Consider yourself a dab hand at both downhill and cross-country? The Hamsterley Forest 1-2-1 Race Series lets you test your mettle at both.

Competitors will have to tackle both a cross-country race and Hamsterley’s legendary downhill course, although the downhill event will be staged on some of the easier sections in the forest to be fair to riders without experience.

The racing takes place over the weekend of September 25 and 26, with the cross-country event on Saturday and the downhill finale on Sunday.

And, for an added challenge, riders will have to take on both disciplines on the same bike.

Event organiser Dave Nicholson said: “Hamsterley Forest is loved and feared for its big hills but we’re really levelling the playing field here.

“A bike set up for a good downhill time is likely to struggle on the cross country event, while a bike that flies through the XC laps might be out of its depth on the downhill courses.

“The same applies to the riders. So it’s all about tactics and compromise.”

For more information visit www.hamsterley-trailblazers.co.uk

Consider yourself a dab hand at both downhill and cross-country? The Hamsterley Forest 1-2-1 Race Series lets you test your mettle at both.

Competitors will have to tackle both a cross-country race and Hamsterley’s legendary downhill course, although the downhill event will be staged on some of the easier sections in the forest to be fair to riders without experience.

The racing takes place over the weekend of September 25 and 26, with the cross-country event on Saturday and the downhill finale on Sunday.

And, for an added challenge, riders will have to take on both disciplines on the same bike.

Event organiser Dave Nicholson said: “Hamsterley Forest is loved and feared for its big hills but we’re really levelling the playing field here.

“A bike set up for a good downhill time is likely to struggle on the cross country event, while a bike that flies through the XC laps might be out of its depth on the downhill courses.

“The same applies to the riders. So it’s all about tactics and compromise.”

For more information visit www.hamsterley-trailblazers.co.uk