Verderers trail, FOD - any good?

Stevo_666
Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
edited November 2011 in Routes
This was recommended to my by someone as a good blast - not too techy but fast & fun. although they haven't been on it so not sure how they know this. I wanted to get some proper second opinions: anybody ridden this?

Let me know what you think.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
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Comments

  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    YES!!!!! bloody brilliant :D

    no big climbs, nice singletrack and they've somehow managed to make an amazing final descent after you haven't climbed very much - i finished with a huge smile on my face :lol: (this isn't the crudcatcher remember so no crude comments :wink: )

    deffo worth a visit if on the way somewhere else as the trails there are quite short, but the red is an OK trail aswell and the DH runs are pretty cool. check out here:

    www.thefod.co.uk
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    Thanks Kev, in that case, may give FoD a bash in place of my November Brechfa trip (cancelled as they closed all but one of the runs for harvesting :( )
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    like you said it's not technical at all but it's really flowy and you can just let go and have fun :D
  • ramblingjon
    ramblingjon Posts: 34
    I rode the final decent from the uplift service and I agree - very fast & very flowy! it's designed by the same guys who built Brechfa - so its pretty similar to the blue there! def worth checking.
  • dan shard
    dan shard Posts: 722
    Absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I went a few weeks ago and its hard to imagine a trail centre being much better. Dont be fooled by the blue grading either, its no canal toe path :D

    The final decent is an absolute CORKER!!!!
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    Sounds like I need to go :) With Brechfa mostly shut until early December, this could be my November 'long haul' trip (i.e. outside the South East...)
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • ramblingjon
    ramblingjon Posts: 34
    book yourself an uplift day there - its well worth it!

    http://www.flyupdownhill.co.uk/
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    i might just go there tomorrow now after talking about it :lol:
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    I've only ridden the end section, but that bit wasn't to my taste it was very very smooth and a little boring had to eally go as flat out as i could on it to get massively excited...

    but i do love the DH's theere
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    Thewaylander wrote:
    I've only ridden the end section, but that bit wasn't to my taste it was very very smooth and a little boring had to eally go as flat out as i could on it to get massively excited...

    but i do love the DH's theere

    one of the only times i'll disagree with you on trails :lol:
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    He he

    i think i just dislike the obviously man made feel of it, and lack of any challenge other than how fast you can go :) but i can see why alot of people do like it.
  • ramblingjon
    ramblingjon Posts: 34
    wouldn't want to ride the end section all day either... it’s not techy or scary BUT when I was on it I literally couldn’t stop smiling!

    For me it’s like the difference between a bungy jump & a sky dive – two totally different buzzes but both totally exhilarating!
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    yeah exactly, for myself and waylander who both live on the doorstep of cwmcarn, for me riding FOD is a great and fun change of trail :D
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    ramblingjon wrote:
    book yourself an uplift day there - its well worth it!

    http://www.flyupdownhill.co.uk/
    Uplift you say - the lazy barsteward in me likes the idea of that :D It says it takes you to the top of the downhill runs - can you get to Verderers as well from the top ?
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    rode it yesterday again. i was really suprised how well it's held up especially as it wqas peeing down with rain!! some of the berms were a bit clogged up with fallen leaves and i was a bit worried about it being slippery, but all in all a nother good ride :D
  • ramblingjon
    ramblingjon Posts: 34
    Stevo – yeah the uplift takes you to the top of the final decent of the verderers trail but also lets you access loads of downhill trails (with varying degrees of difficulty).

    It’s a super-efficient uplift service with really friendly staff who were happy to recommend new routes down! You should def pre-book and avoid disappointment – if you get there for 10:00 I think you can get 15 runs in!

    We got lucky and it was a hot sunny dry day when we were there – not sure what the downhill runs would be like in the wet tho…
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    The uplift at FOD is not worth the cash, since the runs are so short because of loading and unlaoding of bikes and so on it is actually faster to push.

    I'd save your uplift money for somwhere like Cwm where it takes 40-50 minutes to push up for the DH and 10 minutes to come down, I wont pay for a service that doesn't save me any time it seems a silly waste of money to me :s
  • ramblingjon
    ramblingjon Posts: 34
    £20 for a days riding (and no pushing) is all good for me!!
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Yup but do you pay £20 everytime you want to DH?

