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I’ve seen gravity biking before but the bikes tend to look more like this
You see them with fellas steering them with stunt pegs on the front axle
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There is an active race series in the UK.
I did look into it, the bike was the cheap part. Buy in to race involved getting a moto race legal helmet and full set of leathers, turning up with MX armour on body and arms/legs didn't count, still needed a set of leathers and stickered race legal helmet.
Bikes are based around a flipped BMX frameset, there are maxium weights and length dimensions to adhere too and there is a set of "international rules" which form the basic guidelines. The videos show a lot of BMX frames where the frame is upside down. No cranks needed and flipping the frame rakes out the headangle and increases wheelbase. UK scene is unfaired non-aero bikes with only a small handlebar fairing allowed (there is a max dimension) flipping BMX handle bars takes the effect of motorcycle clip-on's. Think the max weight for bike is 30kg although international rules have a higher limit. More weight for gravity racing is good.
For most the bike is fishing a BMX out of the canal, flipping it over, welding on a new seatbase from the BB to chainstays, making sure the brakes work or grafting on disc brakes, add foot pegs, again bmx foot pegs do nicely, nice paint job and race :)
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The more pro side of things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_CSYeV4QhA
80's radness with full faired bikes
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8 years ago... for an alcoholic I've got a fucking good memory for forum posts...
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Oh, well done. I didn't remember that.
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If only there was a merge function ...
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reminds me of this too:
https://vimeo.com/1271177
Jonny69
853Superfly
hippy
souldoubt
sohi-
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About
Gravity biking
Posted by
@Oliver Schick
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/oct/02/we-live-for-gravity-biking-deadly-sport-is-way-of-life-in-medellin
Videos of people going downhill on race courses made with all sorts of devices to overcome sheer drops (boards etc.) in shantytowns on very steep hillsides have circulated for years, but these guys do it on the streets.
As is mostly the case with things like this, it involves some innovative bike design ...
If hippy were ever to look for a new cycling discipline, he'd beat all comers, obviously. No need for any bike modifications.