HARTLEPOOL TRACK

[rooski]

That track looks fookin scary

Think some crash mats will be needed come race day

Don't fancy goin off the track either,theres some Big fookin drops

[rooski]

He looks like a Stock Car fan....

Either Bren's shrunk a bit in the last 6 months or thats a fookin big jump

[OrgasmDonor]

He looks like a Stock Car fan....

Either Bren's shrunk a bit in the last 6 months or thats a fookin big jump

correction, thats a big "jump not to be jumped" 

[billstup]

It won`t be the kids that have problems with jumps it us old gits, all the tracks I`ve rode the kids can out jump us I`m afraid 

[liddle145]

Had a look up today and as said it looks  well built but fooking massive, certainly for my little one who is 4 and was just getting into and loved the old track over the last year.

He probably won't be scared of riding it but I will be watching him which may take my enjoyment out of it and may steer me away from bmx and back to trail riding with him.

I know that this has brought the track up to a standard so that more racing can take place at summerhill which I think is fantastic but I am sure (correct me if I am wrong) 95% of the time the track will be used by locals of all ages and levels of ability for what we used tracks for bitd, which is enjoying dicking about on 2 wheels wether thats on the latest spec race bike or on a quote from earlier post  "barracuda fully-aspension innit bikes" .

Just hope the track hasn't been built for a minority, which as people have already mentioned may cause the kids to loose interest and move onto other interests.

Rant over and hope I am proved wrong but this is just my opinion as dad of a young BMX enthusiast 

[Prest1082]

I know nowt about riding BMX but think I am just going to ride it! Daz has some valid points ! But it is to late now it is build ! ( think that may be his point ) when it is dry and everybody has had a go  , the proof will be in the pudding !
Truth is, i think, I am fed up with it all now! Give it a month or two make your own mind up ! It is a new track Roma was not build in a day!
Just somebody txt me when we are going up next week !
Cheers Nick

[OrgasmDonor]

98% of it will ride lovely, its very very nearly an awesome track its the 2% thats soo fookin annoying and gutting especially in the case of the berms which were a specific concern as soon as we knew who was building the track

you know, building a track is very much like  making love to a beautiful woman.
you plan carefully
choose your partner
create some ups n downs
then wake up in the morning n find you've been good n properly fooked
 

[OrgasmDonor]

It won`t be the kids that have problems with jumps it us old gits, all the tracks I`ve rode the kids can out jump us I`m afraid 

kids are fookin mental these days but thats those who can ride, theres no room to progress in the design of this, some very good riders were up the track looking at it today, 4x riders etc n they were dissapointed at the size of the gaps and the bumpy thing at the end. apart from the berms issue, the track will be comfortably within the limits of a fair few riders, but theres not a single bit kids could play with to get some jumping experience, n all kids wanna jump 

[Gish]

 It was built for the national riders With no thought of how the little ones are supposed to progress on it.

I don't think the track will hold a national meeting either cos rider safety will be an issue with the steep drops inbetween the straights and the exit on the 3rd berm is pathetic.

[Dex Dexter]

Hoping for a dry weekend when I come up to visit soon.

See what I think.

Didn't Carpenter build this and not Dirtworks?  Because the Berms are trademark Carpenter, which I'm not keen on.  Although that last berm may allow you to get good pump coming off the outside.

I'll just give it a go and see if it flows.

If it does it will tick my box for a selfish visit now and again 

[OrgasmDonor]

Hoping for a dry weekend when I come up to visit soon.

See what I think.

Didn't Carpenter build this and not Dirtworks?  Because the Berms are trademark Carpenter, which I'm not keen on.  Although that last berm may allow you to get good pump coming off the outside.

I'll just give it a go and see if it flows.

If it does it will tick my box for a selfish visit now and again 

your correct, thought 2 were the same 

the tracks awesome dex apart from the annoying niggles, which is a shame

[Eddy]

I would say the track is comparable to others race tracks elsewhere in terms of the design, layout, spacing between jumps etc.  It is probably at the cutting edge in places but you have to appreciate away from the North East and around other race tracks this is the norm.  We can argue and bicker over whether or not it is suited for younger riders / local kids till the cows come home but at the end of the day NEBMX have been the ones who arranged funding to pay for the refurb.  It doesn’t make sense for them to build a play track when the people who are essentially paying for it (as well as dealing with the bulk of its up keep) need a facility that compares with those elsewhere.  I didn’t think kids would be able to do the old quad on the 3rd straight when we first made it, but last time I was there everyone and their dog was hitting it up.  Similarly the old big step up on the 4th straight.  It doesn’t deter kids of all ages from riding it and I doubt it will be long before the locals get used to the new stuff and start hitting it up.  The bar rises further with each generation, it takes kids a week to learn stuff I spent months over (manualing being prime example).  Incidentally I am speaking as Eddy now and not someone with any affiliation to NEBMX over this and that last turn exit looks somewhat iffy, I just think it helps to put the back story forward behind all this when considering the bigger picture..   

[OrgasmDonor]

eddy, i knooooow why the track was done dude and i 100% appreciate all thats gone into getting the changes to go ahead but a little thought during the process or common sense on behalf of the builder costs nothing. Discussions n decisions were obviously made during the build as the 3rd straight (which is cool) had totally changed from original proposed spec.

i'm not knocking whats gone into it and it is an awesome track but as far as a bmx club track how are new young members to progress? no rider would have been able to jump the old 3rd straight without building up to it but time learning on smaller jumps and the natural erosion of said jumps are the factors that lead to that progression. I'm there 2/3 times a week, i see it dude and its awesome but i feel thats been taken away which is why i'm disappointed. i want this to work as much as anyone and like i have said, its *98% perfect. One or two littler jumps would have been more realistic in terms of progression and building interest in riding. All new kids wanna do is jump n thats something that is not gonna be achievable for them so they are gonna give up.

