Held at ski areas, over rocky and heavily treed terrain and alpine meadows, the sport of downhill mountain biking is exciting, dangerous and very spectator-friendly.  Jumps, drops, gaps and other obstacles keep spectators hooked as the riders fly by, seemingly completely unafraid or aware of any danger.  DH is a featured sports in the X Games and other “extreme games” competitions worldwide.

Downhill bikes have wide tires with aggressive tread to provide traction and soak up huge bumps.  Handlebars are very wide for confident steering.  The suspension is very long-travel (7+ inches), brake rotors are huge as well for powerful braking control, and the bike is made for one thing – going downhill, fast.  Riders are positioned very low for balance and for keeping their weight over the back wheel.  The geometry, rider position and weight of the bikes (35+ lbs) make this a bike meant to take up on the chairlift and bomb down the mountain!  Another name for Downhill is Gravity – which pretty much sums up the appeal of the sport.

Downhill/Gravity athletes wear full body protection similar to that worn in motocross.  At those speeds, mistakes are costly.