balls than anyone above...


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## primo661 (Jan 6, 2009)

One of my mates, Matthew Malan, former World 65cc Pro stock supercross champion, and I discussed this about two weeks ago and he says the MX is easymadman apart from whoops. The kids been hitting 30m tables since he was 8 on his 65 and his point of view is that you just open the throttle and pin it and most of the time you'll get through in one piece, you never hear pro downhillers talk like that. He started downhill last year when he met my brother and was introduced to it and he's a real shredder but is comvinced that us downhillers that hit the big stuff are completely mental. We finally kind of agreed that although obviously neither needs more balls, downhill is far more technical and for that reason, it takes more balls on an mtb to do something than that same obstacle on a mx bike(DUH! )


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## Motocross42 (Nov 21, 2008)

I've raced motocross for 8 years and I lived with the millsaps for 8 months to train with them and the only thing I have left to do is turn pro. With money the way it is I've stoped with mx and I've picked up downhilling. I think downhill is a little harder because you have boulders flying by you and one wrong move and your thrown into them. Tracks are all groomed at the beginning of the day and they do get really rough but not as bad as getting thrown into a boulder.


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## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

mtnryder56 said:


> having started riding DH, I would say Motocross. Hitting the big tracks at the races, the table tops are huge and as we saw from the news today, the consequences are just as huge. I say Motocross


I will have to concur.
While DH is fairly dangerous, you are only dealing with a ~40lb engine-less bicycle. In MX, you are dealing with a 200+ lb motorcycle with more power than you'll ever need. You also go a lot faster on a m/c. 
It's also going to hurt a lot more if a m/c falls on you than a DH bicycle.

For anyone who does think DH requires more balls, let me know when a mountain biker does a similar stunt that the dude did on New Years' Eve on the Arch deTriumph replica in NYC on his MX bike. THEN I'll say DH requires more balls.


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## ruralrider528 (Nov 8, 2008)

I think they require different types of cojones. Moto is just crazy with the bar rubbing speed and jumps but the tracks are fairly predictable. Ruts, jumps, whoops and corners are the technical part on a moto track, but they are groomed and leveled. DH is also crazy but that has a different vibe, the extremely steep stuff, tight tight trails, rock gardens, huge root sections, berms in a corner or not, off camber corners. IMO downhilling is more technical than moto, as you can only see maybe only a couple of feet of trail for the whole run where on a motocross track if you need to you can see what your up against from a farther distance. Additionally your race run(DH) you never ride the same part twice since its a top to bottom race not a lap type race where you will run the same sections a couple of times. I love em both but I have much more fun downhilling, not to say that motocross isnt fun!:thumbsup:


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## NorKal (Jan 13, 2005)

I just started riding moto about a year ago and I can say I'm really hooked. I'd say right now moto is far harder than DH'ing for me but that's just because I'm still learning. It sure is a LOT of fun though :thumbsup:


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## huntandride (Sep 29, 2007)

^^^Dude yes i was thinking that this thread needed pics.


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## bdamschen (Jan 4, 2006)

To everyone throwing out Bender's hucks, I would counter with Seth Enslow's hucks.

Not saying moto takes more than dh, just that there's guys with huge nuts and a screw loose in lots of sports:


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## ZenkiGarage (Mar 10, 2008)

I raced motocross for 16yrs. Even had a brief at Chapparal back in the day. 
I think Motocross is harder on your body and harder to be competitive in, yet downhill requires a bit more finese than motocross. When i was younger racing moto i was a whole lot faster. Not because Ive gotten old and slow(Im only 25) but because when I was 14yrs old racing a 125s I hadnt been hurt bad and would go balls out with no conception of consequences. After a couple big wrecks my lap times were bunk. Its easier to make up for skill in motocross with stupidity. Not really the case with downhill. If you cant pick a line and navagate obsticals you're going to be slow.


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## jeffsteezy (Feb 3, 2009)

fastmxer99 said:


> I think it's going very between what they're most comfortable with. i.e. I've been a motocrossers all my life and am not intimidated by any supercross track or obstacle (with the occasional exception of whoops). I do get intimidated by some downhill obstacles.
> 
> Also I believe that a good motocrosser will be a good downhiller. I do not believe that a good downhiller will make a good motocrosser. IMO motocross is more technical than downhill.


I agree 100%. It's all in what your comfortable doing. I was born on a dirtbike. I was riding a 50cc before I had a pedal bike, so it's like second nature. Riding a bike is riding a bike, but I think coming from an MX background makes a huge difference when transitioning to a downhill bike or any bike for that matter. Not so easy going from mountain bikes to MX.

