Someone suggested that it might be an idea to have some sort of DH training camp or something between the end of the winter league and the beginning of the NPS. Go somewhere decent with uplifts for a few days and get in a pile of riding. Would people be interested in this, or have you all been recessioned?
We could perhaps do:
A long weekend in Scotland. A long weekend in Wales. Go to that spot in Spain for a long weekend, if cheap flights permit. Do a DIY job of it in Ireland, if we got a good Gang we could get Denis Corkley or someone to run a few different uplifts for us over a long weekend, on different track, like a mini road trip?
Let me know what you think and if you would be interested, what would suit etc. From a very quick look at the calendar paddyâs weekend would look like a good choice.
well does anyone know when the gondola in fort william reopens for bikers? i think that would be a good one to do. your arms would be like trees after riding that track for a few days.
as for wales, cwncarn is the only uplift track there as far as i know and to be honest im not a huge fan of it. the ground is really hard packed so theres nothing for the tyres to grip to meaning you can't push yourself and if you do crash it'll hurt like hell.
switchbacks in spain is meant to be class. a few of the lads here have been before and said it was deadly so that would be worth doing. wait for them to give there thoughts on here, gavd? orla? matt?
as for the one in ireland, that sounds deadly, theres a few places around that have a few tracks that could be ridden and would keep ya busy for a few days.
switchbacks dh in malaga is well worth the trip. the guys know a ton of trails (some short some long) so you get a lot of riding done. depending on the dates I'd go again or somewhere else.
There are 4 uplift assisted DH sites in Scotland that I could find:
Fortwilliam – As the young lads says not open for bikes until May
Glencoe – Near forthwilliam, has a gondola, but would not be surprised if it closed to bikes until all the snow is gone. Can’t find info on the internerd.
Inners & Ae – There is an uplift schedule here http://regonline.activeeurope.com/builder/site/tab1.aspx?EventID=655722 None of the Ae ones are any use to us, to late and clash with the first NPS, plus I wasn’t that impressed with the trails when I was there last. Inners is a deadly spot, but I have heard that the uplift takes an age and the most you can get in is eight runs in a day. None on Paddys weekend, it would have to be either the last weekend in March (the weekend before the first NPS) or easter, week after the first NPS.
In Wales the only uplift assisted one I know of is Cwncarn, never been so would have to take the young lads word on its ****eness. They do run uplifts every weekend though.
Don't know about the rest of the Queens country, there could be more?
Spain is deadly, really deadly. The but its an expensive weekend, I could see it costing at least €500 before you eat or drink. And I could not seam to find direct flights on the internerd. You would also struggle to get a pile of bikes on the plane. I will look in a bit more detail when I have time. (Or if one of you is bored fire ahead and have a look).
If there are any other options / places anyone has let me know.
Innerleithen is fantastic. The trails are just on the edge of the town. If you wanted to do half the DH/FR tracks you could get away with no uplifts. Just a thought. We did a few on the 6" Bikes that were fantastic craic . Obviously an uplift day there would be amazing, but we saw one and it was jammers !! I could be wrong but I think you have to book them in advance.
We'll be heading there for the June Bank Holiday on the pedalable bikes and I can't wait.
Highly recommended.
I have to say I love the idea of an Irish DH road trip with organised uplifts at some of the venues.
It could be legendary.
Richie
oh I like the sound of this all depending on date, and or course the whole money thing I'm in, a road trip to the UK sounds spot on, or worst case if that doesn't work out as Sean said get denis for a weekend and a good old irish forest it would beat pushing up cloon for the weekend.
Inners has 4 DH tracks. You have to book the uplift in advance and it does get booked out. You get a max of 8 runs a day, and it cost £32.
Its like a mallow or Carrig, might even be bigger, push up is rough. I went there with my VP free in 2007, I had my stubborn head on so rode up it 4 times to do them all. I wonât be doing that again. It was grim. They are fast enough as well, so only going half way means you would be down in no time.
It has one jumpy bermy track, all big tables doubles, step ups step downs and berms. Its in earthed three, looks deadly, but was a bit too much for me at the time. Two of the other track are good old fashioned single track, like really big bersions of cloon. The forth is a full on race track, has everything, tight stuff, some huge jumps, all sorts of stuff. There are other bits in the place but they are not marked.
Scotland sounds Deadly MacDeadly. Though the track at Ae was fairly in bits when we were there in June, I wouldn't be too pushed about it. Innerleithen would be the pooch's plums, if a bit expensive all things considered - ferry, accomm, food, uplifts, beer...
Might have to bring the pedally bike as well to pop over to Glentress and ride that black lop again, it doesn't get much better than that.
