Because of Matt Simmonds and supportive landowner Ian, Mid Wales’s DH tracks are taking up a second life.
Phrases and photographs: Sim Mainey
Bike manufacturers like to speak about evolution. Each mannequin 12 months brings tweaks and adjustments, will increase – or decreases – in wheel dimension, suspension, weight and all of the metrics that look good on a spec sheet. BNGs (Daring New Graphics) and a few on-trend colorways (sic) full the bundle. Whereas the advertising departments may inform you their newest and best is a product of evolution, in fact there’s lots of clever design. Engineers refine the components, taking up board suggestions from outlets, riders and racers to construct a greater bike and the cycle circle begins over once more.
As cynical as that each one may sound there’s no denying that this evolutionary course of has made for bikes which are much better than what has gone earlier than. Survival of the fittest, and a little bit of vogue, works for mountain bikes. However does the identical factor apply to the paths we trip our extremely advanced bikes on?
The city of Caersws in Mid Wales is finest identified for its downhill race tracks. The unassuming hillside simply north of Caersws itself has been a staple of the DH race circuit for many years and nonetheless sees common motion on the racing calendar. Now, as bikes and riders evolve, this hill, or somewhat the tracks on it, is evolving too, changing into not only a racetrack but additionally the UK’s newest bike park.
Caersws has been a staple of the DH race circuit for many years
One of many individuals behind this evolution is somebody who has an extended historical past with Caersws, Matt Simmonds. A vastly profitable pro-downhiller, Matt has now retired from competing on the sharp finish of elite stage racing and now runs ProLine Mountain Bike Teaching, in addition to managing the Madison Saracen Improvement Staff. He’s a busy man, however he’s now taken on the duty of opening up the tracks at Caersws to riders who’re extra occupied with clocking up laps than racing towards the clock. “I’ll have a break in some unspecified time in the future, however proper now could be the time to go.”
Matt Simmonds has steered Caersws from race observe to bike park
The rise within the quantity, and recognition, of motorcycle parks within the UK is arguably an evolution of the path centre mannequin – one venue, a choice of trails at totally different grades of issue, designed to cram as a lot enjoyable stuff right into a day’s using. As with path centres, Wales has led the way in which with bike parks. For riders who’ve been there and ridden that, locations like Bike Park Wales, Dyfi Bike Park and Filth Farm have taken over from Afan, Coed y Brenin and Gwydir because the go-to using locations.
“Bike parks are positively getting extra fashionable, I’ve seen it with the teaching facet of issues. I used to run an introduction to Revolution (Bike Park). I’d take individuals there for the primary time, present them round and assist them recover from that worry of ‘Ooh, I’m going to a motorcycle park, it’s going to be intimidating’.”
There are presently 4 tracks at Caersws, two reds and two blacks
Landowner driver
Our urge for food for more difficult using is growing and as bikes and riders evolve to be extra succesful the way in which we see trails evolves too. Matt factors out that simply over the border in Shropshire, Eastridge, like Caersws, was a well-known DH race venue, now it’s a path centre. What was as soon as excessive is now regular.
A downhill venue wants a number of issues to work. A hillside that may help a number of tracks, an uplift street and autos, parking, possibly even tenting and different amenities. A motorbike park wants these very same issues, typically the variations come all the way down to the presence of some race tape and timing tools. Evolving a race venue into a motorcycle park doesn’t appear such a stretch of the creativeness. Within the case of Caersws Bike Park the concept to do exactly that got here from the landowner – and chief uplift driver – Ian.
Caersws has opened the door to gradual path evolution
Matt explains that Ian has all the time been encouraging of riders. A full-time farmer, he nonetheless finds time to drive the uplift tractor on the weekends along with his son Ross. “He’s completely behind the using, which is what you want from a personal landowner. He’s supportive and might see the fervour and drive that we put into constructing the paths and he provides again by letting us use his land.”
After retiring from racing professionally to focus on teaching, Matt wanted a venue to make use of for coaching shoppers. He’d been utilizing Revolution Bike Park however they had been solely open on weekends so he’d been mulling over utilizing Caersws as an alternative. Then Covid hit. With teaching on maintain, Matt began engaged on the tracks at Caersws with the goal of getting them prepared for when restrictions on journey had been lifted. “To start out with I simply wished it as a personal teaching venue however Ian was eager to push to placed on uplifts.”
When lockdown finally lifted Matt and Ian discovered themselves in a very good place.
“As a result of we use an open air tractor uplift, somewhat than a Land Rover which is enclosed, we may open up straight after lockdown. In Wales you can solely run occasions with a most capability of 30 individuals, in order that’s how we began. Everybody was buzzing for using and we had been promoting out tickets immediately. I believed, ‘that is sensible, individuals are coming to trip the hill we’ve spent the final 12 months digging’. It simply went from there.” One tractor turned two, then three. The bike park was go.
Caersws dishes up tasty mix of DH gnarliness and bike park move
Presently uplifts run two Saturdays a month. Riders are clamouring for extra however because the uplift drivers have a farm to run and Matt insistent that they’ve a correctly skilled paramedic onsite at any time when they’re open there’s, presently, solely so many days they are often open.
The shuttle from the Portakabin on the backside of the hill to the highest is a fast one, Matt’s Transit van scrabbles its method up the fireroad in a few minutes. Becoming a member of Matt and I within the van are (very) quick locals Joe Smith, Alex Storr and Corinna Brisbourne.
