Should i just admit defeat and accept i'm going to do the top bit with about twenty dabs, or should i get a bigger bike (keep failing on the Hemlock and the Rift Zone)? or bigger balls!

I've promised myself I'll ride it all if I ever get there and find it dry – but perhaps that never happens ?

Walkers quite bemused by me sessioning bits of it today, not too wet, just the usual deadly polished wet limestone…laughing at me.

I think there is a secret to it.

Its best to do it early morning when there's not too many walkers about. I normally seem to have more control than they do (also they've trampled less wet mud onto the rock)

Take it slow, and aim for the middle of the trail – the rocks are bigger, but they're actually fixed into the ground so you've only got the tyres slipping on the rock to deal with, not the rocks moving at the same time. That all said, don't try and be too picky about line choice – its more a question of avoiding the worst bits, than picking the easy bits. Once you've got going, just keep it rolling. Trying to get started again, get clipped in etc is a nightmare.

I normally get my worst scares on the grass at the bottom – you feel you can go fast, there's some nice jumps. Then you realise there's even less grip than the rocky bit…

It's certainly a good challenge!

If you can't do it on the Hemlock i don't think it's the bike thats at fault 😆

Oh yes i'm painfully aware that i could tie a bag of spuds to the hemlock and it would roll down okay, it's just when i try to ride it.

How would a bigger travel bike help?
So long as you don't have particularly hard compound, low volume tyres or at high pressure then theres only really the riding to sort out.
Get the saddle out the way so the bike can move around, try to remember its less herky-jerky the faster you go and don't try to set off in really rough bits

I managed most of it last time apart from the narrow bit near the top (the top being the gate?) where it seems to become insanely slippy, probably because of the water flowing through

relax…..now relax some more…….keep off the brakes and enjoy….. 🙂

Sorry to be a smug git and all but I cleared it from top to bottom in the wet on a hardtail (gary fisher Ged -2.5 Big Earls helped) just get your weight back and keep it rolling 🙂

just seems to be a league more awkward than stuff like the beast…oh well.

Unless anything changed in the last few years, in order to clean it on a hardtail you need just enough speed to be able to keep rolling over the rocks, but slow enough to pick a line on the way down….and a bit of luck. I normally clean the section from the gate down, but spaz out on the grassy / mud section before!

Just do it at 3pm on a sunday, then you have the perfect excuse to stop every few metres…

'if you can't ride down it on a Hemlock it's not the bike that's the problem'

+1

I don't find it's the bike at all on Cavedale- you ride so slowly compared to a lot of technical trails that it's more down to body english (yes, I'm awesome and I cleared it on a 120mm hardtail).

My line is to stick left at the top, then weave over to the right then stick all the way left as you hit the start of the the rock gorge.Then you can go where you like as fast as you like.

I find walkers tend to get out your way anyway.

I'd say it is one of the toughest natural sections of trail around. we were there with the club a few weeks ago, and of about 20 of us only 2 cleaned it, One on a "big" bike and one on a regular Marin full susser so it can be done, just deffinately not by me…….ever!

Anyone got any pics?

Got some pics somewhere but not on this computer…

I've cleared it in one both on my Cove Stiffee and my S-Works Epic but equally I've failed miserably many times as well – it's about 50/50 whether I manage it or not on any given day.

The trick with the top section is to commit to a line and roll with it just fast enough to get the wheels over the rocks but not so fast that you get bucked off! Lack of walkers is also a massive help although even the daftest/most anti-bike walkers tend to be reasonably sensible in standing still or getting out of the way.

Not a very good pic, just nicked it off Google Images – will try and find mine later. That's about half way down where the track narrows between the rock walls and begins to smooth and flatten. It's still steep though and it's far worse higher up!

i do have video footage of the full clearance of cavedale just dont know how to post it on here 😳

I don't think you can put it on here. You'll have to post a link to someehere else that you've uploaded it to (youtube, vimeo etc ..)

That pic above doesn't really do it justice – the rocks seem bigger than that and always off line. It's like an annoying jigsaw puzzle that I for one just can't do, every 5 or 10 metres I get myself stuck. Perhaps I'll try it after four or five pints one day and see if that helps.

once you get to the bit by the pic its okay, i just tend to loose line a bit higher and end up not recovering and dabbing, it's a confidence thing i know that, i've done it with maybe two or three dabs, but yesterday it just seemed to be endless.

i have it uploaded on my facebook profile………

For anyone to see it, they'd need to have a facebook account, and be your 'friend' on facebook too. You need to put it on a public video posting site like youtube, vimeo, etc ..

or if any one wants to watch it could just add them as a friend 8)

Too much faff ..

You're analising it to much now after trying and failing at it on the occasions you've tried it…..

I've only done it the once on a August B'holiday, can't say it was too rammed with walkers but the cows at the top had a pop at me…

I don't seem to remember it being significantly wet on that occasion so can't comment on it in the proper wet, but can see where some riders will psychologically struggle with it.

I cleaned it fine on the one attempt, can't say for sure i'd struggle to do that again, I rode a SC Chameleon fwiw.

You just need to somehow believe you can do it and tackle it likes it's your first try.

Looking good Glynn.

cheers mate

i posted a vid of a full clearance a while ago. If you click my user name you'll see it. I can't copy as i'm on my phone

i posted a vid of a full clearance a while ago. If you click my user name you'll see it. I can't copy as i'm on my phone