Artificial Whoops??

Why don’t we all just play Reflex instead? 

Fake tits : Good

Fake Whoops: bad

I was just thinking those artificial whoops would look SICK with bud light sponsor logos all over it.

I wonder how they would be in a mud race or when it was raining? Might be super slick?  I could see the World SX go with a carpet style track before Field since they have the Monster Trucks.It might make for better ,safer racing to have just the whoops built like that. with the rest of the track dirt.

A track made with obstacles like those might also make it possible to have a SX in a location that would never work otherwise. Picture a Red Bull  straight rhythm style race  that was a series and held on NHRA tracks. Or in a Stadium that would never allow dirt to be brought in.Maybe Fenway in Boston? Or I'm sure there would be more places open to having a race if Dirt did not have to be used. 

I still like the idea of using dirt for tracks. But its cool to see people trying to offer alternatives that might  open up different options for holding races and or make the racing safer .   If you look at SX tracks from back in the early days compared to now they have evolved and become much more refined and consistent, do not break down like they used to. They have already changed so much . You could say that all of the grooming has already ruined racing if your against a consistent track.  The Dirt that I rode on at an Arenacross was nothing like any outdoor track I've ever ridden. And its pretty much a man made mix of materials they use that happen to be types of dirt. 

As far as riding on that type of surface myself, I think it might be fun. Ramps VS dirt jumps on a bicycle always felt more alive and gave more of a kick to them when jumping. Everybody loves being out on a freshly groomed track, it might be similar feeling. Watching racing on that surface might not be as exciting since it would be more predictable and riders would likely make less mistakes, no roost or dirt flying, less sliding, possible more like a Supermoto race.  Maybe they are responsible for the re return of Supermoto? But with jumps and whoops that the street tires are able to work better on .  

No, someone bitch about the liability.

The sport had everything right in the 90s/early 2000s and then just decided to fuck it all up with 4 strokes and unnecessary bike tech

"the future"

exactly what I'm terrified of. Current sx tracks have all been "standardized" with distances between jumps and berm angles so that 1. they are easier to build and 2. so the factories can replicate them for testing. I've long thought the day would come when Feld would just put the whole thing together like these fake whoops and just "click" all the pieces together. Egads.

One reason '90s racing was so fun was because nothing was standardized. whoops were diff each week. an on/off section would be totally diff each week. Even triples varied in distance. And the riders had a short amount of time to figure it all out for the main. The current "standardized" track building is one of the many reasons we frequently bitch about "there was no passing".

Its pretty clear that most people do not want to watch races on a synthetic track. But what about people that are riding. As far as  people that ride or would like to ride a Supercross style track. Do you feel differently if You are the one riding on a track that is more consistent? 

It could be a great tool for learning SX. Start out on a synthetic track so You can gain confidence .  Knowing that everytime You hit the jump or whoops, there are not going to be any new holes or ruts.  Confidence is a big part of whoops,or so I've heard.   After you get the synthetic sections dialed in and Your confident , then go onto the dirt stuff. Learn how to ride the obstacle first and then add in the variations that being made of dirt add to the obstacle. 

I could see some insane jump combos becoming possible though with more traction and the power of Electric bikes coming in. So it could also make for less room for mistakes and having to ride perfectly . Perhaps less forgiving .   

Imagine if they could build an adjustable  track out of a similar material? Kinda like how they form the sections, but have hydraulic rams part of the finished sections. They could program the track and the rams raise and lower areas to form the jumps and berms. It would probably a bit cost prohibitive. But If they could line an entire stadium floor with an adjustable surface like that, They would be able to make changes to the track in minutes. Possible having a Heat track, and Main track. Or 250 track and 450 track. I know its a bit crazy sounding and would cost tons to drag around the country if it was possible.  They could have fans all vote on what the track for the Main would be . Crazy idea I know . 

This is an excellent comparison.

When I raced R/C ~20 years ago, we had a local club who ran indoor carper "offroad" in an old hall.  It was a sideshow, something to kill time over the winter.  It was a perfect track for 1/18 trucks like the Mini-T, but even a 27T stadium truck was too much for the track.  Hell, I remember watching videos from UK races where they set up tracks in gymnasiums and used turf.  Thought that too was a novelty.

Now, all anyone wants to do is "carpet" race.  They have specific chassis for carpet racing just as they do on touring cars.  Things have gotten to the point where you need a separate car depending upon track surface.  It wasn't that long ago that Losi re-released the XX-4 because of how badly the XXX-4 performed on "blue groove" (smooth) dirt tracks.  We've gone in the complete opposite direction and the racing is much less exciting as a result.

You act like all that makes riding too easy. Its still extremely difficult to hit these set of whoops. I'm willing to bet noone who has posted in this thread could skim through a set of these whoops on any bike.

So if you can't skim whoops you can't have an opinion?  That's the lamest take in this thread.

I never said whoops are easy.   Rutted and wrecked whoops take more skill.        

At what point does the whole track become this magic make-believe material to eliminate breakdown of the track?

Thanks for your opinion 

What makes for better racing though?  riders crawling through whoops that are so broken down that you can not skim or  even jump through them? I don't know if they really would be technically easier to skim.  The perfectly made whoops  I tried skimming at an Arenacross were much harder to skim than the natural whoops at the local sand pit practice tracks.  Even with the ruts and washouts. And there was an old railroad bed that had 3 foot deep whoops made of gravel and old coal dust that everybody  used to be able to skim that rode in our group. But those perfect Arenacross whoops claimed many of us. Remembering riding in different types of whoops really made me rethink my thinking of them being easier. 

These might stay consistent and in some case be easier to skim, but might also be harder to skim . I think that after you figured them out, it could get easier as you learn what works. But they may just be more consistent. What about how they used Telephone poles back years ago?     

Anytime pal.... 

Safe to say you can't skim whoops either so I guess your opinion doesn't mean jack shit either right?

Man youre being quite aggressive. Never said people couldnt have their opinion. Im not the one here saying people cant do things differently. My point is that riding is fun as heck not matter if its on roached out dirt or perfectly manufactured artificial terrain. Its all fun to me. For some people it seems like its only fun if its done their way or the old school way. 

Is that carpet? 

No, it's rubber.

That surface would be perfect for e scooter racing . 

any videos? 

These artificial ones are made for learning--getting familiar with them--and afterwards you train with those serious ones. Again, they are just for learning how to make them

I think they might be hung-up on Your pro electric stance and that its making them see things not as you meant or read into things.