Scottish Downhill Association Rnd 2 Dunkeld

Following a fun day’s riding at a dusty Dunkeld the weekend before , the team were looking forward to more of the same at Round 2 of the Scottish Downhill Association Series but heavy rain the day (and night) before meant that conditions couldn’t have been more different... A lot of work had been done to the track in the weeks leading up to the race with the difficult top section eased a little with some bermed corners and some of the holes filled in but the rain led to this still being awkward to ride although it was almost easy compared to the lower sections which cut up badly leaving deep mud and awkward rooty sections all the way to the finish line. Practice was tough going on Saturday but the team kept plugging away and everyone was looking forward to racing on Sunday. 

Sunday proved an even tougher day with big crashes for Al and Ewan in morning practice which led to Al having to sit out the rest of the day with a bad leg knock and Ewan being shaken after a big trip over the bars after he’d been “stoked” on the track all weekend. 

Further incidents were to follow in the first race runs with Ewan taking another trip over the bars, Keir head butting a tree and breaking a finger, Neil collecting a rear wheel puncture and even Alastair sliding out just before the finish line. On the second race runs Keir had to join Al on the sidelines while Ewan, Neil and Alastair all headed back up the hill hoping to improve their times.

Unfortunately a problem with the SDA’s new timing system computer meant that full results weren’t available at the end but Ewan crashed again to add to a disappointing day after having had fun and looking fast all through practice. Alastair had a few slips to give him a 4th place and Neil was pleased to get a clean run in which took him to second place in Vets. 

Neil, fastest man in the team this weekend

The computer problem meant there wasn’t any podium ceremony so all that was left was to enjoy watching everyone trying to get their cars and campervans out of the muddy field then a quick stop at the chippy in Dunkeld for fish suppers and the drive home with thoughts turning to what was a tough weekend but also looking forward to the next race – the BDS in Fort William... Special thanks must go to the marshals and volunteers of the SDA who had a number of issues to deal with over the weekend but still managed to put on a great race.

Thanks to Marked Mediahouse for the images.

Scottish Enduro Series Rnd2

Team MTB Ride Guide Rider Keir reports from Scottish Enduro Series Rnd2 at innerleithen

Last weekend I headed over to one of my all-time favourite riding spots, Innerleithen, for the Scottish Enduro Series ~ round 2. I had never really had the chance to get out on my Nukeproof Mega at Innerleithen as I had always been there on downhill business, so this was a bit of a treat!

On the Saturday morning I headed out for practice with 2 of Scotland’s finest riders; Drew Carters and Gary Forest who were both local to the area. It was great for me to get out with them because they set a really fast standard of riding which was good for me to try keep up. Each stage had its own set of variables from the flat out jumps and berms of stage one right through to the wet roots and ankle deep ruts of stage 5. I found some of the stages a bit of a challenge to get used to, as it was so different form my normal riding at Fort William but, on race day, I managed to get my head in a good place and it all clicked.

Dirty business this enduro lark.

On the Sunday Morning I woke up feeling a wee bit sick and unwell; I tried to just ignore it but it was not budging - even after a gentle breakfast. So when we arrived at the venue I decided it would be a good idea if I had some water and went for an hour of sleep in the van before heading out. I woke up feeling a little better and got ready for some riding. When I set off I seemed to be all-good. The first climb was by far the longest taking me a good 1 and a half hours to summit at a steady pace. There was not too much hanging around at the top as the elements were not in a rider’s favour with wind blowing in and heavy showers to go with it, however it did not ruin it for me at all! The stages were riding first class. I had pretty much a solid descent ride on all of the stages expect stage three where I had a nasty hang up - which I reckon cost me a lot of valuable time perhaps maybe even a spot on the podium- although I didn’t let it dampen my spirits.

I feel that everyone at Innerleithen MTB put a lot of work into the stages to make a top-notch event and it was, overall, a great weekend. I took 4th in my class and I was happy with that and I’m now looking forward to improving over the next few rounds. My bike was running like a dream; the 650B wheels on the Nukeproof Mega TR is the ideal enduro combo and I look forward to having a blast on it when my legs have recovered form this weekend!

Thanks to Malcolm at Marked Mediahouse for the images.

Team MTB Ride Guide @ BDS Rnd1

Team riders Al, Ewan & Keir headed down to sunny Wales at the weekend to compete in
Rnd 1 of the Shimano British Downhill Series at Antur Stiniog . 

The purpose built trail centre was an ideal venue for the event with a super fast and efficient uplift which meant everyone got in as many runs as needed without waiting for hours in long queues.

Up top the track was mostly bed rock and slate and was pretty rough in places. It was super slick and caught out most of the team over the weekend with quite a few falls.

Lower down there was a huge rock roll with a bit of a huck thrown in for good measure before the track became more flowy with a few jumps and berms before a slight up hill sprint  and then on down to the finish. 

It was a fairly short but brutal track that demanded respect.

All the lads used their heads and rode within their limits to put in good results in their categories which served them well.

In Youth Category Ewan was 25th and Al 29th while in Junior Category Keir was 37th.

All the lads are now looking forward to their home round at Fort William for Rnd 2.