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Downhill mountain biking (DH) is a style of
mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...
practiced on steep, rough terrain that often features
jumps Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotics, robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, gallo ...
,
drops Drop, DROP, drops or DROPS may refer to: * Drop (liquid) or droplet, a small volume of liquid ** Eye drops, saline (sometimes mydriatic) drops used as medication for the eyes * Drop (unit), a unit of measure of volume * Falling (physics), allowi ...
,
rock gardens A rock garden, also known as a rockery and formerly as a rockwork, is a garden, or more often a part of a garden, with a landscaping framework of rocks, stones, and gravel, with planting appropriate to this setting. Usually these are small ...
and other obstacles. Jumps can be up to and including , and drops can be greater than . The rider commonly travels to the point of descent a ski lift or automobile, since the weight of the downhill mountain bike often precludes any serious climbing. In this context, the use of a motorized vehicle or device does not make DH a motorized sport. Riders must possess a unique combination of total body strength, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, and the acceptance of a relatively high risk of incurring serious permanent injuries. Downhill bikes are heavier and stronger than other
mountain bikes A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which m ...
and feature front and rear suspension with over 8 inches (20 cm) of travel, to glide quickly over rocks and tree roots. In competitive races, a continuous course is defined on each side by a strip of tape. Depending on the format, riders have a single or double attempt to reach the finish line as fast as possible, while remaining between the two tapes designating the course. Riders must choose their line by compromising between the shortest possible line and the line that can be traveled at the highest speed. If a rider leaves the course by crossing or breaking the tape they must return to the course at the point of exit, unless they do not gain a time advantage from crossing the tape, in which case they can continue with their run. Riders start at intervals, often seeded from slowest to fastest, and courses typically take two to five minutes to complete with winning margins being often less than a second. Riders are timed with
equipment Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tools or other objects commonly used to achieve a particular objective. Different job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and ...
similar to that used in
downhill skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether ...
.


History of competitive racing

The 1st downhill time-trial race took place in
Fairfax, California Fairfax is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Fairfax is located west-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of . The population was 7,605 at the 2020 census. History The Coast Miwok Native Americans occupie ...
on October 21, 1976 on a fireroad now referred to as Repack Road, due to the need to repack the hub brake after each descent. The bikes used were based on
cruiser bicycle A cruiser bicycle, also known as a beach cruiser or (formerly) motobike, is a bicycle that usually combines balloon tires, an upright seating posture, a single-speed drivetrain, and straightforward steel construction with expressive stylin ...
s that had a
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
or
coaster brake A bicycle brake reduces the speed of a bicycle or prevents it from moving. The three main types are: rim brakes, disc brakes, and drum brakes. Most bicycle brake systems consist of three main components: a mechanism for the rider to apply the b ...
that worked by pedalling backwards. The mechanism operated with a conical brake shoe being wound on a thread in a metal hub. To prevent the brake from seizing it was kept filled with grease. Heavy use during the descent would cause the brake to over heat, softening the grease and causing it to drain from the hub, requiring frequent repacking. Ten riders descended of Repack road in about 5 minutes. The first bikes used for descending were known as "klunkers" or "paperboy bikes" - sturdy cruisers using balloon tires and coaster brakes, designed by Ignatz Schwinn during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. The bikes could endure abuse that would damage other bicycles by changing features from the Henderson and Excelsior motorcycles his company had built during the 1920s, including a heavy "cantilevered" frame with two top tubes and 2.125-inch-wide (54.0 mm) "balloon" tires from Germany. Innovations like the fat-tire Schwinn with derailleur gears by Russ Mahon of '' The Morrow Dirt Club'' in
Cupertino Cupertino ( ) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 57,82 ...
at the 1974 Marin County cyclo-cross and Gary Fisher's 1975 use of a tandem rear hub (from a flea market) with a drum brake threaded for a freewheel cluster developed the sport, and by 1979, two organizers and competitors of the Repack downhill, Charlie Kelly and
Gary Fisher Gary Christopher Fisher (born November 5, 1950) is considered one of the inventors of the modern mountain bike. Fisher started competing in road and track races at age 12. He was suspended in 1968 because race organizers cited a rule that his h ...
founded the company which named the sport, MountainBikes. As mountain biking grew during the 80s, downhill riders continued to use either rigid or limited-travel (under ) suspension bicycles. Purpose-made downhill bikes started to appear in the 90s, with innovations such as dual crown forks and
disc brakes A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hold ...
, as well as more elaborate suspension designs. Later, riders from other disciplines began focusing on downhill, such as BMX racers Daniel Solano (Team Tomac Bikes), and Brian Lopes. Their influence is seen in the increased difficulty of many courses, with bigger jumps and drops added. The coming of age for downhill biking was its inclusion at the first UCI Mountain Bike Championship, held in 1990 in
Durango, Colorado Durango is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States Census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis Col ...
.


Notable downhill racing venues

Many
ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...
areas are converted into downhill mountain biking venues in the summer, such as Whistler Mountain Bike Park and Fernie Alpine Resort, alongside the specifically developed all-season downhill trails. At some courses, bikers ride gondolas, trams or chair lifts to the starting point, or "shuttling" with motorized vehicles is used to transport riders to the top of the hill. Others are accessible by riding (or pushing) bicycles to the starting point. Urban downhill courses have also appeared in mountain-side cities, with the courses going through city streets and sidewalks, such as the Taxco Downhill event in Mexico. Courses used in competition often feature several "lines" through or around difficult obstacles. For example, the "A line" might be a direct line over a large jump with a sketchy landing, the "B line" a smaller jump with a better landing, and the "C line" completely avoids the jumps, but may take longer.


