Am i the only one that loves both XC and DH. I love riding UP and DOWN on XC routes with my XC Bikes etc but when im on the Downhill bike with little gears, one big ring and weighing 38lbs with 203mm travel with big ass 2.5 Tires you wont see me riding up any hills so an uplift for me.
I have found since doing DH towards the end of last year its equally as tiering as XC.
At the end of the day if you dont like you dont like it fair enough but dont say you hate it if you have never tried it.
ononeorange - MemberI'm one of the few who prefers climbing to going downhill. Largely because my technical skills are still stuck in nursery school.
Spot on, that - describes me to a T.
Although interestingly I think my biking skillz have helped me in learning to ski. Certainly I can handle speed a bit better than the other half, who just freezes.
I have invented a new type of MTBing - "Uphill"
Here is the plan - we ride like billyo uphill, then at the top there is a van waiting to take us safely down again, so we can ride back up.
Who's with me?
Kin ell just ride yer fekin bike who cares how ye ride, just don't ride in lycra with SPD's and no rear suspension, which has to be at least 8" of travel with boxxers up front and you must have single ring with device 
"Here is the plan - we ride like billyo uphill, then at the top there is a van waiting to take us safely down again, so we can ride back up."
That would be ideal for my mate Rich. He really enjoys climbing hard on his rigid Ti, and tolerates descending. Although he recently confessed to enjoying some descents at Afan!
On the comment about riders being narrow minded. The friends I've me through riding DH ALL take part in various other 'churches' of cycling. It is quite common for DH riders to also ride road. Most ride XC and of course many ride 4X or dirt jumps. Downhill only forms a small part of most downhillers actual riding. When I was a complete novice years ago I found DH uplifts or riding spots were far more friendly than being a novice at a XC riding spot. So there is no stopping anyone trying for those reasons.
In my experience, if someone turns up at an uplift on an XC bike the DH riders will usually comment in RESPECT for riding the track on a 'small' bike even if the rider is going slow.
Is there something putting you off?
Mainly as I'm in it for the explore, scenery etc and to be honest I've had various offroad bikes with built in uplift and 12" suspension and I've done my mindless tearing about on them (and REALLY enjoyed it), although I'm quite happy to get gf to drop me at the high end of a good one wayer.
Oh, being self employed, uninsured, over 50 and not that skilled are contributory factors.
I can't see I'd ever ride down something that needed me to be transported to the top other than by my own efforts.
"Not paying money to spend half their riding time in a minibus"
You don't need to be driven back up to the top, it's just better as you actually get more riding time in than if you're pushing/riding back up. 15-16 runs on the FOD uplift compared to about 8 when pushing or riding back up to the top.
more riding time in than if you're pushing/riding back up
you get more time riding than if you were riding back up. FAIL!
Not keen on uplifts for several reasons.
1. I only know 2 places well enough to comment but in both cases its just as quick to pedal up. Those being FoD and Cwm Carn.
2. Why spend money to limit my time on the bike?
3.I hate the principle. Just like I hate cafe's and trail centres. Why come to the countryside then want the features of the city? Go for whats there not what you want there.
penalty for failure in terms of injury (for me) would be too high
I would be knackered with a serious injury.I clean and repair bus stops and shelters and am a window cleaner .If I break a limb I cant work.I could do this in other hobbies
. I can think of many jobs where a broken limb could cost you 1000s in lost earnings
you get more time riding than if you were riding back up. FAIL!
haha good point. I meant riding down hill 
Edric 64 - Memberpenalty for failure in terms of injury (for me) would be too high
I would be knackered with a serious injury.I clean and repair bus stops and shelters and am a window cleaner .If I break a limb I cant work.I could do this in other hobbies . I can think of many jobs where a broken limb could cost you 1000s in lost earnings
these are of course sensible concerns.
but just to play devils advocate...
some of my sketchiest riding/descending moments have been on big xc rides, 3 or 4 or 5 hours in. when i was tired, my concentration failing, and a sketchy xc bike with a saddle up my exhaust, and skinny nervous wheels...
in comparison i feel quite safe at an uplift day, on a stable confident bike, with steam-roller wheels, and a sugary snack in the van every 30mins, and the option to call it a day when i feel done.
can you still get uplifts around the afan skyline loop? - i'm not saying it's a dangerous loop, but i'd be much more likely to crash if i had to pedal all the way round. letting a van do the tiring work would make it all much safer...
i am of course, an idiot.
