Old School DH

[velomaniac]

A question for you old school racers, what level of steepness, difficulty, distance was a DH course back in the day when forks were rigid or virtually so.

I ask because I remember some suggestion for having an old school DH race somewhere and as us MacRetro crew might try and organise a big meet next year, a DH could be fun. Only an idea and its feasibility needs worked out but your memories could help.

Cheers Velo

 

[Xesh]

The first DH race that I remember watching was at Penshurst here in Kent. It's steep by the standards of where I live but the South Downs has steeper. It was more of a technical DH section on an XC trail.

It was called the K2 and one of my mates did it on a fully rigid Orange Prestige.

It was also the first time I saw the Amplifier irl. In fact it wasn't just one, it was loads. I kept tripping over them every time I turned around!

 

[xizang]

Cap D'ail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edb9HzHntHQ


lots of other old school downhill courses by the side of the vid

 

[cyfa2809]

most downhills that were ridden on rigids were more technical than downhill. some fast smooth straights but no big hucks and 10ft boulders like today. more skill was needed to stay on the bike, slippery roots, mossy rock gardens etc. it was more a mixture of xc and downhill rather than full on dowhill. distance could be anything from a minute and a half to 6 minutes i think?

 

[LeeDevelopment]

As said UK courses were more technical than steep.

Guisecliffe, near Ripon was all rocks. NEMBA and NAMBS venues would have been: Ramsgill, Farleton Fell, Hamsterley Forest, Slaley Forest, Eston Hills, Carlton Bank in Cleveland, Bootle Fell, Bingley Moor, Dalby Forest, Hexham, Gisburn Forest.

Innerleithen came later where Dirt proclaimed it as a 'Technical Nightmare' with a picture of Plunkett coming through a dark covered section of the woods.

 

[The Ken]

I'm pretty sure Downhilldave and I could find the old innerleithen firetrail downhill from 90/91, it was a little bit singletrack at the top near the ruins/high wall and then 45 plus fire trail with some sharp off camber corners. It will probably have full size trees now though.

Nothing too technical at all for that one - other than the off track log pile I hit on the last corner

 

[cchris2lou]

Cap D'ail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edb9HzHntHQ


lots of other old school downhill courses by the side of the vid

that is where N Vouilloz and Fabien Barel live .

it was a hard course in the 90s and still is even with better suspension .

 

[boxxer]

As said UK courses were more technical than steep.
Innerleithen came later where Dirt proclaimed it as a 'Technical Nightmare' with a picture of Plunkett coming through a dark covered section of the woods.

Jerrys Technical Nightmare to give it the full title - was a belter, more narrow tree gaps than anywhere I've ever ridden

The yay original track was the "Golf Course" at Inners on the other side of hte valley - that was steep and flat out, even on a fully rigid with canti's

Jon Beckett has a vid of the track somewhere - was on Descent-world before the server crash...... Otherwise something like Strathyre which was steep in places but technical in others

Where are youy guys this

 

[LeeDevelopment]

The yay original track was the "Golf Course" at Inners on the other side of hte valley - that was steep and flat out, even on a fully rigid with canti's

Jon Beckett has a vid of the track somewhere - was on Descent-world before the server crash......

Caberston? The one with the 'tunnel'? If that's the same course as the one I'm thinking of it totally kicks butt.

 

[xizang]

I remember a NPS round at Margam Park in '96. The 'big' drop was about 3 foot.
It was pedally at the top, down a steep bit about 10 foot, another pedally straight, a switchback, straight, the 'big drop' into a bowl which spat you out, over or round a log (where Longden crashed), through the trees (pretty flat) in a switchback fashion to the finish. Peaty, Will Longden, Rob Warner among others were there.
The course is now barely visible