Winter Digging #1

Earlier this week we threw the net out to capture what is happening under the shovels and picks of the the UK and further. Digging through the winter plants the seeds for a great summer as those jumps go hard and that berm beds in giving you ample opportunity to ride more when the weather is fine an engage grin mode on a regular basis.

With flasks full and sandwiches packed our first foray into the building scene in the UK is from Wales, Moelfre to be precise, just outside Oswestry. Lucy Bulkeley has beamed over the latest going’s on so here’s all the info:

Through 2014 MTBuplifts.co.uk began work on the downhill tracks at Moelfre, near Oswestry. Since the work began a new track has been built, work has been done on the old track as well as another new track currently being built.

Macmillan Dream Line (New Track)

A lot of work has gone into this track including all the riders that turned up on the ‘Dig and Ride’ weekends, those involved with MTBuplifts.co.uk as well as Rhys Evans and Gareth Brewin’s help with work from some diggers to build the big berms and jumps.

The track kicks of with a right-handed berm into a rather big hip jump with more berms and jumps to follow. To mix it up a bit, once you get to the middle section there’s a rock garden and a fast straight down the valley to shoot you up the other side so you can get to the technical section.

The technical section is an old track that has been used for races in the past, but has been left untouched for a few years. With a bit of work this section has rock drops, cutties and an off camber section. The only bit missing on the track now is how to get to the finish field, it’s a decision between the 4X jumps and the existing track at Moelfre.

The Old Track

A large amount of work has gone into the track after ‘The Quarry’ to the switchbacks. With Gareth Brewin in the digger, berms have been built up with a few jumps and stepdowns thrown in too!

Further down the track after ‘The Steep Corners’ a part alongside the track has been dug out to give riders a place to stop if the uplift tractor is at the road crossing. Across the road and along the track, a jump that was there previously has been built up as it has been battered over the years!

A large amount of work has also been done to the 4X jumps which is where both tracks meet at the bottom. If they’re used for the British Downhill Series race there next year, the 4X jumps will be the place to spectate.

So there looks to be a lot happening up in Moelfre! The BDS are heading there this year for round five in July and we’ve heard from organiser Si Paton that they have been working on the old track giving it a much needed update under the watchful eye of Gareth Brewin.

If you have been working on anything from a full on downhill run to three turns in the woods then fire them over to [email protected] and we’ll feature it on the website. Now where did we leave that spade…