as predicted, no longer at Largs for round 5, now at Inners instead.
I'm not surprised (I got a refund last month as it wasn't looking anywhere near ready) but I'm still disappointed. I was hoping this could have been a kicker for some more development in the area. Hopefully the team at Kelburn don't get disheartened and give up. Might give them a kick up the arse instead, and realise they need to get their finger out and actually listen and use local riders/volunteers.
Aye, just got that, tbh the largs round was one of the reasons I pulled out of the series, had no faith in them to deliver a race at a new venue after glenlivet... Probably for the best but yep, hope it doesn't knock them back too much. Maybe a chance to get things properly in line for next year and make a first class first stab at it?
Hope so Northy.
In a way disappointing.
On the other hand I have now entered as I have faith in the venue.
Disappointing indeed. Also a bit disappointed at the new venue, done too many races at Inners over the years. Understandable though
It's all barbour and tweed and jolly damn good the idea of having a bike race but no no, let's not let them use our prime grouse shooting land, heaven forbid! Isn't a nice gravel track in the lower field good enough for them? What on earth do the peasants want dammnit?
Sadly that's a factor.
That and sheer ineptitude and ignorance.
I entered as soon as the email came through. Granted, it's where I live but it takes actual hard work to mess things up as a race venue.
What can we expect at Innerleithen in Oct? Same trails as Round 1, totally different or mixture of the two.
It'll be different for sure, but what? TBH a bonus here is that they didn't use some of the best trails last time anyway so they're not having to cobble together another round from leftovers. And then there's golfin' too. It's a shame not to have cool new venues but, well, inners is probably the best race venue in the UK after all...
But it has to be said the amount of racing that is now in the Tweed Valley (which is awesome) is wearing the trails - I think there has to be an obligation on organisers to fund a trail repair day or two rather than hoping the fairy trailbuilder(s) or FCS will fix them.
Agree, i find it odd if ses do nothing to neaten up trails after races seeing as the builders get nothing from the events
I never quite know where I sit on this one. Well done to the rogue trailbuilders for their awesome work, but at the same time, they are building trails on land they don't own, without the permission of the landowner, so can't really complain when other people use them ?
But anyway I have heard rumors of a movement forming in the valley to set up a more formal trailbuilding group, engage with the FCS and do some lobbying, like some of the groups at Whistler. SOunds very positive to me !
I'm sure the trail builder(s) would appreciate any contributions from any body that uses the trails. It's not just the official race organisers that are using them.
Also, FCS takes a per rider levy for each entrant at a race held on their land. Last time I checked it was about £3 per rider, £1.50 for youths. Might be worth asking them what that is spent on. Probably building more parking lots. You could do a fair bit of trail repairs with their cut from each race event.
Asking organisers to also contribute cash for trail repairs is effectively expecting them to pay twice.
In fact, I feel an FOI request coming on. How much they took in levies for races last year ?
iirc there's a requirement for the uplift service to maintain the trails it services - fairly safe to say that hasn't actually happened in years though
Pretty complicated I think... Re half-official/tolerated trails maybe it's just part of the tolerance deal, you get to build and ride the trail you want to build and in return, so does everyone else... But IMO it mostly comes down to reasonableness, some trails will take it better than others, some trails can be trashed in a day by a wet race, personally I don't think it's right to outright wreck a trail unless it was built for the event. (and frankly racing on a falling apart trail isn't too good for anyone anyway). There's been times this maybe hasn't been done right
For the constructed/main network trails, FC are generally mostly worried about keeping things in-spec and in-grade and usually race wear won't threaten that, though there's been some really specific stuff where it has- mostly from shortcuts rather than normal wear and tear though. Good taping mitigates this though. (lots of damage at EWS this year on inners black because it was taped too open and the [s]cheats[/s] pros turned it into an epic straightline)
The DH is a whole other thing, it's graded, built and maintained differently, and wears differently too. Half-remembered conversation, I think the uplift is supposed to ensure the 4 main trails are safe but I don't think they're required to do any other maintenance.
But anyway I have heard rumors of a movement forming in the valley to set up a more formal trailbuilding group, engage with the FCS and do some lobbying, like some of the groups at Whistler. SOunds very positive to me !
That can only be a good thing. I've not been down it but I hear the new one at the golfy is on the cheeky side in terms of number of trees that have been quietly cut down, it got me thinking there has to be a tipping point where the FC will say enough is enough.
Was at Yair a few weeks ago and some of the trails there aren't the same since the race there in April or whenever it was.