Off to CwmDown for the first time on Sunday, I'm a good enough rider and got a 160mm chunky bike so won't be the fastest but I'll be fine.
Just wondering if anyone had any advice to help me enjoy the day more.
Hope it doesn't rain.
Oil your brakepads, you'll go faster. 😉
Pads and enjoy yourself 😀
look before you leap when you do the road drop .....and, aim for the tree if you do
dont be afraid to stop and have a little cry if you need to
See if someone will guide and talk you down the first run, it's not hard but there's enough to catch you out if you just go tearing off after everyone else...
dont be afraid to stop and have a little cry if you need to
Woohoo, permission at last!
Yeah just take the first round steadily (let everyone else go first from the top!). It's all nicely rollable, just the road drop that might catch you out, but you can take the slightly sketchy bit to the right instead of the actual dropoff if you like. Have fun, it's a fantastic day of riding. Reminds me I must get up there again soon with my bouncy bike!
Just ride, have fun.
Try the black section through the woods after the tunnel and as said above just roll down on your first run checking it out 😉
Take first run easy, have a rest before you hit the drop after the road
Id recommend a full-face helmet. You don't need anyone to talk you down them: They are quite straightforward and everything, except for the drop after the road, is rollable.
If in doubt, wait until everyone else has gone and then set off. I felt a bit intimidated at first, but realised after a few runs that I wasn't much slower than most of the other people there, who were mainly on bigger bikes.
By the way, you don't have to do the drop-off after the road, there is a rollable drop to the right, that the vast majority of people do.
From the start go right: That is the red run. The red and the black interwine as you go down, but I find that the red flows a bit more and is actually more fun. Plus, you can dip in and out of the black bits as you go down.
Was planning on a trial first run to get the lay of the land.
Should be a good day, if I cry will it fill up my goggles?
Seen the road drop a few times but never ridden it, all good and sensible advice so far, am I on the write forum?
On the first run spend ages faffing at the top trying to avoid going first. That always works for me.
I was a bit bored by the time I got to about the 8th run. Next time I think I'll get off at the 'freeride' section for a bit of variety in the middle of the day.
1. take it super easy on the first run.
2. take it easy on the second third and fourth runs.
I guess it depends how adept you are at DH style riding, if you're newish to it put your ego aside and try not to worry about keeping up with people when you first get there - just get your technique down and the course is a lot of fun.
I still haven't MTFUed enough to do the road drop. Scary - I know I can do it tho 😳
Oh, also start wondering about all those other interesting looking trails that go in different directions from the start...
There's at least one cool DH that's worth a trip down if you are being uplifted, just to change the scene.
Also, for another change of scene, from where the road drop is go left along the road for a few tens of yards and you'll find the entry to the last section of the XC course. This is a BLAST and is well worth doing. Several times if you want to increase your speed each time 🙂
As I said, I'm good on a bike but nothing special, can happily ride black routes without worrying but suck at jumping.
I will be fine and know to take it easy until I find my feet, hopefully I don't like it too much as no room or money for another bike!
The bottom section (after the road) is a fine place to learn how to jump. Just go easy on the very first one since it's a jump to flat and can catch you out (it did me, but it was dark and I could not see over it).
if you do decide not to do the road drop and take the chicken run, make sure you don't do what these muppets did last year and pass there bikes down to each other on the chicken run. 😐
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muppets[/url]
after the fist jumps you hang a left then flat out over a lof bumps, this branches left for black run and right for red, but if your belting along you wont even see the split, I always accidently went onto the black without knowing.... just be aware 🙂
Hit everything first time flat out. It's the most excitment you'll have and you'll hit all the big jumps and drops with no fear!
Make sure you ride the black run to the right after the tunnel, this is the only bit of real DH. All the rest is just like a big trail centre!