From the drop off level on the prime of the hill there’s a surprising view onto the encompassing space. At this time spring is treating us to equal elements sunshine and heavy rain, however at the least we are able to see it coming because it rolls down the valley. The view rapidly disappears as you drop into the path. Barrelling alongside in a tree lined tunnel, sometimes the timber drop away revealing simply what number of sections of the paths are clinging to the facet of the hill. Overrun a flip or stray from the observe and also you’ll discover out simply how steep the hill is. As you’d count on from a observe constructed for DH racing there are a number of traces and tough sections however these are punctuated with superbly constructed berms, jumps and rollers. It’s clear lots of care has gone into their development. “It’s good to maintain the paths as much as the standard I wished. And the extra days we run the extra work we’ll want and we are able to make use of individuals”, says Matt.
Two reds, two blacks
There are presently 4 tracks at Caersws, two reds, Freeride and The Outsider, and two blacks, The Dragon’s Tail and Scorcher. Three of those began life as race tracks and could be acquainted to those that’d come to Caersws to compete. Matt and Joe Smith are liable for among the earliest tracks at Caersws. They helped construct the English Champs course, now cheekily named The Outsider, again in 2008. To maintain the paths working correctly, and to get knowledgeable path builder’s eye on learn how to develop issues additional, they’ve enlisted the abilities of Danny Bateman. With six years of expertise working at Revolution Bike Park he’s completely certified to assist take Caersws to the subsequent stage.
The upper you go, the higher the views
Not like path centres, it’s nearly anticipated for bike parks to be works in progress, with new trails being added yearly. Having advanced the present tracks the query is what comes subsequent at Caersws? “We’re undecided which route to go in proper now. Quite a lot of parks have large jumps. The vast majority of individuals do like leaping and getting airtime, however I believe we’ll additionally attempt to hold it to its roots by way of technical downhill.” These sorts of trails require extra upkeep than a leap line however, in Matt’s opinion, they go well with the hill’s character and historical past.
Gradual progress
Nowadays riders nonetheless come on DH bikes, however you’re simply as more likely to see path bikes on the tracks. “Much more path bikes are turning up. They’re so succesful. Bikes like my 160mm journey Ariel can take every part of their stride. So, in that respect you possibly can trip every part right here.” There’s no alternative for (suspension) displacement although and watching World Cup winner Matt Walker, who’s right here getting ready for the race season, come down the path is a reminder {that a} downhill bike will nonetheless have the sting for these in search of out final velocity.
By the tip of the day Walker reckons he’s clocked up 20 runs due to how rapidly they will get again up the hill. This makes Caersws not only a good place for coaching but additionally for bike setup, permitting adjustments to be tried out with out losing time ready for the subsequent shuttle.
The tracks are punctuated with jumps, berms and rollers
Whereas World Cup champs are catered for, what about riders on the different finish of the size?
One request that Matt typically will get is for a blue path, one thing extra suited to inexperienced persons to the bike park idea. “We’re going to wrestle to construct a blue. A blue takes lots of digger work to place a giant bench reduce path in. We’re restricted on house, so it’s troublesome to make work. I can’t see it.”
No matter type of trails do get selected there are not any plans for fast progress, this can be evolution of the extra measured form. First they need to be sure that the paths are as much as weekly use, and any enhance in rider numbers doesn’t have an adversarial impact on the park’s neighbours. Progress is inevitable although, “Hopefully by the tip of the 12 months we’ll have one other path or two”, says Matt cautiously.
It’s comprehensible that Matt needs to verify issues occur the fitting method, not simply rapidly.
Having raced right here since he was a junior he has lots of himself invested right here, and he’s not the one one. “The hill has supplied for lots of elite racers for a few years. We’ve had nationals right here for a number of years. We’ve seen the likes of the Athertons race right here, Peaty, Warner – I keep in mind Warner’s antics within the tenting discipline after I was a youth…”
Crowdfunding the longer term
Caersws is a part of mountain biking’s collective consciousness. It could be evolving and adapting to what riders are after right now however it additionally has one eye on what riders will need sooner or later.
The 2 large e’s of mountain biking’s present stage of evolution are enduro and e-bikes, each of which slot in nicely with what’s happening at Caersws. Given the variety of e-bikes which are turning up on the park Matt thinks there’s the opportunity of working e-bike particular days, permitting riders to make their very own method up the fireplace street. The hill additionally lends itself to enduro racing, particularly the mash-up format the place riders can lap the tracks with their quickest time counting in direction of their consequence.
There are not any blue trails at Caersws, so pack acceptable safety
Caersws’ progress has come from evolution, but additionally due to Revolution. Revolution Bike Park closed in the beginning of the 12 months on account of larch illness. It was a devastating blow not simply to the staff at Revs however to mountain biking in Wales. There are plans for a comeback however within the meantime Revs’ legacy lives on serving to Caersws enhance. “Tim from Revolution Bike Park has helped so much with issues like insurance coverage and danger assessments. I by no means considered danger being knowledgeable downhill rider. You don’t need to take into consideration danger!”
For everybody concerned within the latest work at Caersws it’s been a steep studying curve however there are not any regrets up to now. “The chance now for this place is large. With Revs closing… as unhealthy as it’s for these guys it’s good for us I believe. We had been working alongside them anyway at an excellent capability however now we’ve maxed out at that capability and we have to broaden. And that’s why we’re asking for assist.”
Matt and the staff at Caersws have lately launched a Crowdfunding marketing campaign to finance the subsequent stage of the bike park’s improvement. Cash is required to assist with infrastructure, like signage, fencing and getting electrical energy as much as the venue. With energy in place, jet wash amenities, computer systems and a defib can all be put in, permitting the venue to develop and giving riders the type of amenities they’ve come to count on from a motorcycle park.
To some Caersws will all the time be a race observe, whereas others will come to comprehend it as a motorcycle park. The evolution of the game hasn’t taken away any of the hill’s historical past, or certainly tracks, however has made it extra sustainable and given it a method to develop and enhance.
For extra info on Caersws, together with movies of every observe and particulars of learn how to ebook onto an uplift, try:
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