Australia

Australia has produced a large number of internationally successful downhill racers, including Sam Hill,
Chris Kovarik Chris Kovarik (born 1 March 1978, Dandenong, Victoria, Australia), is an Australian professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain biking and four cross mountain bike racing. He is a multiple Australian national champion and mult ...
,
Nathan Rennie Nathan Rennie (born 31 May 1981) is an Australian professional downhill mountain bike racer. He started riding at the age of 5. He was junior downhill world champion in 1999 and won the bronze medal in the elite category at the 2006 world champ ...
and Mick Hannah. The large majority of Australian downhill riding and racing is accessed by shuttling in cars, buses or by walking to the top of the track (push runs), however the venues at
Mount Buller Mount Buller is primarily a resort town on the slopes of Mount Buller in the Shire of Mansfield of the Australian state of Victoria. It is located approximately northeast of Melbourne. It is popular with snowsports enthusiasts in winter du ...
and
Thredbo Thredbo is a village and ski resort in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, situated in a part of the Snowy Monaro Regional Council, and has been operated by Event Hospitality and Entertainment since 1987. It is approximately ...
provide lift accessed tracks during the snow less summer months.
Mount Stromlo Mount Stromlo (formerly Mount Strom ) is a mountain with an elevation of that is situated in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The mountain is most notable as the location of the Mount Stromlo Observatory. The mountain forms par ...
, near Canberra, hosted a World Cup Round in August 2008 and the 2009 World Championships. The top can be accessed by either riding up singletrack, or by shuttling via the road. Australia's first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup was held in Cairns in 1994-1995. followed by the World Mountain Bike Championships in
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...
and again in
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, placing Cairns on the map as the premier Australian mountain bike destination.


Austria

Located in the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
, Austria is very suitable for downhill riding. A large majority of
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
's downhill tracks are accessible via
lift Lift or LIFT may refer to: Physical devices * Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods ** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop ** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobil ...
shuttles. A World Cup track called the "Planai" is located in the city of
Schladming Schladming is a small former mining town in the northwest of the Austrian state of Styria that is now a popular tourist destination. It has become a large winter-sports resort and has held various skiing competitions, including most notably the F ...
. It is about 5 km long with an average descent grade of about 35%.


Bolivia

Most of Bolivia’s downhill riding is done in the
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
Mountains in and around
La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bol ...
. In the city there is the Pura Pura trail, there are also a few trails through the forest. Camiraya at the outskirts of La Paz has more and longer trails. The Loma Loma and Chu Chu trails are a little further out in
Sorata Sorata ( Aymara: ''Surat'a'') is a small town in the La Paz Department in the Bolivian Andes, northwest of the city of La Paz and east of Lake Titicaca. It is the seat of the Larecaja Province and the Sorata Municipality. At the time of census ...
. There are also trails in other parts of the country, for example in
Cochabamba Cochabamba ( ay, Quchapampa; qu, Quchapampa) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 630 ...
and
Potosí Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal . For centuries, it was the location o ...
.


Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
is rich with mountains especially around the capital city of
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
, in which a downtown race is held, although
mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which m ...
and downhill especially are still developing to become known sports. Mountains like
Igman Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of ...
,
Bjelašnica Bjelašnica ( sr-cyrl, Бјелашница, ) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Mount Igman. Bjelašnica's tallest peak, by which the mountain group got its name, rises to an elevatio ...
and others are being increasingly used for downhill racing. Currently there are a few tracks on Trebević,
Igman Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of ...
,
Bjelašnica Bjelašnica ( sr-cyrl, Бјелашница, ) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Mount Igman. Bjelašnica's tallest peak, by which the mountain group got its name, rises to an elevatio ...
, Cavljak - Barice, all featured tournaments on an international level. Unexploded ordnance is one of the reasons for slow development of this sport in a country with a such great potential for it.


Canada

Canada is famous for its downhill racing as well as other sorts of mountain biking. The Whistler Mountain Bike Park in
Whistler, British Columbia Whistler ( Lillooet/Ucwalmícwts: Cwitima, ; Squamish/Sḵwx̱wú7mesh: Sḵwiḵw, ) is a resort municipality in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Moun ...
hosts the annual
Crankworx Crankworx is a four-stop tour of mountain biking competitions and races, the premier event of which is held each summer at Whistler-Blackcomb in Whistler, British Columbia at Whistler Mountain Bike Park. The Crankworx core competitive events are ...
and Joyride Huckfest racing events. The province of British Columbia is also home to several other large lift-serviced mountain bike parks, including
Sun Peaks Sun Peaks Resort is an alpine ski resort located in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada, northeast of Kamloops. The summit of the ski area is at an elevation of , with an vertical rise from the base of the peak. The resort has of skiable t ...
in Kamloops, BC,
Silver Star Mountain Resort SilverStar Mountain Resort (SilverStar) is a ski resort located near Silver Star Provincial Park in the Shuswap Highland of the Monashee Mountains, 22 km northeast of the city of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. SilverStar's snow s ...
in
Vernon, BC Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped establish the Coldstream Ranch in nearb ...
, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC and
Fernie Alpine Resort Fernie Alpine Resort is a ski resort, located on Lizard Range, near the town of Fernie, British Columbia in Canada. The resort also operates a mountain bike park, hiking, guided hikes, and sightseeing in the summer months. The resort has 10 ...
. The
North Shore Mountains The North Shore Mountains are a mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city. The steep southern slopes of the No ...
of North Vancouver, BC, are a famous downhill biking destination in their own right. The popular style of technical downhill freeriding that involves many man-made trail elements originated here. The style is often referred to as "North Shore Style." Canada has produced many world-class mountain bike racers, including downhillers
Andrew Shandro Andrew Shandro (born May 20, 1971) is a professional mountain biker. Shandro has starred in many films and featured in mountain bike magazines worldwide. The majority of Shandro's pictures are taken by his close friend Sterling Lorence. Andrew was ...
and Steve Smith. The mount of Bromont, situated in Bromont, Quebec, and Mont-Sainte-Anne near Quebec City are great places for downhill biking.


