Fort William Downhill course first ride

RichMTB

I tried the DH couse at Fort Bill for the first time on Saturday.

Some advice for anyone who not tried it:

If you don't have a DH bike then seriously consider renting one for the day a XC bike (full sus or otherwise) is just not suited to this type of terrain, if you are very skillful (i'm not!) then it may well be rideable on an XC bike but I still wouldn't recommend it.

Take it easy and walk sections you are not sure of, you can always have another go on your second run, watch experinced riders tackle the same sections

Take plenty of midge repellant there are millions of the little biters up there.

To the guys on the course and at the bottom who gave me some advice while I was there thanks very much.

To the tw@ts on the gondolas that felt the need to shout abuse at me while I was walking a section of trail below them, get a life, if someone had done that to you on your first ride how would you feel.

Cheers

Rich

schmako

Should be careful walking down that. I would probably say something to anyone walking it too as i'd imagine a bike slamming into you wouldn't be too great. But yeah last time I was up a guy on a giant trance didn't look like he was having too much fun.

Steve_F

I tried it on an XC bike too and will be hiring a dh bike next time.

After the 3rd run (the only one I never came off on!) I could smell my brakes burning I wasusing them that much.

I would add to your advice pick a quiet day through the week where you get the course to yourself if it's your first time. I was glad I did as I walked a couple of bits too.

Need to get booked back up there again soon.

RichMTB

Schmako, I was walking off the trail on the hillside not the path.

The guys in the gondola just wanted to have a go at a newbie. I've never experienced that before in mountain biking everyone at the trails is normally always very helpful and friendly. A bit disapointing

schmako

That is out of order, how did they know you didn't know what you were doing, could well have been a mechanical fault! You get idiots everywhere in life, just ignore them.

grantway

Shmako I am thinking of going up there would my Orange 5 AM version be ok
I have 6 inch forks up front.

Or would the terrain kill the bike?

Jimbob_no5

i did the lets see what happens thing and rode it, first run down on the orange that i hadnt properly ridden yet and it ended up with me in a tree well hitting one rather hard, did 7 runs in the 6 hours we were there including lunch, weather was censored , windy and wet so much fun

dirtbiker100

kona_cowan_rider wrote:

did 7 runs in the 6 hours we were there including lunch, weather was censored , windy and wet so much fun

interesting because there's this 6hr endurance race there in september. 6 hours, how many runs can you do and how quickly. gondola up, ride back down, gondola up etc etc. Never ridden there before but my bike will handle the day - not the best for it but it won't cry about it. aiming to get 10-15 runs in i think. mechanicals could be the biggest problem. keep my camelbak with me so i don't have to stop for a drink. get some food in the bag to quickly munch on the lift up... man i can't wait. wonder how bad a problem arm pump will be.

Jimbob_no5

my arms were dead after 4 runs with the brakes set different, but hell one awesome track, i would do the enduro race but i got inners SDA the week after and its my first race so i want to be fit and not tired

schmako

grantway wrote:

Shmako I am thinking of going up there would my Orange 5 AM version be ok
I have 6 inch forks up front.

Or would the terrain kill the bike?

As long as you don't go carting down too fast you should be okay. There isn't too much mandatory air at least. My Patriot is 6" travel and I was going for it last time and it seemed to hold up fine. I'd reckon you could get away with it, make sure your brakes are working well before you do!

grantway

Thanx for that yes the 5 AM is the same spec has the Patriot XCEL
worst comes to it flog the 5 AM and buy the Patriot just 2lbs heavy'er

Youngfox

As a local I apologise. We welcome visitors and I hope the folk who gave you abuse suffer death by midgies