Downhill mountain biking is an elite form of mountain bike discipline that is particularly attractive to the adrenaline-thrill-seeking cyclist. Gravity and vertical drops are your friends!
Gone are the days when one used to use one bike across all disciplines. Technology and materials have evolved dramatically over the years, resulting in highly specialized bikes that serve one purpose, and that purpose is going down!
The tracks and trails are meant to be as challenging as possible; they involve both man-made and natural features of the landscape, such as rock ‘gardens’, roots, off-camber turns, and switchbacks. The trails are steep and fast meant only for the most skilled riders. They’re intended to get that adrenaline flowing and body-bike coordination at a peak.
Some jumps can be up to 40 feet. The rider must wear a full-face helmet as well as elbow, knee, and shin armoured pads as protection under their kits. As marginal gains become increasingly important, there is a trend to using tighter fitting kits to gain an aerodynamic advantage.
I chose a more painterly appearance for this piece, as I wanted to capture the forest lighting and dust clouds drifting through the trees with the sun piercing them. A perfect piece of art for that serious cyclist who can’t get enough vertical drops and has an insatiable hunger for more trail riding thrills.