PMBA Round 4 is nearly upon us

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The PMBA series is headed to Kirroughtree for round four on 5th July. It is, in the words of the organisers, “going to be a loam fest, and everyone loves some fresh cut loamy action!”. Quite. Read on for course details and essential entry info…

After following the red loop from The Breakpad bike shop, Stage 1 starts off with a short section of red trail centre, this is actually going backwards down a climb with some classic Kirroughtree rock slab bedrock riding. A short climb gets you warmed up before diving steeply down the first fresh-cut section and popping out onto a blue. A 10-second fireroad sprint then brings you to the final section; steep and loamy, this fresh cut trail plunges you all the way to the bottom of the forest.

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Stage one: fresh-cut carnage waiting to happen
Stage one: fresh-cut carnage waiting to happen

A steady fireroad transition takes you to Stage 2 which is almost fully fresh-cut trail. Starting near Stage 1 but heading in the opposite direction, you’re in the loam from the start, blasting out onto a fire road for a short sprint you’re soon diving back into the woods for some tight twisty trail. Another super short fireroad sprint lines you up for ‘the ramp’ – back into the woods too slow and it will kill your speed, too fast and you’ll be airborne (as Kev demonstrates in the video). More twisty woods, keeping the speed and flow with some pedalling, before the final section through a more open area of big trees and ferns where the speed really picks up.

Stage two - fern-tastic! (Sorry.)
Stage two – fern-tastic! (Sorry.)

The longest transition of the day take us to the top of Doon Hill for Stage 3, one of the forest high points. Again it’s a fresh-cut loamy start, fast and loose. A third of the way in and you hit the red trail with the classic Kirroughtree bedrock breaking out of the surfaced trail. Getting rocking as you progress, the final rock garden is the toughest before going back off-piste down a wide multi-line trail which spits you back out for the final trail centre sprint.

Stage three - going Doon Hill fast (stopping now...)
Stage three – going Doon Hill fast (sorry, stopping now…)

The final stage is the fastest, no fresh-cut here but plenty of off-piste trails. Starting on a walkers trail it’s high speed straight from the start, turning onto the red for 100 metres as we blast past the ‘stane’ and the lake. Turning off the red we dive down the fast gully that was the finishing section for last year’s Stage 2, however this year at the end we again pick up the red trail for a final blast back to the visitor centre.

Stage four - off-piste to the beautiful end!
Stage four – off-piste to the beautiful end!

Sam at The Breakpad bike shop has done a great job on the stages again.

If you haven’t already get entered now!

The race is four stages on a 10-mile lap.

We are expecting around 250 people so aim for a 4pm finish rather than our usual 5pm to give you more time to head back to England if, like many of our regulars, you’re three hours away from the venue.
Camping is £5 per tent/van for the weekend (including parking) and parking is £1 per day in our field if you’re not staying over. Don’t park in the main Kirroughtree car park if you want this cheap parking, you must use the event field.

Jenn Hill was the deputy editor here at Singletrack up until her untimely death from Lung Cancer in October 2015. She was and remains an inspiration to us all here at Singletrack. Jenn Hill - 1977-2015

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