Haldon

Anonymous

Back down in Devon for a bit and despite growing up here, I've never cycled Haldon (well never had a mountain bike in my teens, they hardly existed back then! ). So fancy venturing over there this week.

Question is, what's the state of the trails there? Reading around I get conflicting information.

I understand the Freeride area is closed / wrecked, but what about the "red" trail? Some sites seem to indicate it's open and yet I read other stuff which is talking about stuff being closed and/or still being (re)built but not ready yet until October at least.

There's a post on STW which was talking about the FC felling stuff all over the place also.

Anyone been up there recently and if so, what's open?

Anything else around the area (south Devon in general) that's worth a go?

Anonymous

Answering my own question, having ventured up there the other day, it is open and there's a complete red run although some are diversions it seems. There's a fair bit that's being built near it though. Not sure if that's more of the red run or something else.

It's not bad stuff. More technical than the stuff I'm used to in Swinley. Or at least there's a lot of obsticales. Swinley has a lot of tracks and is massive but very little in the way of actual obsticales to ride over.

Not much to keep you going for more than an hour or so though. Has potential if they can build a lot more.

Some pics anyway:

MTB_Ads

The main red run isn't bad at all, but as you mentioned there is quite a lot of ongoing maintanence/improvements at the moment. I think you can only really enjoy Haldon if you go with someone who knows the trails that aren't marked up such as the 'red' route above.

I've explored both side of the hill and there are some awesome more natural trails that are in my experiance even more challenging, plenty of exploring possible...

Anonymous

May be back down in December so might check it out some more.

I've seen some mention on the web of stuff at Ashcombe. Used to do school cross country round there a very long time ago (and paintball when they started doing that round there) . All I could find was about downhill races though so not sure what's open to the public or rideable any time of the year. I saw mention of the Ashcombe estate so maybe not public.

Horizons

Sorry to bump this thread, but yeah i've been to Haldon, quite nice the red trail, though I haven't been down there for two years. Am very interested to hear that they are building more, I think the place has a lot of potential.

silveringsurfer

I was down at Haldon last week. The red run at Haldon is open and as others have said is fairly short and technical with a variety of surfaces some rocky and others rooty with a nice section of bermed corners at the bottom. The downside is the forest road return which is fairly dull. They are also about to finish a new 15km red cross country route which is due to open on the 29th October (hence the apparant closed sections). This weaves around parts of the existing red but doesn't appear to replace it in any way. For the newbies or a warm up there is also a green route which is a fairly flat armoured single track route with some nice flowy 'S' bends (some quite loose gravel!) and moody scenery. Definately worth a drive if you are around. 8)

billyblackheart

I've given haldon a pretty wide berth for a while now apart from training for the 24/12 just doing countless mind numbing laps of the blue route.

Interesting to see the new trails, might pop down tomorroh, though i'm guessing the FC have pretty much blocked off the new routes?

Wouldn't want me to break a nail or something.

MTB_Ads

Havn't been up for a few weeks, they were making pretty quick progress on the new sections last time i saw. Anyone have any info on this new xc track, where is it exactly?

silveringsurfer

When I asked a member of staff where it went on the map he waved a vague finger over most of the map. When I rode the blue and red route on that day it was possible to see a number of sections from both routes. So if I had to guess I would say it weaves around the current routes and most of the forestry area. At 15k in total it probably needs to! The most visible sections I saw were where it crosses the main entry road and drops down the same hillside as the current red run coming out onto the forestry track just above the bermed section of the current red, then passing the entrance to that before wending it's way back up the hill on the left hand side towards the visitor centre. The sections I saw were well armoured with lots of gravel and white marker stones at intervals. It should ride well in all conditions but may lack a bit of variety until it beds in a bit. What it will do is make some interesting mini circuits with the current red instead of the dull plod riding back up the fireroad we currently have.

Anonymous

Press release on the "Ridge Ride" trail opening on the 29th:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf ... 5800409939

Snippets:

"The eagerly awaited and brand new technical Ridge Ride bike trail will officially open on the Forestry Commission estate at Haldon Forest Park near Exeter on Thursday 29 October. In celebration there will be a day of fun activities on offer for the whole family to enjoy.

At 12 noon people are invited to join world class Kona rider Grant Fielder on the first ride of the new trail. Grant has been riding bikes professionally for over ten years and has been competing in extreme mountain bike events around the world with the Kona Bicycles team for the last three years."

"The trail is very technical and will appeal to experienced riders whilst the other trails are more for families."

Sounds promising. I'll have to check it out next time I'm down. Though it may be in the depths of winter. That just means it'll be wet in true Devon tradition.


