It is a two hour drive from Chichester, but we left early and arrived at a deserted car park by 9am. (By the way don’t follow the post code on the website as you’ll end up at the actual farm and not the MTB course! ) We were quickly on our bikes and after a few laps of the skills course we hit the track proper. Racers are used to choosing between ‘A’ and ‘B’ lines at events. ‘A’ lines will offer the fastest route, but will be more technically challenging. Haleigh has number of key technical zones linked by buff all weather paths. The technical sections features ‘A’, ‘B’ and sometimes ‘C’ lines which are graded Black, Red and Blue respectively. The purpose of our visit was to try and nail more of the ‘A’ lines and build confidence through the technical sections.
After the initial switchback climb the first rocky obstacle is “Triple Trouble”. As the name suggests there are three route options around this rocky outcrop. A high drop onto a stone ramp, a rocky off camber chute, or a fast gravel slope that skips the main obstacle completely. The gravel slope is the fastest, but we all suspect that this will be closed off or modified on race day to stop people taking advantage and missing the rocks. The middle route looks very tricky and the drop needs huge levels of confidence and commitment.
A few hundred yards after this is the turn into “Dean’s Drop”, one of the toughest obstacles on the course. I suspect visitors to Hadleigh spend more time here, loitering at the top summoning up inner courage, than anywhere else on course. There is always a gaggle of apprehensive riders or spectators huddled in deep discussion. The rocks are intimidating, if it was an open trail it would be much easier, but the narrow boulder lined gulley requires accuracy and any error is going to be painful. However, if it can be mastered there is a lot to be gained. The ‘B’ line is a fun series of switchbacks but adds over 10 seconds to your lap, which during a 5 lap race would mean the best part of a minute lost to your competitors. Matt sailed down first time and after multiple trial runs both Ian and Rob cleaned this section too, leaving me to play catch-up every time we rode through this section.
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| Dean's Drop |
After “Dean’s Drop” is a quick climb and then a fast sweeping decent (with a gap jump if you think the 1 second gain is worth the risk!) into a fun parallel singletrack section where you can race side by side. A switchback climb then takes you back to the top of the next crest with great views across the estuary and towards London. From here “Oak Tree Drop”, my rib breaking nemesis from 2 years ago, funnels you back down again. The ‘B’ line around the drop is actually faster so again we expect some modification on race day.
After a shorter climb I think the next rocky rooty drop is called “The
Leap of Faith”. This is another I haven’t yet mastered but is on my hit list –
the rooty stepped drop on rock looks ride-able (well the others all rode it!),
but the B-line costs very little time and I think sets you up better for the
next climb to the top of the rock garden.
When I raced here 2 years ago I spent 30 minutes watching Matt and many
others try and clean the rock garden section. It is just a slope littered with
boulders and rocks, all poking out of the ground, through which you have to
pick your own way. The most direct route has some of the biggest boulders and
largest steps so speed through here all depends on your confidence. It has been
modified and the addition of more rocks has actually made it easier. This time Matt
just rode straight down and was quickly back at the top looking for a faster
line. Cleaning this section was my main achievement of the day, and although it
wasn’t fast I successfully picked my way through 4 or 5 times before we moved
on.
The biggest climb comes next, it used to be a grassy horror straight to
the top called the “Breath Taker”, but is now a sinewy surfaced path that winds
its way up to where the course loops back underneath itself through a tunnel
before charging down a fast flowing, stone stepped decent.
The tricky climb up from the Olympic pit area requires riders to
negotiate roots around the rabbit hole under the trees and then has two man
made boulder steps to lift the front wheel over just as your energies are
flagging. From the top you can see the finish, but not before a long stone
surfaced drop back down into the valley. I didn’t have the confidence back in
April during our last visit to plunge down here and I had developed a complete
mental block! This was the section I had worried about laying in bed the night
before! Every time I rode towards the lip I turned away. Eventually Ian and Rob
shot straight down, but Matt waited with me and said he wasn’t going to go
until I had ridden it! After one more aborted start, a great deal of inner soul
searching and even some shouting at myself I rolled towards the edge again.
This time the front wheel reached the point of no return. There isn’t really
any skill involved it is just a case of
pointing the bike downwards and hanging on!
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| Final Drop |
Back at the start and with
each section now reviewed we rode round once again to confirm our line choices,
before completing two brisk laps closer to race pace and a final warm down
circuit to end the day. The Hadleigh course is one that really challenges you,
both physically and mentally. Getting round is so rewarding and the sections
flow nicely into one another meaning it is also great fun to ride at speed.
After a couple of hours we sat in the café to review our days achievements.
Each smug in the knowledge that we’d conquered sections we hadn’t ridden
previously, but at the same time knowing there were still areas for
improvement, or faster lines to be explored. That to me is what riding at
Haleigh is all about – exploring your limits. The reward is a huge sense of
achievement having pushed yourself beyond your normal comfort zone. I also know
that in July that the confidence gained during my last two visits will
definitely result in faster lap times.
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| A well earned coffee! |
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