Members Reviews
Review by: r3trosteve on 5 December 2007
Summary:
World Cup 2088 XC Course
Review:
A snowy, rainy, sleety November day did not stop me from spending the best tenner of my life and hiring a bike from the helpful staff at Fort Bill's Offbeat Bikes. Off I went with my new best friend, a hard-tail specialised, non of that full susser nonsense today!
The ride to the Nevis range is just long enough to break a nice sweat (8km), and launch straight into the lungbusting uphill climb (about 5k) to the top of the course. Loads of chicken runs, windy singletrack, gravel and big gravel (rocks). It was wet as hell and very difficult to get up, but what a view when you did! It totally opens up with views right across Fort William, the mountains of the Nevis Range, the lochs, the forests. Awesome, definitely worth the pain.
Then, what seemed like a life time getting up, felt like moments coming down, with some fantastic DH winding it's way down the Nevis Range, with burns, jumps, rock sections, tunnels, the odd strategically placed tree trunk, drop offs, you name it-. The altitude allowing the full meteorlogical spectrum of snow, to sleet, to rain, fog and to general grey crappyness. Again, slippery as hell, but I just went for it and didn't regret it... Well, except the drop off right at the top which I bottled and it really grinded on my mind all of the way down.
That was it, I had to go up again and have another go. It wasn't going to beat me. Not today. The long climb again, this time lungs bursting out of my chest. Right. Drop off. Knew there was a reason why I didn't do it the first time. Face plant city!
Anyway, back down again at breakneck speed, back to Fort Bill by dark and ditch the bike. The best 4 or so hours ever! Would recommend for anyone, expert / intermediate / beginners there is something for all. Will be back next year!
