EWS-E Tweed Valley

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Next week, course announced tonight!
I’m in the 50, couldn’t justify buying another battery for the 100. At least one new trail on the Golfie, and some new sections on older trails have been appearing.

Local rumour has the transitions being tough, never mind the stages..

 

[ant0]

Good Luck!

 

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E course looks to have much tougher trails than the main race!
Map

 

[Gary]

is Tobermory Boxing glove, Prospacker? and Jeff's rocket, Boner?

 

[ant0]

E course looks to have much tougher trails than the main race!
Map

That's because the bike industry and race organisers correctly recognise that we ebikers are the elite in terms of being super fit rider athletes, with fitness levels far exceeding anologue riders, so EWS-E riders need a more challenging course ?

 

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is Tobermory Boxing glove, Prospacker? and Jeff's rocket, Boner?

Looks like it- thats going to make for a long day.
Glad I'm too tight to buy a second battery, the short course is 1,2,4,5 and 6 only,

Hope it stays dry-ish, the transitions could be boggy nightmares in places, and Ali Lees will be greasy as hell

 

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Just spotted the transition from 7 to 8- looks like NYNY as a climb!

 

[Gary]

I've never liked Alister Lees trail dry or wet.
Prospaker I love dry or wet

 

[Gary]

Just spotted the transition from 7 to 8- looks like NYNY as a climb!

FML ?

 

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Still never made it over to Prospacker, on the list though.
Agreed on Ali Lees, it was a stage in the Transcend Epic and I've not been tempted to go back

 

[Gary]

You be out tomorrow cheating exploring?

Prospacker is pretty old and has got easier over the years as it's bedded in and drainage has improved

 

[Gary]

Just noticed Alister Lees is a +71m PWR stage ??

 

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"Family Time" this weekend, gathering brownie points for next week! Most I'll manage is a spin up to buzzards to catch up with some old mountainboarding mates that are in the area for the day.

 

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Just noticed Alister Lees is a +71m stage ??

I'm going to puke my lungs up.

And repeatedly wallop my knackers on my stem spinning out on all the roots and rocks

 

[Gary]

I'm meant to be meeting folk down the Golfie at 10 tomorrow. not for anything to do with the EWS tho.
Next weekend will be out with the Nukeproof boys and dirtskool (employees, not racers)

 

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I reckon there'll be a few at the Golfie tomorrow! There's a couple of new bits on Liver Damage that looked designed for euro style endo turns, unless they're built up more now.

Which Dirtschool guys? I know Andy from way back

 

[Gary]

Andy. I've known him from back when he was a teenager too. you from Edinburgh. Corstorphine area?

Lol.. .I fucking hate the ugly enduro turn epidemic... only about 1% of attemptees can actually stoppie turn them... actual endo twisting just looks mingin... plus SKIDS are cooler anyway ?

 

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Andy. I've known him from back when he was a teenager too. you from Edinburgh. Corstorphine area?

Colinton- mostly rode pentlands, before there were any trails! He was friends with my brother in primary school, used to come round to ours to play when he was 5-6 yo

 

[Gary]

I first met Andy with Chris Ingles at the first ever Scottish downhill race back when they were youth? juniors? (I'm a lot older). Still bump into Andy a lot. Haven't seen Chris in years n years

Yeah. there weren't really "trails" back then either. it was friends of mine who built the first DH track at the Golfie (Just Caberston back then). I did pick up the odd shovel but can't take any real credit for it
I used to ride the pentlands a lot too, often with the Penicuik boys who rode for Sandy Wallace (XC)

Oh.. .and I only ever went to Collinton for shrooms or if I'd pulled someone from that area

 

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Polo fields

Only recently met Chris, was out in GT and he passed me on a climb so I said Hello. He was just out showing his pal Iago (Garay) around the local trails..

Was that the Uphill/Downhill at the Golfie organised by the bike Coop? Mass star on the forest road up to the turn off to the bog of doom, then a timed DH from the Reservoir down the bog of doom and down the forest road? The bog was just a singletrack, but I was so cold I missed the entrance and binned it into the trees. Then got a flat on the run onto the road..

 

[Gary]

The DH track at the Golfie (old skool DH as you modern youngsters refer to what's left of it) was built around 1994/5. Mates of mine found out about it from motocrossers who rode the area and scrambled UP what are now mtb trails at both Caberston and Traquair/Eilibank every weekend. Tom (owner of bikesport... Pre Alpine/Icycles ie. shop in the church) and others did a lot of work building for SCU, NPS XC and DH on traquair side. We used to do self uplifts in vans on both hills back then and got on well with the MX boys. always making sure we shared where we were each going to be riding so no one got killed
I vaguely remember the Co-Op running events at Inners and Cardrona BITD too. I did an XC one about '92/93 I think. and most of the SCU XC races pre-DH

The "Alister Lees" wasa Comemeretive uphill/Downhill event for Alister (who I didn't know) held at the DH car park side... it's since been held in honour of Elliot (Campbell) RIP dude!

Only recently met Chris ...

his pal Iago (Garay)

Nah... sounds more likely you mean Chris Ball. Dirt Skool/EWS main man (Chris used to be a WC DH racer. I know him and his dad from Scottish racing too)

You and Andy must be what? 39/40? I'm 51

 

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Yup, Chris Ball, can't read tonight!

I'm closer to your age- half century in a couple of weeks- it was my brother that knew Andy- I think he must be 42-43 now- brother turned 40 a couple of years ago.

I dabbled in DH, but finances were tight back then. I think the last race I did was the Cademuir one organised by the IDA guys. Didn't do much of anything after that then took up mountainboarding which ended up expensive too!

 

[Gary]

Golfie was absolutely hoachin today.
Busier than Spooky woods after the revamp in 2005* ?

*I don't actually remember exactly which year it was

 

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Golfie was absolutely hoachin today.
Busier than Spooky woods after the revamp in 2005* ?

*I don't actually remember exactly which year it was

I can imagine- drove up the granites today and there was a lot of vans parked up.

Weather is looking quite 'scottish' for the whole week

 

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Jump at the bottom of stage 5 and 14 EWS-E, and 1 and 6 for EWS

 

[ant0]

I like the van and car for scale to show just how hilariously huge it is!
Rather you than me ?

 

[Gary]

View attachment 72520
Jump at the bottom of stage 5 and 14 EWS-E, and 1 and 6 for EWS

I guess the farmer really didn't want to loan out the key for the gate ?

Also that looks suspiciously similar to @dobbyhasfriends handwork.

 

[B1rdie]

They should also sell those in kits! the fence booter

 

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Well that was fun, but tough.The hardest part was the transitions- I’m in two minds about whether the transitions should be made tough just to make a harder loop.
I reckon I’d have preferred small climbs mid stage, easy transitions and one more stage..

7th out of nine in Vets, but I was quicker than Rob Warner on the climb stage