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Shimano have a big E-bike demo thing running from the main car park whilst the DH is on so there must be other trails available and open for riding.
"I’m marshalling the DH and I’m only doing Friday and Saturday; didn’t see anything about 6 shift minimum. I got in via doing the EWS last year though so not sure if that makes a difference."
Interesting- It was in the terms and conditions at registration. I did EWS in '21 and '22 as well, they were ok with just doing one day at each!
I see they're desperate for marshals for Ride the Worlds at GT and Fort Bill, can't make either though.
I was down as a trainee Commissaire for a couple of the qualifer rounds, but never had any comms for one, and the other was cancelled due to not enough qualified Commissaires.
There's now a big Hollywood style Glentress sign in the XC start area, looks like its coming together well.
I did EWS in ’21 and ’22 as well, they were ok with just doing one day at each!
Nice! I did two days and it was enough! Maybe we were on the hill together...
I wouldn't want to do more than two thats for sure - I wish I'd actually just done the Saturday so I could fit more riding in; but I guess its going to be quite a one-off event to be a part of. They're longer days than EWS - Course marshalls start at 7:25am!
Have to give credit to Rare; their comms has been great, they've sorted me out with camping (well, somewhere to park the van) and you get breakfast and lunch and on Saturday you get evening meal as well. I really enjoyed the marshalling at EWS so I'm hoping it's gonna be as good.
Another one here that was initially keen to volunteer for marshalling duty but was totally put off by the six shifts thing.
A few mate felt the same way too.
I also marshalled the EWS in 21 and 22 doing two days both times.
Weird, not sure whats happened there then. As EWS was with ESO I initially signed up to Glentress but then requested a swap which they fulfilled without issue. Can't say I actually read the terms and conditions haha - but at no point has anyone said I need to sign up for more shifts, theres just the two on my volunteer dash thingy.
At the end of the day, they either want free help or they don't - being picky isnt going to help their cause!
being picky isnt going to help their cause!
My thoughts exactly.
Pretty much the same as we have planned @13thfloormonk
Got my 4 and 6 year old with me and my wife. Also going to the opening of the new Velosolutions pump track in Fort William on Wednesday. Heading up on Sunday, staying at Glen Nevis and got tickets for Friday and Saturday. I go every year, first time taking the family with me.
Having a couple of weeks holiday and watching the DH Finals on Saturday with My wife and 8/11 yr. old boys, cannot wait. Heading up to Glen Nevis on the Friday, hopefully get a fair bit of walking and biking in ourselves too.
I'm working (volunteered) at Glentress for the week. Field of play. Should be good.
Seriously tempted to head to Glasgow for the Elite Mens Road. Has anyone got a recommendation for a decent spot to watch?
It will be rammed,but I was thinking the Crow Road. 😃
XC at Glentress and a bunk off work on Monday afternoon for the BMX park finals.
No general thread for the worlds so posting this here, bit of an emotional watch.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0g3kkk0/katie-archibald-triumphs-loss-and-the-road-ahead
I’m going, my son is racing bmx next Tuesday. Very proud of him but it’s going to be a shit show I think, no parking at venue so competitors are being advised to get public transport - with their bikes 🙄
I’m going, my son is racing bmx next Tuesday. Very proud of him
Needs way more info than just this 🙂
We are at FtWilliam on Friday as a family - last time all 5 of us have a day together for maybe 2-3 years with various years out now happening 🙁
I have to blag my way in with a bike we have sold and have to deliver to a friend working on the 5:10 stand. Wish me luck..
Crow Road will be a shambles. No parking on the side that’s used for the climb, and there’s little parking in Fintry at the base of the climb. I’d head for Carron valley and watch them doing the climb up from Fankerton to the end of the New Line Road. Loads more accessible and bound to be fewer spectators.
No general thread for the worlds so posting this here, bit of an emotional watch.
Crikey, powerful stuff.
@weeksy The challenge class (basically age group worlds for BMX) runs at the same time as the pro's race. Qualificiation is via national series the year before - he's actually doing a lot better this year (currently ranked joint 2nd nationally on cruiser - tied with Harry Schofield (!)- and 16th on the 20" I think. He's won the south west regional series on both bikes this year). So looking good for next years qualification for worlds in South Carolina. Hoping for a good result at the British Champs in August but the world champs is just for fun and a nice GBR jersey with his name on it, he won't be competitive at that level.
There's none of the kit agony to justify a 'weeksy08' thread in bmx, but the time commitment is similar - training 4 nights a week and then racing most weekends. I just check tyre pressures, chain tension, brakes. Then it's just who is best at bikes. It's a very simple sport!
I think you may be selling yourself and him short with the modesty in that post 👍
Looks like everyone will be congregating in Fort Bill and Glentress! Have fun all.
Big thumbs up to all the future marshalls! And good luck to @ianpv and son in the BMX.
My sum total effort will be watching the proceedings, and helping put up balloons and bunting in Culross for the road race (where theyre passing through), which the riders probably wont even notice as theyll have passed through in about 15 seconds 😀 (might get on telly tho as its where Outlander is filmed)
Tadej Pogačar is going. Should be epic.
At the end of the day, they either want free help or they don’t – being picky isnt going to help their cause!
But what they don't want is thousands of people each doing one shift, they want a couple of hundred people doing 6 shifts each.
The logistics in terms of clothing, communications, transport, parking, accommodation - all of which are already at a premium - is not going to be helped by having someone who really only wants to marshal here for one day cos their mate is riding.
The Olympics was the same.
I'm not sure they managed to get the numbers by being picky though. Sounds like several experienced track marshals on here who couldn't/wouldn't commit that would have otherwise, myself included.
Anybody know when the start lists will be published? Only a couple of days to go and nothing available on the UCI website.
