Dowhill Sport

¿What is downhill?

Downhill is one of the most risky sports in the world and one of the modalities of mountain biking that consists of descending as quickly as possible on a natural track, which has obstacles, which may well be natural or also artificial. The winner is the one who makes the least time possible in the timed descent.

The beginnings

This sport began in the United States in the late 1970s, more precisely in the state of California. The motorcyclists did the same downhill test as it is known today, but the use of this vehicle was prohibited due to the damage it caused, reason that led them to change their motorcycles for bicycles in order to continue experiencing the adrenaline that so much liked it.

At first the bicycles were not suitable for practicing this sport, since in better conditions you need bicycles with front and rear suspensions with shock absorbers and hydraulic oil, as well as disc brakes, wider tires and chain or chain guide protectors.

World record

To practice downhill you have to feel passion and be willing to do anything to win. In time trial competitions, a downhill athlete can reach a speed of 167 kilometers per hour. This is the world mark that the Austrian Markus Stöckl imposed, on a descent in the Atacama desert in Chile.

That is a speed that puts the athlete to the limit of his abilities and that is why the recommendation is to follow instinct and make your body the best tool to avoid falls, since if that does not happen it will be for problems. Above all, it is necessary to be sure of what is done, to be confident but with responsibility, and not to exceed what can be given.

The voice of the experts

Manizaleño, Marcelo Gutiérrez has been for years the best exponent of downhill in Colombia. His talent has taken him to the best tracks and has been in the Top 10 of the world ranking. Although he started in BMX, he knew that the descent would be better.

“This is a mountain bike discipline, which consists of just going down, just going down, as its name says. It is going from point A to point B, on a track that one knows beforehand and is a timed individual test where the best time wins. The bicycle is also specific to that modality and is made to go down ”, is the explanation of this expert on the discipline

Santana Jairo Ortíz is another outstanding athlete in the country with more than 15 years of experience and makes reference to injuries and falls in the end do not matter.

Undoubtedly a sport of physical demand, of great value and of many emotions in a few seconds that the test lasts. That is downhill, a discipline that is much more than just descending and that to practice it, you have to think a lot, because it is not for everyone, due to the skill it requires for each maneuver.