Hi just after some body armour advice of what people wear on a dh cource and what spares to take thanks for any advice
Just take a Full Face helmet, I think that's mandatory, I wouldn't bother with Body armour unless your planning on comming off ?
It's Been a while since I wore body armour but the Dainese stuff was always good and offered good protection,
You could always wear a neck brace and NO body armour which seems to be the order of the day almost everywhere ?
As for spares, take a pair of tyres, tubes if your running them intact tubes even if your not !
Maybe a pair of pedals, zip ties, you could go on and on, spare saddle, bars, grips.
definitely a full face. I'd wear some knee pads and gloves cos I've got them.
If you feel the need for more (and why not if you're unsure) - the bike shop at the bottom of the uplift rents 661 assault upper body stuff and full knee/shin armour for not a lot (£10 each if I remember right).
spares wise - innertubes and maybe a tyre if you're not running dual plys anyway.
Spare brake pads..
If your a world cup level rider then a full face and knee pads will do.
If your not a world cup level rider and don't bounce too well in the rock gardens (most of the track) then pad up as it takes some time to rescue broken riders.
Just ride carefully, if in doubt, pull off the track and walk round things.
The big world cup jump is world cup only so fenced off.
Most things are rollable and smaller jumps can be ridden round.
Did i mention it's a tad rocky.
Quick run through.
Top section and boardwalks, nice and easy, smooth, when you exit the last boardwalk you are into a rock garden with a steep tight exit, you can pull over and walk round.
Track snakes down with some more steep turns, and some blind drops, only a few feet, get the line right and there is a steep ramp on one side to roll down, if it's wet don't dab the brakes on these ramps you will lose grip and slide off.
You snake down to the Deer Fence crossing, don't dab brakes on the cattle grid 🙂 you tend to find people grouping here for a arm shake and little rest, maybe roughly halfway.
You are now heading down to the woods, track is now mostly down to bedrock so bit choppy.
You will pass the big WC jump on your left, you drop down a tight turn and into 3 steps, just about rollable, this brings you to the big white wall ride, not far to the Motorway now.
Batter your way through the gully of rocks (mind your toes)and stumps, another small metal wall ride, turn left over a metal bridge and prepare to enter the motorway over a table jump.
Steep run out, loads of speed (great fun when brake has failed)some small step down jumps, and into the big hip jump, you can ride round the ramp, next is the newer motorway section, first jump is the worst, tables are easy.
This brings you to the Tissot jump, you can ride round that, then we have the "off beat wall" some of the worldcuppers jump this ! really fast section of track, you will see the finish as you crest the wall.
If you keep hard right on the finish jumps it's more rollable, also less chance of being taken out or jumped by a faster rider hitting up the jumps 🙂
In an ideal world, get there the night before and walk the track, remember where the blind drops and ramps are, easier than trying to see on your gondola ride up.
Spares.
Inner tubes, carry a mini pump and tube on track if you can, long walk if you blow up top.
Expect a rear tyre to be runined after 10 runs, assuming your body lets you make it that far first time.
Spare wheels are handy, i take them but so far haven't needed them. Seen many who don't bring them, but need them.
Spare mech hanger and rear mech and cable. Easy to go chainless so something that can be fixed at home.
Check Alpine bikes, shop in the Fort William and rental shop in the Gondola station in the carpark. They do rental bikes and sure they rent armour as well. So quite possible you could rent armour for the day over buying a set to maybe use once. Well worth checking out, not knowing anything about you i would advise padding up.
The red DH run is easier, just don't try and jump the boardwalk tables if it's windy as you get blown off the boardwalk 🙂 the red joins the WC track just below the big wallride, you can jump onto the motorway or go down the fire roads.
It's a world cup track. I don't find it's that technical, it can be very very fast, and is rough and rocky.
Bunch of us race it on hardtails for extra thrills 🙂 and it has been rigid raided as well.
Ride within your limits and it will be fun. Also worth checking out Glencoe mountain ski resort down the road, chairlift, the fearsome DH track double black diamond, and a not so steep red run..... must go back and try that myself as the MacAvalanche dosen't appear to be on now this year 🙁
The track also has a habit of eating mechs. However, you still still ride without one so tubes are really the main thing to take
Armour:
Full face absolutely essential.
As you're obviously going to be using the lift, there's not really much inconvenience in wearing a pressure suit, so I would personally.
Spares:
Spare [u]organic/kevlar[/u] brake pads..
I only had sintered left so had to put those in. OMG, they howled like a banshee and didn't half get warm!
Plus dual plys, downhill tubes, mech and hanger, tools & some LOCTITE!!!
I managed to shake the hanger clean off the frame after about 6 runs of the black. Headset also took a hammering and needed tightening up by mid day.
It was my first time up there at the end of May. I'm absolutely smitten with that course now. We were on mostly enduro type bikes and you certainly don't NEED anythink bigger to enjoy it but I can imagine it would be even more fun on a full-on DH bike. Also had a go on the red too but was not impressed with that TBH. Can't wait to get back for another day up there asap.
acehtn
Also worth checking out Glencoe mountain ski resort down the road, chairlift, the fearsome DH track double black diamond, and a not so steep red run..... must go back and try that myself
The Glencoe black was in need of some repair when were up there at the end of May. They'd made a half-hearted attempts to fence it off to discourage riding but no-one had actually said anything to us about it being closed so we rode it anyway. Quite a few lips of drops etc were starting to collapse and it had seen very little trafic.
Thought the SDA had raced Glencoe this year already.
Maybe take a squisher then, Karate Monkey and hucking at my age may end badly 🙂
I see on the FB page that the red run has more work going on 🙂
The topic of Enduro bikes at the Fort.
Fair few coming out to do the 6 hour DH enduro race. Managed to chat to some of them on air sprung rigs.
They all enjoyed themselves, but did point out that the bikes where right on the ragged edge of what they can do, lairy nervous fun, don't recall any blowing up. Few DH bikes let go.....
As long as your bike is in good working order, then it should be allright.
Rough guide to bikes, from doing 5 6hour DH enduros
Rigid, just don't 🙂 i tried it, Jesse from Alpine bikes raced it.
Hardtail, very doable, rider needs to be special/nuts.
XC susser, seen a FSR stumpjumper race, he blitzed the race up and was traumatised on the downs, bike made it so did rider. Not ideal.
AM/All mountain, air sprung, single crown forks, bike will be on it's limits, lairy fun. A more burly build and coil units will enhance things.
Freeride/Park bike, did it on a Spesh SX Trail last year, not quite the magic carpet ride i expected, but the old SX soaked up most of it and was quite nice until i lost rear brake.
Downhill Bike, best tool for the job, Chipps knocked out 12 laps i think last year on a top end Orange, his first time 🙂
More burly spec will be more damage proof, lots depends on the rider and skill level.
Haven't gone through a set of brake pads in the wet up there, but i always put new ones on pre-race anyway. I do take a spare set just in case.
Foods good in the cafe too, although i reckon the Glencoe fry up is better 🙂
acehtn - Member
Thought the SDA had raced Glencoe this year already.
They used the red as the black's ****ed.
Everything on the WC track can be rolled and any jumps have chicken runs round the side. Definitely better on a proper DH bike. I go for pressure suit, full facer and shin pads. The penalty for failure on the rocky sections would be painful. I'm a very average rider and I can mince down the WC track without too many scary moments.
The red track is awesome too. Better on a big trail bike instead of a full on DH one. It flows really well as long as you follow the painted markings.
Me mincing down the WC track:
and the red track:
Cheers will be on an orange five with 160mm xfusion slants so should be ok off to surf the net now you guys have given me a shopping list ta