Downhill/Freeride Showreel

I cruise pinkbike.com sometimes to get a look at what could have been.  Back in 1996/97 when I was big into junior racing in Colorado, I'd go the big state races, the CORPS series, and race cross-country and downhill on my Cannondale F-1000 which looked a little like this:

I would never have put bar-ends like that on my bike.  Just need to make that clear.  I also flipped the stem which, I realize now, was far too long.

Anyway, I'd do these CORPS downhill races and race against guys on 4-5 inch travel bikes.  The technology on those bikes wasn't great and the courses were still rideable on a hardtail, so I usually did pretty well.  I was also doing really well in the local dual-slalom series, as long as the jumps weren't too big.  There was a time when I was trying to scrape together enough money for a downhill bike, and I think there's a good chance if I had, I would have made something of myself.  Maybe I'd be one of these dudes on Tim Lake's Showreel:



not likely.