UKC

OK - so Im a born again MTBer - just over 2 years now and Im hungry for more.

So far stand out routes (and Im looking for naturalish single track - not trail centres - are

Penmachno - Loop 2 (man made)
Hully Gully at Gisburn (man made)
Llyn Colwyd Traverse
Descent from Crafnant to Capel Pinnacles
Pont Scethin descents.
"Over The Top" in the Clwyds down to Ruthin vale
Both Minton Batch and The Batch on the Long Mynd.

Please feel free to add your suggestions - there is a long dry summer ahead

Please feel free to add your recommendations and inspire and educate me

Cheers

David

In reply to David Hooper:
Peak District above Lady Bower, a steep climb to get up there, then across the moor and the track ends up at the pub. Only about 1 mile or so.

It is slightly down hill, twisty with rocks and lumps.

In reply to JWB: Ive heard of somewhere called Cutgate? near Ladybower thats supposed to be good - around Ladybower is on my list

In reply to David Hooper:


The Cli-Machx trail at Coris is one of my favorites.

The last downhill section is brilliant! and the longest in Wales i think.

In reply to David Hooper:

The bit by the river heading for Lopwell Dam down in deepest Devon.

In reply to David Hooper:



The Skiddaw loop is also Superb!!

In reply to David Hooper:

If you'r ever up in NW scotland then conspire to do the route from Coulags to Annat over Bealach na Lice. The downhill section is about 5k long and is about 600000% better than any trail centre singletrack I've ridden. Is also in Torridon, with all the scenery and that.

In reply to David Hooper: Afon Doethie ranks highly though not at the top. MArk of Zorro at Nant yr Arian must be up there too.

In reply to David Hooper: Black Combe loop, south west Lakes. Find it on the map, do it anti-clockwise starting from Broadgate/Crag Hall. Bitch of a climb from the northern side to the summit of Black Combe but a good 10 minute ripper of a descent. Great views over to the Isle of Man.

In reply to David Hooper: North Yorks Moors, the loop around Ingleby Incline. Great views again and excellent tracks.

In reply to johnnorman: I second the Cli-machx trail!! Very good fun. Dry day is often best to avoid decking on the slippery rock sections.

In reply to David Hooper: Two bitsa of downhill in Grizedale Forest in the South Lakes - The amazingly named Breasty Haw and on the opposite side of the forest, the descent through Lawsons Farm I think. Both fast, rocky and twisty!

In reply to David Hooper:Penmachno is probably my fav man-made circuit but Dalby and Grizedale aren't far behind
Did a loop last year which included Grizedale, but then went south and around the bottom of the lake - can't remember the name but it was cracking! Loughrigg is always good too.

In reply to David Hooper: David, you only had to ask.

Cutgate's cool
Doethie Valley is amazing
Lonscale Fell in the Lakes is amazing. As is the stuff around Stephenson's Ground in the Duddon Valley
Bowderdale in the Howgills is to die for.
Some wicked stuff on Hexham Common.
Also Crug Mawr in the Black Mountains.
Some seriously good stuff around Leith Hill/Holmbury in the North Downs
Also around Nettlebed in the Chilterns
Dartmoor - check out Lustleigh Cleeve area and out to Bennett's Cross
Just about everything in the Quantocks - particularly Smith's Combe
Slighachan, Skye
Harris is oozing with great stuff - some of the best I've ever ridden.
Rosedale in the North York Moors - although it's getting a bit worn out now

I'm sure I can come up with loads more!

T

In reply to steev: Is there a good way to make this circular? Been looking at this area for a while .

In reply to David Hooper:

V-Trail boundary section, Glentress
Balblair trail, Bonar Bridge
Wildcat trail, Golspie
The new red at Wolftrax, Laggan
Any number of tracks in the Lakes

In reply to David Hooper:

A mile stretch of single track in mortimer forest just outside Ludlow, flows amazingly, about 5 small drops, about 5 roll-inns, and a couple of big drop ins (if feeling brave enough). Much better than the multitude of downhill race tracks on the Bringewood side.

Its not easy to find though!

In reply to Tom Hutton:

A pity to hear that the Rosedale tracks are getting worn out, the one from the pub southward is one of the best anyway. There's quite a few other rides on the Moors that are almost as good.

The track along the coast from Reingedail (sp?) on Harris is also brilliant. I'm sure there's more on Harris but only found the one that goes round Clisham which was OK but nowhere near as good as the one above.

In the Lakes the best stuff seems to be on the edges of the district as the tracks in the central area have been "improved" for walkers and are hard work as bridleways.

Not done any biking further south than Long Mynd but would love to get down to the Quantocks. Although I enjoy the man-made ride centres they don't really compare with the cross-country natural trails (though I realise that they are all man-made/modified to some extent). It's a bit like the difference between sports routes and trad routes.

ALC

In reply to beinn_eighe: Stop renaming our local forest. "Mortimer Forest" was invented by the FC in 1970, an irritating little neologism which sadly caught on. Plenty of good stuff in Bringewood! as you say other than the downhill bit.

