XC at craigavon lakes sat 5th

[kylemalco]

Does anyone have any info about this all I could find is its being run by doctor fred macsorley

[barry_kellett99]

http://apollo.sports.officelive.com/default.aspx

[Tiff]

the trails at craigavon are prone to flooding, if it doesnt dry up between now and then large chunks of the course will be under water.

In the dry however the course is rather fun, although it is almost perfectly flat.

[JAC]

I think Fred McSorley is/was one of the travelling doctors at road races. Not that that has much bearing...

[penguinni]

Just had a look at the Apollo site and it seems the guys have been doing a lot of work on the course and it will remain after the race.

Hope its a good day!

[TrixR4kidz]

Thanks to the gawd they've put a chicken run beside the 1.5ft plop.

[penguinni]

Now thats funny Trix! :-)

[ryan]

Anyone know where these new trails are? I'm a regular over there and I sure ain't seen 'em!

[Kona Rab]

I was out there last week and seen nothing new.

Tiff they have done a good bit of work to them lately and they don't seam to be flooding as much as they used to.

[tinkerhil]

Was up yesterday afternoon for a loop with Marty and the ground was great :)
Didnt notice any tape around or block off anywere.

[kylemalco]

aye tiff one of his sons was at school with me and my girls dad has raised money for him b4 for equipment at races

[ryan]

Yeah I know quite a bit of work has been done with most of the trails resurfaced, opened up more etc, and a good job they've done too, I just don't see anything new (or even for the life of me, where they could stick some new stuff in)

I might give Aaron a shout and just ask him.

[acanno]

I know one of the chaps at working who is in apollo (roadie) and the trails they are building don't flow that well IMO when I was there last weekend, and they have just cut the grass and hope it beds in!!. They have put a couple rocks etc in but you are either turn directly before or after then so end up just rolling most of them.

I believe they built them themselves so fair play to them and what to use them not at the race this weekend but they are holding a night race on the 11th Sept at 9pm I believe, over thes enew trails but is only expected to be about a 6 min lap (race last 1hr).

In terms of the normal single track it is holding up well this year with the additional gravel they put down, although they still have the 100mtr bogfest ( just after the 1st bit of singletrack when you return to the watersports lake).

[MartyMcFly]

From what i've seen before, they tend to use little of the main cycle trails at the lake, prob too narrow to race on, they have previously used the grass hill behind the watersports centre and then the grass hill on round a bit with some sort of statue ?? on it and as you come round to complete a lap you go down a bank on the right and under a wee bridge. Actually this could've been a cyclo x race but almost sure it was mtb

[acanno]

I believe the race on saturday is around the bottom lake (watersports lake) but yes they will take you up the grass banking etc first to try and stretch the field out before hitting the singletrack around the bottom lake.

[stevie.d]

I was up today for A few laps. I noticed the technical climb , descent and the drop with the chicken run. Don't get too excited , it's A railway embankment , you ride on to it then off it and back up again and then hit the double drop :) , I THOUGHT i was in Scotland for 6ft ! If your riding the trail and you go under the bridge , you turn right and up the small climb onto the top of the bridge (way marker 13 ) if you look to the left you will see the embankment beside the railway line . It's built in the opposite direction to the marked trail !

[Aaron1]

Hi Guys, thank you for all your feedback so far.
I know myself that they don't flow so well as I am kind of limited to what can be done with that area. The biggest problem is that the lakes are lacking in any hills never mind mountains and I can only use certain areas that are hidden from joe public to work on as the council are turning a blind eye to what im doing
On the plus side I have found a large area that is suitable for building jumps on and some northshore down there.
The head of the watersports centre and his deputy (who ride bikes) contacted the head honcho of the lakes telling her that we want some proper features put in not the usual pan flat featureless stuff that they have done in the past that ticks all the heath and safety boxes.
I think it will get the go ahead as there seems to be the funding there to do it from what I have been told.
So things can only get better!!

[ryan]

Fair play to you mate. I shall investigate forthwith.

[penguinni]

Think I saw a neighbour heading that way this morning. Hope it was a cracker day for all involved!

[mckfallen]

Did anyone do the race!!!

