How Fast Are World Cup Downhill Racers? | Beginner Vs Amateur Vs Pro

Downhill racers are fast, very fast. It's insane how quickly they can change direction, scrub over jumps, and ride extremely technical sections. But how do they compare against the average joe? To find out we pitted 2020 Downhill World Cup overall winner, Matt Walker, against one of Dyfi Bike Park's local legends, Wilf Carey, and our very own cameraman, Louis Belton.
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How do you think you would compare against a pro racer?
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Leave us a comment below!

[@gmbn]

How do you think you would compare against a pro racer?

[@malditomalo619]

I would win...😁🤣😂

[@ericzelaya3291]

Crash 😂 trying to go faster

[@curtrichardson8002]

Next competition... Ferrari vs Skoda.vs my grandma.

[@j.s.k.7746]

I would definitely crash.

[@EnduroPo30]

I know I would get top3 in this comparison 😉

[@kosc88]

Pro: gotta go fast Amateur: gonna enjoy this Beginner: gotta survive

[@Koziolekweb_]

Nil: I'm too old

[@rolypoly92]

LMAO! What is it when you're saying all three at once?!

[@Haaaazey]

@@rolypoly92 kickbuttowski

[@KarstRats]

@@rolypoly92 progressing.

[@teddygriffin9510]

am not pro but i want go fast ;p

[@jasonkmills]

We amateurs get to enjoy the trail for 2 minutes extra

[@cebubikebootcamp]

I can't disagree to this :)

[@ianoffen5322]

Value for money haha

[@MSRooky350z]

But the pro's can ride it more often during the day^^

[@marcalvarez4890]

One of the reasons to buy a XC bike is that the less fun parts (climbing) are shorter, and the most fun parts (descending) are longer. Its win win. Its also why i buy bikes for their climbing abilities, and dont care much about downhill abilities. Any bike with more than 3 inches of suspension is fun downhill. Its enough to keep you in control and not destroying your wrists. Slower downhill is a feature, not a bug.

[@keatonhayes1900]

Mean while I’m hiking down the trail and take a snack break halfway thru. See y’all tonight for Dinner!

[@garethbingham8584]

Most impressed with Louis for a beginner...great stuff!!! Matt just looks ridiculously quick, good luck to him this season!!!

[@paradox963]

Agree I was most impressed that the beginner was only 2min back of the pro. I wonder what G's time is considering it's his families park.

[@gmbn]

Great for a roadie 🤣 We were really surprised by how well he did! Matt was warp speed 🤘

[@paradox963]

@@gmbn I think it's a testament to both Louis and how good modern DH bikes are.

[@hobmarg]

Seriously impressive, first time ever on a DH bike, he did well.

[@floimschnee4275]

Indeed -- from looking at it I thought the beginner would end up with at least twice the time of Matt.

[@claudiawebb75]

GMBN's concept of 'begginer' is similar to its concept of 'budget bike' 😉

[@yordankrushkov8488]

Glad i'm not the only thinking exactly the same thing.

[@gregft1979]

Yeah... I was like.. Wait.. Mountain bike beginners don't do 'jumps' of a meter high..

[@adipants7708]

@@gregft1979 to be fair it would have been quite irresponsible to shove someone who's never ridden a bike down the course😂

[@theparkrat2260]

how is a roadie NOT a mtb beginner?

[@ianoffen5322]

It will be beginner to racing not beginner to MTB , to start riding DH you kind of have to have some prior experience really...

[@Hardcaslte]

Louis was the most impressive to be honest. For not riding a mountain bike before, or at least downhill like this, that was super impressive. You could see how limited his skills knowledge and experience is when doing drops, etc., but the fact that he actually did it and braved through it all is really impressive. Most beginners would've walked a lot of those drops. And only one minute slower than the local amateur rider.

[@rolypoly92]

Well said

[@daycowhite6947]

Was gona comment about Neil doing it. I'm glad I watched till the end before I did.

[@Hunter_Bidens_Crackpipe_]

He almost got him too

[@lonelyburger2995]

Lets see how man subs I can gain from this comment current: 318

[@Coerced]

@@lonelyburger2995 unsubbed because of this comment

[@danielburris4096]

Also Unsubbed.

[@joelhenderson3723]

I was just getting ready to come to the comments about it when it cut to his run! It's cool seeing him put a time down for this- it gives a sense of how much is skill vs fitness. Obviously, a pretty fair amount is fitness, and I'm sure Neil needs to brush up his skills anyway (says the weekend warrior who'd be lucky to beat GMBN's 'beginner'), but it's fun to see him out there. That goes for other presenters, especially but not limited to Blake, too.

