Dalby Forest Red Route

I’d pop up and watch the racing at the w/end were it not for work.
We (mostly) seem to love Dalby; it’s worth the drive, even if some don’t get it at all.
Gaw’d knows how you’re doing a sub 2hr time on mud tyres! Whippetonabike m’thinks.
Tim

Course description for Sunday from the NPS website:

The riders leave the grass field, over a wall and descend quickly to run just above the forest road giving good access for filming as they travel along the trail at speed for over 750m.

A man made track climbs in steps back upto the village field, giving good opportunities for passing.

After the grass field they follow a short swoopy section of the famous Dalby Red route down to the forest road.

The riders climb again before a fast descent on man made track with different route options for the optimum line down towards Worry Gill.

The riders descend into Worry Gill, a fast rocky and slippery descent down a narrow steep sided valley surrounded by tall pines, all totally natural and untouched. All watched by spectators from the vantage point at the top of the Gill.

They race along the valley bottom and hop up on to the level bench along the trail side.

They riders then hairpin back onto the very steep technical climb up a bermed bends followed by a steep narrow technical descent with tight hairpins and rooty drop offs.

They then have a flat run out with a tech area, in front of large spectator viewing point.

The riders then climb steadily up for 70m in just 550m on an ancient sunken track, giving good overtaking opportunities.

They reach the summit of the climb on natural trails winding through in pine woods, before descending down natural trails to the forest road.

The riders drop in and out of Worry Gill again, in front of the large spectator area at thehead of the Gill.

They climb steadily adjacent to the forest road giving ideal spectator and TV access.

They now cross the Forest Drive in to The Pace Bike Park at Dixon’s Hollow. This is a purpose made bike skills course which gives a great viewing opportunity for spectators to see the riders up close on a tight swoopy course incorporating a cork screw bridge mini table tops and jumps. Then back across the Forest Drive to the start/finish straight.

Getting towards the end of the lap the riders join the existing forest trail through mature Beech Woodland.

I expect you’re right Will, there will be alternatives in place for the bits we’re using, but there will be less space for parking etc as well.

Reading into the description Sounds like the ‘new’ xc race loop isn’t too dissimilar to one of the courses they used to use for the SIMBAs a few years back. It should be a good course anyway. If the natural sections are the ones I am thinking of it should be a hard loop.

As an aside, will the great unwashed be able to access any of this circuit?
One of the things I used to love doing was a track day directly on the back of say MotoGp or F1. The very next day, I’d pootle ’round Donington as fast as I could in 2:02 and Rossi the day before was 1:32.
Fan-bloomin’-tastic!
What’s the chance of being permitted a lap or two or three of the XC lap?
Tim

Nope, it’s going to be off limits away from racing AFAIK.

Saying that, I’ll wager it’ll be pretty obvious where the 800 riders have been, and you can probably just follow the tyre tracks!

The first time we did the red was 1.56 2nd time 1.52.

1.52! thats the fastest ive heard, and i believe it to. Next time for me will be in summer, with race tyres and an earlier start.

You say “We”. Do you find going around as more than one person in a group makes you quicker?
I have always found being solo helps me more, and having the odd rider dotted about the circuit gives me people to aim for. No good if they’re in the way I grant you, but I still find it useful from time to time.

Maybe it’s all that sickly sweet white chocolate you eat (?) that makes you so darn fast, or maybe being younger than a Vet’ might make me feel better about being over 30 mins off your pace.
I wonder how quick you’d be solo!
Tim

Off on a bit of a tangent here, but rather than starting a new thread, what’s the deal with the £7 forest drive charge?
We may be camping up that way soon for a week. Does that mean every day you drive into the forest costs you another 7 sheets??? Could work out quite expensive!

You would need to buy a ticket every time IIRC.. The Drive is a Toll road

Better off buying a year long pass for £35 if yer planning on multiple trips…

That was quick! Cheers!

Season tickets cost £42
You can also get a weekly one for £15

uplink – Member
Season tickets cost £42

Oops, shows how long ago mine expired… 😳

There is another option, and the money won’t go to FE, instead it’ll get put to better use….

Join SingletrAction for £15 a year, then attend a minimum of 2 dig days at any of the sites (Dalby or Stainburn for instance), after which you’ll be eligible for a free Dalby pass!

A little bit of free time used to help maintain/improve/build new stuff on the trails you love to ride must be a good thing surely? 😉

I managed 1:56, started from the Ebberston end though so maybe add a few mins for the car park climb…

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/3961159

This thread got me interested in having another crack at the red route so I went along yesterday.

Red route (all red options when choice of red or black) in 1h42mins39s. Pleased with that as it is 12-13 mins quicker than my previous best time. Could lower that on a quieter day so might go back over the summer and see if I can crack 1h40mins.