Edit: Oh, and according to their Facebook page, the Freer Ride (red run) is going to close from Monday. I guess that's permanent, with the Ridge trail replacing it?

Sponging-Machine

is this the same gravel motorway I saw being built a couple of weeks ago?

MTB_Ads

Hmm I was thinking the same. Shot through the forest just seeing whats down the other side of the hill and there was a whole load of gravel pathways going down, boring and straight, fingers crossed if they are part of the route they are just for linking the more technical parts.

Is this actually replacing the red route or is it just using the existing route and extended it to cut out the boring fireroad slog back up? Got my winter tyres on, just waiting for my lights to arrive then i'll have a gander and report back.

camerauk

Has just opened today did not get chance to ride it as I had to go to work, but hoping to try it out on wed as I have to work weekend as well
it does replace the red run which has now closed and I heard from someone that the new trail ride is suppose to be easier than the red which alot found hard to ride( stick to the adventure and family trails then) so I think it is mostly gravel with a few rock gardens thrown in there is a few video's on the facebook site that someone has made

camerauk

here is one of the video's
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/103387/#

Anonymous

camerauk wrote:

I heard from someone that the new trail ride is suppose to be easier than the red which alot found hard to ride( stick to the adventure and family trails then) so I think it is mostly gravel with a few rock gardens thrown in there is a few video's on the facebook site that someone has made

Oh dear. The red was a little technical in places, but wasn't all that difficult. If it's easier than that, it's practically a family ride. That's at least the red as it was when I did it back in September, but it was like you describe, gravel with a few rock gardens, though there were some little downhills and berms. I'll check out the videos later.

camerauk

I am fairly new to mountain biking but I found the old red run not that bad, not sure why they have closed it they could have kept it open as well and run it with the new trail, maybe it's for safety reason etc
like i say i will give the new trail a go on wed next week and try and take some pics etc

Anonymous

Watched part 1 so far. Looks quite long, but it's just path. Yet to see part 2. Noting that the video was from a few weeks back.

The photos I posted above were of the red run, but a couple were shots of the new stuff I could see from the red run. I didn't go on it (roped off and all that). Some were more twisty and were lower down so must be some downhill to get there. Looks like they've gone for building a clean path with rocks at the side to make it neat. I'd prefer rocks in the path itself here and there, like the red I did.

camerauk

Course is 6 miles so I am told

thehairs1970

JUst come back from riding the new route. My first thoughts were that much of the technicality has been removed. The trail is very narrow with clearences to trees being very close! There were only a few rocky sections and I hope they develop more of these back in. However, as I got further into the trail I was impressed how altitude was maintained through much of the ride by clever use of hill traverses. The trail began to flow much more than the old one and was really enjoyable if not testing. I was also pleased to see that the lower section of the old red run was left alone, so those lovely swoopy bends are still there. Back up the inevitable fireroad, the small section before crossing the road felt a little contrived but once over the road the fun started again with plenty of in the trees stuff, joining with the adventure trail for fast work.

A good attempt Haldon. What a shame though that the old trail has been closed permanently. The more the merrier I say.

camerauk

thehairs1970 wrote:

What a shame though that the old trail has been closed permanently. The more the merrier I say.

Yes I would have thought they could have left the old one as well
I will ask when I go up there on wed to see why they had to close it

How long did it take to ride thehairs1970?

Anonymous

camerauk wrote:

I will ask when I go up there on wed to see why they had to close it

Health & Safety. Risk of Prosecution.

Probably.

Also seems to be the reason a lot of the northshore disappears these days.

camerauk

deadkenny wrote:

camerauk wrote:

I will ask when I go up there on wed to see why they had to close it

Health & Safety. Risk of Prosecution.

Probably.

Also seems to be the reason a lot of the northshore disappears these days.

yes bet they are afraid of getting sued

silveringsurfer

Hmmm - was told that some considered the old Red run to be more like a black (not so IMHO :? ) and there are tails of a fatality or two and a string of serious injuries which would certainly worry the forestry commisions lawyers . While it was technical and in need of some repairs it wouldn't be that hard to tidy up some of the more ragged bits and call it the Haldon Black run and it then makes for a much more varied set of routes. I'm certainly quite dissappointed if they have closed it for the longer term.

I did see a lot of those heavily gravelled sections when riding around a couple of weeks ago and if the whole trail is like that it will be pretty dull - at least till it gets ridden in and berms and ruts develop. However as a winter route it should be fine as it would be rideable in pretty much any weather. My worry is that it is so well armoured that once finished they won't bother to add any additional technicalities unless they use the existing track as the chicken run to harder mini loops?

