To complement the trail centre thread... and I fancy treating myself to a far away race this year...
Top 3 race courses (used in the last few years only please!)
My starter...
Pippingford
Perham Down
Newnham Park
and although I've never raced there I'll bet Lee Quarry is fun.
Dalby
Pippingford
Eastridge
the world cup course, Newnham Park, Plymouth, only rode it once on the world cup weekend. the pipeline with the crowds was immense.
No Fuss have made some brilliant courses for 10 at Kirroughtree. I really enjoyed the short course used for the Blairadam Bash a couple of years ago too. Beyond that, few of the limited number of other courses (all X hour enduro things rather than proper XC races) have really stood out as amazing.
Tunnel Hill
one day i'll do pippingford
1. Any Gorrick course
2. Any Gorrick course
3. Any Gorrick course
😛
none that have been used in the last 3 years
Eastridge
Margham park
Dalby
Dalby
Pippingford
Newnham
GB
The course they taped out for the Glentress 7 was decent... Maybe a bit lacking in overtaking places. I think most folks assumed it'd be all trailcentre.
(conflict of interest disclaimer: I built a bit of it. But not a good bit)
the gorrick courses are usually pretty decent, plus Selkirk CRC
I always enjoy:
Dalby
Pippingford
Wasing
Although the last 2 are awesome in the dry, and pretty miserable in the wet!
Gorrick courses are good, but I'm not a big fan of their propensity for 'fast bit, sharp corner straight into short climb, sharp corner, repeat'. Paul does a superb job, but they tend to be crammed into a reasonably small area rather than fast and flowing.
Brandon in that Thetford
Codham park in Essex
And I quite like Sherwood
In no particular order:
Glentress 7 (thanks Northwind!)
Drumlanrig
Kirroughtree
Just goes to show that trail centres can make for good races (IMHO) when you through in some off piste sections.
I almost added Comrie Croft (it is a great course) but the climb up through the grass lost marks for me). Badaguish was/is a great course too, although I've missed it from my 3 as my memory is a little hazy. No experience down south so can't comment outside Scotland (although Lee Quarry looks fun and I might give it a bash next year).
epic blast 2011
epic blast 2010
epic blast 2009
Brighton Big Dog course always seems to encapsulate what I think an XC course should be.
For me this years have been:
BMBS Newnham 2012
Raceface Circus of Dirt - Combe Sydenham
BMBS Dalby 2012
Margam
Dalby
Newnham
Back in the day ,the Grundig course at Rothiemurchus sticks in my mind ( but only cause it was on a ridgid with cantis ,and felt Gnaarr 🙂 )