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Cyclists making daring descents
April 25, 2011, Monday
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CHARGING down the rugged side of a mountain on a bicycle may not be everybody's idea of fun, but for some risk-taking riders it's a thrilling sport and, as Xu Wenwen discovers, the local mountainous area is favored by participants of the high-adrenaline pursuit.
For the practitioners of one sport, the mountainous Hangzhou terrain provides the perfect environment to practice and compete.
Downhill mountain biking, or DH for short, is a cycling discipline that pits riders against the clock as they hurtle down uneven ground from the summit to the foot of a mountain incline.
As riders race on courses that typically take two to five minutes to complete, the event is fast, furious and extremely demanding, yet has many eager participants.
The gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event is mostly held on steep, downhill terrain with no extended climbing sections. Hangzhou's North Peak, Phoenix Mountain, Mao Jia Bu and Toulongtou Mountain all provide such ideal conditions.
"The unique terrain environment, sound financial status and a developed bike industry in Hangzhou all drive the city to be influential in DH in the country," says Zhang Peng, head of Sunriders Bike Club, a leading local squad and the country's only DH team sponsored by bike manufacturer Giant.
Every year, Sunriders organizes a national downhill mountain biking tournament. Last year, the event attracted 60 athletes from home and abroad.
"The total 60 sounds small, but is a large sum for the sport," Zhang says. "It was the first time that a nationwide game could have up to 60 participants. The 2011 UCI Downhill World Cup which kicked off over the weekend only lures 100."
Though the event is developing in the city and the country, DH is not considered as a known competition event in China, which means there's no licensed DH coach in the country.
"We improve skills by practice, learning from senior riders and studying videos and magazines of DH in foreign countries," says Zhang.
Hangzhou riders train every weekend on courses that are natural unpaved paths on mountains, although some of them have been slightly adapted by riders.
But practicing downhill biking usually takes place no more than three times a week, as a result of the demanding preparation it requires - riders have to carry their bikes to the starting point at the top of a mountain.
"Downhill mountain bicycles are specially designed for downhill mountain cycling, therefore provide too little friction and are too heavy to ride or climb uphill," Zhang explains.
Since no track in Hangzhou provides access to cars, every week riders drive cars loaded with bikes to somewhere lower down the mountain and then walk for around half an hour with a bike weighing from 16 to 20 kilograms on their backs.
"All the labor is for the excitement of descending for a couple of minutes," says Zhang. "But it's worth it. The feeling of being preoccupied with the track and ignoring the trees and bushes zipping past is so good!"
Luo Shazhou, the technical director of the team and one of the city's first batch of DH riders, agrees.
"The large charge of down thrust is hard to describe in words, and it always helps me change from a bad mood to a good mood," says Luo.
"But after every descent, we need to ascend unpaved, rugged and steep routes. This is a challenge that not every one can conquer," he says.
The 27-year-old Luo and his friends started to ride 10 years ago, when they "couldn't even tell the differences between regular mountain bikes and downhill mountain bikes," he recalls.
Today, Luo is one of the most sophisticated riders, evidenced by his tens of medals and the fact he has recorded a time of only 2 minutes and 11 seconds to descend the 200-plus-meter-high Toulongtou Mountain.
"Unlike road cycling in which persistent practice can clock good scores, downhill mountain biking requires techniques as well as bravery. People with little spirit of adventure won't risk taking part," says Luo.
Despite the riders wearing protective gear such as body armor, neck braces and full-face motocross-style helmets, danger is a major part of the sport. Luo has recently been hurt twice during practice.
"Last year in a race at Toulongtou Mountain, I lost control of the handlebars when passing a small curve and butted into a tree, resulting in amnesia for a couple of minutes," he says.
Another accident broke three of his ribs because he wasn't used to the new brakes on his bike, so when he fell over on the track, a water bottle in his rucksack struck the bones and broke them.
However, he was back on the track two months later.
"I'll keep on doing it as long as my physical condition allows," he says.
