This is a vid from this weekend when i went to Sherwood pines and played on the free ride/down hill bit.
Ther should be another one apearing on there soon as it was uploading when i left to come to work.

Is it only me that thinks Vimeo is unwatchable and stutters. Could be a great vid. You tube is better.

I think the stuttering is slowwwwwwwwwww mo

Vimeo is like that for me too, but its my old graphics card and crap buffer speed combo thats the problem

There are 2 bits of slow mo on there they are the shots taken to the side of the trail.

I think this is what Sherwood Pines is best for, but it's been graded wrongly. Instead of calling it the freeride area it should be called a skills area and graded blue/red. It's great for practicing technique, but not a deal more than that.

FWIW owen, I think you make a lot of the same mistakes as me, if you want a bit of constructive criticism?

For me it just makes for a more exciting bit of the xc route. Other trail centres seem to have technical features littered around the whole trail whereas Pines seems to put them all in one area.

Kramer – Go for it am always open to ideas and help.

nice one owen,

here's another of some layabout weirdos riding there….

STW pines meet

owen – here are some of the problems I have.

First of all, I come down the start ramp, pedalling hard, round the corner, then always end up grabbing the brake before the first rocky drop, and rolling it. The problem is that it's a little too high to just let my speed carry me over, and needs a little finesse.

The two drops at the end are a little different, in fact the faster you hit them, the easier they become, and all it takes is a little MTFU. The problem that I have is that what works for the last two drops, doesn't work for the first one, and the last two drops let me get away with poor technique, that will find me out when I go bigger, and from looking at the video, I think that you may be doing the same thing?

I practiced a bit in Morzine, and want to get to Sherwood Pines again to have another go, but what I need to do is avoid the brakes, and as I'm coming up to the drop crouch down and forwards over the bike, then exploding backwards with my body, almost pushing the bike out forward from underneath me, which should set it up for the landing. I always feel as if I'm being really dynamic, but then when I see pictures, I'm not actually moving that much.

Hope this is helpful. 😀

I've been riding (and raced)the pines for just over 28 years… Some of the trail building there is very poorly thought out and dangerous in some cases IMHO.

Seems some of the great natural trails have been spoiled too.

I've heard lot's of opinions over the last few years but haven't really heard to many resounding thumbs up, whether that's just because it's the opinion to have at the moment to be perceived as a trail guru, I'm not sure. Experience has left me disappointed sadly. Still love the place though!

zone

oi, pook! less of the layabout's you.

i'll admit we're a bit weird though 😆

I like the pines as it's in my back yard and I can hack round at speed for an afternoon with my brain switched off, apart from a few trail obstacles it's the easiest red trail I've ridden. Good fun but not the most technical of trails out there.

Kramer

Pretty much spot on for what i do. I know i could just go for it but always end up grabing the brakes as you say though i have started to hit the second 2 with more and more speed so i just need to MTFU and go for it (as my ever so loving wife told me).