[imagesource: Toby Cowley]

After years of making fun of cyclists and bikers, let it be known that we come in peace.

You have Greg Minnaar and the fact we’re trying to age gracefully to thank for that.

It’s Friday and freedom draws ever nearer so here’s a treat for all the mountain bikers (and especially downhill mountain bikers) out there.

Kade Edwards and Brandon Semenuk enjoy pushing the limits of what’s possible on two wheels and Parallel II, a video released on Red Bull Bike’s official YouTube channel last month, is a great example of that.

CNN is on the case:

It’s a second take on a previous video from three years ago which now involves a camera fixed to a motorbike filming the duo as they ride mountain bikes down intertwining tracks at speeds of around 60 kilometers per hour (about 37.3 mph).

“It’s really just staying focused on what I’m doing and not worrying about Kade,” Semenuk, one of the best freeride mountain bikers in the world, told CNN Sport.

Image: Toby Cowley

“It’s a bit choreographed. Like, we know our timing. We know what speed we need to hit, so I’m literally just trying to hit my marks.”

…Despite riding within a hair’s breadth of each other, both men say they felt calm throughout shooting, owing to the trust and respect they have for each other.

The ride took place on a newly built route in British Columbia, Canada.

It had previously been a very popular spot for mountain bikers but was ravaged by a large wildfire last year.

Brandon, Kade, do your thing:

I know – what happens when they inevitably eat dirt?

Semenuk says mastering the art of crashing is actually very important:

“To be an athlete, you’ve got to be good at crashing because you’re going to crash. But if you’re the athlete that crashes and hurts himself, then you’re not going to be an athlete very long.

“So as good as you need to be at landing the trick, you have to be as good at crashing on it.”

There’s a lesson in there for us all.

My takeaway is that I’ll be leaving the above to the pros.

[source:cnn]