Firstly, do any of the XC racers on here think that XC courses seem to be getting more technical? Dalby Forest last year (thinking Medusa and Worry Gill) and this year’s XC rd2 at Wheal Maid Valley had some really tricky bits in, worse than any trail centre red routes I can recall. So, I was wondering what the DH routes at FoD and Cwmcarn would be like on an XC hardtail (with obligatory long seatpost and saddle right up your jacksie). Are they rollable or jumpy? Steep? Fast or technical or both?
I’d be particularly interested to hear if anyone has ridded round either of the XC courses I mentioned and the DH tracks. How do they compare? Any other places to consider visiting?

I wouldn’t fancy Cwmcarn DH with a saddle up my …., I’ve ridden it on a sturdy 130mm hardtail and that was rough, but still fun. It’s many years since I have ridden the XC,but from memory they are very different. The DH is a very fast, mostly open jumpy track, not very kind to lightweight rims etc.

FoD is all fairly straightforward IIRC but I’d still prefer to have my saddle down. There was only the odd drop that wasn’t rollable I think.

Could you not just buy a cheap s/h seatpost and cut it down short?

Can’t chop or drop the seatpost for racing so I’ll have to get used to doing steep stuff with it up!

Rode Cwmcarn on a rigid 29er single speed. I didn’t die. In fact the climb was worse than the downhill, as the rocks kept halting my progress.

I’m not fast downhill and I don’t jump.

I would not reccomend saddle up for DH Cwmcarn or FOD, even if you intend to stay on the ground, you will get bucked!

If you’re on the proper DH runs at FOD they are very steep and very rutted so a lowered seat will be needed to get off the back enough.

Probably ridable on any bike with a suitably skilled rider but will require a good walk through in advance so you know what you’re getting into.

Also you won’t be as fast as on a DH bike.

If you’re pretty handy, you’ll get down both with the saddle up. I reckon I could manage it personally but I wouldn’t say I’d enjoy it!

You do see the odd hardtail on the Cwmcarn downhill but the last one we saw being piloted down there got so out of shape he hit a tree….hard. Might just have been rider error but I can’t say I’d fancy it with no suspension.

Rode Cwmcarn on a rigid 29er single speed. I didn’t die. In fact the climb was worse than the downhill, as the rocks kept halting my progress.

I’m not fast downhill and I don’t jump.

Is that the XC though?

I rode the Cwmcarn DH on my XC bike once (an S-Works Epic at the time), it was fine, didn’t do any of the massive jumps, but that’s down to a lack of skill rather than my faith in the bike! The BC Talent Team used to train there on their XC bikes. I didn’t really enjoy it, but I’m crap at that stuff anyway!

You can ride all the Forest runs on a Hardtail no problem.Some are very rough now so not as much fun as a full suss.Jumps are all rollable.Theres plenty in the forest for XC bikes other than the downhill runs.Dowies etc.

Hmm, perhaps I wasn’t clear. The point of doing the DH runs is not for maximum fun or bragging rights, but to get more familiar and skilled at riding difficult terrain with a full-on XC rig.
Somouk, GaryLake and njee20, thanks guys, that’s just the kind of encouragement I need 🙂

Ride some natural steep singletrack in South Wales i.e. Machen / Willie etc will progress your skill no end and much more fun on your xc bike

If you take it easy, and remain in control, the Cwmcarn DH is a piece of cake. I’ve done it on a 63mm 21lb XC race bike just to prove a point.

It wasn’t as much fun, but it wasn’t anything difficult – the bike gets far more punishment than that being flogged around XC race courses full tilt.

You’ll get down Cwm Carn and most of the FoD Runs (avoiding the handful of bigger drops) but it may not be pretty.

There is a risk of you bucking yourself over the bars etc as you might imagine and notably you run the risk of ruining a DH rider’s run or causing an accident with other riders.

Yes, the trails may be freely open but all the same it isn’t really fair to kill someone else’s ride for your own selfish ends.

It sounds to me as though you need to find some particularly technical trails away crom the DH hotspots and ride them repeatedly. Most UK trail centres have short to long technical sections and there are more natural sections all over the place (the Beast from Hope Cross in the Peaks for instance) and I would imagine that this kind of thing would be more akin to what you’d find on a modern XC race course.

Yes, the trails may be freely open but all the same it isn’t really fair to kill someone else’s ride for your own selfish ends.

Well nobody is going to go out and intentionally ruin someones run but if you get caught behind someone slower; that’s just tough shit. It happens to us all. They are public trails for all and anyone to ride as they wish. Any downhiller who got pissed off with having one run out of 20 slowed up due to a bloke on an XC bike trying to raise his game would be a bit of an arsehole IMHO. Most of the riders I know would more likely offer some encouragement.

I’ve never come across congestion at Cwmcarn on the DH, cos I ride up which means that I’m usually not there at the same time as the uplift truck. I once got there as it was unloading, so I stopped to let all the DHers go, and they just stood around for ages yakking and looking cool.. so I went – and didn’t get caught.

and I would imagine that this kind of thing would be more akin to what you’d find on a modern XC race course

Do you think XC racing is all fire roads and easy trails?

Re-read my post and you’ll see not. I’m referring to the a. Purpose built technical lines on man made trails and B.more chellnging section founds on ‘natural’ trails.

Taking examples shown of the UK race course for the Worlds and Olympics fast Singletrack climbs and descents seem to be interrupted by technical sections which reward the more capable / daring riders and it is to these highlights that I was referring.

In terms of DH riders sharing trail then absolutely yes and in my experience DH riders are a friendly and accepting bunch.

In terms of DH riders sharing trail then absolutely yes and in my experience DH riders are a friendly and accepting bunch.

Agreed. Obviously common sense prevails; don’t set off just as the uplift wagon tips up and move aside when safe to do so.