Is this MTB’s Most Exciting Discipline? | Blake Races 4X
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- čas přidán 20. 05. 2024
- It seems that Blake Samson has caught the 'Racing Bug'. This time he's at Chicksands Bike Park to compete in this first four-cross race in a decade. Blake gave up racing 4X after causing his brother to crash, but because of its similarity to the BMX race which he recently competed in he thought it was time to get back in the saddle.
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
00:00 - Intro
00:46 - What Is Four-Cross
02:01 - Sign On & Practice
04:24 - Time For Some Gate Practice
06:34 - Quick Bike Check
07:52 - Let The Racing Begin!
11:11 - Straight To Finals
13:17 - The Results
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Would you like to see four-cross return to mainstream mountain biking? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Would you like to see four-cross return to mainstream mountain biking? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Definitely- if it was a series here in NZ then even though I’m 58 I would still enter!! Love it! A bit of argy bargy on the trail and great mates off…. However, I’m 90kg and can handle a tumble or two some of these young fellas coming though at 60kgs might not like it so much 😅
100%. UK riders need to wake up to the quality and sheer fun of the Schwalbe 4x series. Please give it the support it deserves.
@@theflow5269definitely will do!😊
Must admit I've never seen this before.but it looks a lot of fun!!!
I'd definitely like to see more of this covered on the show.
It's like a speed and style...without the style points to help the score ...I like it
Thank you for coming along GMBN and Blake.
4X is the most exciting MTB sport and the best bit is. It’s accessible to all. 20” to 29” wheels are fine. Dirt jump, hardtail, xc, trail, enduro or DH bikes all compete at 4X races.
It truly is the only discipline where you can race any bike and be competitive.
This is the first year I am organising the British 4X Series and my only goal is for everyone to know the sport is growing again by the end of 2024.
Come along and have a go. I promise you will all love it.
4X. 4 times the fun.
Need to shed my dad bod to get back to racing 😂 I really miss the fun!
Thanks for coming along to round 1 of the 2024 Schwalbe British 4X Series GMBN! We loved seeing Blake racing and hopefully we will see you again this year.
Who wants to see some how to's from round 3 & 4 in Afan on June 1st & 2nd. We would love to see you there again.
Loving the "Blake goes racing" videos!
We love making them 🤙
Awesome season opener for the British 4x series. Blake and GMBN have done a brilliant job showing what 4x is all about.
For me personally 4x and dual slalom is great MTB disciplines and would like to see more coverage of those disciplines
Hopefully 4X makes a return! 🤘
It didn’t ever go away….
To the mainstream (sorry)
Blake is legit pro for every riding discipline either freerider downhill and gravel !
yeah, the man is a beast
I think Blake was at a disadvantage with the 29er, 26er accelerates quicker and turns sharper, looks like good fun
Absolutely awesome!!!!! Bringing back what mtb is all about; friends, laughs, going as fast as you can and that ultimate feeling of flying! 4X... WOW!!!!!!
Watching Four Cross is what realy got me excited about mountain bikes. That was 25 years ago and I still haven't even ridden a Four cross course. I'd love to see it more
weirdly a 4X track was the first kind of mtb i rode. great fun, and the bikes are relatively cheap to build up - or were anyway a few years back
Well done again,Blake! Those two others are quick out of the gate! More racing,Blake!
4x is just the best way to have a fun filled weekend racing bikes with your mates!
Ride whatever bike you have and just enjoy the day!
Couldn't agree more!
4x deserves way more coverage!!
Nice one Blake. It certainly opens up your eyes when you see truly fast riders. A bit more gate experience and you'll be right up front Blake.
That first race was epic,
Well done Blake 👍
All the veterans in mountain biking, talking about 4X world championships, I really want to see that happen, or maybe for the Olympic Games 🙏🏻🤞
Great effort, Blake! I was also there at Chicksands. First time photographing and filming 4X (I usually do mostly BMX) and loved it! Now I want to do the whole series. 😁
Top weekend of racing! Not long till RND 3/4🙌🏻
Looks like such good fun! Would love to see more of it
Well done Blake lad 🤙🏻
Interesting to hear about fourcross racing and the different style of bike, looked like great fun had by all thanks for sharing Blake! 😁🤙
Awesome ride Blake looked like a lot of fun dude!
It was a great day out! 🤙
Looks very cool, and fun. You should show more on the channel
2008 4X got me back out on a bike & into MTB again after a lul in my cycling passion. If it wasn't for 4X I'd probably not be riding now.
Riders, 4X is Awesome give it a go! the UK 4X Fam are Amazing people
UCI, MAKE 4X GREAT AGAIN
Industry, Make 4X Bikes Again!!
Thanx for the coverage, 4X really deserves to be bigger
Outstanding Blake doing it again ....Nice to see the Laufey mixing it up with the specialized bikes and holding it's own
Ski cross and snowboard cross are some of my fave winter Olympic sports to watch. It only makes sense that MTB cross is good as well.