Croatia

Downhill MTB races have been held in
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
since 1993, when the first competition was organized outside
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, on the same mountain that today hosts the world cup races in alpine skiing. Until the past 4–5 years, Mountain biking was banished from popular hiking trails and ski slopes around the capital. However, with the rise in popularity of DH and enduro, (gravity) riding, Trail management regulations have been relaxed and along with allowing riders, have begun to allow for development of MTB specific trails, cooperating with the local riding community to communicate which trails are acceptable and which are not. Additionally, the area known as 'Grma' has seen the growth and development of DH specific trails. MTB DH riding has also flourished in other parts of Croatia, especially in the northern Adriatic coastal region and in the northern (continental) part of country. In 2010 the national DH Cup events were held in
Buzet Buzet (; la, Piquentum; it, Pinguente) is a town in Istria, west Croatia, population 6,133 (2011). Demographics In 2011 the total municipal population was 6,133 people, distributed in the following settlements (with population shown in paren ...
(Istria),
Samobor Samobor () is a city in Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area. Administratively it is a part of Zagreb County. Geography Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samobor hills ( hr, ...
(Zagreb area),
Pakrac Pakrac is a town in western Slavonia, Croatia, population 4,842, total municipality population 8,460 (census 2011). Pakrac is located on the road and railroad connecting the regions of Posavina and Podravina. Name In Croatian the town is known a ...
(Slavonia) and Gracisce (Pazin, Istria). Additionally, multiple enduro races around the country are now part of an annual 'Cro-enduro' series and the fall of 2017 saw organization of the first ever Croatian Enduro National Championships. Urban downhill events are also held in the coastal city of
Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Prim ...
. 2018 saw the first
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a multi-round mountain bike racing series that is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The first World Cup series – which was composed of cross-country events – was held in 1989. The Downhill W ...
held in Croatia, on the island of Lošinj.


France

The
French Alps The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as ...
are home to many downhill routes and events. The most famous of which is the
Megavalanche Megavalanche (nicknamed "Mega") is a enduro mountain bike race held annually at the Alpe d'Huez ski resort in the French Alps since 1995, and annually on the island of Réunion. The Alps event, being the more widely publicized and famous among ...
downhill race event in the Alp d'Huez and Bourg d'Oisans region. Another downhill course in the region is
Les Deux Alpes Les 2 Alpes () is a ski resort in the French ''department'' of Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The village sits at and lifts run to . It has the largest skiable glacier in Europe and is France's second oldest ski resort behind Chamonix. It h ...
which sometimes hosts other downhill events. The downhill courses and events are limited in the area however, because of the alpine winter and snow. The most popular area for downhill in the French alps is the
Portes du Soleil Les Portes du Soleil (literally "The Doors of the Sun") is a major skisports destination in the Alps, encompassing thirteen resorts between Mont Blanc in France and Lake Geneva in Switzerland. With more than 650 km of marked pistes (claimed ...
including the two more popular resorts of Morzine and Les Gets. Most recently, a world cup was held for the first time in La Bresse. In August 2011, La Bresse hosted the sixth round of the UCI World Cup. Since 2015,
Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...
hosted a World Cup round each year.


Georgia

The first downhill trails in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
were developed in 2015. Among the first built was in
Gudauri Gudauri ( ka, გუდაური) is a ski resort located on the south-facing plateau of Caucasus Mountains, The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in Georgia (country), Georgia. The resort is situated in the Stepantsminda District, along the Ge ...
, followed by trails in
Bakuriani Bakuriani ( ka, ბაკურიანი) is a daba and a ski resort in the Borjomi district of Georgia. It is located on the northern slope of the Trialeti Range, at an elevation of 1,700 meters (5,576 feet) above sea level. Geography The ...
. Both of the places are also ski resorts. Trails are at 2000–2250 meters, with trail lengths of about 5000 meters.


Germany

In Germany the landscape is quite diverse, reaching from flatlands in the north to medium-sized mountains in the center to alpine mountains in the south. Downhill tracks in Germany are not as steep as in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
or
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
and the difference from top to bottom is less, but the main parts of an average track are everywhere in Germany. Racing on these short tracks is highly intense and allows no mistakes. Due to the country's large population the sport has developed quickly in Germany. Number of riders can go up to 600 at races. With 3 cup races,
Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
, in the middle of Germany, is the center of gravity riding. The most popular race series is the 'iXS German Downhill Cup'. In Germany is the Europe's biggest Mountainbike Freeride Festival hold, called iXS Dirt Masters. It includes one iXS German Downhill Cup Round, a 4X Race and a slopestyle contest. It is visited by around 25000 spectators and 1200 riders. In the small town
Willingen Willingen (official name: ''Willingen (Upland)'') is a municipality in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel. Geography Location Willingen is found in Waldeck-Frankenberg district in the Upland. Its mai ...
is a former World Cup Downhill and Four Cross Race Course. The World Cup has been held there in 2005 and 2006. With Germany being a high level industry country, there are many firms producing downhill bikes, such as Last Bikes, Zonenschein, Fusion Bikes, Cube Bikes, Ghost Bikes, Canyon Bikes, Propain Bikes, Rose Bikes, Solid Bikes as well as boutique bike manufacturers Nicolai and Liteville. There are also a lot of firms producing high-end parts like
Rohloff Rohloff AG is a German company from Fuldatal near Kassel that manufactures hub gears, bicycle chains and tools that are known for their durability and high performance. The company’s logo is a black silhouette of a raven on a yellow backgroun ...
, Magura or Tune.


