Progress at Olympic MTB Site

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  • Herbie The Dog
    Herbie The Dog Posts: 343
    That news is nearly a month old. Do keep up old boy!

    Still not convinced it'll amount to much but then again watching XC racing is pretty boring anyway.

    I'm with the 'should have been staged in Wales/Scotland' gang.

    Good luck to them though.
  • VWsurfbum
    VWsurfbum Posts: 7,881
    Whats interesting there is is there's a test event in July, anyone know what this is?
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  • BigJimmyB
    BigJimmyB Posts: 1,302
    Sorry, a friend sent it to me. I generally don't trawl for this stuff. What I was keen to point out (and should have been more explicit about) was the comparison to Beijing.

    I can't agree with you Herbie, Wales/Scotland would be too far away from London (yes I DO know about the sailing).

    This is XC riding we're talkiing about and the terrain / gradients are more than adequate. I'm looking forward to it immensely, esp as I live <15 miles away!
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    Me too BigJimmyB

    I'm in Chelmsford so it's my local event.
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  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Invite only I've heard, not sure if there's any truth in it.

    CBA to do the course discussion again!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    :lol: @ the "steep woodland drops" :lol:

    Regardless of the location discussion, it's still pathetic and I still maintain we'll be a laughing stock :(

    Just ditch MTB from the Olympics and use the £800k to invest in improving an existing trail centre in the UK.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    deadkenny wrote:
    :lol: @ the "steep woodland drops" :lol:

    Well that looks like a steep drop, in woodland....but no, I'm sure olympic level XC racing is easy.
    Regardless of the location discussion, it's still pathetic and I still maintain we'll be a laughing stock :(
    The elevation changes are greater than the Beijing course, and it looks like the whole thing's going to be covered in rocks, and there do seem to be fairly steep gradients and stuff. It's an XC course, not a DH track.
    Just ditch MTB from the Olympics and use the £800k to invest in improving an existing trail centre in the UK.
    Does anyone know what's happening to it afterwards? Is it being bulldozed, or kept?

    See 53 seconds in this. Sure, there's bigger drops in other places, but this is for weight weenies on fragile ~20lb race bikes.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • pilsburypie
    pilsburypie Posts: 891
    Looks like they laid a 3' wide sand track in a farmers field and made a few token features. Looks really sh1t! :lol:
  • ploppy
    ploppy Posts: 173
    there's some nice riding to be had in hadleigh, but i do agree that this area is not a patch on wales. the only thing i'd be a bit concerned about is the lack of natural obstacles. when i have done local races before, man made obstacles such as rock gardens were so shit i did the chicken run, it was like riding over ill maintained crazy paving.
    i'd still like to have a go at it though.
    go flat out or fall out!
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    True point that.

    Will be the least natural feeling trail, i wonder if it will have even bedded down well by then, or will it cut up badly :(

    And jeese, just had another look at those pictures, why call it mountain biking jeese bar a few rocks randomly thrown in it looks shoot so far lol. might aswell stick the guys in the velodrome.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Why on earth do people keep bringing this up? It's not finished yet!
    Laughing @ the "steep woodland drops" Laughing

    The drops look significantly more technical than virtually anything on the Surrey Hills, which I assume you do no handed...

    Wales would be utter toss, a course which heads out up a hill, turns around and comes back again is dull to race and dull to watch. If you want a 15 minute lap then this is perfect. Closer racing, better for spectators, easier to cover on TV.
  • pilsburypie
    pilsburypie Posts: 891
    njee20 wrote:
    Why on earth do people keep bringing this up? It's not finished yet!
    Laughing @ the "steep woodland drops" Laughing

    The drops look significantly more technical than virtually anything on the Surrey Hills, which I assume you do no handed...

    Wales would be utter toss, a course which heads out up a hill, turns around and comes back again is dull to race and dull to watch. If you want a 15 minute lap then this is perfect. Closer racing, better for spectators, easier to cover on TV.
    Christ - Have you designed it? :wink:
  • popstar
    popstar Posts: 1,392
    I see in not so distant future, Olympic trails could stay and lots of riders get their Knarr fix. Pictures could be decieving, but then XC race isn't super gnarl rad doode red bull venue?
    What could have been (Video)

    I'll choose not put too much stake into someone's opinion who is admittingly terrible though
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    njee20 wrote:
    Why on earth do people keep bringing this up? It's not finished yet!
    Laughing @ the "steep woodland drops" Laughing

    The drops look significantly more technical than virtually anything on the Surrey Hills, which I assume you do no handed...
    I was referring to steepness rather than technicality really. There are many very steep drops and rolls in the Surrey Hills, far steeper than what I'm seeing so far from Hadleigh (and in the North Downs even more so).

    Technically, there's a difference as SH aren't rocky, the technicality comes from roots which is I'll admit different from rocks.

    And no, I can't do the gnarly stuff in SH no handed. I'm not going to claim I'm an expert by any means. I'm still very much a beginner just trying to do enough to get down without breaking anything. Some of the stuff in the Surrey Hills scares the crap out of me :D, but what I'm seeing in the photos for Hadleigh makes me think I can do that no problem. Not at the speed they'd do it though of course, but I'd probably get down it without hassle which is not what I can claim for many areas of the Surrey Hills.

    Though I'll admit that photos can be deceptive. Maybe they are more gnarly than they seem ;)
  • thel33ter
    thel33ter Posts: 2,684
    @Njee - I'm with DK on this one, that rocky drop looks no harder than the bombhole bit on Barry's.
    And now you know, and knowing is half the battle
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  • supra-man
    supra-man Posts: 358
    I call it a fast rocky slope. to me the harder bit would be the multiple switch backs that are flat corners. flat corners are a lot harder to get right than any bermed corner or where you can use rocks or roots to lean against.

