Road Engineers ... the World Cup MTB track needs your help! PLEASE

[nigelhicks]

Hey Guys and Girls

 

I need some advise for the World Cup track and staging area at Cascades.

As im sure you are all aware - the 2011 Nationals the week before the world cup was rained out as the tracks were literally unrideable!

 

The UCI has asked that we "surface" large portions of the XC and DH tracks to make them rideable in the wet JUST incare it Pisses Cats and Dogs again.

 

We had a proposed supplier of granite G6 aggregate who has just pulled out as it will be too expensive to supply the necessary amounts of material.

So we are looking for other alternatives .... one that came up are Eco-Bond soil stabilisers that are often used on dirt roads to stabilise the soil.

 

HOWEVER - if you've ever ridden at Cascades you'll know that the shales and clays of the Cascades area go like concrete anyway! So a stabiliser is not really needed! ...

WHAT IM LOOKING FOR is .... something similar to a spray on bitumen that will

1. GET RID OF THE GREASYNESS of the shales when they get wet - they become like an icerink!

2. BIND the clays so that when they are SUPER wet they dont just turn to clayey snot that sticks in your frame!

 

So i need advise ... any ideas on an ECO-spray thats similar to bitumen that will give us grip on the tracks in shitty conditions???

 

Your words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated

Cheers

Nige ... the DH World Cup Track Co-ordinator