Top Gear Cycles Craters Classic, Wairakei Forest

Sunday 8 June 2008 

Courses are 85% singletrack, with some some gravel and 4WD.  All course options are "big loop" format.  Everyone gets to ride the primo Outback, Slalom and Coaster Tracks.  The Adventure and Enduro riders also get to ride Retro (a wee climb) and Luge Track, the longest flowing downhill track in the park.  The Fun Course has tracks up to Grade 3, and the Adventure and Enduro Courses have some Grade 4 tracks.

Entry is $25 (reduced to $20 for Taupo MTB Club Members).  Classes are Junior Men / Women (U19), Senior Men / Women (U36), and Vet Men / Women (36+).

Enter On-The-Day, or pre-enter by posting the entry form with your cheque to: "Craters Classic, 43 Hyde Ave, Taupo 3330" by 3 June.  Please make your cheque out to Taupo Mountain Bike Club.

Get the Entry Form (128 KB)

The venue will be sign-posted from SH1 between Taupo and Wairakei.  Turn in to Craters of the Moon opposite Helistar.  The event base is the MTB car park on Powerline Road.

Course Details

For those of you who are familiar with the MTB tracks in Wairakei Forest, here is the full detail of the courses.

17 km Fun Course (Loop 1)

Start on gravel road, through car park, and then part Corkscrew, Squirt, part of Q-Line Rd, Paintball, Fast Eddie, part of Bumble Bee, last parts of Ferret and Tourist Trap, Lake Hire Link 1, Tankstand, part of Drone, Outback, Slalom, Incline, Coaster (Adventure and Enduro peel off here), Lake Hire Link 2, and back to car Park to finish.

Click Here to get the Fun Course map, 180 KB

32 km Adventure Course (Loop 2)

Having done Loop 1 above, and peeled off at end of Coaster, then continue as follows.  Part of Tankstand (again), Grinder, most of Buzzard, Missing Link, tail end of Tankstand (again), up short piece of Karapiti Rd, Young Pines (via Better than P), part of Drone (again), small part of Outback (again), part of Golf Course Rd, wee piece of Outback (again), uphill part of Retro, Luge (Yehaa! but not the see-saw), short piece of Laneway Rd, short piece of Links Rd, end of Outback, balance of Drone, Walters Wiggles, Lake Hire Link 2, over to start of Corkscrew (Enduro peel off here), and back to car park to finish.

Click here to get the Adventure Course (addition) map, 180 KB

41 km Enduro Course (Loop 3)

Having done Loops 1 and 2 as above, and peeled off at start of Corkscrew, then continue as follows.  All of Corkscrew (yes, up the hill), all of Tourist Trap, all of Ferret, and back to car park to finish.  You will know you have done 41 km!  This course is not for softees!

Click here to get the Enduro Course (addition) map, 180KB

Thanks also to associate sponsor Matt Jensen Insurance Brokers Ltd, for all Taupo MTB Club insurance covers.