[@dicksplatts007]

29 seconds Neil, not bad for a old dog

[@Will99x]

he's still one fit "old" dog

[@lachevre_mtb]

I'd say that 29 seconds behind the best downhiller in the world at the moment is pretty amazing in fact.

[@justinlemire9025]

@@lachevre_mtb Agree with you there, its not like Neil just retired yesterday either, he'd still be putting in middle of the pack times if he decided to race again

[@pauldouglas9048]

I agree with you & la chèvre! Not bad 29 seconds. Because Neil did this full on before, I bet if he practiced for a bit then gave it a go he’d do damn good; it would all come back to him. Neil & the other GMBN guys are all pretty good!

[@menjavlafitta]

Agreed, thats not bad at all vs a 21 year old world champ!

[@UnicornReviews]

Used to binge gmbn but stopped watching for a while. This is the first gmbn vid i saw in 2021 and it's actually very good :) keep it up guys!

[@gmbn]

Great to hear you liked this 👍

[@GeoEstic]

Same

[@clarkpark]

fr we all back haha

[@zsanterre]

Tis the season

[@Izzysai]

Same

[@Glehsias]

Hey, can you do a video showing different sections ridden by all the boys right after another? So we can see differences in speed and line choise in certain sections. That´d be super interesting!

[@JL-wu7jk]

yea! are there any views from a static position, showing everyone going by? to put them side by side like this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWPGf6SXhbh7rJI

[@justsayin3600]

Cathro Vision!

[@Neil_Mackie]

Well done, Louis! For a beginner tackling some of that when it's wet, slippery and shale all over the place is dead impressive. I would have bailed from even doing it in the dry, let alone in that weather.

[@theprinceofliberia6793]

That means you're not a serious rider. Go play x box

[@Dd_chill]

@@theprinceofliberia6793 I would like to see your serious riding. Where can I find some stuff to see? I want to learn, I'm a newbie and I think you are the right guru to follow

[@Neil_Mackie]

@@theprinceofliberia6793 I prefer PC, ta la.

[@FROADER]

The fade out on Neil's "excuses" was great!

[@pauforcadellcampos4452]

Spoiler alert: faster than me

[@radzieckigraczproductions3]

I was about to comment that lol

[@gulfcitynd]

Still can have fun

[@pauforcadellcampos4452]

@@gulfcitynd of course, always having fun with mtb 😎

[@kslnf8743]

Faster than you and you too

[@the_spanner_ch7mp]

Great video and glad Neil did a run , you're still bloody fast Neil

[@gmbn]

He had to! 🤣

[@the_spanner_ch7mp]

@@gmbn and he would of enjoyed it

[@larissauredi8795]

Yeah, only 30ish seconds off the pro racer with considerably less training...if that's what being too old for that ish looks like, sign me up lol

[@fireangel6038]

My brain doesn’t work that fast. I’d be flying off the side of the mountain thinking “shit, was that a turn back there?”

[@repentorperish1386]

You gotta train your brain to handle the input. You can do it. Just push yourself a little tiny bit each time

[@bing5043]

As a 29 year old beginner mountain biker myself, I really appreciated that the beginner in this video is 28. Makes me feel like it’s not too late to start after all :’)

[@cjjohnson1821]

I started at 56. It's all good.

[@jameseastwood4984]

51 here. Look after yourself, eat the right amount of the right things and get regular exercise. We will all have more active lives than the generation before us.

[@clyse88]

Its a good time. Started at 31, went down a volcano is Guatemala the same year. Was in way over my head. Was a blast. Ate it alot

[@NerdyTraceur]

Would hardly call Louis a beginner, he was rocking it!

[@raeward8092]

Had to chuckle at the fast talking excuses at the end. 😆

[@nickwatkins5227]

I’d like to see Neil give Louis a few lessons and then we time Louis again, great effort from a beginner and great show more of it guys

[@jbs3691]

Best GMBN video I've seen in quiet a while. Not just fluff and filler. Genuinely interesting content. Well done Neil and crew!

[@benjybluehat]

At last! I've always wanted to see a comparison like this. Brilliant, well done to all.... even Neil.

[@7448stewart]

One of the best videos you guys have done for a while! Absolutely loved it, cheers!

[@hennessy1985]

One of the best videos recently! Thanks!

[@TheMaTaSS]

More of this please! Its great!

[@LongLiveEnduro]

Truly amazing, more of this please! Interesting that a retired Pro is exactly between Pro and Amateur. Just what you would expect!

[@quaaludes7898]

That 16 year old is so smooth on that bike

[@randomizer2281]

Yeeeesssss that’s what I like to here 🤟

[@consuminglight]

@@randomizer2281 I'm taking you're him?

