Valparaiso Cerro Abajo
March 2, 2011 7:32 PM Subscribe
The Valparaiso Cerro Abajo is an increasingly popular urban downhill bike race. This is what it's like to ride it. [via]
I think I counted about 10 "Oh Shit!" moments....
Hope the dog is OK....
posted by tomswift at 7:42 PM on March 2, 2011 [5 favorites]
Hope the dog is OK....
posted by tomswift at 7:42 PM on March 2, 2011 [5 favorites]
Did he have a pin-stripe suit on? He nearly came a cropper with that dog.
posted by unliteral at 7:44 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by unliteral at 7:44 PM on March 2, 2011
I think I counted about 10 "Oh Shit!" moments....
In the space of about five seconds. That might be the most terrifying thing I've ever watched.
posted by Krazor at 7:44 PM on March 2, 2011
In the space of about five seconds. That might be the most terrifying thing I've ever watched.
posted by Krazor at 7:44 PM on March 2, 2011
That was pretty sweet, tho I spent most of the video craning my neck back trying to get the camera to pan up more so I could see what was coming.
posted by MrBobaFett at 7:46 PM on March 2, 2011 [12 favorites]
posted by MrBobaFett at 7:46 PM on March 2, 2011 [12 favorites]
Woah. So glad they didn't try to pump it up and add intense music; the actual sound of the recording is way more effective.
posted by Corduroy at 7:54 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Corduroy at 7:54 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Holy balls that's great. Love the jump through the second-story window.
posted by echo target at 7:56 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by echo target at 7:56 PM on March 2, 2011
Woah. So glad they didn't try to pump it up and add intense music; the actual sound of the recording is way more effective.
yep, and actually it lends itself more to blending with the viewer's music. I had some random psychadelic dubstep playing on my computer already and it worked excellently.
posted by mannequito at 8:04 PM on March 2, 2011
yep, and actually it lends itself more to blending with the viewer's music. I had some random psychadelic dubstep playing on my computer already and it worked excellently.
posted by mannequito at 8:04 PM on March 2, 2011
At first I was like "Oh shit!" Then the dog came out of no where and I was like "OH SHIT!!"
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:04 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:04 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
"And the memory I have of 2009. I did the jump and a dog was sleeping between the stairs."
posted by unliteral at 8:08 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by unliteral at 8:08 PM on March 2, 2011
Video of a bicycle race? bIG DEAL, How cool could it--HOLY SHIT THAT IS INSANE!
posted by LarryC at 8:30 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by LarryC at 8:30 PM on March 2, 2011
Between this and the skier falling off a cliff, it's been a harrowing day of first person videos and flying down things very fast. I am going to remain firmly planted on ground, thanks!!
posted by ChuraChura at 8:34 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ChuraChura at 8:34 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
I watched this while listening to Jay Z's Roc Boys. Now I am convinced black superheroes ride mountainbikes in the Chilean favelas.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:35 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:35 PM on March 2, 2011
I saw this on reddit yesterday and should've posted it here then. Very, very cool, and a nice endorsement of the GoPro camera. A miniscule HD camera you can attach to anything.
posted by zardoz at 8:35 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by zardoz at 8:35 PM on March 2, 2011
Awesome. I wonder what makes people do things like this? Maybe being young makes people do things like this. I mean, a couple of those jumps were pretty scary.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 8:38 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 8:38 PM on March 2, 2011
STOKED
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:43 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:43 PM on March 2, 2011
Well, that was hair-raising. Who needs coffee? A few more of these and I can power through the day juiced on adreneline alone.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:43 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:43 PM on March 2, 2011
ChuraChura, that video made me short of breath in a way no YouTube video has since that guy climbed the big radio tower with no safety line.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:44 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:44 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Sorta makes me want to trade in my road bike. But only sorta.
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 8:48 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 8:48 PM on March 2, 2011
Trade it in for a commuter bike. My morning 3 miles to the downtown Providence T-station makes this race look sick and weak. Difficulty - Flooding at the Girlscout Headquarters!
No, really, the water was blasting out of the manholes and overlapping the canals here last April. Wait, let me rephrase...
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:53 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
No, really, the water was blasting out of the manholes and overlapping the canals here last April. Wait, let me rephrase...
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:53 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
PERRO! PERRO!
posted by Jibuzaemon at 8:55 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Jibuzaemon at 8:55 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Anybody up for trying this out on a tandem?
posted by isopraxis at 9:01 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by isopraxis at 9:01 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
This guy has brass ball.
You know, after last year's race.
posted by domnit at 9:02 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
You know, after last year's race.
posted by domnit at 9:02 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
If I had young man's knees, and plenty of time, I'd like to do this a lot.
posted by not_on_display at 9:20 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by not_on_display at 9:20 PM on March 2, 2011
Ommigod! I think I broke a collarbone just watching that.
And the dog - dear god - the dog!
I was thinking, maybe they should put the spectators on the steps and the bike on the road ... and then the jumps started.
Yikes.
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 9:21 PM on March 2, 2011
And the dog - dear god - the dog!
I was thinking, maybe they should put the spectators on the steps and the bike on the road ... and then the jumps started.
Yikes.
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 9:21 PM on March 2, 2011
Whew.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:51 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:51 PM on March 2, 2011
This reminded me of a link a friend sent me a while back about "cycling the world's most dangerous road.
posted by mindless progress at 10:09 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by mindless progress at 10:09 PM on March 2, 2011
Here are some guys from the 2010 race talking about how dangerous the course was. and here's some footage from the spectator's point of view.
Same race, different dog.