Only thing that intimidates me is the weight of the mountain bike. I prefer a bike with weight to it, feels more like I'm riding a dirtbike then a mountain bike. haha Which in turn makes me feel more comfortable. I've rode lighter bikes and didn't feel nearly as confident on them.


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## 317000 (Mar 2, 2007)

It all depends on what you're riding. You're going to have to have more guts to hit the Rampage gap than go on a trailride on the MX. You're also going to have to have more guts to throw a 100ft nearly upside-down moto whip on an MX than doing a 5ft drop on the DH bike.


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## primo661 (Jan 6, 2009)

Neither requires more balls, both have limits and both sets are being pushed equally hard. Its like saying you dont need balls to do 300km/h on a super bike cause you not leaving the ground, bull ****. Due to the simple nature of the game, it is alot easier to hit a 30 meter table on a mx bike then on your dh sled so you cant say "o guys have jumped 396 feet on a mx but only 134 feet on a dh bike." Neither can you use Robbie Maddisons drop on new years as an example, he is arguably on of the best in the world and if it weren't for his steering damper, he would have wrecked on a perfectly designed and built drop that is only 20 feet or so higher than the highest drop landed on a bicycle. 

I totally agree with you Zenki, I'v done some really stupid stuff on my mx bike and got away with it but the same does not apply to dh for me.

As for the danger component, bringing this last weeks news about Jeremy Lusk doesn't qualify it, his is only one death in hundreds. I meant how many people have died doing downhill in the past? I think it was Angel Fire a few years ago that claimed a female pro's life and many more bones in one weekend.

I have always agreed with Travis Pastrana and now is no different, in Nitro Circus 3 he says "Us moto guys are nuts but those mountainbike guys are really nuts".


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## nmpearson (Aug 13, 2007)

i agree with the comments...but i'll say i have more fun on a dh course generally and for me it seems to be easier to jump MX


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## scabrider (Oct 3, 2004)

i mostly do technical woods/enduro and desert riding and i blow through stuff way faster than i ever would on my bicycle. i feel more comfortable on my motorcycle...


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## rep_1969 (Mar 25, 2004)

I've raced both, (motocross and DH) and for me DH takes more guts and skill. Obivously, that's just my opinion though.


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## wheelman (Apr 13, 2005)

From what I have experience in desert racing the motorcycle or downhilling racing I would have to say downhilling by just a nuts hair. Motorcycles you can be more stupid and just commit where as downhilling you have to plan it a little better. Just my 2 cents


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## tls36 (Dec 10, 2005)

? Bikes more finesse, agreed. Dirt bike more juevos and strength/power.


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## lostinstates (Oct 19, 2007)

the guys who have excelled in mx seem to be smaller than the dh crew.there are obviously exceptions,but carmichael,stewart recently are that way,as well as peaty,minnaar,not sure of hill's stats.
i find strength more of a bonus in dh.i tend to want to fight my bike in mx.


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## primo661 (Jan 6, 2009)

Hills alot shorter than Peat, Minnaar and Rennie who are around the 6'3" mark. I think Gee is stuck in the middle.


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## Internal14 (Jan 21, 2004)

My whole body is trached after a five hour moto trail day, but I can shuttle an entire day and then bust out a 30mile xc ride the next day and be ok, where after the moto 1/2 day I can hardly put full weight on my quads for a week and my shoulders are sore for at least half a week at least.

Physically for me moto is harder.

But in regards to out right size of balls required.....dunno... that's very much debatable.


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## SamL3227 (May 30, 2004)




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## lostinstates (Oct 19, 2007)

SamL3227 said:


>


check these guys out


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## hazylogic (Dec 20, 2006)

rmb_mike said:


> I will have to concur.
> While DH is fairly dangerous, you are only dealing with a ~40lb engine-less bicycle. In MX, you are dealing with a 200+ lb motorcycle with more power than you'll ever need. You also go a lot faster on a m/c.
> It's also going to hurt a lot more if a m/c falls on you than a DH bicycle.
> 
> For anyone who does think DH requires more balls, let me know when a mountain biker does a similar stunt that the dude did on New Years' Eve on the Arch deTriumph replica in NYC on his MX bike. THEN I'll say DH requires more balls.