Edric 64 - Member
"I would be knackered with a serious injury.I clean and repair bus stops and shelters and am a window cleaner .If I break a limb I cant work.I could do this in other hobbies"
Riding's a little bit dangerous. Not very dangerous, but injuries do happen and avoiding uplifts won't avoid crashes. If you start racing or doing full-on DH stuff then yep, it's more dangerous but there's a choice there. And you can armour up a lot more if you choose when you don't need to think about riding up. The relevant part isn't how you got to the top, it's just how you ride back down.
I've never hurt myself on an uplift, but the first time I did one at fort william, I came home and decided to do a recovery ride in the Pentlands... Halfway round my very easy XC loop I stopped paying attention and went over the bars, broke 2 ribs 
On harder trails I focus more, sure there's more traps there but I reckon I'm less likely to fall into them.
Not keen on uplifts for several reasons.
1. I only know 2 places well enough to comment but in both cases its just as quick to pedal up. Those being FoD and Cwm Carn.
Are you Lance Armstrong ? You really believe you can ride to the start of the mojo at Cwmcarn or to the top of FOD quicker than the bus, then repeat that 12 times in a day?
So why do nearly half here not want to even try? You don't need a silly heavy bike, you don't need full body armour and crashing your brains out is not compulsory.Genuinley interested in why people - erm, aren't interested. Is there something putting you off?
Because riding the same bit of hill repetitively, with 'relatively' crowds around does nothing for me. Also, most uplift tracks are proper DH tracks that my skills and bottle do not allow me to enjoy.
Bring on big skies, big hills, adventure, peace and quiet, satisfaction, stories, achievement and the finest downhills around.
there's about 16 different lines at hamsterley, hardly 'the same bit of hill'...
There's probably as many different routes as there are seats on the mini-bus, snot exactly crowded either.
just sayin...
(although i think i understand what you mean; it's all on 'the same bit of hill' - bloody good fun though)
Interesting this. As an old knacker who could do with losing more than a few pounds, I find the idea of an uplift attractive. Even when I was younger and fitter the ups were merely a necessity to get to the 'fun part' and while never remotely a 'downhiller', that was definitely the aspect I looked forward too and still do. I never felt downhill was better because I'd earned it and yes, if I lived in Scotland or somewhere you could have an engine attached and be able to use it, I would definitely have one as I used to love it. It's the same with road riding, which, with no disrespect to roadies, I find really boring and would rather take the dogs for a walk. It's purely my personal preference and wouldn't the world be a dull place if we all liked the same thing!
My view is that if I want to get aerobically fit, there are quicker, cheaper and much less hassle methods of doing so eg. swimming or running.
I get out on my bike because I enjoy it and as long as the ups are interesting, not necessarily technical, then I'm happy with that and can accept the compromise. What I detest is miles of fire-road for a few minutes of 'down'. It's one of the reasons I like living where I do, in a valley, because it usually means the last leg home is gravity assisted 
letting a van do the tiring work would make it all much safer...
Hang on, I thought we had established that uplifts are just as tiring as riding xc. Keep it consistent!
the day that stw establishes anything, will see satan driving to work with snow-tyres
(are they worth it? aren't they? etc)
and that's why it's so entertaining.
Each to their own, I say.
Why should anyone have to explain why they enjoy a particular type of riding or give reasons why they don't want to try something that may not appeal to them in the slightest?
Given that Down Hill as a 'category' of cycling probably only accounts for maybe less than 10% of all cycling by numbers involved, then the fact that only 44% of people on here aren't interested in an uplift is pretty encouraging for uplift operators! You should be impressed by the numbers interested D0NK, not surprised at the relatively few that aren't interested 
"Are you Lance Armstrong ? You really believe you can ride to the start of the mojo at Cwmcarn or to the top of FOD quicker than the bus, then repeat that 12 times in a day? "
But they don't. They go a few times over the space of a day. Well the majority of those who I have watched. I carried to the top of the FoD hills today. Took me ages as there was a crowd. How long? less than 15 minutes. Factor in the hanging around there is waiting for the van etc + the drive up. i just don't see the point in paying to wait. Thats all.
However I will concede that I couldn't get up Annoch Mor in that time.
At FoD there's no waiting around, soon as you get down its bikes back on the trailer and back off up to the top. As I said, last time I went we got about 16 runs down, which is a lot more than you get when you push/ride back up.
But they don't. They go a few times over the space of a day. Well the majority of those who I have watched.
Most riders doing an uplift at those venues will be doing well into double figures.
I've pushed the DH track at cwmcarn 5 times in one day. I doubt anyone can beat that with a dh bike to take up the hill. Easy to do 12+ runs on the uplift even with some breaks.
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