Downhill MTB is a discipline of MTB in which mountain bike riders either for enjoyment, or timed against the clock, ride down a course of varying difficulty against other riders. The format of a DH mountain bike event follows a similar setup to that of skiing.
History
The 1st ever DH event that was held was won by Alan Bonds and it took place on the now well known Repack Road named because hub bearings would overheat and brake the grease down during races. This was back in 1976 and DH has changed a lot since that date. Downhill Events now regularly take place across the world on a regular basis particularly in the mountain regions of nations similar to the United Kingdom or in the summertime at disused ski resorts in countries such as France and Italy. These are by no means the only countries though, and the DH World Cup is one of mountain bikes most popular events each yearly.
DH Bikes
Despite the obvious changes in this style of mountain bike riding, there are a number of massive differences in the bikes and equipment utilised by the riders. A downhill MTB Frame will be far more specialised that the normal hardtail mountain bike frame you or I used, and will usually have a much more rugged and durable full suspension mountain bike frame. The reason for this is the more extreme terrain that a DH MTB will be ridden down. The trade off of having a full suspension bike, which is built to a much better standard than a normal MTB is the weight. Whilst a standard MTB would be under thirty pounds in weight, downhill bikes can to go over forty pounds. This above average weight is now however being reduced~coming down~reducing~. Other major changes in the bike can include the use of disc brakes, a high travel suspension fork (five-fix inches) and different frame shape.
Pads & Protection
Extra Protection is definitely required when racing in the world of downhill…. just view a few of events and you will soon understand that falls, crashes and injuries are common place and a certain drawback this sport offers. Body armour, full face mask helmets like the ones used in motocross are required otherwise you will not be allowed on the course or to compete.