[@randomizer2281]

@@consuminglight Yh go follow my insta @notorius_nutcase_

[@blazwinkler108]

The thing is, kids these days are so freaking good at riding bikes its quite scarry actually, so many are fast and smooth and make everything look so easy...

[@TheChillBison]

This was a fun video! Great to see the runs side by side, not just the end times, but how each rider looks on the bike, and how they move with it or as a separate piece from it.

[@matlindquist1361]

Great video! Love to see some more Pro/Amature/Beginner stuff. If you do it again, could you do some side by side video showing the differences in line choice/decisions/results? Love to see how they differed.

[@alexhallam3456]

Really rate this video, nice to see some comparison. Especially for those thinking of getting into racing. Keep up the good work!

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

I really enjoyed this. Great event - should be done more often!

[@mortonfrankfire5400]

I instantly became nervous when Neil decided to put a time in 😂. That lad has no cut off.

[@eLw00d86]

Great stuff! Thanks for the comparison!

[@steltron]

I love the premise of this video! What about for future iterations, you show details like line choice and technique?

[@eliotcrowe7884]

As a 'low-intermediate' rider I think about how best to tackle each tricky feature (rock, root, rut etc.), and it always amazes me watching world class riders how they pick lines and get air to completely avoid most of the features that I would be stumbling through! Like, over a 50-foot stretch of trail they just bounce around so their tyres touch 3 flat spots of dirt! In this video it was also cool to watch the way Matt was scrubbing across the jumps so as to not get so much air and keep all the momentum going forward.

[@Xormithan]

gotta go fast to go fast

[@shitpostgod2656]

First video in 2021 after a few years, content is still top notch.

[@IoVideoMaker]

OMG the technical quality of the video is AWESOME!!!

[@tomteunisse7803]

Now this is great content!

[@Petr388]

This event deserves more videos, at least one with insight into couching Louis for this race, cause that time was impressive!

[@dlogan14]

Glad you did a timed lap Neil. Well done, great video.

[@petersauer94]

Wow..Neil's time is still bloody impressive 🤘

[@pace_tracker]

This was again a Very good video! More like This please!

[@papagolf216]

MASSIVE respect for Louis, smashed it.Wilf too - what a dude. Really enjoyed that, Matt clearly set for big things in pro racing! Mega video.

[@guidodezwaan]

This was fun! Thanks Neil!

[@charlesslwilson]

That was great to watch, thanks.

[@gaddmeister]

That's fantastic Neil! Good call!

[@JordiFloresSoy]

More of this please!!

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

Loved it. Great vid

[@johnwardle9667]

I can relate to Louis starting off faster and getting progressively more nervous.. at first a downhill bike feels unstoppable. Especially coming off a road bike. But after a couple of runs you might start thinking 'what am I actually doing?' and then a little crash can have you overthinking it. Good vid. Final point. Don't mess with the Don.

[@maximkostadiniov3646]

Sick video!Keep it up

[@poorks84]

awesome vid, all along I wondered when nick would ride, nice one all of you

[@sicmic]

This was fun. And props to Neil for having a go and actually telling us his time. I reckon 29s off the current champ is pretty damn good.

[@69indigoblue]

Wow, impressive results. I expected Matt to be at least twice as fast as Louis, but it was only 1/3rd - well done Louis!!!!

[@prexyllvidz]

Great video guide thanks

[@PeterDietrich]

9:45 Exactly! Thanks for reading my mind and doing the run!

[@mattchay84]

Great video! Should do a GMBN presenters race 🏁

[@Mark_Tishman]

Very good video Neil !

[@mtbville]

Very entertaining stuff 😎💪

[@AnthonyPieroni]

This is solid content, Nice work!

[@gmbn]

Cheers Anthony!

[@servidig483]

More with Louis, we need more Begginer progression vids

[@Martyboy84]

Great vid lads

[@lewisfoster9514]

really good video guys. need to do one with presenters now, each gets a handicap bike for their own preffered area, ie doddy xc blake jumps neil downhill

[@randomtree6]

Ashton would still win, ledge

[@keynmusic]

Id probably die before reaching the half of this 😂 Neil you never disappoint 🔥

[@cgriggsiv]

Almost forgot Neil excellent way of showing people the different skill levels on the exact same course to see all the differences that they choose and how they progress as they go

[@snowman22ism]

Great video by Neil. Found this one to be really interesting.

[@gmbn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@allosaurusfragilis7782]

Well done louis. Never been on a downhill bike! I thought that was an excellent effort

[@iangriffiths929]

Fair play to Louie. Very daunting track and he did well. Matt just looked like he was floating down the trail!

