What are the UKs toughest trails?

bluechair84

Common then guys and gals, get your thinking cap on. What trails do we know of that can be really labelled as 'gnarly'? Mountains aren't common for us so this is about techy features, super hard descents that aren't proper DH (so doesn't rely on gaps, kickers and drops) and with some climbing to access them.

I'm thinking;
# Jacobs ladder for being steep and rocky
# The boulder fields around the Standedge trail between Huddersfield and Ripponden (get your trackstand ready)
# The Snowdon ascent and descent - i'd like to say Rangers path but I've only ridden / walked pyg track and Llanberis way.
#Glencoe national DH circuit. There's virtually no jumps, gaps or drops so I think it could pass as a trail, but the technicality of the course is unlike anything else. Super tough.

So, what else do you think could be the bench marks for the most technical terrain we can ride?

allen.coulson

Well NOT the Beast of England at Thetford IMO.

rockmonkeysc

Snowdon isn't that hard. I have had tougher days on the Quantocks.

FBM.BMX

Jacobs ladder or any of these peaks, loose rocky descents shouldn't be on here, let off the brakes and loose, job done.

There's loads of "off piste" peaks descents that you won't find in guide i have done that are very techy that fall into your "trail" not DH category (god knows why this is separate), ones that spring to mind is a sneaky one off of hope cross, riding on rock islands for a while follows by steep switchbacks, bloody awesome.

Come on "DH tracks" should be included too, it's all just riding a bike, it's not like riding "DH trails" can be considered a different thing like fishing.

NPS track llangollen.

bluechair84

My reasoning is that a proper DH track should have large doubles, drops, gaps, kickers etc. These kind of features are best ridden on DH bikes because of the extra security the geometry, travel and frame beef gives you when you inevitably crash. DH circuits can be ridden on trail bikes sure, but often they aren't actually technical without these features which need a different skills set. List them if you want to though.

FBM.BMX wrote:

Jacobs ladder or any of these peaks, loose rocky descents shouldn't be on here, let off the brakes and loose, job done.

Can you rephrase this as well, are you pro or anti peaks as far as super tech's concerned?

FBM.BMX

With the DH vs trail, the you are in no way at advantage on a DH bike if only the jumps/drops are considered, in fact you may well be at disadvantage on a bigger bike on the jumps. If you know how to jump, you know how to jump, the bike isn't going to change that. For people that can jump well, shorter/firmer suspension and shorter wheel bases feels better and does a better job at jumping, hence DJ/4X bikes being shorter travel and more nimble. The only advantage a DH bike gives you is the ability to carry speed over rougher stuff and more stable geometry for steeper riding. Thoush this of all off topic really.

As for the jacobs ladder comment, you have a few peaks descents like the beast, cavedale and jacobs laddder, they are just about being confident and loose, nothing technical about it. It's just bouldery gravel, all can/should do is relax and let the bike do the work, nothing technical about it, it's just the mentality aspect that's difficult. Once you've done one, you've done them all. So i'm saying the descents like these don't rely on much ability and don't deserve bigging up in a technical respect. I'm also saying the is much more technical riding in the peaks than just loose gravel.

bluechair84

I see what you're saying now regards the peaks.
I can jump, but my trail bike doesn't give me much confidence. Smaller frames and longer travel for me in that department but if the transitions are smooth, sure you can do a lot of stuff on a hardtail even. But you still need a different set of skills to be able to handle doubles and drops that a good DH track gives you, and they tend to be your primary features. Glencoe is an interesting one as there are no jumps until you get to the bottom, it's just an incredibly steep and rocky descent. That's the kind of thing I hoped people would contribute.
The descent off Hope Cross is a good one - if we're thinking of the same one. Through the trees, often used by MXers to come up the way?

bluechair84

FBM.BMX wrote:

I'm also saying the is much more technical riding in the peaks than just loose gravel.

Oh - and can you offer a for instance? Monday is potentially a ride day and I could get out there to try something new.

sniper68

FBM.BMX wrote:

ones that spring to mind is a sneaky one off of hope cross, riding on rock islands for a while follows by steep switchbacks, bloody awesome.