Anyone else been there yet as I'm still keen to read reviews?

camerauk

silveringsurfer wrote:

and there are tails of a fatality or two and a string of serious injuries which would certainly worry the forestry commisions lawyers

I work for a local paper and we would have certainly have heard of this if it were true!!!
I am due to go up there on wed but weather looks to be coming in bad but still sure I will give it a go will report back when I have spoken to some people up there and ridden the track and maybe some pics

silveringsurfer

I was due up there tomorrow but can't make it - hammered down most of today and more rain due for the next couple of days so will be interesting to hear how weather proof it is.

jimmurray

Did the trail on Thursday morning a couple of hours before the official opening and had it to myself. I'm very much a novice and found the trail very, very narrow in lots of places with tricky cambers. Ok if you are taking it easy but once you start pushing it a bit reckon it would be quite tricky in quite a few places. Don't like the fact that it uses some of the family, play and adventure (quite a lot of this actually) trails and reckon it would be a bit of a pain at the weekend when it becomes crowded with no real passing places on much of the route. Best bit was the section taking you down to the very bottom of the fire road which I believe was part of the old red run.

Jim

MTB_Ads

Went up on Sunday afternoon and....

Still a bit undecided about it to be honest. Basically you shoot off across the road on the family adventure / play (cant remember which, the one out towards the castle) and then head through the woods on the start of the gravel motorway. A lot of it is flat and slightly uphill, not many downhill sections. I'll agree with the comment about some of the track being a tad awkard as it is very very tight, but the treet stumps were more of the problem, I caught a pedal or two on my way through sections.

There was one really fun section, nice long last descent. The good thing about the trail is it includes the fast flowing corners of the old red route towards the bottom of the hill, but inevitably you get the fire road torture back up the hill. All in all it's okay, not technical, but an okay ride for what it is. As i've always said is the case at Haldon, the best tracks are over the other side of the hill.

Oh another thing, on Sunday the weather was a bit dodge, light drizzle, obviously rained a few days prior, the drainage on parts was ridiculous, I'm not expecting clear trails, that's the whole fun with the winter eh, but when the width of the track is a puddle really takes any speed you try and carry through the slower parts of the course away. Ah well something different to fill an hour or two, and I'm thinking an ideal little track to test my p7/c1 combo

camerauk

I am Going to go up in the morning if anyone is about and fancies joining me for a trip round

camerauk

Well been up and completed the new ridge trail and I have to say I like it
It flows nice but does not seem too technical (although I nearly came off a few times :oops: :oops: :oops: )
It is mostly gravel paths which are narrow with a few rock gardens in there but they are not very long a couple of bike lengths, there are a few wooden bridges to cross, the paths are very narrow and they have rocks in places to catch your pedals also there are a few low branches and some tree's are very close to the path's
it is different from the old red as you seem to be going up and down hill all the time so have to pedal a lot more than before
They have kept part of the red right at the bottom with the flowing berms but you do have to come back up the fire road which is steep(had to walk that bit as not been out for 5 weeks) and over weight :oops:
I completed it in around 50 mins so not that long a ride but I have to say I really like it and will be back up there a lot more, it may get busy in the summer and there are no real places to go around people which could be a problem
I am uploading a few pictures and the course from my garmin will post links in bit

Course is here
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=olgpargvdkddobod

Pictures here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14049581@N ... 607976783/

Anonymous

silveringsurfer wrote:

Hmmm - was told that some considered the old Red run to be more like a black (not so IMHO :? ) and there are tails of a fatality or two and a string of serious injuries which would certainly worry the forestry commisions lawyers .

If that was a black, then most of what I've been riding in the Surrey Hills are double blacks! :shock:

But I'd say it was certainly an easy red. The only thing that made it a red was the rocks really and they weren't all that difficult.

There was the northshore stuff though that got damaged in the storm and long gone now. That I thought was the black. Never saw it in the flesh but looking at the photos it looked more like the kind of stuff that could cause a few law suits.

camerauk wrote:

Pictures here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14049581@N ... 607976783/

Looks okay. Think I recognise a couple of bits from the old red. Nice to see some rocks still there and the bridges add a bit of interest even if they've made them nice and safe.

Will have to check it out at Christmas when I'm next down.

Hercule Q

i have to say i thought the ridge trail was a bit poo really, i cant understand all the stumps and rocks at the side of the trails. personally i think my ride into town is more technical, the old red run was far better it had berms, drops, proper rock gardens and jumps. The best bit is the fact they left the bottom bit alone because that atleast tries to test your bike skills.

as mentioned above they should have kept the old red open aswell so there's more variety in the riding instead of a narrow family trail covered in kitty litter