Might be the one in the bottom pic posted by AJK? Caught me by surpise as well...doesn't help it was at night.

Hardy3 wrote:Might be the one in the bottom pic posted by AJK? Caught me by surpise as well...doesn't help it was at night.

Oh its you! Na, it was higher up than that. Its only a five min job to put a few of them right, so might as well do it while Im up there any way.

Nope wasn't me I was riding with speeding_ant, we were finishing our ride when it looked like everyone else was just heading up.

Prop's to those who have stepped up to adopt a trail. Keeps the park rocking and allows workparties to focus on adding new trails

A run down Swigg & Starfish is my fav bit of the park. Fast and fun as. And suits the way I ride.

Many times I ride laps of Koru, Big Toms Wheelie, Swigg and Starfish without venturing further or higher into the park because of the shelter the trees provide on windy days, or, well because it's my fav ride in the park.

I've been struggling with the new features. The double thingie at the end of the long straight I've been having to slow for to be able to roll. Because when it comes to mountainbiking it is my firm belief that air is breathing and helicopters. And the other rollers at the start of the big lh berm before the BIG rh berm was upsetting my run into the berm. Used to be able to build so much speed snaking down into those berm.

I figured that although these new features didn't suit me, it was great for the park. Especially that a bunch of guys cared enough to give up their riding time to look after a trail.

But I've just been and done 5 laps of the lower trails. And I've nailed it. Still not doing the air thing. But I've found a flowy way through.

And I was on ma hardtail. Will be interesting throw my big bike down there.

Thanks Owen, Matt, Mark and Andrew.

What is this obsession with doubles everywhere? If you're a punter like me they are just flow disruptors.

Not that I've ridden Swigg/Starfish since these ones have been made, this is just a chance for me to vent about what I've noticed is a growing trend. And as Colin says, big ups to the guys doing the work - I'm sure not at the moment - but perhaps the builders need to put aside their preferences at times to keep some trails character suitable for flow even on less capable terms.

Not a specific "dig" at anyone, I swear, just a word from another guy who has long-ago decided his wheels are best in contact with the ground.

Oli wrote:What is this obsession with doubles everywhere? If you're a punter like me they are just flow disruptors.

Its not a double, the main reason we put them there is to make people scrub speed before the corner after it, which was developing a mean skid rut. The rollers are not intended as a double, if people think they are too close together Im happy to go and make them mellower, but we haven't actually added anything new here, just made them a bit more obvious.

Edit: I would also respectfully disagree that it is a growing trend, I would also point out that there are more easier trails than ever, with a big push from the powers that be for more to be built, which if all the talk at the Makara AGM is anything to go by, there will be.

Oli wrote:What is this obsession with doubles everywhere? If you're a punter like me they are just flow disruptors.

Not that I've ridden Swigg/Starfish since these ones have been made, this is just a chance for me to vent about what I've noticed is a growing trend. And as Colin says, big ups to the guys doing the work - I'm sure not at the moment - but perhaps the builders need to put aside their preferences at times to keep some trails character suitable for flow even on less capable terms.

Not a specific "dig" at anyone, I swear, just a word from another guy who has long-ago decided his wheels are best in contact with the ground.

Here are my comments about tracks that have bits that roll up and down: bear in mind the stuff recently down on SWIGG and Starfish is very mild indeed, and only in a couple of spots.

Rollers or waves or undulations in the track need not provoke accidental airtime at all, indeed they are not designed to do so on internediate trails @ Makara..
Standing on the pedals will enable them to be ridden very quickly without leaving terra firma, and this is my preferred method

These rollers serve two vital purposes: to enable track drainage ( water kills tracks faster than riders do) and to slow riders gradually so the trails do not get ruts in them. This means less maintenance, which means more tracks. As you know, almost all the work is volunteers in their own time.

If they are built "just right", and once packed down, the experts will be able to pump them and actually go faster, and those that used to bomb up to corners then skid with their bike upright (creating ruts) will slow down more gradually and not make ruts or braking bumps.
People who are sitting on their saddles will need to travel more slowly over them however.

I think that there is a general trend on tracks everywhere in Welly to have them undulate both on uphills and downhills (Wainui is a great example), primarily so they drain and last ( sustainable trails) and if they are done right, people prefer riding a more dynamic trail ( so we get more riders!!) After all, we are trying very hard to build true all-weather trails here.

As Colin mentioned, even a favourite trail tweaked can become a known factor again and a great ride after a spending a few rides adapting.

Talking to Don today he thinks these few small changes might surprise somebody going flat out around the blind corners, but that is a risk some people like to thave as part of their ride. If you are trying to "nail" a track flat out, you literally never know what is around the next corner.

The stuff done on SWIGG and Starfish is not out of character at all, and I am sure the gang will carefully look at how these few small changes wear in, and at how they are being ridden, and to make sure they are doing what was intended

One thing I should mention is that SWIGG/Starfish will remain at the upper end of what a punter might comfortably ride, and long may it remain so. It certainly keeps the out of practice me on my toes, especially when wet

Good stuff, and thanks for the clarifications as I understand why they are being built much better now. I've always loved Swigg/Starfish so it's good to hear the moves are to protect it rather than change it. Cheers all you good trail workers.