    That said I think it would be a right blast on a light hard tail like my former XC bike. I d see it more like a go kart race. there are loads of lines to use to over take. :lol:

    but this is t close to steep rollins and drops of SH. at the same time a lot of those things i didnt even look at or notice when I had my XC.
    specialized enduro 06 gone snif
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  • xcwanabe
    xcwanabe Posts: 11
    Not sure if you guys will have "traveled" across to the BC site to read whats been posted on there.

    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/mtb/article/mtb20101028--London-2012--Olympic-Mountain-Bike-Course-Launched-0

    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/mtb/article/mtb20101104--Road-To-2012--Martyn-Salt-The-Essential-Olympic-Mountain-Bike-Manager-0

    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/mtb/article/mtb20101104--Road-To-2012--Dispelling-The-Olympic-Mountain-Bike-Venue-Myths-0

    With Martyn Salt invovled it will be a proper event using the best on offer.

    I also know someone who rode the opening event and the pictures don't do the evolving course justice.

    There will be a test event next year invite only UCI elite.
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  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    No more tech than the bombhole on BKB? Really? You wanna look at photos of that for comparison, that's barely a downslope :-)

    The article that surfaced a month or so ago showed some of the more finished bits and they look far steeper than any of the roll-ins on the Surrey Hills. Pictures are deceiving, I've spoken to a couple of the guys who were there, and it'll be good.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Steeper than Deliverance?

    Given how many people crash and burn on that all the time it would make for fun watching come the Olympics if they're as steep and rutted up as that :D

    Anyway...

    http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/mtb/ar ... ue-Myths-0

    Good write up. They sound convincing and the arguments are fair. Will just have to see how it evolves.

    I don't think it will be my cup of tea to watch though, but then I'm not really fussed with the Olympics anyway.
  • popstar
    popstar Posts: 1,392
    That link says it all really. I am with Njee anyway.
    What could have been (Video)

    I'll choose not put too much stake into someone's opinion who is admittingly terrible though
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Steeper than Deliverance yes I'd say so. Deliverance isn't very steep, the roots are what catch people out more.
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    Good link Kenny.

    Too many people are dissing this on what they think it might be, not what the designers and builders are actually making.

    My name is down for tickets.
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  • supra-man
    supra-man Posts: 358
    Bar Shaker wrote:
    Good link Kenny.

    Too many people are dissing this on what they think it might be, not what the designers and builders are actually making.

    My name is down for tickets.

    The track looks a lot better on this last link. as on the first one the switch back/corners seem to be on flat land. here you really see the "altitude"
    specialized enduro 06 gone snif
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    I do like the bit ' know of very few other locations that offer such magnificent scenery' Cor i could think of a load.

    But other than that i can understand the veiw. I think the major problem for most people is Cross country racing is so different in format from what most people ride.

    We are far more likely to spend a day on a national DH course on an uplift day than on a national XC course as there just not really that fun to ride and don't represent what the majority of the sport is. just because of the format required to generate a race situation. If it was a trail and it was all single track it would be great, for an XC race this would be rubbish as no one would overtake.

    I also ust don't think XC racing is all that great to watch. I love riding been riding for 16 years and i still can't be arsed to watch more than 5 minutes.
  • popstar
    popstar Posts: 1,392
    In reality XC racecourse can't be the like's of Cwmcarn Twrch trail but double track instead for overtaking. If it was, it would be the bestest xc mtb racecourse in the world.
    What could have been (Video)

    I'll choose not put too much stake into someone's opinion who is admittingly terrible though
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Thewaylander wrote:
    I do like the bit ' know of very few other locations that offer such magnificent scenery' Cor i could think of a load.
    I don't know. Hadleigh does have a stunning view of an oil refinery ;)
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    ooo nice, but from Afan i can see bits of Port Talbot Steel works mate :p
  • El Capitano
    El Capitano Posts: 6,401
    Thewaylander wrote:
    ooo nice, but from Afan i can smell bits of Port Talbot Steel works mate :p

    Fixed it for you. :wink:

    I agreed that the Olympuic course doesn't look that 'Gnarly' but then it doesn't need to be for the racing to be exciting. Personally, I would have liked it to be based in South Wales, but that's because it's where I live, which would have made travelling to watch it easier.
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  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I did an XC race around the Twrch trail (the only one AFAIK), and as you both rightly say it was crap, it's terrible to race on as it is and if the whole thing was double track it'd be incredibly dull.

    What you want from an XC race course is the same as for a normal ride, just interspersed with bits of double track for overtaking. An entire race of doubletrack would be tortuously dull, and as the Twrch trail proved, no space to overtake makes for terrible racing, not to mention the anti-motorbike gates.

    I think people do underestimate how technical XC races can be. Admittedly I've not done all that many trail centres, but I've been a lot more scared by features in XC races than anything at trail centres.
    I think the major problem for most people is Cross country racing is so different in format from what most people ride.

    I sort of agree, I don't think the terrain needs to be as different as people think! Like I say, a race of fireroads would be absolutely terrible! A race of 100% singletrack would be great fun, until you need to overtake someone. Most XC racers aren't as wimpy as people seem to think!
  • El Capitano
    El Capitano Posts: 6,401
    njee20 wrote:
    but I've been a lot more scared by features in XC races than anything at trail centres.

    SITS, 2008, the steep drop in the dark/mud. :shock:
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