India

Downhill Mountain Biking in India is fairly new. The main and the most popular downhill mountain bike race in India is called Himalayan Downhill Mountain Bike Trophy which is organized by Himalayan Mountain Bike Network during Himalayan Mountain Bike Festival. This race is conducted at Ski Himalayas Ropeway and Ski Resort located in Solang Valley near Manali which the Mountain Biking Capital of India. The DH race track is 2 km long and the area offers lot of natural mountain biking trails and lends itself to many styles of mountain biking. The trails in this Himalayan region are accessible to riders of all skill levels.


Ireland

Downhill cycling has increased in Ireland over the past 10 years, for example, the National Points Series rounds regularly attract over 250 riders from all over the country. Irish tracks vary greatly in length and difficulty. Moneyscalp is one of the shorter tracks with times for Elites coming at just over a minute. Other tracks such as Carrick in Co.Wicklow are closer to 5 minutes. There are no official downhill tracks in the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. ...
. Just across the border in Rostrevor,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...
however, Newry & Mourne District Council has recently built some tracks in Kilbroney Forest which includes a 27 km and 17 km single track and 2 purpose-built downhill trails. According to the law it is illegal to ride in the forests. All the tracks are built and maintained voluntarily by individuals and mountain biking clubs who take it upon themselves to do so. As downhill mountain biking has become more popular so has the call for more facilities and practitioners of this sport have begun campaigning with the state on this issue.


Italy

Bardonecchia Bardonecchia (; french: Bardonèche or ; pms, Bardonecia ; oc, Bardonescha ) is an Italian town and ''comune'' located in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Piedmont region, in the western part of Susa Valley. It grew out of a small village ...
, one of the
Torino 2006 The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
winter olympic venues, converts some of its ski courses and lifts for use by mountain bikers in the summer, and a number of downhill courses are present. Other ski resorts turning to mountain bike parks in summer are
Canazei Canazei (Ladin: ''Cianacéi'') is a '' comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located in the upper part of the Val di Fassa, about northeast of Trento. Its name derives from the Lati ...
, Pila,
Sestola Sestola ( Sestolese: ; Frignanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) situated in the Province of Modena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southwest of Bologna and about southwest of Modena. It is located near the Monte Cimo ...
and
Livigno Livigno (; local lmo, Livígn ; german: Luwin) is a town, ''comune'' and a special-administered territory in the province of Sondrio, in the region of Lombardy, Italy, located in the Italian Alps, near the Swiss border. History Livigno's firs ...
. The area of
Finale Ligure Finale Ligure ( lij, O Finâ, locally ; la, Finarium) is a ''comune'' on the Gulf of Genoa in the Province of Savona in Liguria, Italy. It is considered part of the Italian Riviera. Geography Known for its white sand beaches and its views, Final ...
, near
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
, offers year-round tracks that end on the seaside, served by shuttles. Among the most famous tracks in the country is the
Sanremo Sanremo (; lij, Sanrémmo(ro) or , ) or San Remo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Rivie ...
Downhill, a rocky, technical and dangerous course won in 2007 by Fabien Barel. The 2008 World Championship were held in
Val di Sole Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Sov ...
.


Kazakhstan

Located in Tian Shan, city of
Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1936 as an autonomous republic as part of ...
, Shymbulak bike park was opened in 2013. There is also the Charyn canyons and mini RedBull Rampage trail. The cheap living costs, warm climate and fresh mountain air make Almaty a "must visit" place for riders on a budget.


Latvia

In global context there are very little notable downhill venues in Latvia. Most of them are located at local ski resorts in Baldone,
Sigulda Sigulda (; german: Segewold, pl, Zygwold, russian: Сигулда) is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, from the capital city Riga. Overview Sigulda is on a picturesque stretch of the primeval Gauja river valley. Because of the reddish De ...
and
Cēsis Cēsis (), (german: Wenden, liv, Venden, et, Võnnu, pl, Kieś) is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river over ...
, also there's trail network in the forests of
Tukums Tukums (; german: Tuckum; liv, Tukāmō) is a town in the Zemgale region of Latvia. History The historical center of Tukums developed between trade routes leading from the mouth of the Daugava River to Prussia. The oldest part is today's Ta ...
near Melnezers. All the tracks are built and maintained voluntarily by individuals who take it upon themselves to do so. Each year Latvian Downhill association regularly schedul
National
downhill cup and championships. In the next several years it is expected to grow local community around downhill mountain biking by increasing the number of riders and improving local ski resort trail quality.


Norway

Hafjell Hafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland. Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events (giant slalom and slalom) at the 1994 Winter Olympics; the speed events were held at Kvitfjel ...
, a
ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...
in the
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
of
Oppland Oppland is a former county in Norway which existed from 1781 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020. The old Oppland county bordered the counties of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The c ...
and host of the
alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether ...
events (
giant slalom Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G. Giant slalom and slalom make up th ...
and
slalom To slalom is to zigzag between obstacles. It may refer to: Sports ;Alpine skiing and/or snowboarding * Slalom skiing, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Giant slalom, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Super-G ...
) at the
1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games ( no, De 17. olympiske vinterleker; nn, Dei 17. olympiske vinterleikane) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, was an international winter multi-sport event held fr ...
, offers a wide variety of courses and tracks for cross country and downhill mountain bikers during summer. Hafjell hosted the 2010 European downhill championships and the 2010 Nordic downhill championships.


Philippines

Philippines is known for its mountainous range and rocky hills. In
Rizal Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal ( fil, Lalawigan ng Rizal), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about east of Manila. The province is named after Jos� ...
, there are famous downhill tracks such as the Patiis Downhill Tracks in San Mateo. There are also other downhill tracks around the country that holds annual downhill races. Former downhill tracks include the famous and now-defunct Antenna Downhill Tracks in Binangonan, Rizal which were closed and dismantled alongside the enduro tracks of the same location due to the development of the private property. Some notable Downhill athletes in Philippines are Parabanne Mendoza, Lea Dennis Belgira, Fredrick Farr, Jerich Farr, Eleazar Barba Jr.,and Niño Martin Eday. The Downhill Riders Organization of the Philippines (DROP) organizes some of the downhill races around the country.