[@alexmedia8094]

It's crazy what mountain bikes can handle. Well done Louis, looking good out there

[@lagwall]

Super entertaining!

[@Knards]

I enjoy watching the racing in the French Alps, Mountain Of Hell and all that. Those are some darn tough courses

[@ryanrodriguez70]

Good stuff thank you

[@KVandendriessche]

Absolutely bananas sport! So exciting to watch

[@MrLapin-LL]

It s so cool to see the « front wheel tweak technique » of the pro on the takeoff of jumps to stay low. Impressive and so efficient. It’s the top dog after all!

[@donbenincasa7442]

Great video!!!!

[@koreanmtnbiker2931]

Neil, Thanks for doing the timed run. I was going to suggest you do the video over with you in the run. If you had not, all day long my head would of gone bonkers thinking what your time would have been. Haha

[@airsoferopromedio]

impressed with Louis! Solid run!

[@Goggleberry123]

great vid keep it up

[@jamlarna]

29 seconds!!! 😳 Neil...... You still got it buddy that's a storming time 👏

[@perfectzero84]

I would love to see how a pro does with an entry-level hardtail vs an amateur with a top of the line bike.

[@Maxwaehrens]

This video was fantastic, just as you think it is done, we get a funny switch to Niel and then a nice run by him. Whoever wrote the plot for this did a really good job

[@wc9483]

Awesome video. Need a Neil vs... series

[@bsartias7737]

loved the video.

[@andrewlow-hang3106]

Awesome video. 👍👍👍

[@zachhughes8123]

Big props to Louie. Would have never thought he hadn't ridding a DH before. Well done lad

[@Metalfreakz17]

Damn matt run looks insane! Also louis and the other guy did a fantastic job. That trail looks gnarly lol

[@MTB_Nephi]

Top Ride from the Beginner👍🔥. Wow, full respect

[@jeremyporter1991]

Great video guys. Neil still puts down a very respectable time against the pro. Your an awesome rider, Neil.

[@palaotot6933]

Congrats Vale. Dont pressure yourself too much. You are a natural fast rider. Ride and have fun, you are slowly but surely defeating your demons. Once you finally beaten it, you will be unstoppable.

[@yarkmates3409]

I like Matt’s line choice at 9:03 missing out the slab , I’ll have to give this ago on my next DYFI adventure

[@wilfredceasargaspacho2837]

For one, the beginner one looked more confident than most amateur bikers. His form, especially when he pedals. Good episode! Hats off to GMBN for such awesome episodes! Cheers!

[@itarry4]

Yhea not sure "beginner" means just got his first bike. That beginner looks like he's been riding a while just never actually rode DH. From his style and shape of body I'd say he's been riding road a fair while maybe just moved to MtB or quite possibly works for GCN behind the scenes and that's how they chose him?

[@wilfredceasargaspacho2837]

@@itarry4 totally with you on this

[@gmbn]

Thanks for the kind words! Louis is a road cyclist and GMBN filmmaker 🤘

[@wilfredceasargaspacho2837]

@@gmbn Sending love and gnar all the way from the Philippines!

[@andreicornea7527]

4:04 - amazing video framing 👍🏼👍🏼

[@lidarman2]

That was a good view. Matt was spot on on his time predictions. There is this short downhill section in Moab, UT that the top time is 55 seconds (circa 2010) and It took me a whopping 5 minutes.

[@jeremyr5170]

Awesome vid!!! The fastest guy in the world...sick!

[@mathiasthelander7834]

Never been on a downhill bike and rides like that? Jeezus

[@Nashid77]

Big ups to the camera man and editor. 🔥

[@GPerdento]

Very humble comments on the part of Neil, given that he was fairly close to the pro.

[@kathyerickson9402]

Nice ride gentlemen....very impressive! Matt just floats on the bike and the track. I'm curious if Louis or Wilf will continue to develop their downhill racing skills? Next year, gentlemen!

[@TheAquanomad]

Is it just me, or has Neil seemed much more relaxed in the last 12 months? I'm expecting to see him singing 'Hacks and Bodges' with Martin and Blake soon!

[@cgriggsiv]

And excellent job on all three riders including yourself

[@desheebasara3061]

i want this format at the olympics... at every event an amateur and a beginner should start as well, just to see how much of a difference it makes...

[@paddor]

Or different categories. Just like we have men and women categories, there could be beginner/amateur/pro.

[@DaanRacer]

They actually do this in racing (ya know with cars)

[@ems7623]

@@DaanRacer motorsports. Ugh

[@casestudymtb]

Still got it Neil, thats a hell of a time up against a current champ. More interested in seeing how you'd fair in the masters category!