You need to put this into context. You can't just say that MX
requires bigger balls purely on the basis that some 'dude' did the Arch De Triumph. You are just speculating on the size of the trick. You are not going to know the answer for sure unless you run a psychological experiment with set parameters. You could also bring BMX or skateboarding into the threshold as both do the big ramp tricks. It also depends on the person performing the trick. I'm sure there would be a biker willing to perform the Arch De Triumph (although that is just speculation) on a downhill / freeride bike and I'm sure that there would be an mxer willing to take an mx bike to the rampage. So it all depends on the individual performing and what his limits are and the vehicle he is on (whether it is versatile enough).

You also have to remember that the guys at the top are risking everything: possibly more so in MX as the power they have means they can hit bigger jumps, unlike DH where you need gravity to assist you. Although that is speculation also!


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## MTB_prodigy (Jun 16, 2007)

I think this is a really stupid question. They require the "same sized balls" anyway, whenever you're pushing the limits of anything it takes balls.


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## jayrebel (Aug 4, 2020)

sickspeed16 said:


> So I personally know what my answer would be, but for all you Downhiller's that also ride the motorized two wheeled kind which is more exhilarating?





sickspeed16 said:


> So I personally know what my answer would be, but for all you Downhiller's that also ride the motorized two wheeled kind which is more exhilarating?


MX vs DH = DH is crazier.
SX vs DH = SX is crazier.

MX tracks are easy for dirt bikes. The jumps are lower and longer than SX, if they have whoops they will be smaller. That being said I will compare MX to UCI DH tracks. Yeah the DH is a lot more technical and difficult.

SX would be compared to DH events such as Red Bull Rampage and Red Bull Hardline but would still cream the DHers for technicality and difficulty. Even Hardline is only a few minutes long per run.The endurance needed for SX races is far more demanding.


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

For sure, there's a lot mountain bikers who _think_ they're the biggest bad-asses around, but the reality is that mountain biking is child's play compared to moto riding on dirt, of almost any discipline.

imho

.


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## Arm&Hammer (Dec 19, 2020)

https://www.worldsultimate.net/most-dangerous-sports.htm



PFFT, MX does not even make the top 37, cheerleading takes more balls!


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

MTB_prodigy said:


> I think this is a really stupid question. They require the "same sized balls" anyway, *whenever you're pushing the limits of anything it takes balls.*


This comment made the most sense of all of the comments.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Arm&Hammer said:


> https://www.worldsultimate.net/most-dangerous-sports.htm
> 
> 
> 
> PFFT, MX does not even make the top 37, cheerleading takes more balls!


I would never willingly let someone toss me 20' into the air above a gym floor with a miniskirt as my only protection, so yeah, they get props.


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## Suns_PSD (Dec 13, 2013)

Done both. 

MX will positively wreck you much more severely than DH. Even amateur local MX. Speeds are higher, speeds are vastly different, etc.

A large portion of MXers that I know have damaged their backs, including yours truly. Know a couple that will never walk again as a result. 

More dangerous than both is roadracing motorcycles. Lost several buddies to that obsession. 

MTBs are much safer, not that risky imo.

Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk


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## abeckstead (Feb 29, 2012)

I rode dirt bikes in my teens and through my twenties. I was always broken and injured. 20+ years later I’m paying for that time with constant back and knee problems. MTB is way less abusive. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## G-out (Apr 25, 2005)

motoholic said:


> I agree with you 100%, I get sketched out by stuff on my bike that I would charge on my mx. This prob. stems from me riding mx for longer, and starting on a hardtail on mtb so I pick careful lines.
> 
> MXers usually make good downhillers, and although a downhiller wont be a great mxer my mtb skills do apply/help when it comes to the downhills on the trails with my dirt bike.
> 
> *Experiment for you mx/dowhnillers: find a gnar downhill next time you go dirt biking. Shut off the bike. Charge down the hill and see how you do*.👍


Ha! I used to do just that with a buddy. We did occasional DH events but were mainly MX guys. In So Cal out at Bean Canyon there was a looong steep descent. At the top we would shut off our bikes and race each other down with no engine. You could pump the suspension to try to accelerate or launch off some of the stuff. I always had my clutch in and gripped the tank extra hard as I was a little paranoid that one time I would accidentally kick it into gear ... which would have instantly locked the rear wheel and launched you big time over the bars. Even with the clutch in, if it slipped into gear, the clutch drag would probably have been a gnarly bronco ride. With no engine noise you could talk trash at each other on the way down. lol Fun stuff.

Going from MX to DH was pretty easy. Not so much for friends that tried going from DH to MX. Just a lot more to learn with clutch / power delivery, bike setup, way bigger, longer jumps, etc. And bigger penalty when you come up short. Although rock sections in DH can be pretty dicey.


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