[Closed] Steel City DH

Marshalling again this year after too many months of not riding very much. Good luck to Abigale - did she have a bit of an off last year?

Yes there is a video of it somewhere. Rear shock blew on the second run and lost all the air. Just glad she didn't jump the last drop on the second run as it could have been expensive. Shock was replaced very quickly under warranty.

Aye I thought so - I think it was by the marshal post above me, but I'm not sure.

Trying to get in but out that night. Hmm

I'll be trying to enter

Awesome just to go and watch. Food, drink, laying about heckling and not doing much 😀

Should be up there with Project enduro will see if I can get an entry too although a bit rusty.

Yeah I'm hoping to get entered 🙂

Not entering, but its on my birthday this year, so I'll be drinking, watching and enjoying the atmosphere, after a few laps of whancliffe in the morning. 🙂

I will definitely be wandering up the hill to watch if I can't get a place.

Been out riding in Wharncliffe every weekend since I moved in, didn't even know the place I was buying was close to the woods.

What a stroke of luck... although I haven't found a particularly great pub to frequent yet.

Hope the numpties riding the track while it's been closed haven't done too much damage before it's bedded in.

Hey grenosteve, saw you drive past my place the other day, quite the recognisable vehicle that T4.

I've got my entry so will be racing.

Better start riding a bike again I guess

matthew_h - Member
I've got my entry so will be racing.

Better start riding a bike again I guess

How?? entries not live until Friday evening!

Think it may have to do with sponsoring the event

I marshalled last year so am guaranteed a place.

Oh, and we sponsor the event too

If you have two can we have one please

I want to race this year. Last year there was the glitch/poised/ready which was then put back- ready again and it crashed on my phone. When up again all my spaces were taken 🙁

My whole lifes focus is geared towards coming last in a Vets race. I need to fulfil this destiny.

I blame that bloke who pops up with yet another different 'racevan' purchase every other week 😉

Tracey, t'other Matt's got the other space so unfortunately not. I'm sure that Abigale will get in though.

I'll be trying to get entries for both my lads if I can. I'm not planning on racing as I don't want the kids showing me up.

Thanks anyway. it will be my fault if she isn't in. Cant be as bad as last year when we were in the Crucible trying to get a place when the sites went down. Hope my pots off in time to hobble down the course.

Fingers crossed

1 minute 🙂

Anybody managed to get in yet? Been refreshing the BC site since 19.00 and it's still saying "coming soon"!

click on the 'try new webpage' link at the very bottom. The new website seems to be taking antries. I thought entrant numbers weren't changing much!

Well hora I'm not entering this year after crashing out last year and busting my collarbone.
So last place in the vets is all yours...

Yep, try the new website, it worked for me. Good luck

Got an email saying confirmation of application and receipt of payment for Abigale but site says there are still no entrants and all the places available for her category. Hope its not going the same way as last years registrations

I'm in. Just had my confirmation emailed through.... I promise not to crash right at the end (or anywhere in fact) this time.

Not long now. Anyone have any idea what time races will start? I tweeted them about it but got nothing back.

Last year practice started at 9 and race runs at 12 I think, I imagine it will be similar.

Awesome, then I can feasibly ride there and have a few beers.

EDIT: Spectator here so not worried about the practises, just need the beer and burger tents to be open 🙂

I was just wondering the exact same thing, the say be arriving 8.30 iirc.

Well, one of my lads got an entry and his big brother didn't. So were all going up to support. Aiming to go and walk the track on Friday evening just to give him an idea of what to expect on Saturday morning.

Looking forward to it, to say my lad is excited is a bit of an understatement!

http://www.steelcitydh.com/race-day/

Race runs start 11.30.

They decided red or black yet?

I'm sure all this shit weather will make it more interesting! I might go watch now 😆

I think they're deciding on Friday based on track conditions. Has there been much rain up that way? Couple of mates were out in the Peak yesterday and it was bone dry.

Oh 🙁 so if its still rained uptil then they might bin it completely or postpone to another weekend?

I was there on Sunday and the track was riding incredibly, little bit tacky after the rain but rock solid and really, really fast.

Had a good downpour last night down at the bottom of the hill but I reckon it should hold up okay. The surface has bedded in nicely. We are forecast more rain on Thursday and a bit on Saturday afternoon but I hope the prediction is as accurate as the previous weekend! Was bloody lovely in the peak, even the top of foulstone road was dry.

No Hora, the race is definitely on barring weathergeddon - the organisers are deciding whether to use the red or black option near the bottom of the track on Friday, as far as I know.

Abigale is going up there tonight if the weather holds so will get some feedback from her on the condition.

Suppose to piss it down proper Sheffield way rest of week, them tracks will be completely different to how they were riding last weekend...Will be hard going pedalling through the gloopey sticky clay! Can't understand why they don't do it wharncliffe side at least it's gravity fed on that hillside and actually is 'Downhill'!

As the money all goes to grenoside. And wharncliffe side could be too tech for some riders.

