beardee wrote:
Thanks to Tom for coming on and provided the relevant information and clearing up the situation.
disappointed at your comment on stw about this forum. If you want to see negative chat about the course suggest you search the archives of pb, stw, br, sdh around the time of the games.
Having re-read this thread cant see one post commenting on the course but the negativity is directed at £ss£x cc, given that a proportion of this forum are ecc council tax payers it must be frustrating being legally forced to give them money every month whilst a world class xc course is fenced off and only available to them for a fee.
imo, i think everyone should have skills lessons as they benefit riders of all abilities but some riders are comfortable with 10ft gap jumps, 4ft drops onto rocks and 3ft gaps in rock berms*(1) so again it must be frustrating that people paying are given priority.
Swinley has a similar terrain and technical features (though no rocks/boulders) are managing to turn their network of trails into a trail centre ready for spring next year, meanwhile ecc wont have started by then.
Roll on a world class xc course/trail centre in Essex, sooner the better imo.
*(1) guestimates based on television coverage and photographs.
Sorry about the comment. It wasn't directed at the forum as a whole and was said to make sure the people that have already been on the sessions can provide you guys with feedback as to what its like and if the sessions are worth it. Rather than me coming on and bigging it up. Theres been more negative comments on STW but some of the guys who have been on the sessions have commented on it.
The fee doesn't go the ECC it goes to the running costs, insurance and time for running these sessions by the guides/coaches. Its going to be completely free when it finally does open but because nothing is graded or signed off and the site has no first aid, toilets etc (apart from in the country park) it makes it a sketchy situation just opening up private land and them completely liable. There is a lawsuit against locog at the moment because someone trespassed, pulled the barrier out, crashed and ended up needing an ambulance. They are now trying to sue so you can see why the council are being careful with the whole thing.
The riders that feel they don't need to coaching is fine, we were brought in as guides and the cost was just for guiding but we thought as coaches offering the coaching for free would be great for people and we want to help people out as much as possible.
cheers