Trail Building for DUMMIES advice needed

[no calves]

So this is the hill that is tempting me here in Aussenkehr, Namibia. SO tempting i bought the whole DH setup. thing is the slepe is very steep so will probably have to deviate to the and left right at times aswell ad some berms and jumps (there is a few rocky sections along the way.

 

I need some advice on how to build these obsticles. our rainfall is 15-20mm per year so soil is bone dry and next to the orange river ther is not to much clay.

 

Links to videos, tips, tricks, rants, raves all welcome as i am a complete newbie to the world of extreme riding.

[ichnusa]

is there a road up to the top, to the mast?

[no calves]

there is a road from the back to about half-3/4 way

[no calves]

is there a road up to the top, to the mast?

there is a road from the back to about half-3/4 way

[DR ◣◢]

Your most crucial part of the building will be to ensure the trail flows.

 

Nothing worse than a corner that is too sharp causing you to lose speed.

 

Have a look on Pinkbike.com for ideas

[TNT1]

PM pain or shine or whatever his name is, he's the resident hub trail builder. And a DH nutter to boot...

[tombeej]

I did a bit of this in the 90's. From my old rusty memory, what we'd do is first hike the area and find the sections that have the sweetest potential. I'm talking about specific features in the land or obstacles (e.g. little drop-offs or old tree trunks) that could provide memorable moments. Then come up with ways to link those sections together.

 

For serious sections, include a 'chicken run' for those who want to go around.

[jimmy hardtail]

Start at the top. Ride down the path of least resistance. That's your trail. Then fine tune from there, add berms , jumps etc where needed. On a hill like that the possibilities are endless!

[Danger Dassie]

Some areas of repetition in the below links, but they provide some useful info.....

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Solutions-IMBAs-Building-Singletrack/dp/0975502301

 

http://www.americantrails.org/resources/trailbuilding/index.html

 

http://www.imba.com/resources/trail-building/designing-and-building-sustainable-trails

 

http://www.imba.com/resources/trail-building/10-most-common-trailbuilding-mistakes

 

http://www.mtbresource.com/trailbuilding.html

[Eddy Gordo]

FreeRide!!!

[Guest Omega Man]

They say good trails don't need to be built they just need to be cleared.

 

I like to try to use existing features like rocks and existing gulleys. Try to put the jumps over the rocks and rather dig the berms into the gulleys. That way the features last longer and the trail feels more natural. They become less maintenance intensive too.

 

Remeber if you build an "un natural" feature you'll have to carry on maintaining it.

[no calves]

Think i need to borrow the guys from rampage for a day of two. we just need to keep them in check with my abilities and/or the size of my balls .

 

Scouting and planning will commence on sunday(we are packing grapes from 6am to midnight-3am) so sunday will be the only free time between loading trucks. taking the xc hartail with just to see where i can ride and where the DH rig will be the only option. Will also take photo's of the natural landscape, features, and possible placing of obstacles so you can give your input.

[Vinnydabutcher]

Nigel Hicks will also be able to help with ideas.

 

 

S.I.R Maxxis said:

 

"Your most crucial part of the building will be to ensure the trail flows.

 

Nothing worse than a corner that is too sharp causing you to lose speed".

 

Absolutely true - see so many guys keen to build trails but corners are too sharp. Keep riding the trail as you build to see where the line should flow.

 

Nambabwe is a hard country so erosion should be a big problem - but clearing the rocks could be.

 

Riding the lines with an MX bike will also help the flow.