Does anyone know where exactly the olympic MTBing wil be?
Discussion
snotrag said:
There aint no DH in the olympics mate...
Just a cross country, about 50k I think.
That's what I thought (it seemed an unlikely discipline!) but I thought I saw someone on here referring to one. Must have got the wrong end of the stick...Just a cross country, about 50k I think.
I'm not an XC rider so a bit out of my depth here, but surely you don't need a huge ammount of gradient for it? I suppose I'm under estimating the fitness of these people - presumably you'd need an unfeasibly long route on flatish ground to test them?
So, any locals care to hazard a guess? I presume the Beastway is too small? Danbury Woods? Maybe go a bit further afield (and in the other direction) to the Chilterns or 'Downs?
Does it need to be near London?
I would have thought the nearest suitable options would be the South Wales trail centres?
The North downs could certainly provide some good terrain for fast paced racing, but not sure of the legal situation (its all bridleway or RUPP).
Anything else local to London will be a let down for all concerned. Not interesting enough racing / riding for Joe Public, and not enough challenge for the atheletes / enthusiasts.
Rivington, near Bolton has been used in the past for commenwealth level competition (IIRC) - maybe revisit this. Mtbing very popular in the area (triathalon has also had a good turn out in the past..), so spectator numbers should be OK.
I would have thought the nearest suitable options would be the South Wales trail centres?
The North downs could certainly provide some good terrain for fast paced racing, but not sure of the legal situation (its all bridleway or RUPP).
Anything else local to London will be a let down for all concerned. Not interesting enough racing / riding for Joe Public, and not enough challenge for the atheletes / enthusiasts.
Rivington, near Bolton has been used in the past for commenwealth level competition (IIRC) - maybe revisit this. Mtbing very popular in the area (triathalon has also had a good turn out in the past..), so spectator numbers should be OK.
Chris, you ever watched a national/international level XC race in person?
Its very different to what you or I might term 'XC'.
They go off from the gun like f***ing rockets. Usually not a massive distance, but long, long climbs and relatively steep dh singletrack. They are often not the prettiest riders on the technical stuff, taking a kind of 'hold on a bounce down' approach, but the speeds are crazy over the whole course.
AS flat lap round a muddy park is not going to cut it.
Its very different to what you or I might term 'XC'.
They go off from the gun like f***ing rockets. Usually not a massive distance, but long, long climbs and relatively steep dh singletrack. They are often not the prettiest riders on the technical stuff, taking a kind of 'hold on a bounce down' approach, but the speeds are crazy over the whole course.
AS flat lap round a muddy park is not going to cut it.
snotrag said:
Chris, you ever watched a national/international level XC race in person?
Its very different to what you or I might term 'XC'.
They go off from the gun like f***ing rockets. Usually not a massive distance, but long, long climbs and relatively steep dh singletrack. They are often not the prettiest riders on the technical stuff, taking a kind of 'hold on a bounce down' approach, but the speeds are crazy over the whole course.
AS flat lap round a muddy park is not going to cut it.
Suspected that might not be the case! Nope, never seen any proper XC racing.Its very different to what you or I might term 'XC'.
They go off from the gun like f***ing rockets. Usually not a massive distance, but long, long climbs and relatively steep dh singletrack. They are often not the prettiest riders on the technical stuff, taking a kind of 'hold on a bounce down' approach, but the speeds are crazy over the whole course.
AS flat lap round a muddy park is not going to cut it.
So the consensus seems to be the sort of terrain you get in Essex wouldn't provide suitably challenging climbs?
Once you start going further afield there's a whole host of options (across Wales, half of the north of Engaldn and Scotland). Just curious as to where they planned to host it around here. I've ridden around the byeways of Brentwood and whilst they're reasonably good for the outskirts of a town in a flat area, a stones throw from London they're not especially challenging even for yours truly.
The courses used by the Gorrick series would be suitable (near Bracknell). The people organising the Olympics in this country are obsessed with everything being within a limited distance of the main stadium. The facilities in Eastway were more than suitable but (not wanting to get too Political) they destroyed them to build facilities for other events.
I have no issue with the mtb and road riding being done in other parts of the Country.
I have no issue with the mtb and road riding being done in other parts of the Country.
It's absolute madness that they have this fixation that everything has to literally be next to the stadium. We have superb locations that could host excellent events, not to mention the benefit for the areas doing the hosting. I live in the SE and would like to go and see the MTB'ing but I would far prefer it to be in a proper location on a challenging course that will have people respecting the course. I was a big fan of us getting the olympics but the more and more I see how it's being run/arranged it looks like being the most expensive school fete ever............
RLK500 said:
I was a big fan of us getting the olympics but the more and more I see how it's being run/arranged it looks like being the most expensive school fete ever............
That's a disturbingly good way of summing it up. Such a shame after the atheletics event a few years back (world championships or commonwealth games? I can't remember) was such a great sucess and re-energised the 2012 bid.I'm sure it'll come together in the end. Well, hopefully...
So where now - Epping Forest?
Hard-Drive said:
I'd guess as the sailing is going to be in Weymouth they would have no qualms about sending people further afield to get the right location, especially if it already has facilities. Weymouth has the WPNSA academy, sailed from there a few times and it should be a good venue.
Mountain biking, not sailing!(But interesting to hear
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