[chris_f]

We got the ever divisive annual festivities at Ft. Bill coming up in a few weeks.

So for anyone following Ben Cathro on FB or IG, I'm sure you've noticed that apparently they have "fixed" the Bog of Doom going through the little wooded area. It now seems to be a rock garden there instead.

I'm sure some will love it and some will hate it. To be honest I'm not sure what to think, because the rock garden looked kind of bland and a bit smooth in the clip I saw.

Here is the clip, for reference:



Should be interesting at full tilt when it inevitably rains on race day though.

 

[sundaydoug]

I enjoyed watching the carnage in that section, but the changes probably make it more sustainable for a few days of practice plus race day, especially if it's going to be wet.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

Looks like some very impressive rock work but it’s a bummer that section is now the same as the rest of the course only surrounded by trees. Never having been there is it even possible for natural trailbed to survive more than a season at Ft Bill?

 

[canadmos]

Man made rock gardens always look slippery as heck to me.

 

[jonKranked]

I hope hecklers spray that rock section down with beer on race day.

 

[jonKranked]

Also, I don't think it should be "lizardening". Sounds too much like gardening. How about just "lizarding"?

 

[chris_f]

Also, I don't think it should be "lizardening". Sounds too much like gardening. How about just "lizarding"?

"Fixed"

 

[jonKranked]

"Fixed"

The Lizarderpening.

 

[Flo33]

Looks like some very impressive rock work but it’s a bummer that section is now the same as the rest of the course only surrounded by trees. Never having been there is it even possible for natural trailbed to survive more than a season at Ft Bill?

Let's ask @Gary

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

Let's ask @Gary

I was counting on his wisdom to enlighten the idiot Murkuns in the audience...

 

[Gary]

I'm concussed. not sure I understand the question.
Ft william DH track above the woods is 100% manmade all the way to the starthut. made with machinery, Helicopter'd in rock, earth and wood. All the land is too peaty and soft to sustain a track. The first woods (small section everyone lost their shit over last year) can. Tree roots are quite good at holding earth together.
Below the woods the ground is harder and more natural (the bit Gwin had his "crash" in to the finish). Well... it was. then they built lots of jumps with machinery.
The Woods were not in the original track (Circa 1997). The track came down a really rough steepish section of track (originally a walkers path held together with railway sleepers). The woods are actually a diversion off that section. The old sleepers are still there but it's a mess to ride. kinda rad tho.

sorry if this doesn't make sense

 

[rideit]

Is there video of you hitting your head?

 

[scottishmark]

Cathro was asked about this the other day. He was saying that this section was unrideable after the race last year - he tried and failed

E-bike hit you on the head?

 

[Gary]

DH bike spat me straight onto it with quite a force. (washed the front)
you'll absolutely not guess which section of track (Inners)
the rest of the day was awesome. Had done 9 runs by then and it wasn't even 2pm yet.
wipe the dust off your DH bike and book on for a fortnights time

 

[norbar]

Man made rock gardens always look slippery as heck to me.

Depends on the rocks. Maribor rockgarden is man made but it's grippy as hell.

 

[mykel]

Man made rock gardens always look slippery as heck to me.

Top of Shot-Glass with a sidecar of dust perhaps

 

[canadmos]

Top of Shot-Glass with a sidecar of dust perhaps

Believe it or not, but I still haven't ridden that since they rebuilt it.

 

[mykel]

Have ridden it once since the rebuild. That was this past year. They had done 0 maintenance since they ran the race in the mud, and it has now dried into concrete. Axle deep ruts in places by the catch fences. I got into one rut, that of course was not the correct one - picture getting to the end of the deep rut, causing a stall on the steeps followed by a slow speed endo . But, hey, I did show some skill, as I held onto the bike so it did not do the clatter down the hill thing, and I ride FLATS .

The rock garden is not that bad, but it is off-camber downhill and when it gets dusty later in the year, it gets a might slippy. Alex, one of my crew you rode with last year (Yellow Transition TR450) cracked a vertebrae crashing during the East Coast Open. Saw the crash and it was nasty, he walked away, but ended up in ER later. Sits in the back of my mind, even after sessioning it, I just can't get comfortable in the garden.

Not a fan.

Edit - found a pic of Alex not doing so well on said journey thru teh garden - Hurts to look at even if he got lucky.

 

[canadmos]

Have ridden it once since the rebuild. That was this past year. They had done 0 maintenance since they ran the race in the mud, and it has now dried into concrete. Axle deep ruts in places by the catch fences. I got into one rut, that of course was not the correct one - picture getting to the end of the deep rut, causing a stall on the steeps followed by a slow speed endo . But, hey, I did show some skill, as I held onto the bike so it did not do the clatter down the hill thing, and I ride FLATS .

The rock garden is not that bad, but it is off-camber downhill and when it gets dusty later in the year, it gets a might slippy. Alex, one of my crew you rode with last year (Yellow Transition TR450) cracked a vertebrae crashing during the East Coast Open. Saw the crash and it was nasty, he walked away, but ended up in ER later. Sits in the back of my mind, even after sessioning it, I just can't get comfortable in the garden.

Not a fan.

