The vast majority of cycling categories are disputed through spaces with ups and downs where resistance is the key to prevail over rivals. However, there is a modality where the ascents are dispensed with and it is carried out entirely down the mountain.
Gravity gains ground over aerodynamics and technique over resistance in Downhill cycling. A category only suitable for the brave where the objective is to cover a descent section in the shortest possible time. Along the way, the cyclists must overcome obstacles, cambers and jumps that force the participants to have studied each ‘track’ to the millimeter. As the bike goes down, the adrenaline goes up. This is downhill biking.
The bicycles used in these competitions, which would fall into the MTB category, are specifically designed to be as comfortable and manageable on the descent as possible, but little can be done with them outside of this function.
Full suspension and an extremely strong frame are two essential elements for any Downhill bike. The brakes are also of vital importance, being mostly disc and hydraulic. The wheels are usually around 27.5 inches to offer good grip and the position of the handlebars and saddle offer an atypical placement in cycling, but more efficient in the descent.
As in other categories, Downhill has different competitions throughout the season, each with its own prestige. The UCI includes this category among its modalities and the elite stands out especially in two championships. The World Cup, a competition that takes place throughout the year and crowns the best cyclist of the season, and the World Championship, which, as in other modalities, takes place one day and awards the rainbow jersey to the champion.
The cyclists who compete in this type of event are true tightrope walkers on the pedals who are sometimes capable of completing authentic downhill feats. A good example is the descent that Aaron Gwin made in Leogang in 2015, which allowed him to win that round of the World Cup… No chain!
This descent is considered by many to be the best ever but each descent is done to the limit when it comes to Downhill. A category that does not understand fear, an exciting category, a unique category.