Portugal

Portugal is the host country of a unique variety of downhill races, the Urban Downhill, known as Downtown. Lisbon DownTown is a very popular annual event which brings world class Downhill athletes to Portugal, Steve Peat is the King of the race winning 8 of the 11 editions. The Gouveia International Downhill is another important annual race that normally brings some of the WorldCup racers to the country. Places like Lousã, Tarouca and Sintra offer a big variety of single tracks and Downhill circuits.


Russia

Some of the notable Russian downhill venues are ski-complex "Metallurg" (Bannoe lake, Magnitogorsk),
Mashuk Mashuk is a mountain in the Russian Federation, in the North Caucasus. See also *Beshtau Beshtau (, from Turkic ''beş'' 'five' and ''tau'' 'mountain') is an isolated five-domed igneous mountain (volcano) near Pyatigorsk (after the Russian ter ...
and Chaget mountains. And in the city of Novosibirsk has a trail for such races. It is located in the CHP-5.


Slovenia

Slovenia's vast hilly landscape and undamaged nature makes very good conditions for downhill cycling, thus one of the world's top, not only tracks but riders are also in Slovenia. The famous tracks that are included in the world cup are at ski resort
Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora (; german: Kronau) is a town in northwestern Slovenia, on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region, close to the Austrian and Italian borders. It is the seat of the Municipality of Kranjska Gora. Name Kranjska Gora wa ...
in north-west tip of
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
, while the other track is on ski resort hill
Pohorje Pohorje (), also known as the Pohorje Massif or the Pohorje Mountains (german: Bachergebirge, ''Bacherngebirge'' or often simply ''Bachern''), is a mostly wooded, medium-high mountain range south of the Drava River in northeastern Slovenia. Acco ...
at Slovenia's second largest city
Maribor Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, the seat of the Drava sta ...
.


South Africa

Downhill racing is not currently a very big sport in South Africa, but is rapidly growing. South Africa boasts some great tracks and riders, especially from the
Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 202 ...
and the
Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; Zulu: umGungundlovu) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu ...
area in
Kwa-Zulu Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...
, the hometown of Greg Minnaar. In the Western Cape, the best tracks are Edeouth and Jonkershoek in
Stellenbosch Stellenbosch (; )A Universal Pronounc ...
, Playgrounds in
Paarl Paarl (; Afrikaans: ; derived from ''Parel'', meaning "pearl" in Dutch) is a town with 112,045 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after ...
,
Sir Lowry's Pass Sir Lowry's Pass is a mountain pass on the N2 national road in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It crosses the Hottentots Holland Mountains between Somerset West and the Elgin valley, on the main route between Cape Town and the Ga ...
near
Somerset-West Somerset West ( af, Somerset-Wes) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region (formerly called Hotten ...
(hometown of Andrew and Jonty Neethling), Zevenwacht near
Kuilsrivier Kuils River (Afrikaans: Kuilsrivier) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, 25 km (15 miles) east of Cape Town CBD at the gateway of the Cape Winelands. It is also the name of the main tributary of the Eerste River, and forms part of the ...
and Witfontein in George. They provide quite technical, but fun courses. Ferncliff and World's View are great in Pietermaritzburg. Helderkruin (West of Johannesburg), Klapperkop in Pretoria and Gillooly's Farm in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...
. South Africa held the first round of the 2009 UCI World Cup, which was in Pietermaritzburg (Greg Minnaar's hometown).


Sweden

With the
Caledonian mountains The Caledonian orogeny was a mountain-building era recorded in the northern parts of the British Isles, the Scandinavian Mountains, Svalbard, eastern Greenland and parts of north-central Europe. The Caledonian orogeny encompasses events that occ ...
forming the
border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...
land with
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
this country has places to downhill race. The majority of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
's notable downhill tracks are situated around
Åre Åre () is a locality and one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,200 inhabitants in 2018. It is, however, not the seat of the municipality, which is Järpen. 25% of the local eco ...
and Åre Bike, accessible via lift shuttles. In 1999 Åre was the host for the ''
UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships are the world championship events for mountain bike racing in the disciplines of cross country, downhill, and four-cross. They are organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the governing ...
'' and it hosted the ''Nordic Championships'' in 2007. There are numerous graded biking trails down the ''
Åreskutan Åreskutan is a mountain at Åre in Jämtland in central Sweden. It is one of the better-known mountains in Sweden. The mountain (and the village of Åre itself) is easily accessible by train. The mountain massif features the largest ski resor ...
''
fell A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle of Man, pa ...
. Sweden's most southerly DH bike park is called Vallåsen Bike Park and is located on the north side of the Halland ridge between Skåne and Halland. Vallåsen opened in 2008 and attracts riders not only from Sweden but also Denmark due to its relatively close location to Copenhagen. Vallåsen holds an annual DH race at the end of the season called the Vallåsen DH Challenge. Jarvsö Bike Park is another downhill park, which is located in the locality of
Järvsö Järvsö (), locally known as ''Jarse'' (), is a locality and a parish situated in Ljusdal Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 1,407 inhabitants in 2010. From Järvsö, people commute to Ljusdal, Färila, Bollnäs, and Gävle. The Järv ...
, in the municipality of
Ljusdal Ljusdal () is a locality and the seat of Ljusdal Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 6,230 inhabitants in 2010. Ljusdal is situated on Riksväg 83 which runs between Tönnebro in Söderhamn Municipality in Gävleborg County and Ån ...
approximately 3 hours north of Stockholm by car. The park consists of 17 tracks of varying difficulty, and a pumptrack.