Yeah the whole point it it's very inclusive - pretty much anyone can ride the track. Plus all the money goes to Greno. Plus the Steel City track is great for spectator. There's plenty of "proper" DH races to do if that's yer bag.

chris85 - Member

Can't understand why they don't do it wharncliffe side at least it's gravity fed on that hillside and actually is 'Downhill'!

because: it's great for spectators, kids, and first-timers.

s'why it's so popular.

(that and Sheffield Wildlife Trust have been super helpful, the Wharncliffe land managers have been not quite so super helpful)

Hey grenosteve, saw you drive past my place the other day, quite the recognisable vehicle that T4.

Sure is, especially when it's leaving a trail of diesel behind it! 🙁

Looking forward to watching the racing, it should be ok if we just have light showers this week instead of a full on downpour!

I've not been on steel city since the re-surface, but the pub run is silly fast now. 🙂

(the Wharncliffe land managers have been not quite so super helpful)

And considering Chris calls himself a mountain biker, its a joke.

Race order and numbers for riders are now up in advance. Abigale is 413

413. I'll make sure and give her a shout. Does she prefer Abigale or Abi?

Thanks for that, she isn't bothered what she is called. She will be on an Enduro and wearing a Pink helmet and bruises from last weekend. I will be the one whos isn't wearing a pot on her foot, at last, but cant go on my bike yet. That's my excuse for not entering. Local weather forecast is looking OK at the moment.

Just out of interest, is the course likely to include the black gap jump (i.e. before it splits properly into black or red). And does the route continue into the bombhole, or stop where the worked sections end.

Now admittedly I pootled down it at a fairly pedestrian pace, but didn't notice any difference in difficultly between the red and black sections, but the gap jump is way beyond anything I'd attempt.

christhetall I think the gap before the split is definitely in but they provide alternative run arounds for anyone not brave enough.

I still haven't heard which finish they will be going for but the track does end in the bombhole. Not too bad of a drop in though really.

There is a chicken run for the gap jump. I believe the decision on which part of the split is used will be made when taping tomorrow. There's also a chicken run (not quite so steep) into the bombhole, but it's a pretty straightforward roll / drop anyway depending how you feel.

I'll be marshalling somewhere, dunno where yet. Feel free to bring me cake.

The gap is a lot smaller than it has been, you can pretty much roll over it if you're going fast enough.

Saying that I still didn't have the balls to try it on Sat 🙁

I'm betting they'll take the usual track

The gap jump is so easy now the run in has been smoothed of, the landing is a little higher but a few cranks in before and you'll sail over. I think they will be using the usual red route as there is no chicken runs as such on the new black section

Using the black apparently, but there will be chicken runs. Good for me, my marshal point last year was on the red side of the split (I think) so should definitely be a different view this year.

So black is left before berms, over rocks, right, double, straight onto red again, jump berm jump berm berm, drop into bowl?

No idea, I've not actually been since the rebuild 😳 Just saw on Facebook that they're using the black.

In that case it's the same until the above

They've just confirmed that Ratboy will be racing tomorrow too.

Thinking of taking the kids to watch this (6 and 8 and 11 months). They met RatBoy at Farmer John's last year and they'd love to meet Peaty too. The problem is that it's at least a 3 hours round trip and they'll probably not want to stay for the whole day. Is there other stuff for young kids to do/see nearby?
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7757/17304248196_bbdbe8110e_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7757/17304248196_bbdbe8110e_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/sn7N7Q ]Ratboy and the kids[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/30104653@N07/ ]stilltortoise[/url], on Flickr

Butterfly house?

Dan, they can look after Isaac. We'll go to the beer tent.

Wentworth farm is near by, has family farm and play area, plus a really small hedge maze...

Pook - Dan, they can look after Isaac. We'll go to the beer tent.

sounds like a plan

You could break the journey with a visit here

http://www.chestnutcentre.co.uk/

I'm thinking of riding on to watch, my sister lives nr Stocksbridge, does anyone know if there is a tunnel or bridge near Station Road in Deepcar that will get me onto Plank Gate?

there are a couple of level crossings I think

If you head in from Station road in Deepcar there is a tunnel under the railway.

You have to ride past the old station, straight through the yard and then through a stile/bike gate. Follow the path and the tunnel passes under and pops out on to plank gate.

Weathers looking dry for tomorrow 😀

I'll be there circa 1-2pm with a cardboard heckling/motivational/shouty placard.

Put hora somewhere on it so we can heckle back

I like the sound of Wentworth Farm even though it's further away from where we'll be coming from.

Chris and Podge, thanks for the "offer" of me babysitting for you whilst you get drunk. I'll have a think about it 😕 😆

11:30 it is then, can only stay till 2 :-(. Full family outing and new cowbell purchased. Wonder whether I should take the toy electric guitar again...

I was suggesting your kids could do the babysitting Dan!

😆

Now that sounds like a great - and interesting - idea

223 wearing green kit. Heckle away

The Podge and Electric Worry
Many thanks