Ride Portugals new track "mac 10"

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So it's time we did a blog, it's been ages so here goes.....

Since our beginning some years back the Ride Portugal ethic has been to simply build trails and ride bikes. In an industry of too much talking and not enough riding, it just isn't our style to sit on PB kissing ass and trying to win friends and influence people or anywhere else for that matter!.
At any one time we are working on a trail, to date we have built some unique stuff for DH in Portugal with crazy trails like "Camber Gambler", classics like "Wideopen" and long old endurance dh like "Metro Line". It's become clear the terrain here is not for the beginner and as we have progressed so has the level of riding and we now have a distinct direction and aim for our trails. "Mac 10" is a product of this!

I had been riding here since I was 18 years old but to my frustration there was never anything substantial to ride. Seven years ago I ventured up the main mountain here looking to build a new set of trails with an aim to use the epic potential to start a whole new venue for mtb in Europe. And so the graft began, however it didn't last long, I soon found the area of hill I chose was way to steep for my first attempt for a holiday venues dh track and after a few weeks moved onto other areas. Years on and now with a complete understanding of what an absolute nightmare the fertile mountains here are for building and maintenance, my head has been turned back to the ridge that got me excited in the beginning. To accompany my newly attained interest I wanted to build something here that didn't exist, that being a super fast steep track with lots of big hits, less of the rocky gnar and more of the new style flat out balls in your throat stuff that slack head angle is made for. This was clearly the spot for the track.

Each trail we build are built by hand and at an average of 2.5 kilometers, they take months to finish, this has been no exception and was built through the winter of 2013/14 and this was a nasty wet one to say the least. Early in 2014 we had a bunch of World Cup riders here and despite the horrendous weather, the trail was tested and the feedback was really positive. The bottom of the trail developed right up untill our friend Seanan O'Roirdan turned up in with Nukeproof CRC riders Dan Sheridan and Chris McGlinchey in late April for some pre season training before their grueling run of IXS and World Cups. The weather was perfect so after some runs on other trails we moved onto Mac 10. The boys, like myself loved the track but felt it could still do with some tweeks so we all got stuck in and smashed out a few more berms to give a little more support to some hairy sections. Once complete the guys had their fun and smashed it to bits...lol

All trails need a tweak and right up untill now, I have been making alterations following the the Nukeproof CRC guys visit and of their feedback I can finally say the trail is as good as it can be and is ready for the coming season of riders.
This is the first track in a long time that has made me smile, it's different to anything I have ridden in a long time but takes time to learn how to ride. Like all our trails, it's not for beginners, all could get down it but to enjoy it you have to hit all the gaps. Once you can do that it's a fun scary beast.
I think this trail marks a change in Ride Portugal's direction. In a time of motorway bike parks we are a little off the cuff in regards to being a venue for DH. With twenty years of old school dh riding history and the belief DH should be scary and challenging we will stick to what we know and the trail building we are proud of. If you like it gnar, Ride Portugal is for you, if not......... it's not the venue for you, simple. Look out for our next beast that is well under way already, keep riding and we will build trails that keep you on your toes and smiling. Time for me to go ride and stop talking about it, you should do the same! look out for my next bit of blurb "Hocus Pocus"