    FOD stuff is perfect for push up day for this reason and be used at that place you don't need to pay for uplift.

    Then you can expand where you ride DH because you will ahve far more £20 to spare ;p
  • TrailGuru
    TrailGuru Posts: 53
    A bit of a rollercoaster ride of a trail but as mentioned above, a very "man-made" style. Good laugh for a quick blast but I found after 3 or 4 times riding it I'd lost interest. No real challenges except maybe for beginners who aren't used to berms and high speeds.

    The downhill trails are a lot more challenging with plenty of natural features.
    www.trailguru.co.uk - The ultimate guide to mountain biking in Wales
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    TrailGuru wrote:
    A bit of a rollercoaster ride of a trail but as mentioned above, a very "man-made" style. Good laugh for a quick blast but I found after 3 or 4 times riding it I'd lost interest. No real challenges except maybe for beginners who aren't used to berms and high speeds.

    The downhill trails are a lot more challenging with plenty of natural features.

    are you calling me a beginner? :wink::lol:

    that was my 3rd time riding it so maybe i'll get bored of it next time :lol:
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    edited October 2011
    TrailGuru wrote:
    A bit of a rollercoaster ride of a trail but as mentioned above, a very "man-made" style. Good laugh for a quick blast but I found after 3 or 4 times riding it I'd lost interest. No real challenges except maybe for beginners who aren't used to berms and high speeds.

    The downhill trails are a lot more challenging with plenty of natural features.
    That's fine, I like that sort of stuff. I've not done any proper DH yet but may give one or 2 a crack if I go there, why not :)
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • geebee2
    geebee2 Posts: 248
    You don't say what your experience level is.

    I found it really good fun - first time I have been to a trail center (about 4 weeks ago), rode it with my wife ( also her first time at a trail center ) and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

    It's not difficult, but I guess if you go fast enough, it could become challenging in places.

    Loads of bermed corners, I guess maybe 100 such corners around the whole trail, which takes about an hour to ride ( at leisurely pace ), I think it's about 7 miles round.

    As beginners, we took our time. I got a little bit of air on the large bumps in the final descent, my wife took them a bit slower I think.
    My new bike
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    geebee2 wrote:
    You don't say what your experience level is.
    Not beginner but not expert :) As the trail's graded blue with a red bit at the bottom it shouldn't be a problem at all based on what I've done before.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    Tried FoD today :D Kev and ramblingjon were pretty much on the nail.

    Verderers was a great blast, did that 5 times I think. Tried the dowhill with varying degrees of success and a few offs - Sheepskull and Corkscrew were good; Flatland OK; on Ski run I came properly unstuck, christened my new full face helmet and bent a brake lever :P . But will definitely go back and the DH another go until I'm not the slowest bloke on the bus...

    The uplift service was really good as well - no hanging about, he's already there when you get down, just load up and off you go again.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    glad you enjoyed it :D

    i think i may ride it on the weekend again now :lol:
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    welshkev wrote:
    glad you enjoyed it :D

    i think i may ride it on the weekend again now :lol:
    I'll be back :mrgreen:
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • ramblingjon
    ramblingjon Posts: 34
    stevo - glad to hear you had a good day of blasting the trails at FOD!

    Ski run is pretty full on but definitely my favourite trail– reminds me of riding in the alps big time! Sounds like the FF was worth the investment!?
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,516
    ramblingjon wrote:
    stevo - glad to hear you had a good day of blasting the trails at FOD!

    Ski run is pretty full on but definitely my favourite trail– reminds me of riding in the alps big time! Sounds like the FF was worth the investment!?
    Yep, great fun though some of the DH was quite hard work for me first time out. Managed to lose it on Ski Run, touched down with my head first then cartwheeled over and gave my right side a good bruising. The FF has some nice marks on it as a momento. Need more practice - and maybe some extra armour :)
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    Used to go the FOD all the time when I lived in Brizzle, there is also plenty of unmarked trails that go on for a few km's but you need to know where to look....the DH runs are great and with a little push up I used to session them for ages..I miss the FOD :-(
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !

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