The Scottish race scene needs YOU!
Scotland has some of the best downhill venues in the UK, don’t let a bit of rain put you off entering these great races!
There was a time when the SDA races would sell out in 30minutes, is the weather and the recession to blame for poor attendance these days?
I know it’s a bit short notice for the Dunkeld race but get your entries in for Ae Forest!
Dunkeld 11/12th August 2012
Ae Forest 8/9th September 201
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events
SCOTTISH ‘SUMMER’ HITS MOUNTAIN BIKING
Heavy rain and recession put Scottish downhill events in jeopardy.
Scotland is currently being hit by the wettest summer since records began. The lasting effects of the recession and weeks of torrential rain are beginning to be felt by one of Scotland’s biggest outdoor sports industries.
For the first time in 14 years the Scottish Downhill Association (SDA), a not-for-profit organisation responsible for Scotland’s National Downhill Series, are considering cancelling two of their most popular annual fixtures at Dunkeld and Ae forest due to lack of entries.
Derek Ball, Vice-Chairman of the SDA committee comments:
“Ae and Dunkeld are usually two of our best events with entrants from across the UK and Ireland. Until recently, places in our races were in great demand and a typical 300-capacity race would sell out in less than 30 minutes. For the first time ever we will have to consider canceling these events due to lack of entrants.
We know times are tough for everyone due to the recession and the weather, but we need the support of the mountain biking community to secure the future of this series. If you don’t care about a bit of mud, but do care about Scottish downhill biking we need your entries now!”
Chris Ball, Gravity Sports Technical Delegate at Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), responsible for organising the mountain biking World Cup adds his voice in support of the cause,
“Behind every champion, in every sport, sits years upon years of quality experience and competition. The SDA have been running an incredible series for years that has, because of its well planned events and great atmosphere been the breeding ground for some of the world’s best racers.”
Scotland has been named a mountain biking ‘Global Superstar’ by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), and in 2011 alone the sport contributed an estimated £139 million to the Scottish economy. The SDA are responsible for the development of many of the country’s best-loved race venues including Dunkeld, Killin, Glencoe, and Strathyre.
The series develops world class riders including 2007 Junior World Champion, Ruaridh Cunningham of Galashiels, who started racing with the SDA as a 12 year-old and current Senior World Champion, Englishman Danny Hart who competed with the SDA for many years.
With entrants ranging in age from 12 to nearly 60, this inclusive series is a vital grassroots element of Scottish mountain biking culture.
The SDA relies on entry fees and sponsorship to fund their races. With just a little more support from the UK biking community the volunteers behind the SDA can help ensure that Scotland continues to punch above its weight in downhill racing.
Race dates:
Dunkeld 11/12th August 2012
Ae Forest 8/9th September 2012
To enter Ae or Dunkeld races register online with British Cycling:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events
For more information on the SDA please visit their website:
If it only cost about £40 to enter more people would enter £65 is a bit steep for an entry.
I left Scotland 5 years ago because (well, one of the reasons) it was almost impossible to enter an SDA race! You had to get online at exactly the right time, then the website kept crashing, it was rubbish! So what’s happened? Where is everyone? Its the cheapest way to get two whole days of uplift, the only way to get an evolving track, race bragging rights and don’t forget the campsite antics! Get involved people! If i wasn’t living in biking paradise (Queenstown, NZ) i would be there with bells on.
Mountain biking’s on the way out lads!
EVERY TIME I TRIED I COULDN’T GET ON ! you have to be there @ the exact time the dates go live and you cross your fingers, 6 years of racing elsewhere and managing to get entries but after trying 3 times for Scots races i have simply given up which is a shame. Now I see they have openings but I have paid all my entries elsewhere, personally though I think Dunkeld is a deathtrap course.
Enduro bikes & races is whats changed it
Dunkeld’s the best track, proper beast, steep and tech, awesome fun! Ae forest is like a big BMX track, fast and plenty of air time! SDA best courses, best scenery, best banter, best vibe! Enduro is fun but seeing some of the best UK downhillers racing down a trail centre red run with goggles on with a half lid helmet…it’s a bit lame.
Pity some of the SDA’s race fees don’t go back into repairing and re-building the courses they annihilate. The Eco disaster they left behind at Pitfichie’s new course recently would have benefited greatly from it. They should use a few quid from each race fee to get a team in to repair the damage and pick up the endless tear off’s and monster energy cans left everywhere. Instead they just walked away leaving the forestry no choice but to close down the track to allow it to recover from the severe damage. Pretty sickening for the locals that have spend 100′s of man hours building it into a decent track.
You have to remember, the SDA is a non-profit organisation. They have been breaking even for the past few years so a drop in numbers like this is going to cost a lot of money out of their own pockets.
If I had the money and could get the time off work I would be there racing.
I will be there on Sunday for some support and general heckling.
Digger, dont you think that the twats who leave the rubbish should be blamed? How much money do you think is made from the average race weekend? Most of the tracks that are found/built/maintained are done so in the spare time of people like Peter Pollock and Colin Houston. People complain endlessly about the lack of new venues, so they get to use the other track at Pitfichie and it gets chewed due to horrendous weather…seems the SDA cant win!
I take your point and I know tracks get battered with no resources available to fix them. So I guess I am questioning why on earth they went ahead with the race on the newer and much more fragile course at Pitfichie after 2 months of rain! The old course may be dull for racing but it has a high solid granite content and can take it and doesn’t piss off the forestry people. Digging days are cost free with enough volunteers so if the SDA can organise a race, they can organise the repairs too and at the same time improve courses.
Yes the twats that drop the litter should pick it up but the SDA should have a system in place to clean up after a race as best they can. Passing the responsibility by blaming others doesn’t get rid of the mess.
and before you ask I have been up there 3 days this week with a spade and a bin bag!
I think people are just scared to ride a proper DH track like the one’s used by the SDA.
Digger, if the FC up there are as anal as the Tweed Valley guys then the course needs to be picked 6 weeks (possibly longer) in advance. Last minute changes aren’t allowed.
Andy, this is regional/grass roots racing. So if that was the case then it’d be time to bring things back a bit
Digger, Unless I’m mistaken, the forestry asked the SDA to use the new track
It’s just too expensive to race in the current economic climate. I realise that this is not for profit and its not the SDA’s fault but by the time you factor in petrol/food/spares its a very expensive weekend.
Together with the poor weather and I think some of the older lads (like me!) finding DH too risky and so turning to Enduro type races, DH might need to change or downsize a wee bit.
I agree with Munzy on the whole DH being a bit too risky as you get older / jobs / responsibilities thing. I think that’s partly behind the popularity of Enduro as an alternative race scene.
I agree with Munzy, its far too expensive these days. I could maybe justify it if I was racing competitivly but as its just for fun there’s more value doing uplifts. And on the age thing, I’m 35 and crashed at Fort Bill last month and will be off work for another 3 months at least, luckily I’m getting full pay but next time the boss may not be so generous so it does make you think twice about DH.
I don’t get the DH v Enduro comments. The Fetish round at Innerleithen used one of the DH tracks (almost in full) and various sections that were faster and steeper than any of the DH tracks. The Innerleithen MTB race a month before it was similar. Add the you’re probably wearing an XC lid and hanging out your a**e by the end and it all seems pretty sketchy to me
The entry system has changed for the SDA races. Looks a lot easier to use now and there’s no short time window. I wanted to race Ae this year but due to cash I’m not doing any bike /running races second half of this year. Sod your age, it will be a sorry state of affairs if the pure thrill and adrenalin of downhill start being replaced by enduro,