Well folks having found some sweet and flowing singletrack, I was out yesterday and made this little video. You can descend Gibraltar pretty much off road amazingly enough.

I’ve decided that the opposite of “Aggressive XC” is “Chilled XC”, and the video is all very chilled and laid back.

Click on the photo below for the video. I did the same route on Sunday using my helmet cam, but the footage was very shaky. I decided to go back and re-film with just my video camera. I haven’t filmed all the singletrack, just those sections where I could get a half decent shot in.

I do feel I should include this Nutt Allergy advice:
“For those of you whose surname is Nutt, and have an allergy to monkeys, avoid watching the first minute!”.

Enjoy 🙂

Oh and that bit just after I carry the bike down, it looks really tame. I bottled it the last two times riding it, but finally cleared it, after getting encouragement from Mr and Mrs Agreeable on Saturday’s ride, where we did a pretty severe (for me) rocky descent.

nice! Just a really chilled video of going for a ride. Me like.

Thanks – I can ride it a bit faster but it is rocky in places and obviously I didn’t have the momentum as I was stopping and starting and running backwards and forwards for the camera.

Gets you fit mind, especially running back up the steps at the end to press “Stop”.

Which side does it go down? (can’t watch vids at work)

Cheers for that Simon. It reminded me of my visits to Gib in the 80s with buccaneer aircraft. Quite a lot has changed. One question though – why not ride the steps at the start? 🙂

Devs – I feel a deep afinity with my front teeth and couldnt bear to be parted from them. That and I have a very low pain threshold 😀

I liked that Simon, nice wee video.

Went to Gibraltar for a day trip a few years ago, I would have loved to stay longer.

My daughter waiting to get pounced on lol.

AGH! FXXXIXG MONKEYS!

Well I am sure that monkey is saying

“Ah! Mr Nutt!”

Really good vid, enjoyed it. Thanks for posting it

Cheers. One of my better ones I feel. Wasn’t too sure what the STW masses would make of it as I am no MTB god to say the least.

Using my video camera meant I could keep the sound of the riding on and I quite like having that in there.

I loved it!!!!!!!

Are you sure you all have the right video? Normally they get a slating. I think I need a sit down 🙂

Simon, I think the reason people like this is that it’s not aboug gnarly hucks and XC-Extreme-Core-Dropfest-Rad. It’s not rad to the power of sick. It’s just about the utter joy of riding a bike. Really made me smile to watch it, just because it looks like someone having fun out on a bike, just going for a ride.

One of my best rides of last summer was with a few friends around some tracks and trails around Greenham Common. Nothing hairy, nothing extreme, just a really chilled summer’s day of riding. That’s the sort of thing that makes you say, “This is why”

😀

Loved the Scotland top Simon 😉 Nice vid – great change to the pumped-up ultrarad stuff you see.

Greenham Common? nothing hairy?

its just not the same since the yanks pulled out! 😀

CFH Yeah – The weekend before last I took Roper to Montes de los Barrios. It’s not on any UK mountain bikers’ radar but both Roper and I love the area and once the clay dries out there will be some great tracks to discover with some amazing views and lots of wildlife. (Roper normally has his binoculars – we’ve seen some gorgeous eagles and vultures in our parts).

Kit – yeah – it’s one of my fave tops that one, and seems to be fine for riding.

I do love watching all the faster jumpy stuff, it’s just I’m not that great a rider really. I like the views, the exercise, the company, and I like my singletrack to be swooshy and flowy.

What you may not know is that on much of the singletrack in the video there is a sheer drop and if you dab on the left hand side well your foot wont have anything to dab onto and you are basically heading down the rock into pretty rough undergrowth. Hence some pretty cautious riding in places.

MrNutt, there’s something about riding there. It’s eery, I can’t describe it any other way!

cool clouds. like the way they are rushing up the side.

i went to gib when i was ten with my cousin, also ten at the time. my aunt was posted out there with the navy and her fella was a copper.

like the way they close the road each time a plane lands. and when you come in to land you’re flying over water.

haha Cpt.Flash, that’d be your repressed inner militant lefty peace lesbian “having a quiet word” with your subconscious!

I’ll put a tenner on you having ordered a pair of churches with some SPD’s screwed in the soles! 😆

We were hoping to see some lesbopeaceniks who had gone native in the woods! 😉

Church shoes? Not me! I have mine from Duckers on the Turl in Oxford, thank you very much. 8)

Yeah – the cloud even has it’s own name – the Levanta. Gibraltar has it’s own climate separate to the Costa del Sol, and even has its own little micro climates too

Nice one Simon, good video. CFH… Greenham Common is my local trails !

nice vid. I get over to Gib occasionally with work, will have to hook up with you next time and you can show me the trails.

Nice looking trails

Not my cuppa, well thought out but not inspiring, i like vids that make me want to ride.

Sorry.

was alright nice clear camera work just a bit long and samey, looks like descent place to ride. do they hold an urban downhill in gib, if not get orgainising

Quality vid.

I never knew there was a rock in Gibraltar. Seriously, I went there about 4 years ago on a weekend business meeting with my then alchy gaffer. We started in the bar in Gatwick, and didnt stop till we got into the departure lounge in Gib. I had to have the following week off work to recover.

I’d like to punch those monkeys off the rock, is that wrong? I don’t think the euphoric trance helps, I was expecting wind chimes, whale song and running water.

I’d like to punch those monkeys off the rock, is that wrong?

👿

Tails

Yeah – I have a helmet cam but that footage seems to come out really jerky and with the cam on my handlebars the footage is all over the shop. Roper has offered to come and help film sometime too – that may make it more interesting if he holds the camera so you see more riding in a single shot. We will have to give it a go.

Sharki – yeah – I am sure a faster rider with a proper helmet cam could show that it’s a good ride. You also have one heck of a steep climb to get there with some great views of Africa and the straighs but again I’ve never managed to make a climb look interesting.

Mr Nutt – I do have some of that type of music and was almost going to use it. I may do an ultra chilled video for a ride I have in mind so watch this space 🙂

Keva – cheers

Buzz – yeah – the trail is actually quite good for improving my skills as there are drops and rocks to negotiate.

Bonzo – that is pretty severe if you flew out of Gib and actually missed the fact that there is a flipping great big rock there!

Muddy Fox – yeah – Mr and Mrs Agreeable came over last weekend and Roper and I took them out around Algecieras. There the singletrack is much more technical and steep!

Bonzo – I used to spend short trips out there as groundcrew with a certain flying club, and was permanantly pished whilst there. But I still noticed the fact that there was a small hill there (nearly 1500′ of it!)

Mr Nutt – If you feel like punching one of those monkeys then my advice would be don’t go to Gib. They’ll punch you back. They are quicker and stronger than you. Believe me – they just are.

This is me sat at a table at the airport cafe/bar where Bonzo was so drunk he failed to notice that big thing outside the window 🙂

I like this fella

Gibraltar would be an ace place for an urban DH type race, like the one they have in Lisbon. It just needs somone to organise it… Simon? 🙂

How did you film it? I like it but maybe it could have been a bit shorter? I get an idea of what kind of riding there is on Gib now 🙂