Edit - found a pic of Alex not doing so well on said journey thru teh garden - Hurts to look at even if he got lucky.

View attachment 128735

So I'll follow you down it then.

That race in the mud and it's aftermath is one reason I didn't even bother last year.

Glad your buddy is okay after that. It seems like a lot of rock gardens here have the wrong rocks. Smooth river rocks are nasty. Big Sleeze has them, but luckily you can go straight through that one without even touching a rock.

 

[Westy]

I'm concussed. not sure I understand the question.
Ft william DH track above the woods is 100% manmade all the way to the starthut. made with machinery, Helicopter'd in rock, earth and wood. All the land is too peaty and soft to sustain a track. The first woods (small section everyone lost their shit over last year) can. Tree roots are quite good at holding earth together.
Below the woods the ground is harder and more natural (the bit Gwin had his "crash" in to the finish). Well... it was. then they built lots of jumps with machinery.
The Woods were not in the original track (Circa 1997). The track came down a really rough steepish section of track (originally a walkers path held together with railway sleepers). The woods are actually a diversion off that section. The old sleepers are still there but it's a mess to ride. kinda rad tho.

sorry if this doesn't make sense

I'm concussed. not sure I understand the question.
Ft william DH track above the woods is 100% manmade all the way to the starthut. made with machinery, Helicopter'd in rock, earth and wood. All the land is too peaty and soft to sustain a track. The first woods (small section everyone lost their shit over last year) can. Tree roots are quite good at holding earth together.
Below the woods the ground is harder and more natural (the bit Gwin had his "crash" in to the finish). Well... it was. then they built lots of jumps with machinery.
The Woods were not in the original track (Circa 1997). The track came down a really rough steepish section of track (originally a walkers path held together with railway sleepers). The woods are actually a diversion off that section. The old sleepers are still there but it's a mess to ride. kinda rad tho.

sorry if this doesn't make sense

This is possibly your most coherent post ever.

 

[scottishmark]

[QUOTE="Gary, post: 4274714, member:
wipe the dust off your DH bike and book on for a fortnights time[/QUOTE]

Definitely concussed then, or maybe just old Haven’t had a DH bike in some time - no plans to get another either

 

[Gary]

Aw... man I thought you had a Canyon Torque

Both old and concussed. You must be older than me if I have DH bikes and you do Enduro tho. surely?

I iz confused

 

[scottishmark]

The last thing I raced was CX - so fuck knows what’s going on!

 

[William42]

I guess its time for predictions.

Prediction 1: danny hart spends a month and half at FT Bill training for this race. He takes it as seriously as the Hannah's take worlds. 2nd place, dreams crushed, crying ensues.

Prediction 2: Aaron Gwin comes down 2-3 seconds in the green as the final rider before crashing somewhere toward the bottom in one of the easier sections. Everybody is puzzled, but not surprised.

Prediction 3: Greg Minnaar takes his 100th world cup win at Ft Bill.

 

[roflbox]

fort billiam

 

[chris_f]

fort billiam

Is... is that a Fangbone reference?

 

[roflbox]

Is... is that a Fangbone reference?

haha, no, its a play on bill being a nickname for william

 

[Sandro]

The Scots here don't seem bothered, but that thread title makes me uneasy every time i open the forum.

 

[Gary]

The Scots here

Furryboots?

 

[Sandro]

Furryboots?

I don't mean Aberdeen if that's what you're asking, rather Cyberscots such as yourself.

 

[Gary]

Ah. Goat ye

 

[Jeremy R]

Giddy up.

 

[kidwoo]

Duh. Gary already said he has a huge variety of bikes.

 

[Gary]

This may be of interest to some of you...

 

[Sandro]

 

[fwp]

My dark horse for this race is troy. He's won here before. I wouldn't mind greg winning, at this point in his career he has almost become an underdog. That said Aaron seems unstoppable right now.

 

[toodles]

While I agree Gwin seems unbeatable at the moment, Ft Bill is probably his least successful venue with only one win I think. Given he's won everything else 5 times by now, maybe the others might have a fighting chance.

 

[William42]

My dark horse for this race is troy. He's won here before. I wouldn't mind greg winning, at this point in his career he has almost become an underdog. That said Aaron seems unstoppable right now.

Minnaar an underdog at Ft Bill hahahahhahahahahaha....

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Hahhahahahahahahahahaha
hahah...

hahahahahahhahahahahhaha.

Ha.

Be serious. He'll come down within .3-4 seconds of whoever is in the hot seat, probably in the red, hit the motorway, and take 3 seconds off the top time.

 

[jstuhlman]

Minnaar an underdog at Ft Bill hahahahhahahahahaha....

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Hahhahahahahahahahahaha
hahah...

hahahahahahhahahahahhaha.

Ha.

Be serious. He'll come down within .3-4 seconds of whoever is in the hot seat, probably in the red, hit the motorway, and take 3 seconds off the top time.

you seem to be assuming he won't flat/blow up his ASSGUY and/or break his frame in half . . .

 

[Sandro]

blow up his ASSGUY

Rusty trombone gone wrong? Anyway, Hart won the BDS race on the weekend by a quite significant margin, so hopefully we'll see a close race that isn't decided on the motorway.