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Been getting in to downhill in a small way over the last few years. Long weekend to the Alps once a year, Cwym Carn and FoD uplifts couple of times a year.
Just booked for the Rheola uplift day and am a bit worried. Experienced downhiller mates have said its steep, technical and slippery when wet (ooer).
Ive only got a Specilaized Pitch, very limited ability, and no bravery. Am I going to hurt myself?
Am I going to hurt myself?
no, maybe, yes
depends how hard you push
It won't hurt if you're dead
i'm rubbish at riding bikes.
(genuinely crap)
i like rheola.
there are some difficult bits i slow down for, and i roll over most of the jumps.
..Been getting in to downhill in a small way over the last few years. Long weekend to the Alps once a year, Cwym Carn and FoD uplifts couple of times a year.
you'll be fine.
Haha, that video made me really fancy riding there. When is the uplift day?
🙂
So basically:
1. Its slippery when wet
2. Its slippery when dry
3. You will slide off if you go slow
4. You will slide of if you go fast (and maybe hit a tree)
Right. Confidence levels have hit rock bottom. Thanks for that.
Gonna book my bed in A+E before I go.
no worries. glad you all enjoyed.
Its a proper track. when at the top look down to the first fireroad and thats usually the length of most dh tracks in the uk - Rheola you're not even 1/3 the way down. The cars and people look like ants at the bottom.
I personally love this track the faster you go the more fun it it.
Got any tips?
Got any tips?
wait for the crowd to go down 1st then head down on your 1st few runs. (nothing worse than having someone appear behind you on the top section). its ****ing fast and very hard to move out of the way.
stay off the brakes on the rocks at the top.
pick a line over the roots and stick to it keep confident and know the bike will ride over it the second you touch the breaks the bike will loose traction.
conserve your energy its easy to get carried away and tire out quickly.
on a pitch you'll be fine. though drop the seat and fit dual ply tyres. a high roller f+r are good bets
Rheola was always my favourite track as it has a bit of everything. Top section fast and rocky, then it gets a bit more technical and into the woods is fun. Star Wars is always a challenge except in the dry when it's pretty easy.
Rheola is a great track for everyone from beginners to experts. You can pretty much roll everything and it's never especially steep or technical if you're going at a moderate pace. But it lets you really pick up speed and carry that speed if you want, at which point it does get more challenging.
Best tip i can offer is to relax and not let the war-hammer clad DH posse psyche you out. Accept that you're just a beginner and that this is a whole other ball game compared to what you're used to and everyone has to start that game somewhere - give yourself a break but don't break yourself!
As well as the dual ply tyres, you will really feel the benefit of 'super tacky' soft compound as well. Maxxis High Rollers, Minions etc.
Rheola is pretty nuts, raced it at BUCS the other week, and that was the first time I'd ridden it.
After 3 or 4 runs I was destroyed, mentally and physically. That was on a hardtail with 2.2s, so the arms were taking a bit of a hammering.
It's a proper fun track, and you can roll everything. Faster you go the easier it gets, but it is very slippery.
It's a great place to challenge yourself too. I managed about 6 runs in two days, and I think I've improved in several places from it.
I'd recommend elbow pads too.
Thanks guys.
Going to be dressed like a storm trooper and take my mahoosive tires and tubes.
Dont particularily like off camber roots, but learnt to not show them any fear. Will see if that works. Otherwise will get off and walk 😉
I did a couple of runs there a few years ago and it was good fun. It was a soaking wet day, we pushed up twice and fannied about on the way down sliding all over the place. The ruts in Star Wars were deep enough to take a bike. A couple of weeks later they had the British Champs there and Peaty broke his ankle in the Star Wars section during practice.
But don't let that put you off... 😀 You can make it what you want it to be. Take it easy(ish) and it's fun. You'll be fine on your Pitch.
we pushed up twice
**** me that's quite a long trudge!
Sounds entertaining on a Pitch. Used to regularly do uplifts at Cwmcarn when I had one.
Ha ha ha! That video is brilliant, it must be much worse than it looks in the video, always fancied riding there!
At the end of the day you only live once and I'm sure there will be people with a bag of talent less full than yours, just have a go I'm sure it will be a laugh!
I got the feeling from that video too many of the riders had bikes too big for them, bars too wide for them, braked too much, and didn't have enough upper body strength to stay on.
But as we all know, videos make the ground look easier than it is, and those roots everywhere are probably a bone jarring nightmare 🙂
I get the feeling from that post that you have no idea what you're talking about 'mrdestructo' 🙄
and I'm not quite sure why you felt the need to post the video either dirtyrider 🙄
Rheola was the first uplift day I ever attended, I was on a 5 inch Trek with dual control shifter / brakes and 160mm disc. I remember dragging the rear brake all the way down the hill and back then I used 2 fingers to operate each brake.
It was an epic day, the course was brutal and for the first couple of runs I had to break it into 3 sections and my hands were permanent claws by the end of it.
There were plenty of lines to choose from going through the wooded section featured in the video.
Been back there a couple of times since when Dragon Downhill was running the uplift, never had a bad day rain or shine.
Most of Rheola is fine, gentle gradient so you can just let off the brakes the more confident you are. The only difficult bit is the steep rut before starwars (it's not steep, but the rut makes it more difficult) and starwars ruts, the rest is fine and all rollable.
[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/video/241837/ ]Video of mine showing you how to do the top section[/url]
[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/video/248162/ ]Full run 1[/url]
[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/video/248238/ ]Full run 2[/url]
the thing i like about rheola is its so slippery that when you come off you just slide and slide which means it doesnt hurt so much 😉
im a right pussy when it comes to downhill but i managed it fine and had a big grin by the end of the day.
i was on a 160mm bike and of course my mate on a 224 was going quicker but we were both smiling the same at the end.
i think it taught me alot - roots require bravery, falling off isnt that bad and not to worry about deep ruts (its not like you can steer in them anyway)
Well I didnt die. But I did fall off a lot (one rather embarassing one in to the swamppy bit at the bottom- see about 3:03)
Full set of crashes from 2:29
i'm on that vid! first rider getting bike off the bus in white & yellow
good day wasn't it. we were the group with the massive fella dressed up in a yellow spandex crash test dummy outfit for his stag do.
first time i've ridden rheola & it is a tough track. i had no major stackage though so mustn't have been trying hard enough...
hope you had a good un!!
I met her in a bar down in old Soho, where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cocola,
Reho, Reho Reho lo la......
Oh man, not ridden Rheola for ages. Thats really made me want to go back.
Had some bad crashes there but love the track, the best of the Dragon tracks.
Getting through Star Wars in one piece in the wet was always a huge achievement.
Rheola was one of my first races. The worst bit for me was star wars. Take it as it goes. It's an uplift dy which means have fun at your own pace