Wednesday 25 March 2009
National Points Series
The first round of the NPS will be in Ae Forest on the 25th and 26th of April! Expecting a big crowd and loads of support for the Ae Bike Shop/Solway Insulation Services Team. Plenty of notice so free that weekend up and come have a great time and watch some of the UK's fastest riders BLITZ the Ae course :D
Sunday 22 March 2009
The Trails at Ae
Lets start with the beginners. For the families ideal for those with younger children is the green 'Ae Valley' route. With little gradient change and a great way to see the sights of the forest anyone can enjoy this if all they want is a nice relaxed day out in the forest and after if the rides built up an appetite then the trail centre is back where you started there to fill your needs.
'Larch View' blue route is the next step up. 4.5km longer than the 9km green it makes for a longer cycle climbing up one side of the valley and descending down the other on fast fire road and joining back up with the greens single track to lead you along beside the river and twist through some tall spacey trees. Is it the most challenging blue? no, but to be fair that really doesn't matter because any blue shouldn't be too challenging. Some mistake blue as a bridge to starting to try red routes when if you look at most reds you would say to yourself how does the blue prepare you for this. However if you look at the Ae map close enough and are willing to put in a little more millage you will be able to make yourself a nice little route from the red and blue, keeping you safe with your comfort zone of the blue but showing you what a red really is like and improving your skills a little more each time you ride it. If blue routes are were your happy though then understandably you wont find it as exciting as some others but it will still be a nice ride and anyways if your finding blues to easy get yourself on a red!
'The Ae Line' a 24km route of continuous change in gradient, ground surface and scenery. The climbs are grueling but after one you feel like a god! and the descents to be honest they wouldn't be out of place on a downhill course...that would be why I took my downhill bike to go and do them then! If you want to ride a red that you can really get into and feel like your miles away from anywhere and there isn't a million trail novices with all the gear and no idea like you get at other trail centres then this is your place. It challenges you straight from the first twisty steep climb right till when your coming over the final jump and railing the north shore berm at the very end. Unfortunately the red has been plagued by loggers and much of the trail has diversions, however these should all be gone in the next month or two (I will try and get specific dates) but that is the ruff estimated from the forestry so fingers crossed! Also if your up for a challenge try beating the red record when its fully open again the time to beat 1hour 31minutes! In a sentence 'The Ae Line' is the most creative red I have ridden for its differing surfaces and views; the amazing downhills which flow even better the faster you hit them; to the fact every time I reach the end I'm grinning from ear to ear ready for another lap (after a cake form the cafe that is) :D
'The Shredder' is the essence of the word flow. If your wanting big berms that you pin into not even having to think of brakes this is it! If your wanting table tops, doubles, kickers and rollers this is it! If your wanting off camber rocky sections that are still stupidly quick this is
it! Oh yeah and I forgot to mention the big ass road gap! spoiled for choice really! Plus when you get to the finish its only 20seconds away from the final section of the 'Ae Line'. What more could you want, I have to say its one of the funnest runs iv ever done just for the speed of it and how flowy it is.
Last of all the Downhill route. The route has been used both for national and Scottish events holding up too 300 riders and even more spectators. New lines are regularly getting built in and keeping the hill as popular as ever! When I think of all the races I have been to and competed in the last 3 years I realise Ae has a bit of it all. Steep rocky chutes, big berms, rooty sections, rocky sections, off cambers, technical tight through the trees, huge jumps like the coffin, step down and either of the Field drops both 20foot+. If you love your downhill with heaps of variation whilst still being able too pin every part of it then say no more come see for yourself! It isn't even to bad of a push up and if you check out www.upliftscotland.com you can get yourself booked on a bus to the top of the hill with your bike ten times in a day for £32. Also we are looking for someone to set a time challenge on it anyone brave enough?
