Thinking about heading down on saturday. just wondering how wet and slippy the lower sections (matrix, lombard street, magic mushroom) of red are?

Would be good to have this info for MTB centres like you get for the ski resorts

Has to be a troll

why? you cant post anything on here without getting accused of trolling.

Just put 1 psi extra in your tyres and you'll be reet. Only on the descents mind.

So from the other post if I fancy a blast round glentress I must be a poser who changes the pressure of his tyres on the way round?

Any one care to give me sensible educated answer?

The sensible answer is "Its a trail centre, the conditions will be fine".

useful thanks

You are asking about conditions TWO days before you actually intend on going.

Click here. Next time try this! You'll get less abuse! 😆

"Firm but grippy"

Best description ever of sheet ice at Nevis Range Ski Centre.

Other than that, I agree with Rev Will. The legitimate trails there are designed as all weather trails. What you want to know is whether to take a waterproof or not and it being Scotland, I would suggest you take one just in case.

I actually wanted to know how slippy the lower down rooty/rocky bits are after last weeks rain. I find they are twice as difficult when wet.

Ride a different bit if it's been raining? I've never been there when they're dry, but it doesn't stop me having a bash even when they're twice as difficult. Makes me determined to improve and learn to be able to ride slippy roots. It's not like they are more or less slippy depending on the amount of rain. If it would ruin your day if they were slippy, then maybe better not chance it… 😉

I think they have a board at the Hub where they put up if there are bits of trail where conditions are so unusual that you need to be warned about them. They certainly do that at Laggan.

Are there industry awards for 'Least Helpful Thread'?

Or even most pointless?

Or 'silliest question'?

"It's Autumn in Scotland, are the slippy wet roots slippy and wet?"

(Sorry, I had coffee this afternoon and it makes me cheeky and obtuse. I'm not usually like this…)

Right, sorry, I've tried to be helpful but seriously FFS if its wet, it'll be slippy, if its dry it won't be. 🙄

Looking at the forecast for Saturday it'll be very wet and very slippy and you'll probably fall off but I doubt it'll kill you unless you do something really silly… Does that help? ❓

I was there in the teeming rain on Saturday and can confirm that The Pie Run and Magic Mushroom were indeed on the greasy side in places. But you can scoot down the forest road past the pie run (the slippiest section) and rejoin at Mushroom Pie. The rest of the route is fine, even in the wet. Bear in mind that there are a couple of sections closed above the pie run/mushroom pie.

Pie Run's going to be a bit skitey in places from now until about April 😉 Still perfectly rideable though, or skippable if you don't like roots, like Kit says. Though it's probably the best bit…

There'll be nae dust thats for sure.

It's tipping it down outside.

There was quite a bit of the Black and Red closed off for forestry operations last weekend, dunno if it's opened up again.

There was quite a bit of the Black and Red closed off for forestry operations last weekend, dunno if it's opened up again.

One wonders if Gt will get the same slagging as has in the past(and probably again this winter) 🙁

The need for Pie Run/Mushroom puzzles me? Whats the need/purpose??

A exposed tree root at GT???!!

Quick get some gravel and a whacker plate on that sucka NOW!! 😆

Trekster: "The need for Pie Run/Mushroom puzzles me? Whats the need/purpose??"

The need is, they're fantastic. Simples 😉 I think the original idea was that people were shortcutting the red down the fire road, and fireroad descending's bad, so pie run was built as a shortcut trail. It just happens to be miles better than Lombard Street as well 😉

The need for Pie Run/Mushroom puzzles me? Whats the need/purpose??

Northwind is spot on – they are superb, pretty much my favourite sections. I was gutted when they sanitised (made easier) that lovely rooty, slippy corner on The Pie Run. Also built by Trail Faeries, not the FC, and amongst the best singletrack there.

Those sections are there because all the pie munchers want to cut out the climb and head back to eat some pie at the hub.

Clue is in the name.

Umm, I'd normally do those sections after doing the rest, rather than taking a shortcut…

Me too, but the majority dont.

Just wait until the trails are dry if you are worried about the roots. Might be dry again by April, Feb if you're really lucky. There's one bit of trail I've only ever ridden dry once in six years or so. Get your front wheel over the roots and enjoy the rear wheel slide 😆

househusband – Member

Umm, I'd normally do those sections after doing the rest, rather than taking a shortcut…

Me too. Ride the normal red route option or divert onto the black fpr those bits (can't remember the name but steppy tightish corner into it), winch my way back up the fireroad, do those sections (usually more than once), then continue on the red.

As the OP asked about the Matrix and Lombard Street it sounds like he'll be riding the original red, rather than the (IMHO superb) Pie Run/Mushroom Pie shortcut.

I can't say that I've every experienced condition-related difficulties on the Matrix or Lombard Street. They don't have enough rock or roots for traction problems. Magic Mushroom can be a bit slippier in the wet but there's been work on it this year so it doesn't collect puddles like it used to.

I usually do either Pie Run/Mushroom Pie, Matrix/Lombard Street or Double X/Black Dog rather than doubling back and doing more of them. On the other hand, it's an incredibly short ride to the start of Mushroom Pie from the start of Magic Mushroom so usually that will get done irrespective of the route choice. 🙂

househusband, while I too liked the challenge of "That Bit" (it's official name!) on the Pie Run, it was getting to the point where it was killing the flow of the section for most riders, especially those riding it sight unseen. I think it was a good call to get the 'fairies to smooth it out a bit. If only we'd managed to sort out the "Trail Perfection" switchback to the same standard, instead of just adding rocks to its roots…

Matrix and Lombard Street were both closed last wednesday though. Might be open again, don't know.

You'll be fine – was really wet and muddy on Tues but it's not gonna kill you – it's not downhill. Just take waterproofs.