who else is coming to Fort Bill?

joshtp

Got everything booked up last week, super exited now.... so who else is going? And to those who have been before/are local, whats worth/not worth riding in the area... I'm hoping to stay on the Monday too and ride the red/4x track a bit, but I also want to ride a bit of xc/trail stuff in the area over the less interesting portions of the weekend... what do ya recommend?

bluechair84

Glencoe if you've got the balls for it. Glencoe is the boogie monster in Fort Bills closet. Glencoe makes Fort Bill cry at night. It's about 40min drive away if your a slow old fart like me (actually I'm not old or slow... just.... points )
You could also ride devils staircase which on the West highland Way between FW and Glencoe - I didn't ride it last time I was there but I WILL do when there this summer. Supposed to be worthy of redhead of the day if it was a woman.

Aldo001

I'm going up too
Can't wait! Going to be an immense weekend!

Cferg

Hopefully volunteering at it Will probably also stick about after for some local riding. Tempted to go to Glen Coe DH track but it'll probably be absoloutely mobbed plus theres a race on there aswell.

joshtp

ok, ok, lets calm this down, I'm no dh'er... well, I do ride a bit of it, but I'm hardly up to WC track standards... I'm thinking trails within riding/10 mins driving distance for riding on the sat and sun mornings before all the "interesting" stuff happens... XC/AM trails mostly, but a easy DH is ok too....

Cferg

I wouldn't call Glen Coe an 'easy DH' it looks brutal from what I've seen from videos / being there skiing. You'll have to venture a bit further than 10 mins, as most of the stuff around the course will be shut ie. red route etc.

Northwind

I dunno, might do, I'm going up at least twice this year to ride and race so not sure I'll make the trip for the racing- nothing against it, I just prefer riding bikes to watching some other fellers riding bikes.

Riding wise it's a great area. The signposted 10 Under the Ben route is crap though, ridiculous amount of fireroad (the real race route is actually better but some sections are off-map) but the world cup XC route has some really good bits, and you can mix in the good bits of the 10UTB route as well into a short super-lap.

The Nevis Red is fantastic- well, if it was a pedal-up trail I'd have some complaints about the boardwalk and the careless use of altitude but it isn't, so I don't. Get there early and don't waste time, you can do your eating and resting in the gondola. Do be aware though it's red in the same way that coca cola is red- it's harder in places than most blacks I've done. Fab though.

The world cup dh is less demanding than you'd expect but it's a physically very tough descent and mentally quite tricky, skills-wise any good rider and bike should be up to it as long as they keep the head. Race pace is another thing entirely though! But it can be ridden slow. I really enjoy it but I approach it with too much caution I think, hoping to sort that this year.

There was an XC route in WMB I think... Very nice, you start at the fort and go south on the west highland way til you get to general wade's road, then turn back (right) onto the tarmac road and ride back almost to fort william, then up Cow Hill and round the multipurpose trail there (which is a shared bike/walker trail but flows brilliantly). Quite undemanding but a nice out-and-back ride.

What I'd suggest for one day's riding is just to get a lift ticket and ride the red til you either feel really on top of it, or you're shattered. If you're feeling good, and comfortable on the red, then step up to the downhill. Otherwise, ride the red all day then when the lifts close do the world cup XC route- but pay attention to the map and you can sneak out and do Nessie as well off the 10UTB route. Likewise you can ride the very first section of 10UTB out of the car park down to the other car park, then back up the road.

(Glencoe I've not ridden, it looks like a right bastard)

Cferg

Quite a few of the tracks will be closed through, the red is being used for a Dirt Crit race over the weekend, not sure when it opens back up.

sheepsteeth

i would go but it is so flipping far away.

joshtp

potato, but I AM still going....

Northwind

sheepsteeth wrote:

i would go but it is so flipping far away.

Get the train up? It takes ages but from Glasgow up is a fantastic journey, it's been named the best train journey in europe. Can even get the sleeper.