Someone suggested that it might be an idea to have some sort of DH training camp or something between the end of the winter league and the beginning of the NPS. Go somewhere decent with uplifts for a few days and get in a pile of riding. Would people be interested in this, or have you all been recessioned?
We could perhaps do:
A long weekend in Scotland. A long weekend in Wales. Go to that spot in Spain for a long weekend, if cheap flights permit. Do a DIY job of it in Ireland, if we got a good Gang we could get Denis Corkley or someone to run a few different uplifts for us over a long weekend, on different track, like a mini road trip?
Let me know what you think and if you would be interested, what would suit etc. From a very quick look at the calendar paddyâs weekend would look like a good choice.
well does anyone know when the gondola in fort william reopens for bikers? i think that would be a good one to do. your arms would be like trees after riding that track for a few days.
as for wales, cwncarn is the only uplift track there as far as i know and to be honest im not a huge fan of it. the ground is really hard packed so theres nothing for the tyres to grip to meaning you can't push yourself and if you do crash it'll hurt like hell.
switchbacks in spain is meant to be class. a few of the lads here have been before and said it was deadly so that would be worth doing. wait for them to give there thoughts on here, gavd? orla? matt?
as for the one in ireland, that sounds deadly, theres a few places around that have a few tracks that could be ridden and would keep ya busy for a few days.
switchbacks dh in malaga is well worth the trip. the guys know a ton of trails (some short some long) so you get a lot of riding done. depending on the dates I'd go again or somewhere else.
There are 4 uplift assisted DH sites in Scotland that I could find:
Fortwilliam – As the young lads says not open for bikes until May
Glencoe – Near forthwilliam, has a gondola, but would not be surprised if it closed to bikes until all the snow is gone. Can’t find info on the internerd.
Inners & Ae – There is an uplift schedule here http://regonline.activeeurope.com/builder/site/tab1.aspx?EventID=655722 None of the Ae ones are any use to us, to late and clash with the first NPS, plus I wasn’t that impressed with the trails when I was there last. Inners is a deadly spot, but I have heard that the uplift takes an age and the most you can get in is eight runs in a day. None on Paddys weekend, it would have to be either the last weekend in March (the weekend before the first NPS) or easter, week after the first NPS.
In Wales the only uplift assisted one I know of is Cwncarn, never been so would have to take the young lads word on its ****eness. They do run uplifts every weekend though.
Don't know about the rest of the Queens country, there could be more?
Spain is deadly, really deadly. The but its an expensive weekend, I could see it costing at least €500 before you eat or drink. And I could not seam to find direct flights on the internerd. You would also struggle to get a pile of bikes on the plane. I will look in a bit more detail when I have time. (Or if one of you is bored fire ahead and have a look).
If there are any other options / places anyone has let me know.
Innerleithen is fantastic. The trails are just on the edge of the town. If you wanted to do half the DH/FR tracks you could get away with no uplifts. Just a thought. We did a few on the 6" Bikes that were fantastic craic . Obviously an uplift day there would be amazing, but we saw one and it was jammers !! I could be wrong but I think you have to book them in advance.
We'll be heading there for the June Bank Holiday on the pedalable bikes and I can't wait.
Highly recommended.
I have to say I love the idea of an Irish DH road trip with organised uplifts at some of the venues.
It could be legendary.
Richie
oh I like the sound of this all depending on date, and or course the whole money thing I'm in, a road trip to the UK sounds spot on, or worst case if that doesn't work out as Sean said get denis for a weekend and a good old irish forest it would beat pushing up cloon for the weekend.
Inners has 4 DH tracks. You have to book the uplift in advance and it does get booked out. You get a max of 8 runs a day, and it cost £32.
Its like a mallow or Carrig, might even be bigger, push up is rough. I went there with my VP free in 2007, I had my stubborn head on so rode up it 4 times to do them all. I wonât be doing that again. It was grim. They are fast enough as well, so only going half way means you would be down in no time.
It has one jumpy bermy track, all big tables doubles, step ups step downs and berms. Its in earthed three, looks deadly, but was a bit too much for me at the time. Two of the other track are good old fashioned single track, like really big bersions of cloon. The forth is a full on race track, has everything, tight stuff, some huge jumps, all sorts of stuff. There are other bits in the place but they are not marked.
Scotland sounds Deadly MacDeadly. Though the track at Ae was fairly in bits when we were there in June, I wouldn't be too pushed about it. Innerleithen would be the pooch's plums, if a bit expensive all things considered - ferry, accomm, food, uplifts, beer...
Might have to bring the pedally bike as well to pop over to Glentress and ride that black lop again, it doesn't get much better than that.