"Trails in Hangzhou are actually quite simple, but the possibilities for descent are many," Luo says.
"Faster, smoother, more airtime off jumps and other obstacles are my aims."
For the practitioners of one sport, the mountainous Hangzhou terrain provides the perfect environment to practice and compete.
Downhill mountain biking, or DH for short, is a cycling discipline that pits riders against the clock as they hurtle down uneven ground from the summit to the foot of a mountain incline.
As riders race on courses that typically take two to five minutes to complete, the event is fast, furious and extremely demanding, yet has many eager participants.
The gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event is mostly held on steep, downhill terrain with no extended climbing sections. Hangzhou's North Peak, Phoenix Mountain, Mao Jia Bu and Toulongtou Mountain all provide such ideal conditions.
"The unique terrain environment, sound financial status and a developed bike industry in Hangzhou all drive the city to be influential in DH in the country," says Zhang Peng, head of Sunriders Bike Club, a leading local squad and the country's only DH team sponsored by bike manufacturer Giant.
Every year, Sunriders organizes a national downhill mountain biking tournament. Last year, the event attracted 60 athletes from home and abroad.
"The total 60 sounds small, but is a large sum for the sport," Zhang says. "It was the first time that a nationwide game could have up to 60 participants. The 2011 UCI Downhill World Cup which kicked off over the weekend only lures 100."
Though the event is developing in the city and the country, DH is not considered as a known competition event in China, which means there's no licensed DH coach in the country.
"We improve skills by practice, learning from senior riders and studying videos and magazines of DH in foreign countries," says Zhang.
Hangzhou riders train every weekend on courses that are natural unpaved paths on mountains, although some of them have been slightly adapted by riders.
But practicing downhill biking usually takes place no more than three times a week, as a result of the demanding preparation it requires - riders have to carry their bikes to the starting point at the top of a mountain.
"Downhill mountain bicycles are specially designed for downhill mountain cycling, therefore provide too little friction and are too heavy to ride or climb uphill," Zhang explains.
Since no track in Hangzhou provides access to cars, every week riders drive cars loaded with bikes to somewhere lower down the mountain and then walk for around half an hour with a bike weighing from 16 to 20 kilograms on their backs.
"All the labor is for the excitement of descending for a couple of minutes," says Zhang. "But it's worth it. The feeling of being preoccupied with the track and ignoring the trees and bushes zipping past is so good!"
Luo Shazhou, the technical director of the team and one of the city's first batch of DH riders, agrees.
"The large charge of down thrust is hard to describe in words, and it always helps me change from a bad mood to a good mood," says Luo.
"But after every descent, we need to ascend unpaved, rugged and steep routes. This is a challenge that not every one can conquer," he says.
The 27-year-old Luo and his friends started to ride 10 years ago, when they "couldn't even tell the differences between regular mountain bikes and downhill mountain bikes," he recalls.
Today, Luo is one of the most sophisticated riders, evidenced by his tens of medals and the fact he has recorded a time of only 2 minutes and 11 seconds to descend the 200-plus-meter-high Toulongtou Mountain.
"Unlike road cycling in which persistent practice can clock good scores, downhill mountain biking requires techniques as well as bravery. People with little spirit of adventure won't risk taking part," says Luo.
Despite the riders wearing protective gear such as body armor, neck braces and full-face motocross-style helmets, danger is a major part of the sport. Luo has recently been hurt twice during practice.
"Last year in a race at Toulongtou Mountain, I lost control of the handlebars when passing a small curve and butted into a tree, resulting in amnesia for a couple of minutes," he says.
Another accident broke three of his ribs because he wasn't used to the new brakes on his bike, so when he fell over on the track, a water bottle in his rucksack struck the bones and broke them.
However, he was back on the track two months later.
"I'll keep on doing it as long as my physical condition allows," he says.
"Trails in Hangzhou are actually quite simple, but the possibilities for descent are many," Luo says.
"Faster, smoother, more airtime off jumps and other obstacles are my aims."
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