My cunning plan...

[PaulSecteur]

Werewolf is deceptive. Looks low and shallow on youtube, but the reality is its a 9 foot drop onto a horizontal landing... well, thats how I recall it!

 

[Motozulu]

Take the werewolf wide as you can and concentrate on getting your front wheel bang in the middle...gravity does the rest. You are right though the lack of bark on the inside of the 2 trees says loads get it wrong and I did find it really daunting when I started out.

 

[PaulSecteur]

Bugger, I didn't make it up the fireroad today. Im going to blame a long day at work yesterday, not enough sleep, and anything else I can think of.

I was set to do the werewolf... But it was so packed with spectators I didn't bother beacause:

A- They were taking up what little space there is at the bottom
B- If I had failed it would defiantly be on youtube by now,

Hopefully back for another lap tomorrow after work.

 

[PaulSecteur]

Today, I owned that fire road climb.

And I mean owned in the very slow and sweaty sense of the word.

 

[Cubist]

Bugger, I didn't make it up the fireroad today. Im going to blame a long day at work yesterday, not enough sleep, and anything else I can think of.

I was set to do the werewolf... But it was so packed with spectators I didn't bother beacause:

A- They were taking up what little space there is at the bottom
B- If I had failed it would defiantly be on youtube by now,

Hopefully back for another lap tomorrow after work.

All the vids I've seen of the werewolf have gaggles of spectators at every point, on the turn in, at the bottom, and just where it looks like you need to run clear. Why? What is it about that feature that causes so much fascination? I don't mean to sound disparaging, as it looks like it would take an amount of thought and accuracy to ride it, but it isn't particularly terrifying, is it? I'm willing to be corrected of course.

 

[Cubist]

And don't get me started on the last red switchbacks at 'Degla. Every time I go there I have to stop because someone is sitting astride their bike looking at the drop in, exactly where you need to put your front wheel to run the wide line and line the bike up to keep riding. Every single time.

 

[PaulSecteur]

In situations like that I tend to shout

"Moooove!!! No braaaaakes!!! Mooooooooove!!!"

The obstruction will look up and see 100kg of out of control fatty looming towards them and hey presto... clear line.

 

[Cubist]

 

[PaulSecteur]

All the vids I've seen of the werewolf have gaggles of spectators at every point, on the turn in, at the bottom, and just where it looks like you need to run clear. Why? What is it about that feature that causes so much fascination? I don't mean to sound disparaging, as it looks like it would take an amount of thought and accuracy to ride it, but it isn't particularly terrifying, is it? I'm willing to be corrected of course.

I think they are there just to see a face plant.

I have stood at the top of, and wussed out of the drop 3 times. Its not the narrow entry or the drop thats putting me off... just that very short run off. I carry a lot of momentum and im not sure I vould brake and turn in that space.

 

[I like Skol]

I'm just off to google and youtube to see what the werewolf is in case I missed it. I don't remember anything with a nasty entry on Follow The Dog???

 

[I like Skol]

Nope, sorry but that reminds me of a scene from Crocodile Dundee.... "Call that a drop?"

 

[PaulSecteur]

The trail splits, left for werewolf right for the bypass. Thing is...the split is halfway down some switchbacks and the sign is easily missed. I like the switctbacks better

 

[PaulSecteur]

@ilikeskol - did you do the werewolf?

 

[Cubist]

Looking at the various bits of footage, I would suggest it's been hyped a wee bit. It would be intimidating to anyone who is not confident on a bike. I suspect it's grown to legendary status and its reputation makes folk fear it. It's also a combination of elements, none of which would be too hard in open trails on their own, but the entry between the tree trunks means you appear to have to use balance, control, then confidence to drop into the slope, then body movement and finessed braking to roll out through the curve at the bottom.

I shall go and recreate it in the local quarry and see whether I can make some suggestions for riding it.

 

[I like Skol]

@ ilikeskol - did you do the werewolf?

I think so? I'm not trying to brag but something like that doesn't really register on the difficulty scale. I did worse than that on my commute last night

I come down THESE badboys on the way home