Think I'll head out to watch the road race as it passes balmore, though I've not much idea how long it will take them to get there. start at 9:30, so at balmore at lunchtime, ish?
BBC has the telly coverage, right? not seen a schedule anywhere yet.
I'll be manning a stand for Bikes for Refugees at Blair Drummond Smiddy on Thursday and Friday next week. The time trial course passes the Smiddy on three sides so it should be a good place to watch that if anyone fancies coming along.
Anyone who works for Scottish Government or any other body linked to them has been invited to volunteer for the worlds at full pay if anyone fancies that.
lovewookie
Full Member
Think I’ll head out to watch the road race as it passes balmore, though I’ve not much idea how long it will take them to get there. start at 9:30, so at balmore at lunchtime, ish?
Timings are here: https://www.cyclingworldchamps.com/schedule/road-men-elite-road-race/
also: https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/uci-cycling-world-championships-2023 has the tv schedules.
I'll be up to race the XC marathon! I'll be up from Thurs to Tues, so sadly can't really watch anything else.
At my level all I want to achieve is a good day out riding and beating people I know personally, I won't be within sight of the medals! The course looks infinitely better than last year though (Denmark), so should be easier to have some fun.
Anyone had any sneaky riding on the XCM course? Home advantage would be wasted if we can't get some insider trading going.
As a local I can confirm that Fort William is already rammed, more than normal. I'd stay at home myself to avoid the humanity. That's what I'll be doing......and I can get in for free. Putting up a volunteer, don't quite get that myself, why don't folk get paid? Good luck turning up ad-hoc, security and formality seems like World Cup x 3. Hope you all enjoy yourselves.
The logistics in terms of clothing, communications, transport, parking, accommodation
I didn't need any of those and would gladly have given three days despite none of my mates racing.
The six days or nothing stance was just daft.
@padkinson.
Do you know what number you are?
What bike are you on?
We'll give you a shout on round Yair somewhere.
Anyone had any sneaky riding on the XCM course? Home advantage would be wasted if we can’t get some insider trading going.
What do you need to know? I'm familiar with a good chunk of it, mostly well trodden trails so many on here will know them.
I didn’t need any of those and would gladly have given three days despite none of my mates racing.
The six days or nothing stance was just daft.
The uniform and training isn't for your benefit though, it is for the people you are supporting as volunteers.
The uniform and training isn’t for your benefit
I wasn't looking for any personal benefits.
Don't want to derail the tread though so I'll no say owt else.
What do you need to know? I’m familiar with a good chunk of it
Same here. Anything I can help with?
I may go and ride some of it in the next few days see what the conditions are like.
Do you know what number you are?
What bike are you on?
No idea on the number yet, they've not published gridding. I'll be in GB kit with white shoes, helmet and gloves, riding a lurid orange Trek Top Fuel. You can spot it from across a valley!
The main thing I'm after knowing is tyre choice and ground conditions. The weather forecast looks damp but not torrential, and there is a fair chunk of road/firetrack to think about. Does the ground on the natural stuff hold up to the rain fairly well, or would slick (ish) tyres be a really bad idea?
Following on from that, how 'puncture-y' is the ground likely to be. I've the option of some heavier tyres if needed, although the only place I've used them this year so far was Finale Ligure. Cheers everyone!
Tough call on tyres.
The outbound leg to Yair is on the Southern Upland Way path, so well armoured hardpack and stony.
Not sure on they Yair trails, apart from the first section which is the first 3mins of this video:
I rode the zigzag climb after the road section heading back west at the weekend, also hardpack and grippy. The short singletrack section after that (Mud Funnel on Trailforks) is wide but unridden. Mostly grassy with hidden rocks and looks to be largely newly strimmed. Pretty wide but no real obvious lines.
The downhill towards Walkerburn looks to be this trail:
Next climb after Walkerburn is long and relentless, starts on farm track, forest road then wide and rocky over the moor. All holds up well in the wet. Then New York, New York- well known Golfie trail with loads of Youtube videos out there.
The climb up to Dunslair is more farm/estate track, grassy but hardpack- well used by gravel bikes. Then after that is pretty much 100% trail centre at Glentress. Watch for Goat Track, that's got potential for flats as there's a few square edge rocks in the first half.
http://www.geograph.org.uk is a good site for checking on the ground conditions too
Heading up to Nevis Range for first time in donkeys years! Taking the boy up for his first trip, Friday only so we can be back for BMX and Road Race.
What's the best plan for travel to venue? We used to blag parking passes for the auction mart and laugh at the bus shuttle queues but those days are long gone....
Are shuttle buses reasonably good these days? Or is it worth considering taking bikes to ride from town, if so what's the nearest car park to minimise ride distance up and back with a tired 10 year old?
Are shuttle buses reasonably good these days? Or is it worth considering taking bikes to ride from town, if so what’s the nearest car park to minimise ride distance up and back with a tired 10 year old?
At Ceept's suggestion we're parking at the high school but then riding up. 6km but we have the tow rope, hoping it feels reasonably flat/downhill on the way home 😬
We’re on holiday in D&G next week and have tickets for the short track XC on Thursday - looking forward to it!
Predictably, the hard of thinking Glasgow residents are up in arms about this. Utterly depressing anti cyclist rants on social media posts from the council and police
Looks like the trail fairies have been pretty busy at Fort Bill.. a fair bit of smoothing out at the top and some new lines through the woods.
Live from 13:15 on BBC1 on Saturday.. doesn't look like Red Bull are covering it this year.
Iwas just about to post a link to the above. James is pretty handy on a bike
Se****ng to the lad... "they've made that a LOT easier" lots and lots of rocks at the top 3 mins removed/covered etc.