In reply to Fat Bumbly2:

Are you in Ludlow, wouldnt mind some local singletrack knowledge

Ive only been in Ludlow just over a year.

In reply to Tom Hutton:

When I did it I started at the Beinn Eighe car park, then headed over the coulin pass (there's some great singletrack on the east shore of loch coulin). This takes you to Achnashellach station, then take the road from there to coulags. Next time I might just park in Torridon village or in Annat to shift the last road section to the start.

In reply to johnnorman: I'd agree, the Cli-Machx descent is probably my favorite out of any of the trails I've ridden in Wales. There's also a super steep 'off-piste' finish which is great in the dry, but impossible to stay upright on if wet. Not done much outside of Wales though. There's plenty of good single track in the Black Mountains round me. From Twmpa to Capel y Fin is a good one.

In reply to a lakeland climber:
Yes, that's the one I meant on Harris - just stunning! And you're right re 'natural' singletrack in my opinion. And I live a mile from Nant y Arian!

The Quantock Hills are amazing - as good as anywhere in the country. Let me know if you want some route ideas if you ever get there.

T

In reply to steev:

Thanks, that's really useful

T

In reply to David Hooper:

Afan is very dry and dusty at the moment.

Final Descent on 'The Wall' was particularly rapid yesterday

In reply to David Hooper: Thx for all the replies folks - lots to consider

In reply to David Hooper:

track 40, London's best kept secret

In reply to lost1977:

So? Share!

In reply to Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2):

http://www.diaryofamountainbiker.co.uk/Routes.php

In reply to David Hooper:

Hully Gully counts as 'naturalish'?!

Home Baked at Gisburn
Stainburn black
Any of the Adams Family descents at CyB
Breasty Haw (fnarr) at Grizedale
River Bed at Grizedale (hard to limit it to just two from here; there are quite a few and they're all great)
Haw Fell to Litton
Mastiles Lane to Kilnsey (not singletrack but you're not likely to care - it's brilliant fun)
Weets Top to Calton
Blawith over Woodland Fell to Green Moor
Anything in the Duddon

In reply to David Hooper:

I'd second the Balblair trail at Bonar Bridge. I wouldn't rate it as one of the best I've ridden to date but it is quite different and very much worth a visit if you're up that way.

The trails around Strathpeffer are great too, speak to Steve at Square Wheels for maps -- lovely chap

Some nice natural stuff around Flash, Gradbach and Macc Forest too with nice link-ups for a good ride from Roach End and back.

In reply to David Hooper: Minton Batch on the Long Mynd is brilliant it's just a bugger to get back up the top for another go. Last november we rode up Snowdon, it was hard work getting to the top especially due to the snow, but the descent was epic! From the summit we were back in Llanberis in 20 min, my brakes were smoking, my bones were rattled but it was brill!

In reply to LJ2606:

Couple up there on the summit on Saturday with their HARDTAILS. Good effort I thought

In reply to Steve Perry (Pezz): Fair play to doing it on a hardtail

In reply to Steve Perry (Pezz):

I did that as a kid on my rigid bike with my dad on his hybrid.

Full Sus:

Letting poor riders play on the same stuff good riders are on.

In reply to billy no-mates:

I disagree with that.

I was always a lover of hardtails and was very reluctant to change to a full susser, when I did however it didn't instantly make me a better rider, however over time I have found that I can carry a lot more speed over the rough stuff than on a hardtail. Also I'd say 99% of the best riders out there ride full sussers.

In reply to David Hooper:

Some of my favorite singletrack is some really well hidden stuff far out into the brandon country park side of thetford.
Its just really smooth and flowy.
Other than that the megavalanche route at Alpe D'Huez is spectacular for singletrack, but god help you if you go over the side

In reply to LJ2606:

But that 1% is always ready to blast past with the spirit of mint sauce and a huge seatpost!!

In reply to David Hooper:

Having just returned from there:

Lee Quarry + Cragg quarry makes a great link up if you're in the area or local, but I'd recommend doing it mid-week as it can be hellish busy, and the latter venue, given its very twisty and often quite blind (someone seems to have designed the course by dropping a length of cooked spagehtti onto a map! That's a compliment by the way!) has lots of opportunity for a faster rider to stack it into the back of a slower one almost no matter how alert they are. Be wary of the Ball-bearing Berm as I have now christened it... despite running into it as high and fast as I thought it needed I still ended up at the bottom after both wheels lost traction. My mate in front also nearly stacked it and stopped round the next corner waiting for me to crash! I cannot recommend using your pelvis as a means of self arrest. We moved the offending slab afterwards... Ouch.

Anyway, lots of good stuff listed
Think I'll have a couple of days off first, though... :-S

PP.

In reply to steev:

Make this even more awesome by heading up the Easan Dorcha and into Coire Lair. If you thought the descent to Annat was good the Coire Lair one is even better.

It's in the Kenny Wilson Mountainbike Scotland book.