Cheers Si, always like to see the info.
What a great course yesterday - 2 minutes of fire road drag race at the start, then the rest of the lap was almost constant singletrack.
Pretty technical overall, even though nothing in isolation was difficult to ride. But no room anywhere for a lapse in concentration.
Didn't really play to my strengths, but loved it anyway! Thanks to all who made it happen 🙂
Is it worth a pootle over there?
Yes, although I've not explored there for a long time so I couldn't say how extensive the trail network is beyond those we used yesterday.
It also gets used for paintball and the occasional motorbike enduro, so watch out if either of those are going on!
Nearby Warren Heath also used to be a race venue, so maybe give that an explore too.
Thanks Dave. I haven't ridden over there for years. Were the trails yesterday all newly cut for the race?
Most of them were revived from a few years ago when it used to be a regular race venue. But a couple of new bits thrown in as always!
Ah OK. If you say it's techy, that gets me worried!
Well, as I said, nothing at all scary or difficult in isolation, just a constant series of little ups and downs, tight twists and turns, roots and bumps. Much like some of the less-used stuff at Swinley.
But very hard to keep it all together for an hour or so of chewing-the-stem XC race pace!
techy? my 9 year old found it all good.
9 to 12 to 17 in the open 🙁
I would nt say it was that technical for normal riding. First lap I was fine but by the second lap I was starting to feel tired and the third lap I kept falling off cos I was knackered.
If I'd have been riding normally I'd have managed it all fine though.
there was one very good little down though very tight trees just to the east I think of the paintball area.
techy? my 9 year old found it all good.
The average 9 year old runs out of leg power well before they run out of balance and agility. The average 39 year old does the opposite 😀
Glad we both enjoyed trying though!
12th to 13th to 14th to finish 16th in Sport.
Great course for my first race this season. My lower back is killing me though as I haven't ridden the mountain bike in months!!
Saw a couple of people go over the bars on the boardwalk/stepdown/boardwalk/bog section just after the wide open singletrack. Nice root hidden in the mud which was catching people out!!
I'm jealous.
Hey Oggles I did that on the last lap.
I knew the root was there. First two laps I'd lifted the front wheel off the bridge and my back wheel had landed in the mud hollow and my front wheel landed on top of the root.
Last lap I did exactly the same but I must have been moving slower (obviously) as my front wheel dropped earlier and landed just in front of the root and over I went.
Saw a couple of people go over the bars on the boardwalk/stepdown/boardwalk/bog section just after the wide open singletrack. Nice root hidden in the mud which was catching people out!!
Pre-booked ambulance me thinks. 🙄
I dont really understand how people hurt themselves going over the bars.
As soon as you realise your doing it just make you let go of the bars and land on your hands and roll. I've came off over the bars in the last two races the first time at speed. I've never failing to roll.
Yeah it didn't look like they hurt themselves. First girl just got up and carried on (we were out on a practice lap so saw it and realised the line was to the right). Second bloke during my race kind of went over, started running and jumped back on his bike in one swift movement 😀 good effort.
20 to 15 to 13 open
Course was a tricky one to keep a steady pace on with all the little hollows in the singletrack but loved that open little bermed section gave you a good idea how far tyhe next riders where in front of you.
Sounds like it was a good one.. anyone got a GPX of the route?
Was my first event, had a cold for a week when I entered and felt almost dead at the finish. But I really enjoyed it.
[b]frogstomp[/b] - here's my practice lap. route ran anticlockwise.
[url] http://dl.dropbox.com/u/196754/Gorrick_RD3_Practice_lap.gpx [/url]
Respect to those who raced! Had a wee pootle in the sunshine and, my goodness, how narrow and twisty were some of those tracks? Rooty too.
Found the Bramshill Bridge of Doom and the root has obviously been removed. Was surprised at how much it's changed in Bramshill but did remember the odd bit of singletrack from years ago.
Of course it transpired I was riding the course in the wrong direction. 🙄
Thanks to oggles for the gpx, found it on gamin before seeing the link above. Was annoyed I didn't check out the gorrick race as didn't recognise warren Heath, when its 3 miles from home -doh. Enjoyed a ride around and bumped into cg going opposite direction - small world. Cg did it ride better in reverse?
straightlinemike - glad I bumped into you! I got to the fire road not far from where I saw you and decided I just HAD to turn around and ride down, twas good! Bumbled around for a bit exploring little tracks.
Does anyone know if the motorbike enduro uses any of the single track?