Non downhill brakes used while going downhill?

They are referring to a specific type of "downhill" mountain bike racing that involves "all out racing down a long, steep technical course."

dteoh said:

Dear all,
This may be a silly question, so forgive me if so.

I read a lot of brakes are sold as cross country brakes and specifically stated NOT for use in downhill events.

Well, my question is, what constitutes a "downhill event"? Most of the trails me and my friends hit have a lot of climbing in them, but what goes up must come down right? So we are looking at sometimes 30-40 minutes of descent.

Should I be concerned about my brakes? (Giant NRS3 with '03 Shimano XT M755 hydraulics, I weigh in around 86 kg)

If mine are fine for this kind of use, then what could go wrong with brakes like the Magura Louise which specifically stated in the manual that its not meant for downhill activities (otherwise go get our GustavM etc etc) when used in such a manner? Warped disc? (can someone explain how that happens?) Burnt pads? (Is that possible) Glazed pads? (ok, that one I know) Some other mechanical failure?

Thanks for taking the time to answer these n00b questions.

Derek

Like the first poster said, they mean a specific downhill race/event. 70 mph, repeated hard braking. Most brakes aren't up to it and the manufactuers don't want to be sued.

Thanks for the quick responses.

Anyway, I've never participated in those events before, so I wouldnt know what they are like, but the descents I've been doing have been scary enough.

So I shouldnt be concerned about my brakes at this stage?

Should be OK. If you are trail riding, they'll have time to cool down between braking efforts.