Blake smashing it on the 29er.
Blake what a great effort mate,so well done.Love your work.
Thanks for watching!
As soon as I saw what kind of disciplin this was i thought, this is perfect for mr. Samson. He is such an diverse rider, capable of pretty much anything on two wheels. Seems like a lot of fun.
Love me some 4X!!! I wonder how you would have done with a different steed under you? Maybe throwing a mullet set up, 29 front and 27.5 rear or a 27.5 front and 26 rear? On the same bike you just rode.
That Nukeproof hardtail at 1:21 was a beautiful bike to look at.
Blake can literally put his hand to anything
NICE! I ride a Laufey as my hardtail. It loves to go fast and it loves steep flow. This is awesome. Blake is a beast!
Elbows out lads, this looks amazing, would like to see this more mainstream for sure 🤙🤙
Glow up version of bmx racing❤ maybe Blake can switch to 27.5 and loose the gears and the dropper and he should be faster off the gate...short course racing is all about acceleration
How would a bike like fingers-crossed bmx fare in this type of race?
Legend!
Blake what a great job coming in third! Never did 4x but it looks like it would be a blast.
That looks like great fun 😃 and long live the 26" wheel 👍
Can you race 4x with a single speed bike
Yes, the singlespeed yellow curtis won the senior category at this race
@@motocro55er ok thank you
Single speed is fine in 4x at most tracks. Some tracks it's nice to have a couple a gears
single speed is all you need!
4X is the most fun discipline. Unfortunately it is also the hardest track to build
Incorrect. There are no rules about what a 4x track should be. It can be a dirt track, grass field like Malverns, snow or tarmac. It can have jumps or no jumps. The point is it’s 4 riders racing against each other.
Is there anything Blake cannot do well? I didn't know much about Four Cross but I'll watch it now.
Blake seems to do really good at these events he "drops" into lol. I guess you get your fitness on being a GMBN presenter. Also being a ex-pro freestyle athlete and seeing how he pops in the air, I reckon he lays down some pretty good watts.
I miss Blake Samson’s signature intro of “Welcome back you beautiful people!” 🥺
He is a multidisciplinary specialist in terms of any MTB racing discipline. Even road and gravel bike too! 🔥🔥🔥
Hey is Black dowing the megavalanche this year ?
sick
Thanks! 🤘
before it was dropped. all the greats rode 4x.
My local bike park!!
What can't this guy do I love these vids BTW
4X tracks are great fun to ride but ultimately as a race spectacle BMX and DH are more exciting.
Hey red Bull TV,- make 4x great again!
I loved 4x! I wish I was more popular and around more to race 😔
6:10 😂
So pleased to see 4X back in the limelight. Brilliant discipline and probably the best spectator sport in the cycling world. Now in great hands.
Agghhh what year is it!? We seem to be in some sort of time loop where mtb trends recycle every 15 years!
I want to see Blake try Cucle Speedway.
Cycle* Speedway
Such a shame the UCI killed this sport on the big stage - the weekends with 4X on Saturday and DH on Sunday were the best. Seeing them handing out new world championship titles for snow biking this year while still ignoring the long-established dual/4x format pissed me off big time.
Ditto
Which came first: mtb 4x or snowboard cross?
Mtb
There's definitely a lack of interest in 4x , along with a lack of facilities to race & hold events in the UK , especially in the north .
4X was one of the best things, before 29 inch wheels killed it...
think it was the UCI
do i need a 4x bike ?i hope so , i need to spend another 5 grand on a specific bike
You can race any bike. 20” to 29” MTb. You must have 2 brakes but otherwise race anything.
as long as you have two brakes you can race anything but a 4X specific bike can be built for a bit over 1K
4X = Big BMX
This is sic...
Woooou tremenda nave ❤
Bring back dual slalom.
Man the tracks are so short, the gate decides the outcome usually
Give it a go and see, I can out gate loads of people and still come last! Haha
@@alastairkeen461I agree! I have an awful gate and somehow manage to make passes
Incorrect. Expect plenty of passes at modern 4x
tracks are a lot more tech nowerdays with inside/outside lines, chicken an pro lines. A good racer can utilise the best line so often the worst place to be is.... in first! you really need a rear view mirror to know what the riders behind you, quite often right on you tail are planning!
Not unusual to have the race positions completely change in the last corner!!
And to think... The UCI dropped this for bloody ebike racing..... 😐
I feel like he revolutionized their sport w the 29" wheels haha
first
SECOND
XC is boring. Exciting to me is downhill racing.
Blakes opening origin story was intense
Good to have you at a 4x national blake mate. Hope to see you at some more in the not to distant future. Anyone wanting to give 4x a go just come and give it a go. It is a brilliantly fun filled weekend of racing.
Kingsley Mears?... Never heard of her. 😉