2013 Retrobike Downhill race/meet you say??? :)

Agreed!!

please enter me in the "over 40's dont bounce so well nowadays so too scared to pedal and will be keeping at least one wheel on the gound at any given point and you may need a calender rather than a stopwatch" catergory. please

This is one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time.

I WILL be there if it happens, sounds like a proper good time. Lets do it!

Categories - as there won't be hundreds turning up the fewer the categories the better. If there was a date split then careful consideration would have to be made as to when the bikes suspension became really effective. I think we can all agree that a rigid bike ridden well could match a 2-3" travel elastomer sprung bike. But against a 4" coil sprung bike not so much. I'm not suggesting a date, as I don't know much about suspension history myself.

You could base it on suspension travel alone. So one category of rigid/up to 3"/elastomer suspension and another of 3+ inches/coil/oil may be worth thinking about?

You could also have individual awards "weirdest bike", "most commitment", "biggest crash".

I'd be riding my rigid Kona (Steve peat style, but maybe not speed) or my DMR (has SOME suspension!!)

I'll ask John if I can provide a prize or two.

Perhaps, yes and YES!

I remember going to watch a couple of races near where I used to live that were nothing more than a guy at the top and a guy at the bottom with a stopwatch, and some flags and bumps in between.

If you wanted to do it on a 'proper' course however, then how about the Malverns? The scene of many a good early DH race and fairly central too.

Categories could be:

- Rigid
- Hardtail
- FS
- BSO(!)

I think the cut-off should be 2000 because things began to really leap forwards after that.

Most old DH courses had big pedally sections in them, as well as rough DH bits, so the advantages/disadvantages of each different type of bike should balance themselves out to a certain extent. For example if someone was on something like DeliHustler's Super 8, then they'd fly down the rough bits but they'd be blowing out of their a**e on the pedally bits, whereas someone on a hardtail might benefit from the pedalling section(s).

You could even have an old skool trials section, so long as there was a small brook/river and some interesting looking sections of bank!

And don't forget the obligatory burger bar - or have someone on BBQ duty and ensure that one of the entry requirements for each person is a pack of burgers or sausages!

This sounds like a brilliant idea! All I'd need would be a bike

I tried to create the MacKlunker up here in Scotland using the old Innerleithen DH track behind the golf course on the north side of the town.
Starts by an old concrete water tank on the moor at the top of the hill and descends to the bottom via a bit of single track and lots of timber road. it was the venue of Scotlands first DH event back in early 90's. The Ken and DaveDH from MacRetro took part in the original when they were but yoofs
Nobody showed up so it was cancelled
Very suitable for old bikes but too far north for most of you.

great idea im game

Sounds ideal

How about sticking with how it was done BITD and adding it as 'dual slalom' eliminator into a RB national ride some time - some flag poles and a grass hill is all thats required and the heckling/abuse can be hurled down the whole route!!

Dave I wonder if there is a suitable hill in them there cotswolds.....

I think adding it onto the end of a ride is something that could be done as well as seperate downhill day/event/meet. If done right this warrants a full day.. Hopefully we'll see a great mix of bikes from fully rigid with cantis to a LTS-DH with 5 inch each end...a big ride first might put off the LTS owner and we end up with a slalom on XC bikes with riders who've put their best work in, in the morning and have nothing in the tank for the afternoon. Just my thoughts...don't want to sound like I'm putting a dampner on anything! :s

I agree either could work , there has been loads of interest so really what it needs rather than discussing Categories etc.


1, A leader or group to bring the idea to actually happen
2, A venue
3, A date that does not clash with regional or national dates.