ATBA-UK Downhill Series Round 3

Craigvinean Forest

Rider Info

Friday practise:

If you arrive early and want to practice either course, that’s not a problem. Be careful of forestry trucks though, there is a lot of felling going on just now. The forest is open to the public all weekend- nothing will be closed for the comp, but it is rare to see walkers near the tracks.

                No vehicles other than official uplift on Saturday will be allowed into the forest though so it’s walking only- even if the gate is open. The forest has had motorbikes harassing walkers and the estate security patrols regularly and WILL report any extra cars to the police. We ride here a lot, so please don’t bugger up our relationship with the estate.

There was a lot of wind damage near the track at the start of this year and the clear-up is still going on, so there are a lot of log piles near Track 1- don’t climb on these! The FC are very hot on this subject up here!

You can ride a large way back to the car park from Track 1 but this is a very busy area. There is a nice fast section down to a  junction near the car park- but there are loads of families and walkers in that area so be very careful here. You can also ride the last section down from Track 2 to the road, but remember there’s a big heavy gate at the bottom.

RACE DAY IMPORTANT STUFF:

Meet up at the Quarry car park at early ‘o’clock for registration and transport to Track 1. Once you are in the forest there won’t be any opportunity to go back to you car during the day. TAKE EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE DAY WITH YOU!! This means tools, spares and most importantly enough food and drink to keep you going. There will be a lunch break, but time is tight for getting over to the other track, so don’t disappear....

After the race:

There are only three of us local-ish to the venue, and one is going away on the Monday after the comp, so we really need to make sure the forest is clear and tidy before we leave on Saturday. It would be massively helpful if as many riders as possible hang around to removed litter, banners, tape etc... Not only that but the northshore bridge will also have to be removed on the day which puts extra pressure on us to clear up!

Sunday Freeride:

Since many riders will have travelled a long way for this, we’re going freeriding on the day after the comp to make the most of the miles travelled. The location is still to be decided, but could be an hour by car from the comp venue and will be a fairly early start and finish so people can get away south at a decent time.

Event Location:

Track 1: The same track as used in 2005 for the ATBA-UK event. Starts on the forest road then drops onto a singletrack section. There’s a small jump followed by a right and the left hand corner, another small drop, a mellow bombhole then a choice of over the bridge or around on singletrack. Then it’s time to scrub speed for the left hand corner with a choice of sharp and steep or an easier outside line, dropping down the double bank and back onto the forest road in the middle of a right hand hairpin. A fast section of wide forest road with loads of room for scrubbing narrows further down between log piles before the last fast sweeping left had hairpin and the finish line.

Changes from last time: North Shore drop is now a longer wider bridge, there’s a new wider and slower line for the lefthander before the banking, and there will be no northshore on the banking, instead we’ve build stone and gravel path on the middle platform and a smooth run onto the road.

Track 1 is located in Craigvinean Forest, 12 miles North of Perth. To get there from the south, head to Perth and continue north on the A9 towards Inverness. The forest car park is on the left just after Dunkeld and is signposted “The Hermitage”

There are two carparks here, upper and lower- the upper is better, but there is an even better Forestry Commission car park (The Quarry) further up the hill- very small though so will fill up quickly- follow the track to the right of the FC sign (red arrow). ***DONT PARK ON THE VERGE OR BLOCK GATES***

To get to the track, follow this forest road past The Quarry car park for 1/2 mile, keeping straight on at the only junction, up a steepish hill and onto a flat section of forest road. At the end of the flat section there is a wide hairpin corner- the finish is just after this. To ride the track keep on uphill- the singletrack section joins the road at the next hairpin, you can either walk up the side of this or continue on the forest road past another hairpin to the top of the track which will be about 50 yards past the singletrack entry which should be obvious.

Map:

Red line- track

Blue line- access road

Track 2: This is a new one to competition but many visitors to Scotland will have ridden here before. Narrow forest road with 8 very different corners, this one is fun and very easy to ride, but to get a fast time you’ll need to maintain speed in the tighter hairpins.

Starting on a wide forest road for a hundred yards or so before a wide double right hand turn into a narrower road followed by a tight left hairpin where fast entry does not guarantee a fast exit! Speed builds through another double right, easily taken flat out, before another double left over an old bridge. Speed builds a little into an easy right hand hairpin then a straight section into the last and tightest hairpin- keep your speed here as its quite flat afterwards. The last blast to the finish is the quickest part with only an easy right and long sweeping left before the line.

Track 2 is further north in the same forest- not walking distance though. Transport of riders between the tracks hasn’t been decided yet, so it may be necessary to drive to Track 2. If that happens there should be uplift available from the forest gate to get everyone to the track.

By road: Back onto the A9 and head north for 1 1/4 mile- turn left onto B898 signposted Dalguise/Kinnaird/Balnaguard and keep going for 1 ½ mile. You will pass old farm buildings on the left and a bungalow on the right at a left hand bend, 50 yards further there is a forest entrance on the left signposted Craigvinean and Dalmarnock, park somewhere near here- there should be room for a few cars before the gate- again try not to block the forest entrance.

To get from here to Track 2 it’s about 1 ½ miles from the car park- follow the forest road uphill, ignoring the turn off to the left, to a hairpin. Keep on the track, doubling back on yourself- it gets flatter here! Keep going straight, ignore the turn off to the left just after the hairpin, along a boring flat bit of forest road. The next junction you come to is the finish line- the track comes down hill from the left and behind.

To get to the start walk up the track, turning right at a hairpin junction ¼ mile up. From here on up just keep following the track till you emerge onto a larger forest road at the top- the start is about 100yards further up the hill at a small quarry clearing.