Back in the saddle to try a sport of thrills and spills

They say that once you learn to ride a bike you never forget.

Well, I don’t know what sage first came up with these words of wisdom, but I suspect they hadn’t jumped into the saddle for the first time in nearly 20 years to try their hand at a cross-country trail that challenges even the best riders in the world, as this not-so- intrepid reporter did.

I’m shown the ropes by Stuart Startup, a Forestry Commission bike ranger based at Dalby Forest, who takes me round the more easily navigable trails and offers a few tips on how to avoid ending up on my backside, which I just about manage. For the first few minutes merely staying on my bike is a major achievement never mind tackling anything as taxing as the Medusa’s drop, Worry Gill and Dixons Hollow. I’ll leave these fearsome trails and drops to the world’s elite who next weekend will battle it out amongst themselves at the UCI Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup, in these majestic surroundings.

It’s the second successive year that Dalby Forest has hosted the event – last year’s competition was awarded the Best Cross Country World Cup Round by the riders themselves – and Stuart says it’s been a big coup for Yorkshire. “It’s great for us, but it’s probably even more important for the surrounding area and the local businesses which benefit, like shops and B&Bs. Particularly on the Friday night when there’s the pro sprint eliminator event in Pickering town centre.”

On a day like this, in full bloom, Dalby Forest’s verdant canopy is a breathtaking sight, but the bitterly cold winter has taken its toll, with thousands of trees lost, which has affected the cycling trails. “We had about four foot of snow here and it was too much for a lot of the trees, it actually froze on the canopies and snapped them in half and we’ve been working solidly for the past three months now trying to clear the trails and we’re still going,” explains Stuart.

“We had to clear some of the trails on the red route, which is 23 miles long, with hand tools so that obviously took a fair bit of time. There are sections of the World Cup course and the Dalby Dare course which had to be changed because the amount of trees that fell meant we haven’t had chance to clear them.”

Despite such problems, the World Cup returns to Yorkshire at a time when mountain biking is growing in popularity in the UK. Cycling was the second most popular sport in the recent London 2012 Olympic ticket applications, while more than 100,000 cycling enthusiasts visit Dalby Forest each year.

It’s not just hardcore mountain bikers who come here either. There are four different levels starting with two green cycle routes for families and beginners, a six-mile trail starting from Adderstone and a 2.5 mile route from Low Dalby, both of which are straightforward. At the other end of the spectrum is the black trail which although short is physically demanding with some very steep climbs and small, but near vertical, drops which only experienced riders should attempt to tackle.

“The Forestry Commission is working hard to create a lot of trail centres which makes it easier for people to come and have a go,” says Stuart. “Mountain biking can be a challenging sport but we try and make it as safe an environment as possible so there are different trails for people depending on their ability. Small children can come on their scooter bikes which can go round the basic green route with no trouble at all.”

Mountain biking is increasingly popular, not only with those taking part, but with spectators, too. Last year, around 11,000 people turned up to watch the final day’s action at Dalby, which has various vantage points dotted around the forest where they can watch the action. “In the men’s elite race there will be around 200 riders all setting off and charging through that gate in one go which will make quite a spectacle.”

Riders have to race seven laps of the World Cup course and although they only reach speeds of around 17 km an hour, which doesn’t sound particularly fast, when you’re surrounded by trees and where one false move can send you flying it certainly ups the ante.

David Fletcher, who competed his first race at the age of just six, is a member of the British team competing in the under 23 category. At the last World Cup he came eighth and is hoping for a top five finish this time round.

For him, the thrill of mountain biking is pitting your wits against other riders and the environment. “I enjoy the competition and I like mountain biking because you get your hands dirty, it’s not a simple sport and if you make a mistake it could be game over,” he says.

It hasn’t got the profile football has – what sport does? – but being part of the 2012 Olympics should boost its profile, especially if Britain wins a medal or two. Phil Dixon, head coach of the British team, is in no doubt that cycling is a sport on the up. “It’s growing all the time, not just in mountain biking but across all disciplines. The success in the last Olympic Games has really raised the profile of cycling. Sky TV has got involved now and it’s a sport where families can get together and enjoy a day out in the countryside,” he says.

It’s not a genteel sport, though, and the World Cup course at Dalby can challenge even the best riders. “It can be dangerous. We have a national level race and normally you get a few injuries but when the race was held here they ordered a bus in to take guys with broken bones to hospital. There are some really challenging sections, it’s not like going for a ride at the weekend with your mates where you can have a chat and enjoy the scenery. These guys are going flat out for an hour and forty-five minutes.

“In each race you’re watching over a hundred of the world’s best athletes. It’s a high impact sport that spectators can really feel a part of. It’s not like football, they can get really close to the athletes when they’re racing and you can feel the rush of wind when they go past. You can get close to the action which is a big attraction.”

So how does it differ from say the Tour de France? “In the tour you’re part of a team racing over a number of weeks, whereas with mountain biking you’re at full tilt the whole time. What the Tour de France riders don’t have to deal with is the technical element.

“They’re up and down roads while mountain bike riders have steep descents and some of them are scary and if it’s wet they can be treacherous, so the skills set required of a mountain bike rider is massive compared to a tour rider on the road,” he says.

“Mountain biking is broadening its appeal and they’ve started doing these pro eliminator events on a Friday night before the weekend races which takes it into the towns a bit more and we’re aiming towards more medals in the Olympics, which would be the best thing that could happen to the sport.”

But you don’t have to be a super-fit athlete to enjoy cycling, just about anyone can do it. “You get away from the stresses of work and you’re out in the countryside and the fresh air. Most trail centres have different rides where you can take the kids for a day out. It’s safe and it works your body from tip to toe, so it’s a great way to keep fit.”

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Watch Chris Bond tackle the Dalby Forest course at yorkshirepost.co.uk/video