Switzerland

Located between the Alps and the Jura and surrounded by the downhill nations of France, Germany, Italy and Austria it is kind of a center for the European downhill scene. There are tracks in or near every city with high quality and a steep descent. It has several World Cup tracks like "Champéry" or "Portes du Soleil". Switzerland is the home of parts manufacturer DT Swiss, EDCO Swiss bicycle components since 1902, frame manufacturer BMC and bike manufacturer Redalp.


Thailand

Mountainous regions of
Northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is geographically characterised by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them. Though like most of Thail ...
offer great venues for downhill mountain biking.
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
is the most famous location for downhill mountain biking in
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. The Chiang Mai Downhill Challenge, which were held in November 2012 and 2013 had attracted World Cup riders, such as
Steve Peat Steve Peat (born 17 June 1974 in Chapeltown, South Yorkshire), nicknamed "Sheffield Steel" or more commonly just "Peaty", is a professional downhill mountain biker who was born and lives in Chapeltown, Sheffield, England. Prior to his career a ...
,
Josh Bryceland Joshua Antonio Torres Bryceland, known as Josh Bryceland, and commonly referred to by his nickname, Ratboy, born 23 March 1990, in Manchester is a professional downhill mountain biker, who lives in Higher Poynton, Cheshire, England. He entered ...
, Sam Dale, Brook Macdonald, Wyn Masters and Edward Masters, as well as a Belgian freerider, Nico Vink.
Doi Suthep Doi Suthep (ดอยสุเทพ), is a mountain ("doi") west of Chiang Mai, Thailand. It is in elevation and is one of the twin peaks of a granite mountain. The other peak is known as Doi Pui and is slightly higher (). Doi Suthep is from ...
mountain is where most downhill actions take place in Chiang Mai. Tour operator, such as X-Biking Chiang Mai offers guided tour or shuttle service to the trailheads and pick up the riders once they complete the trails. The Thailand National Championships, which are held in many different venues across Thailand by the Thai Cycling Association also attract many riders across Southeast Asia. The cheap living costs, great foods, warm climate and great ridings make Thailand a "must visit" place for riders on a budget.


United Kingdom

Within the UK most of the main downhill tracks are in the Scottish Uplands,
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
,
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
and
Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angles, Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Scandinavian York, K ...
, as these are more mountainous areas. Fort William in Scotland is Britain's only World Cup standard track and was the venue for the 2007 World Championships. The UK has a strong race scene with a national series and numerous regional series with strong representation of all age groups present. The country has produced many of the world's top downhill mountain bikers including
Steve Peat Steve Peat (born 17 June 1974 in Chapeltown, South Yorkshire), nicknamed "Sheffield Steel" or more commonly just "Peaty", is a professional downhill mountain biker who was born and lives in Chapeltown, Sheffield, England. Prior to his career a ...
,
Gee Atherton George David Atherton, known as Gee Atherton (born 26 February 1985, near Salisbury, England) is a professional racing cyclist specializing in downhill and four cross mountain bike racing, and is a multiple national champion, multiple World Cu ...
, Danny Hart,
Josh Bryceland Joshua Antonio Torres Bryceland, known as Josh Bryceland, and commonly referred to by his nickname, Ratboy, born 23 March 1990, in Manchester is a professional downhill mountain biker, who lives in Higher Poynton, Cheshire, England. He entered ...
, Brendan Fairclough,
Rachel Atherton Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987) is a British professional downhill mountain bike racer, and is a multiple time UCI World Champion. Atherton began riding BMX at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11. She was both ''Sun ...
,
Manon Carpenter Manon Rose Carpenter (born 11 March 1993) is a Welsh, professional racing cyclist formerly specialising in downhill mountain bike racing. Carpenter is from Caerphilly, South Wales. She was inspired to take up the sport by her father, Jason, a BM ...
and Tahnee Seagrave.


United States

The
Sea Otter Classic The Sea Otter Classic is a bicycling and outdoor sports festival and exposition held each spring since 1991 at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey ...
, held each April at
Laguna Seca Laguna Seca may refer to: * Laguna Seca Formation, a geologic formation in California * Laguna Seca (Mexico), see Convention of London * Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County), a seasonal lake in California * Laguna Seca, Texas, United States * Rancho ...
near
Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under b ...
, is a major riding event that opens the racing season. In 2008, experienced racer Mark Reynolds died after a crash at the Sea Otter Classic, highlighting the dangers of the sport.
Plattekill Mountain Plattekill Mountain is a privately owned and operated ski and bike resort northwest of Catskill Park in the town of Roxbury, New York. It features a vertical drop of 1,100 feet (335 meters) with 38 trails of varying degrees of difficulty. The m ...
in the Catskills, Mammoth Mountain, the
Northstar at Tahoe Northstar California (previously Northstar-at-Tahoe) is a mountain resort in the western United States, located in Placer County, California, near the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe. Approximately from the San Francisco Bay Area, the resort fe ...
, Brian Head Resort,
Attitash Attitash Mountain Resort is a ski area located on U.S. Route 302 in Bartlett, New Hampshire, near North Conway. Constructed in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, as of October 2019, Attitash is operated by Vail Resorts (after being pu ...
and
Deer Valley Deer Valley is an alpine ski resort in the Wasatch Range, located east of Salt Lake City, in Park City, Utah, United States. The resort, known for its upscale amenities, is consistently ranked among the top ski resorts in North America. Deer ...
ski resorts, and Moab (Utah) are also well known to mountain bikers. Snowmass, Colorado is also developing as a location for the sport. Mountain Creek Bike Park in Vernon, New Jersey is a downhill venue which hosts their own series of competitions called the Gravity Series. In the southeastern United States,
Snowshoe Mountain Snowshoe Mountain is a ski resort in the eastern United States, located in Snowshoe, West Virginia. The resort has skiable terrain across and covers a total area of in the Allegheny Mountains, which are a part of the vast Appalachian Mountain R ...
is well known for its extensive mountain bike park, camps, and freeriding areas during the summer.
Bryce Resort Bryce Resort is a 400-acre member-owned resort the northern part of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley that is open to the public. The facility opened in 1965 and is located near the West Virginia border, 11 miles west of Mount Jackson, Virginia. The ...
offers a self-described progression based bike park, built b
Gravity LogicMassanutten Resort
also has a bike park with some of the most rocky terrain on the east coast. UCI Pro Downhill riders, Neko Mulally and Dakota Norton have built, train at, and promoted race
Windrock Bike Park
in
Oliver Springs, Tennessee Oliver Springs is a town in Anderson, Morgan, and Roane counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 3,231 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Harriman, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Roane Co ...
as well.
Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numer ...
, Colorado was the site of the 1994 Downhill World Championship. The trail was renamed "'94 Downhill", and is still ridden by downhill bikers today. In 2006, The U.S. National Championships were held at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. In 2007 and 2008 the U.S. National Championships were held in Mt. Snow, Vermont, and in 2009 and 2010 the U.S. National Championships were held at SolVista Bike Park in Colorado.