None of what i have said is for selfish reasons, i am lucky enough to have enough off to step back n look at the bigger picture here. I have no kids and the lack of smaller jumps makes no difference to my world in the slightest. I am over the moon with the 1st on the 1st n 2nd straights n i've eyed others i wanna work up to, *the track rocks! But i can ride and i am already at a level that can make the most of it, newcomers have not and boring them, which this track will do, is not the way forward.

balance bike races to encourage kids into the sport are gonna be over before the end of the 1st straight for example and would you seriously let your own wobbling novice go down the 2nd straight unaided?

*i know my previous posts sounded harsh but besides the safety aspect (which may diminish somewhat with the growth of weeds) the 2% thats not right i.e. big stoopid "jump not to be jumped" and last berm exit are the only things preventing this track from being awesome. the lack of a couple of littler jumps does not prevent the track from being a great track, it just prevents it from being accessable to those who wish to progress comfortably and safely within thier ability.

you say this is not a play track but other than race meets and for the gifted few this is probably the biggest pump track i've seen, where do you get the chance to pedal ya likkle legs off?

still cant get over how the exit of berms have ended up, when that was probably the only concern 100% of everybody involved expressed once the builder had been identified. its like painting the sistine chapel n signing it off with a potato print! (i am no way comparing Jason to leonardo, but ya get me drift  )

this is my unbiased opinion, i've seen the jumps i like, i rarely go round the full length of the track or use it to its full potential, i just enjoy pissing about up there which i can easily still do, i'm happy

[Eddy]

I am not disagreeing with any of the above, and it is in the clubs interests to make a track that can develop younger riders.  I admit to feeling exactly the same the first time I rode platt fields, thinking how on earth are kids going to learn anything on here.  There were yoofs back then just starting out and today they sail over everything big and small.  I cant say how this happens but kids are a damn sight better at adapting to new things than older folk, there is no rational or justification its just the way it seems to go down (going off what I have seen at Manchester anyways).  It’s a tricky one because without the club it is unlikely this would have ever happened, but it would have been equally unlikely any of the stuff Me, Ste and Rob done in 2005 would have happened either and we would still have a gravel pit with nothing over 1ft tall.

I dunno, time will tell I guess. 

Looks like a fair few people are up ignoring the signs to stay off riding it till it dries out, cant understand why you would want to ride a boggy muddy mess before it dried out, it will feel rubbish!

I am also willing to make a wager that the jump that is not to be jumped will be jumped by someone before July next year, progression and all

[Gish]

I had s walk up this afternoon with the daughter and there was quite a few Kidd on scooters giving it large on the track

[Prest1082]

Hope shouted at them ! Lol

[Gish]

Managed to get them off the track but soon as I went they were back on

[OrgasmDonor]

I am not disagreeing with any of the above, and it is in the clubs interests to make a track that can develop younger riders.  I admit to feeling exactly the same the first time I rode platt fields, thinking how on earth are kids going to learn anything on here.  There were yoofs back then just starting out and today they sail over everything big and small.  I cant say how this happens but kids are a damn sight better at adapting to new things than older folk, there is no rational or justification its just the way it seems to go down (going off what I have seen at Manchester anyways).  It’s a tricky one because without the club it is unlikely this would have ever happened, but it would have been equally unlikely any of the stuff Me, Ste and Rob done in 2005 would have happened either and we would still have a gravel pit with nothing over 1ft tall.

I dunno, time will tell I guess. 

Looks like a fair few people are up ignoring the signs to stay off riding it till it dries out, cant understand why you would want to ride a boggy muddy mess before it dried out, it will feel rubbish!

I am also willing to make a wager that the jump that is not to be jumped will be jumped by someone before July next year, progression and all

the smallest jump on this track is almost as big as the biggest at platts field, the fookin indoor pro section without the middles cut out would be more appealing to most  platt fields has a progressional route, h/pool hasnt.

if the "jump thats not meant to be jumped" gets jumped, then that makes carpenter a liar as well as chronic berm exit constructor

[THIRSTYKIRSTY]

well

im goin up at 10 ish in mornin for a finished look at track ,,,,,bike will be in boot and if dry enough gonna have a roll round

anyone else gonna have a sniff up to compare opinions

[OrgasmDonor]

might just do that dude, not 100% but 10.30 sounds possible 

[THIRSTYKIRSTY]

10,30 it is then

be good to catch up

[hazzajoe]

Has it been declared open?

[THIRSTYKIRSTY]

dont know anth,,,,,but a look up and maybe a rooll round wont harm

commin up matey

[Prest1082]

Ya blighters !! Think it may be still official not open !! But what harm can ya do !! I am at work ! Gutted !! Lol

[liddle145]

Had a walk round it today with The little man as he keeps asking when it's open,  it's still officially closed but it didn't seem to bother the 6 kids up there but then again theres only one A4 notice at the entrance to the track and they won't have seen that.

The normal route up the to the track is fooking muddy as ! so everyone is going up through the play area where's there are no notices.

Track does look good and can't wait to have a wobble round it on a bike. Still can't work out what the thing at the end of the first straight is all about.nearly killed Melsel walking down it

It's a bit soft in places but can't see it drying out much more this side of May 
Does anyone know when they are going to declare it open ?

Would have had a wobble round tomorrow but at work so enjoy and let us know what you think