Is this the one that starts directly behind the (now capstone-less) Hope Cross Pillar and comes out just East of the bottom of the Beast?

ilovedirt

bluechair - you don't ride much downhill do you? Doubles don't feature on downhill tracks all that much. Drops, yes, depends on the track though. I know some super tech downhill tracks that don't have any jumps/drops but are just rooty, rocky, tight and incredibly steep. Do they qualify? Nant G doesn't have any jumps/drops until you get right to the very bottom, and you're out of anything interesting by then anyway.

CharlieH

For me, Stainburn forest near Harrogate was the most technical trail I've ridden but there again it was designed to be. It's not long, just rocky. In fact, the rocks ARE the path!! Been there once, was clipped in though and don't fancy going back without flats and body armour!

The Northern Monkey

anything with more than a ft of climbing... i hate climbing

I don't think much riding is tough by definition, its as tough as you want to make it tbh!
Toughest for me was a long ride at Nany Y Arian... easy trails, but we went off piste for fuuukin miiiiiiiiiiiles

CharlieH

The Northern Monkey wrote:

anything with more than a ft of climbing... i hate climbing

I'm with you on that one

cloudynights

are the toughest trails not ones which go up and not down as people seem to be giving examples off. there are a many technical lung and leg bursting routes in the lakes nan bield pass springs to mind,

bjj.andy.w

The decent down dollywagon pike from the top of helvellyn is a challange.

.blitz

Cannock!

bluechair84

.blitz wrote:

Cannock!

Werewolf drop is a real tough one actually

Personally, I'm most interested in technical descents as even a mild incline is a challenge for me right now - but I'm sure there's plenty of people looking for technical climbs too. List em' all!

.blitz

Have been up Cadair Idris a few times on the bike and would like to know if anyone has descended via the Minffordd Path.

prawny

bluechair84 wrote:

.blitz wrote:

Cannock!

Werewolf drop is a real tough one actually

Personally, I'm most interested in technical descents as even a mild incline is a challenge for me right now - but I'm sure there's plenty of people looking for technical climbs too. List em' all!

The old chainslapper used to wreck my arms, those braking bumps were chronic. Seems a lot smoother now after a couple of years off, is it just wear and tear or have they improved the surfaces?

cooldad

Everyone knows it's Barry Knows Best on Holmbury.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQyJeJgIw8

bluechair84

cooldad wrote:

Everyone knows it's Barry Knows Best on Holmbury.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQyJeJgIw8

I ride an Ellsworth... I don't mind Specialized so much, it's those bloody Intense riders that think they've got the most boutique and greatest bike to come from the hands of American brilliance that are thoroughly inferior...

ilovedirt

Actually, following on from my previous comment, I think Nant G is the toughest track/trail I've ridden. Top to bottom it's just steep, tight and littered with huge rocks and roots. Gnarly!
(there's some jumps at the bottom, but i certainly wouldn't call them the main features of the trail, most riders complain about the bottom section being crap)

Northwind

No such thing as "toughest", because it depends entirely on your skillset.

Like, for me the hardest part at fort william is a bit that nobody else even notices- a tiny wee kicker/double on the motorway. Just because I like rocks but I'm a bit crap at jumping. (not saying Fort Bill is a hard track btw before someone internet rages me; physicality aside, the public route is pretty straightforward- it's just a good example of relative difficulty)

Then you get tracks that are changable... Like the Classic at Innerleithen, which is steepish but uncomplicated in the dry, but is a right backstabbing swine if it's wet.

bluechair84

Northwind wrote:

No such thing as "toughest", because it depends entirely on your skillset.

Like, for me the hardest part at fort william is a bit that nobody else even notices- a tiny wee kicker/double on the motorway. Just because I like rocks but I'm a bit crap at jumping. (not saying Fort Bill is a hard track btw before someone internet rages me; physicality aside, the public route is pretty straightforward- it's just a good example of relative difficulty)

Ah and this is exactly why I said excluding DH tracks at the begining. Jumps and drops are a different skill set and these are the primary features at many DH courses. Rock gardens, super steep, sketchy, narrow and winding... these are the places of most interest to me. Shame i didn't know about Nant G whilst I lived in Bangor...
Isn't weather a mute point; take any peice of track and it becomes worse in the wet.