Venezuela

El Volcan, a small mountain in the southeastern, touristic
El Hatillo Municipality El Hatillo Municipality ( es, Municipio El Hatillo) is an administrative division of the Miranda State, State of Miranda, Venezuela; along with Baruta Municipality, Baruta, Chacao Municipality, Chacao, Libertador Municipality (Venezuelan Capital ...
of
Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in th ...
, has a Downhill course that has about 500 meters of vertical drop, it is used by hundreds of riders a day during dry and wet weather, mostly on weekends. El Volcan is the representative ownhillTrack of Caracas city. The course is open to the public and riding is neither specifically allowed nor prohibited by law. The trails are also used by hikers all week long. Shuttles are about 10 Venezuelan bolivars per trip, they run from the parking lot of a Farmatodo drug store in La Boyera, up to the summit using public avenues and paved roads, taking from 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on traffic on the area. The course apart from being used mostly for recreational purpose, also has been used for irregularly scheduled downhill races due to the lack of organization in the riders community.


Governing bodies

The
Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues raci ...
is the governing body for downhill mountain bike racing. Racers qualify to compete in World Cup races by earning UCI points, which are gained by being a top ten finisher in certain races, usually national. In the U.S.,
NORBA Norba, an ancient town of Latium (''Adjectum''), Italy. It is situated 1 mile northwest of the modern town of Norma, on the western edge of the Volscian Mountains or Monti Lepini. The town is perched above a precipitous cliff with a splendid v ...
, as part of
USA Cycling USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, and BMX across all ages and ability level ...
, runs the National Mountain Bike Series, and the NCCA is the governing body for collegiate cycling. In the UK,
British Cycling British Cycling (formerly the British Cycling Federation) is the main national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Bri ...
controls mountain biking as well as road and BMX. In Australia, MTBA controls all disciplines of Mountain biking.


Notable riders


Men

*
Gee Atherton George David Atherton, known as Gee Atherton (born 26 February 1985, near Salisbury, England) is a professional racing cyclist specializing in downhill and four cross mountain bike racing, and is a multiple national champion, multiple World Cu ...
*
Dan Atherton Daniel Simon Atherton, known as Dan Atherton (born 25 January 1982, near Salisbury), is a professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill, four cross and enduro-downhill mountain bike racing, and is a former national champion of Great Br ...
*
Fabien Barel Fabien Barel (born 26 July 1980) is a French former professional downhill mountain biker. He won three world downhill titles during his career. He announced his retirement from downhill in 2011, and now competes in enduro Enduro is a form of ...
* Wade Bootes *
Joe Breeze Joe Breeze (born 1953) is an American bicycle framebuilder, designer and advocate from Marin County, California. An early participant in the sport of mountain biking, Breeze, along with other pioneers including Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, and Tom ...
* Troy Brosnan *
Loïc Bruni Loïc Bruni (born 13 May 1994) is a professional downhill mountain biker. He is a student at Skema Business School. Career Going into the 2015 season Bruni was one of the favorites. For that season he came 2nd in the world rankings on the Union ...
*
Josh Bryceland Joshua Antonio Torres Bryceland, known as Josh Bryceland, and commonly referred to by his nickname, Ratboy, born 23 March 1990, in Manchester is a professional downhill mountain biker, who lives in Higher Poynton, Cheshire, England. He entered ...
*
Eric Carter Eric Carter may refer to: * Eric Carter (BMX rider) (born 1970), American BMX rider * Eric Carter (pilot) (1920–2021), British Royal Air Force pilot * Eric Carter (Canadian football) Eric Carter (born January 23, 1969 in Jesup, Georgia) was ...
*
Cédric Gracia Cédric Gracia (born 23 March 1978 in Pau, France) is a French mountain biker, who now lives in Andorra. Career He started his career as an athlete at 6 years old as a BMX rider and then a freestyle ski pro. Cedric Gracia, years later, became a ...
* Aaron Gwin *
Michael Hannah Michael Hannah (born 21 November 1983 in Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia) is a professional downhill mountain biker and the older brother of Tracey Hannah. He is the understudy of Roslin Kummin and is sponsored by Urata. Sometimes he likes to g ...
* Danny Hart *
Corrado Hérin Corrado Hérin (pron. fr. IPA: - 4 August 1966 – 31 March 2019) was an Italian luger and mountain bike racer. He died on 31 March 2019 in an ultralight flight accident in Torgnon, Italy. Biography Originally from Fénis, Aosta Valley, ...
* Sam Hill *
Finn Iles Finn Iles (born 15 August 1999) is a Canadian Mountain bike racer competing in Downhill cycling. He currently competes in the Mountain Bike World Cup The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a multi-round mountain bike racing series that is sanct ...
* Mike King *
Matti Lehikoinen Matti Lehikoinen (born 19 April 1984) is Finland's leading downhill cyclist. His previous achievements include 2001 junior European championship from Italy's Livigno and top-ten placings in the downhill World Cup during 2002-2004. After having r ...
* Brian Lopes *
Greg Minnaar Greg Minnaar (born 13 November 1981) is a South African World Champion mountain bike racer competing in downhill cycling. He has won 4 World Championships, 3 World Cup Overall’s and has the most world cup wins ever, with 23 career victories. ...
*
Steve Peat Steve Peat (born 17 June 1974 in Chapeltown, South Yorkshire), nicknamed "Sheffield Steel" or more commonly just "Peaty", is a professional downhill mountain biker who was born and lives in Chapeltown, Sheffield, England. Prior to his career a ...
*
Nathan Rennie Nathan Rennie (born 31 May 1981) is an Australian professional downhill mountain bike racer. He started riding at the age of 5. He was junior downhill world champion in 1999 and won the bronze medal in the elite category at the 2006 world champ ...
*
Roger Rinderknecht Roger Rinderknecht (born 4 May 1981 in Winterthur) is a Swiss racing cyclist who represents Switzerland in BMX and mountain bike racing. He was selected to represent Switzerland at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men's BMX event where he reache ...
*
Luca Shaw Luca Shaw is a professional downhill Mountainbike racer. He races UCI world cups for the Canyon Collective Factory Team and the UCI World Championships for Team USA Cycling. Personal life Shaw was born in San Francisco, California but has been liv ...
*
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
*
John Tomac John Tomac (born November 3, 1967 in Owosso, Michigan) is an American former professional cyclist who competed from 1985 to 2005. He was a versatile rider who competed in multiple disciplines including; BMX racing, cross-country, road racing, t ...
*
Loris Vergier Loris Vergier (born 7 May 1996) is a French downhill mountain bike rider. As a Junior, he won first place at the 2014 UCI Downhill Mountain World Championships. Career Vergier began racing for Lapierre Bikes as a junior in 2013. The following y ...
* Nicolas Vouilloz * Jake Watson *
Joost Wichman Joost Wichman (born 19 May 1978, Lichtenvoorde) is a Dutch professional mountainbiker, whose main discipline is four-cross (4X). He is founder and team manager of the Radon Flow Team. He won the UCI World Championship in 2013. Biography J ...