Have a think, out of all of the seven stanes what other centre has everyone of these and to such a high quality. What about in the whole of the UK? few and far between. Ae offers everything you could want to ride and the Ae Bike Shop and Cafe trail centre is a huge example of how a trail centre should be run. Great Mechanic, Great Advice, Great Food, Great Trails... An Amazing Time.
'Larch View' blue route is the next step up. 4.5km longer than the 9km green it makes for a longer cycle climbing up one side of the valley and descending down the other on fast fire road and joining back up with the greens single track to lead you along beside the river and twist through some tall spacey trees. Is it the most challenging blue? no, but to be fair that really doesn't matter because any blue shouldn't be too challenging. Some mistake blue as a bridge to starting to try red routes when if you look at most reds you would say to yourself how does the blue prepare you for this. However if you look at the Ae map close enough and are willing to put in a little more millage you will be able to make yourself a nice little route from the red and blue, keeping you safe with your comfort zone of the blue but showing you what a red really is like and improving your skills a little more each time you ride it. If blue routes are were your happy though then understandably you wont find it as exciting as some others but it will still be a nice ride and anyways if your finding blues to easy get yourself on a red!
'The Ae Line' a 24km route of continuous change in gradient, ground surface and scenery. The climbs are grueling but after one you feel like a god! and the descents to be honest they wouldn't be out of place on a downhill course...that would be why I took my downhill bike to go and do them then! If you want to ride a red that you can really get into and feel like your miles away from anywhere and there isn't a million trail novices with all the gear and no idea like you get at other trail centres then this is your place. It challenges you straight from the first twisty steep climb right till when your coming over the final jump and railing the north shore berm at the very end. Unfortunately the red has been plagued by loggers and much of the trail has diversions, however these should all be gone in the next month or two (I will try and get specific dates) but that is the ruff estimated from the forestry so fingers crossed! Also if your up for a challenge try beating the red record when its fully open again the time to beat 1hour 31minutes! In a sentence 'The Ae Line' is the most creative red I have ridden for its differing surfaces and views; the amazing downhills which flow even better the faster you hit them; to the fact every time I reach the end I'm grinning from ear to ear ready for another lap (after a cake form the cafe that is) :D
'The Shredder' is the essence of the word flow. If your wanting big berms that you pin into not even having to think of brakes this is it! If your wanting table tops, doubles, kickers and rollers this is it! If your wanting off camber rocky sections that are still stupidly quick this is
it! Oh yeah and I forgot to mention the big ass road gap! spoiled for choice really! Plus when you get to the finish its only 20seconds away from the final section of the 'Ae Line'. What more could you want, I have to say its one of the funnest runs iv ever done just for the speed of it and how flowy it is.
Last of all the Downhill route. The route has been used both for national and Scottish events holding up too 300 riders and even more spectators. New lines are regularly getting built in and keeping the hill as popular as ever! When I think of all the races I have been to and competed in the last 3 years I realise Ae has a bit of it all. Steep rocky chutes, big berms, rooty sections, rocky sections, off cambers, technical tight through the trees, huge jumps like the coffin, step down and either of the Field drops both 20foot+. If you love your downhill with heaps of variation whilst still being able too pin every part of it then say no more come see for yourself! It isn't even to bad of a push up and if you check out www.upliftscotland.com you can get yourself booked on a bus to the top of the hill with your bike ten times in a day for £32. Also we are looking for someone to set a time challenge on it anyone brave enough?
Have a think, out of all of the seven stanes what other centre has everyone of these and to such a high quality. What about in the whole of the UK? few and far between. Ae offers everything you could want to ride and the Ae Bike Shop and Cafe trail centre is a huge example of how a trail centre should be run. Great Mechanic, Great Advice, Great Food, Great Trails... An Amazing Time.
Sunday 8 March 2009
The DH Zone
Ryan Chambers, Ae Team Rider, trainee bike mechanic and DH demon is on hand to keep the Ae Bike Shop blog fresh with the latest news from the world of mountain biking, gear reviews, racing updates, trail news from Ae Forest and beyond. Stay tuned for regular updates if you want to be in the know.
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