Red route black route

langtounboy

Been to north Wales for a weeks biking, it was fantastic a few spills and bruises but very enjoyable.
We completed Penmancho, Marin and then down to Coed y Brenin to do a double loop of Cyflym Coch.
These are all red routes how do black routes compare to these, what should I expect?
The only part I had to get off my bike was on the Marin trail, I think it's either Pont Banog or Endor where there are a series of steps on a technical climb; what is the technique for completeing these, it looked impossible :shock: . The fallen tree across the track 20m from the start of them didn't help

Tom Barton

Generally speaking a black route will have either or both the following. Significantly harder technical descents with potentially trail features you have to commit to as opposed to having a chicken out route. And/or long and/or steep difficult climbs with technical features which require quite a high level of fitness to get up.

For example the world cup xc track at derby has an unavoidable drop in, tricky stepsbuilt into climbs and some rocky sections to get through.

Brechfa in south Wales has a black route with horrible climbs and then a full blown bike park section in it. It has an identity crisis!

There is alot if inconsistancy I feel in trail rating and think it should be more subjective. Some courses are rated black because they have maybe a 50m black section on it but are otherwise red - whites level at afan is a good example of this.

Rocky climbs are best tackled with momentum I find. Pick a gear where you can keep things spinning at a good pace, pick the best lines, position yourself centrally on the bike and be prepared to move around - movingback to loft your front wheel and then forward to bring your back wheel up behind you and then quickly repeat for the next ones all the while spinning to keep your speed (and balance) up. Ultimately... Practice and it'll come!

Uchiga

Theres a world cup course in Derby now? I always thought it was Dalby...

Some black routes will actually cut across some of the red routes depending on where you go. Mostly though the differance is in the ascents and the descents in terms of technical skills and what surfaces they stuck on it such as tree roots and rocks/boulders.

sniper68

langtounboy wrote:

The only part I had to get off my bike was on the Marin trail, I think it's either Pont Banog or Endor where there are a series of steps on a technical climb; what is the technique for completeing these, it looked impossible

Get off,shoulder the bike and walk
I can't believe that they haven't built a new section to by-pass the steps.The trails been open about 100 years :roll:

Anonymous

There doesn;t seem to be any sign of tyre marks up those steps. A few of them would be rideable, except there's no run up as most of them are after some nearly 180 degree switchbacks, and two of them if I remember, are just too close together.
I reckon maybe if you were completely fresh at that point, they might be avhievable, but I've never seen anyone get up all of them.

sniper68

Danny MacAskill might have a chance

Anonymous

ibbo68 wrote:

Danny Mcaskill might have a chance

Oh for sure. If you're any good at trials, at all, you'd be fine. But Trials is one field of mountain biking I, for one, have not ever managed to make any sort of progress in!
I mean, I suck so bad at trials, I could be the trials vacum cleaner.

Tom Barton

Oops - I meant dalby sorry!