It looks like they made the 2011 course more dangerous! some of those sections were crazy narrow and sketchy. it also looked like they made the backsides for the drop jumps smaller. and that crazy mandatory wall ride near the end!? no thanks.
posted by mexican at 11:10 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
Same race, different dog.
It looks like they made the 2011 course more dangerous! some of those sections were crazy narrow and sketchy. it also looked like they made the backsides for the drop jumps smaller. and that crazy mandatory wall ride near the end!? no thanks.
posted by mexican at 11:10 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
Apparently the trophy they award are a gold-plated pair of knees.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:27 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:27 PM on March 2, 2011
> Between this and the skier falling off a cliff , it's been a harrowing day of first person videos and flying down things very fast. I am going to remain firmly planted on ground, thanks!!
Go back two years to the first person video posted here of a skier being buried alive in an avalanche and then rescued.
posted by mrzarquon at 11:37 PM on March 2, 2011
Go back two years to the first person video posted here of a skier being buried alive in an avalanche and then rescued.
posted by mrzarquon at 11:37 PM on March 2, 2011
What? All video and they don't show his spiffy duds!?
posted by psycho-alchemy at 12:24 AM on March 3, 2011
posted by psycho-alchemy at 12:24 AM on March 3, 2011
What we need are little drones that can fly around and get killer shots of events like this. There was actually a video a while back about a guy who stuck an electric chopper on a DSLR and got some pretty cool shots.
posted by delmoi at 2:44 AM on March 3, 2011
posted by delmoi at 2:44 AM on March 3, 2011
isopraxis: Anybody up for trying this out on a tandem?
You're on
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 3:21 AM on March 3, 2011
You're on
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 3:21 AM on March 3, 2011
Based on how tight my arse was clenched watching that, I'm going to poo a diamond.
posted by dowcrag at 4:21 AM on March 3, 2011
posted by dowcrag at 4:21 AM on March 3, 2011
Awesome. I wonder what makes people do things like this? Maybe being young makes people do things like this.
When I was sixteen to eighteen, something like this would have been perfect for me. I was all testosterone and energy, taking a big hit barely hurt, and taking big risks scratched an itch that I just don't have anymore.
So the weird part to me is not the young guys doing it, it's the ones who are still taking these risks into their 40s and beyond. Past a certain point, your body just doesn't heal nearly as well, so the consequences of a screw-up get a lot bigger.
posted by Forktine at 4:58 AM on March 3, 2011
When I was sixteen to eighteen, something like this would have been perfect for me. I was all testosterone and energy, taking a big hit barely hurt, and taking big risks scratched an itch that I just don't have anymore.
So the weird part to me is not the young guys doing it, it's the ones who are still taking these risks into their 40s and beyond. Past a certain point, your body just doesn't heal nearly as well, so the consequences of a screw-up get a lot bigger.
posted by Forktine at 4:58 AM on March 3, 2011
Internal dialogue:
Whoa. So, we're avoiding the road, then? Well, okay...wow, that's pretty fast.
Ack! MOVE, DOG!
Oh, good, that's out of the way and it's just downhill, sure is bumpy but wait what is this ramp thing for OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD.
***
Great video, thanks!
posted by misha at 5:00 AM on March 3, 2011
Whoa. So, we're avoiding the road, then? Well, okay...wow, that's pretty fast.
Ack! MOVE, DOG!
Oh, good, that's out of the way and it's just downhill, sure is bumpy but wait what is this ramp thing for OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD.
***
Great video, thanks!
posted by misha at 5:00 AM on March 3, 2011
the actual sound of the recording is way more effective.
Yeah, the sections of the race where the crowds are stacked thick are amazing! I love how the the noise of their applause is so sudden and loud and distracting! Meanwhile he's just trying to get down the steps without killing himself. Very ass-clenching.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:06 AM on March 3, 2011
Yeah, the sections of the race where the crowds are stacked thick are amazing! I love how the the noise of their applause is so sudden and loud and distracting! Meanwhile he's just trying to get down the steps without killing himself. Very ass-clenching.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:06 AM on March 3, 2011
Are the people blowing whistles merely spectators or is that part of a message system to let people further down the route know that a bike is coming?
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 7:08 AM on March 3, 2011
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 7:08 AM on March 3, 2011
Since the whistles come mainly around bends, I think it's a warning signal.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:29 AM on March 3, 2011
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:29 AM on March 3, 2011
I like the part around 1:25 where the roped-off part of the course includes a bunch of 1x2 foot wide holes in the sidewalk. Good incentive to know the course.
The Skate videogames have sequences that play a lot like this, in the deathraces. It's fun going bombing down a hill and then realizing you're going to need to jump that curb that's coming up fast.
posted by Nelson at 7:56 AM on March 3, 2011
The Skate videogames have sequences that play a lot like this, in the deathraces. It's fun going bombing down a hill and then realizing you're going to need to jump that curb that's coming up fast.
posted by Nelson at 7:56 AM on March 3, 2011
That looks completely amateur at the beginning and then seems to morph into a professional race course -- plywood replaced with logo-painted ramps, etc.
Anybody else think the concrete pipe about 2/3 through was supposed to be part of the race until he went around it? Video games on my mind, I guess.
posted by dhartung at 9:41 AM on March 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
Anybody else think the concrete pipe about 2/3 through was supposed to be part of the race until he went around it? Video games on my mind, I guess.
posted by dhartung at 9:41 AM on March 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
Anybody else think the concrete pipe about 2/3 through was supposed to be part of the race until he went around it? Video games on my mind, I guess.
Yes, and I was cringing.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:02 PM on March 3, 2011
Yes, and I was cringing.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:02 PM on March 3, 2011
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