[Closed] The best xc courses to race?

I always love Crowthorne, loamy fun, some techie bits, woods a plenty....  I really enjoy it there. But i do like all the Gorricks

I always liked Wasing, as long as it was a dry race. Fast with good tech features.

But I don't know if it is still on as a race venue.

I agree Wasing is good - but I think you are right it's not available as a venue any more.

I rmember fully buzzing off racing at Dalby for the NPS a couple of years ago, a good mix of flow, tech and hills.

A big thing for me with racing is the competition not the courses per se. We have some fantastic courses in Wales but the small fields me form a racing perspective its not as good as elsewhere. Things like the gorricks have such big fields you are more or less guarenteed a good race.

edit. Has next years national XC series dates/venues been announced? A cursory glance says no, but I guess they should be out soon

NPS races not out yet. Dalby would be on my hit list. Glentress was very good as well apparently.

Depends on you I think. I really liked Ringwood (do they still use it?) but that's because I'm fat and it's flat, so I did well. Fast racing.

I'm more looking for massive climbs and fast, technical downhills. There don't seem to be many race courses like this in the UK. Am I wrong?

The full Olympic course at Hadleigh actually fell into this category. The nationals this year was such a hard race.

We have several in wales - what cat are you in? V40 is well attended but in the senior cats its sadly a bit thin on the ground.

This one in Builth was a cracker: Welsh cycling facebook album

and Strava lap

New venue last year, hope they use it again.

Last year I did one of the Garrick's, great course but crap racing it.  There were not many in my cat (50+), so the first lap I got overtaken, second lap entirely on my own, third and last lap a few of the leaders overtook me.  So for me there was little actual racing.

I do a local race which has about 50-80 in it and its very short laps for 45 mins, so there is always someone to race against.  But its not a technical course.  I can come in the top 15 regularly in that race.

I need a race of old blokes that are less fit or as fit as me.

Deffo big dog...

DrP

Are there still XC races in South Wales then?  I'm tempted - I need to get some races in next year.  It looks like I can now be either a vet or enter Sport - that right?

Fforest Fields at Builth is great. Margam also very good

Laggan, Badaguish, Fort William in the SXC series.

Dalby and Whinlater in England

You've just missed the last Tour of Ben Nevis, sounds just like what you're looking for, but longer.

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Been many years since I raced short course XC though, not sure how mnay of these are still used but they were my favourites

Drumlanrig was great. Is it still being used?

I used to like Newnham park from way back.  Not sure if they use the same features these days.  For me it featured everything; plenty of climbing, multiple river crossings, fast flowing singletrack, bomb holes.  Think a bit of poo came out first time I descended the corkscrew and bounced my way towards trees at the bottom (cantilevers and solid elastomers)!

Last round of the midlands was pretty good Dudmaston

@molgrips - pretty sure you ask that every year 🙂  Venues more mid-south than south south, excluding Pembrey

@andrewh - there hasnt been a race at Margam for quite a few years (I think because of the cost of the venue); which is a real shame as they spent all that money on the 'world cup' course which I guess must be properly overgrown as I suppose no-one is maintaining it as its not being used.