[Kona Rab]

Speshkid "Adam McGreevy" & JTG "Jonny Graham" where at it. they finished up 5th and 7th as far as I know.

How did you get on Gareth?

[mckfallen]

got 6th outa 6 in elite!!! there was no expert class

[deek]

I won the vets:eek::alcohol::alcohol::alcohol:

[acanno]

Aaron
One option I thought of you could run the section by the road embankment the other way so instead of going up the impossible hill (especilaly on a singlespeed). Go up the the incline by the road (I think you were intending people to go down it), then cut in to the bank so the track goes up and down the banking (3-4ft) with speed until the steep bit at the end.

If you want any help building the northshore give me a shout as would be willing to help out ( I helped build most of the Bedgebury northshore in Kent which was legal)

[Aaron1]

I agree with what your saying. But Derek has the final say in what way it runs. I do the building he's the foreman :) tried to get up it last night and couldnt myself. Maybe we should have a spot prize for whoever gets up it without climbing off

[spiky_fly_guy]

I was out last Tuesday night and the work that's been done on the gravel bank along side the railway line is still there and is pretty cool, i'm still cutting my teeth at this whole mountain biking thing but I was impressed.. Might take another run out and have another blast round the track, I need as much preparation for "Scotland Trip 2" as I can get, I dont think once a week around the lakes will quite be enough but it will help (a bit)

[Lwatson]

I dont think once a week around the lakes will quite be enough but it will help (a bit)

Why not travel further afield?

The like of Tollymore, Donard or Rostrevor?

[spiky_fly_guy]

with the amount of time(or lack of) that I have at the minute getting further away is simply a pain in the ass, dont get me rong when I can I will, mountain biking isn't high on my priority list i'm afraid, it's just my weekly exercise at the moment.

[Kona Rab]

Myself and a guy from work pedal out to the lakes, around them and back home again at least once a week. Your more than welcome to join us if your feeling up to it.

That stuff built along the railway is part of the track that we where riding during the night race a few weeks ago. Its a dead on wee track but could do with taking in a bit more of the single track around the lakes.

[acanno]

Kona Rab

would you mind if I joined you lot some nights, although the only thing that may not suit you is that I can't get down until about 20:00 as need to put the kids down etc.

Andy

[Kona Rab]

If we are still out and and about around that time your more than welcome to join us. I normally pedal out from Loughgall and meet Jonny on the Loughgall road. We would then pedal out to the lakes and back. Its starting to get dark wild early now so we would prob just drive out to the lakes just for safety. Some of the guys are actually away to Gosford for a run tonite. Its another local spot we would head to during the week.

[spleshkidd]

Gosford great craic tonight, appart from a dog grabbing my leg, i did near S*1t myself (cough cough JONNY ill get ya back!) Clocked up 23mile, aye as Kona Rab says if we're still about not a problem to join up with us, id say the Apollo boys will be starting their night runs soon as well.

[acanno]

I met up with the Apollo boys last year but they meet at 18:30 which is to early now for me

[jtg]

Gosford great craic tonight, appart from a dog grabbing my leg, i did near S*1t myself (cough cough JONNY ill get ya back!)

Woof Woof Adam. :D Your face was a picture. ::yikes::

JTG

[spleshkidd]

still trying to get the skid marks outta the back of my shorts

[AndyA]

Was out for a spin around the trails yesterday morning and near had my head taken off. Between my first and second lap some ****** had pulled a load of branches over the trails at head height, and stuck logs and branches down. This happened at different points around the trail within the space of a lap, so whoever was doing it was pretty mobile. The ****!

[Kona Rab]

It happens alot Andy. Its the guys form the council. they block off all the straightlines that people have made over the years. I was out last night with a crowd and I noticed them myself.

[AndyA]

Hey Rab, i know what you mean about the straight lines, thats no bad thing blocking them off. But these blockages where right across the main trail, put there maliciously to cause a crash, or just generally piss you off and ruin the flow of the trail. Just watch out, some where put in blind spots, so you knew nothing about them until you came round the corner and went straight into them.

[Kona Rab]

Cheers Andy I'll keep an eye out for those ones.

Wouldn't fancy riding right into the middle of one.