Feld Testing Out New Type of Tough Blocks

Finally. Seems like a no brainer to me. 

No clue if it'll be better or worse but I'm glad to see them trying something. 

Get what they are trying to do but looks like it could launch the bike if hit head on?

It’s a brilliant idea, you can land on the side of them fine, less likely to grab pegs, chain, forks etc. at least, jump faces and landings, easier to pack in the truck. Hope we see these soon. 

Should be an improvement, but still think they should vinyl wrap them so you don’t have covers that get stuck in rear wheels etc. Would be cheaper too.

Maybe get rid of the circle tuff block…don’t know how long they’ve been around, this is the first year I’ve noticed them, but they seem to get in the way all the time

Placement of the tough block needs to be considered also. They always seem to be too near the race line.

The material covering those blocks could use some fine tuning. In the vid I can see that the sleeve is a bit loose. Needs to be tighter which will lessen the chance of a bike snagging and dragging.

Its a double edged sword. No matter where they place them along the side of the track racers will hit them.

What is it that’s inside the new block? They looked very heavy to move. 

Heavier means hitting it and everyone will is going to change the wheels direction of movement causing a tumbling crash off the side of the track.

IF they added 5 feet wider track racers will still hit them. It’s racing they are always looking for a better line and its always along the sides of the track.

Do not forget that IS Advertising $$$$$$ that those companies sign a check for millions of dollars for so they will never go away.

They could build the track with a dirt mound around the outside but if they did riders would launch off them into the stands killing someone. Using dirt Crashing the riders will land on them causing severe injuries .

Many times we have seen riders flying off the bike and land on top of the foam blocks and not getting hurt. 

James Stewart did it many times and the foam blocks saved his ass!

All I know is they really need to figure out the 1st turns.   I'm going to puke if I see one more race outcome determined by loose tough blocks getting kicked around and causing pileups and takeouts.  That shit needs to be anchored down somehow.

Just my opinion, but get rid of the tough blocks altogether.  Leave the race track as it, and put the taller tough blocks like the mechanics get between the lanes.  So if a rider goes off track, well then you hit that which prevents the other lane entry. Downside? Less sponsorship logos on a track. But this gives the riders more room. More nets, 180 banked turns, and the mechanic style tough block barriers on the side of the track right where the plywood would start.  Then again in between the lanes, and nets around the corners.  Or steak in the taller tough block barriers held up around the outside of turns as well. But the point being, less on the damn track and more on the sides to prevent further injury, as well as ridres simply clipping them and having further issues.  

I would think they make somthing that folds down flat. Maybe they do but if not how do they get all those from track to track? I ton of trucks? Seams like a lot of money. 
Angled like those ones so they don’t catch the bike so easy with some weight in the bottom so don’t float around and folds down for shipping and when a bike lands on one. 

It’s also a double edged sword with how much they weigh. Too light and they end up all over the track (WSX is an extreme example of this) and too heavy, they could potentially stop a riders momentum.

It does seem like they have put most of the weight at the bottom so they’re less likely to move around as much as they have in the past which has also been a complaint from riders. People were proposing putting stakes in the ground and attaching the blocks to them so they don’t move at all but im assuming weighting the bottom of the block is the safer option. 

For anyone who hasn’t moved a standard tough block let me tell you; they’re not light and they’re extremely awkward to pick up and throw into the back of a semi/stack them. They also weigh twice as much if it’s been raining 😂

BRING EM IN,
Mookie doesn't crash here with a triangle tough block....
 

Another reason to use the barriers in between the lanes.. Let the track be the track, when it comes to riders trying to cut osbstacles corners etc. ethen place one on the inside like they used to do.  To me this is way over thought, simplify it

The triangle shape sure seems less likely to get snagged by pegs, etc and give a little bit of ability for a wheel to roll over  the edge.  Also take up less room when packing them into the transport truck!

How about they don't put them on the downsides of jumps for starters?

https://youtube.com/shorts/4ZcF4Dcr3IE?si=dnCfxSvZ57QGkyoc

I feel like this concept would be wildly entertaining. 

It only inflates once, it won't protect riders who have multiple crashes in one race!

Hay bales.. 

Been done already!

To the folks saying "get rid of them".... lets try to live in reality here, they aren't going anywhere.  

You see those logos that are on there, those companies pay Feld to have that there, it's called sponsorship.  Feld ain't gonna give up any money.

Let’s remove tuff blocks from the downside of landings. Problem solved 

I have never seen the outcome of a race determined by a loose tough block in the first corner of a 20 minute race. 

Conceptually I like the triangle shape, anything to reduce foot pegs grabbing, whilst marking the track edge safely.

But the racers opinions are what really counts, the ac/rc/js/rv .... voices are what really counts.

Bob Hannaha has announced the cure for track side tough blocks

tough blocks this year are straight out of MXvATV Reflex

IFYKYK