Women

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Rachel Atherton Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987) is a British professional downhill mountain bike racer, and is a multiple time UCI World Champion. Atherton began riding BMX at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11. She was both ''Sun ...
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Anneke Beerten Anneke Beerten (born 7 July 1982) is a Dutch Mountain bike racer and BMX racer. Specializing in Four-cross she was world champion in this discipline in 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016.Manon Carpenter Manon Rose Carpenter (born 11 March 1993) is a Welsh, professional racing cyclist formerly specialising in downhill mountain bike racing. Carpenter is from Caerphilly, South Wales. She was inspired to take up the sport by her father, Jason, a BM ...
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Anne-Caroline Chausson Anne-Caroline Chausson (born 8 October 1977 in Dijon) is a French professional cyclist who competes in bicycle enduro, bicycle motocross (BMX), downhill time trial and cross-country mass start, dual, and four-cross mountain bicycle racing. S ...
* Leigh Donovan * Missy Giove *
Niki Gudex Niki Gudex (Guildford, England) is an Australian professional mountain biker from Sydney. She competes in both downhill and cross country disciplines. In addition to being a professional mountainbiker, Gudex is also a model and a graphic desig ...
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Tracey Hannah Tracey Hannah (born 13 June 1988 in Cairns, Australia) is a Professional Downhill bike rider. She raced her first national BMX title when she was 4 years old. Tracey chose to do MTB when she saw Mick Hannah (her eldest brother of four) was raci ...
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Valentina Höll Valentina "Vali" Höll (born 11 December 2001) is an Austrian cyclist who competes in downhill mountain biking. She became interested in the sport at a young age, as both of her parents rode bikes. At the age of 12, she signed a 6-year contract ...
* Jana Horáková *
Tara Llanes Tara Janelle Llanes (born November 28, 1976 in West Covina, California United States) is a Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer and a wheelchair basketball player whose prime competitive years were from 1990-1993. She became a champion Mountain Bike (MT ...
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Tracy Moseley Tracy Marie Moseley (born 12 April 1979) is a British professional racing cyclist who was born in Worcester, specialising in downhill mountain bike racing. Moseley's brother, Ed, was also a mountain biker, it was after he began riding cross co ...
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Myriam Nicole Myriam Nicole (born 8 February 1990) is a French downhill mountain bike racer. She won the downhill race at the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada. and again at the 2021 Championships in Val di Sol ...
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Tahnée Seagrave Tahnée Danyaela Seagrave (born 15 June 1995) is a British athlete, competing in the sport of downhill mountain biking. She participated at the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in round 5 held in Andorra, achieving a second place positi ...


See also

* Downhill bike *
Mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which m ...
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Mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...
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Mountain bike racing Mountain bike racing (shortened MTB or ATB racing) is the competitive cycle sport discipline of mountain biking held on off-road terrain. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recognised the discipline relatively late in 1990, when it sanctione ...
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Bicycle suspension Bicycle suspension is the system, or systems, used to ''suspend'' the rider and bicycle in order to insulate them from the roughness of the terrain. Bicycle suspension is used primarily on mountain bikes, but is also common on hybrid bicycles. ...
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Glossary of cycling This is a glossary of terms and jargon used in cycling, mountain biking, and cycle sport. For ''parts of a bicycle'', see List of bicycle parts. 0–9 ; 27.5 Mountain bike: A mountain bike with wheels that are approximately in diameter and ...


References


External links

* {{Human-powered vehicles Mountain biking Sports originating in the United States Articles containing video clips