Ok,
Here we go again, I'm working in Scotland for the next couple of days and will have time to make one visit to either Innerleithen or Glentress. I reckon to be able to get there by 5.30 6pm and want to ride for 3 ish hours and have a lot of fun. I'm a technically very competant rider of medium to high fitness (race regularly, have done Transalp etc) and want to make the most of my visit. I don't want a full on down hill course so am looking at the Inner red or the Glenntress Red or Black.

What would you do 🙂

An if you want to meet up for a bimble then let me know.

Cheers

Dave
email in profile.

inners black

+ 1 for inners 😀

Defo Innerleithen. Black at GT is just a long old slog with not as much fun as Inners has to offer – all my opinion of course BUT I'M ALWAYS RIGHT!!!

inners is better technically in my opinion but a little on the short side if u are just following the trails. Red at GT swoopy and jumpy but a bit on the easy side again short. GT at black is about 17 miles not to technical very xc but great fun.
Any one that you choose will be great so pick which ever suits your riding tastes.

You'll enjoy both but I prefer Inners.

You could do Inners black twice in that time period, given your fitness. The waymarked route is quite short, really – be ideal if someone could show you some extra stuff there.

You can put together some great routes at Glentress, too. I'd offer to meet up but am away the rest of the week, unless your riding Sat?

If you'll be riding at 6 and your fit do both, its only 15 mins riding between them. The red loops at GT and Inners are about an hour and a half each.

BTW Inners is a red again since they bypassed the hardest (and best) bit of the rock garden. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-5S4F4P

Inners any day of the week.

Another vote for Inners here.

Inners. nuff said.

Inners, but head back up to the shortcut for a 2nd lap then head to the top of something like the gold run for an easy dh trail.

Drive fast between the 2 and do both. I can do both in just over 3 hours and I'm not the quickest.

Dont drive fast between the two. I may be riding along that road.

Another vote for 'do both'!

I'd do a mix-up red/black/secret at Glentress myself, and just keep doubling the best bits up til I ran out of time. Just because it's not massively difficult doesn't mean it's not fun 😉

Inners.

Obi_Twa – Member
Dont drive fast between the two. I may be riding along that road.

here we go again!!!!

Ok well, I'm going to start with Inners Red (was black) and if time permits (might have an evening conference call 🙁 ) will drive very slowly, up to GT for the red there too.

Am planinng to get to Inners tomorrow for 5.30-6 at the latest so if anyone local fancies a ride, drop me a mail.

Thanks again peeps.

Dave

Inners. Bosh. No contest.

Ok well, I'm going to start with Inners Red (was black)

Follow the black route at Plora Craig as the red option there is a bit dull. The black option has several rather challenging features. I can't really recall what the red does there, which isn't a good advert for it.

Personally though I prefer Glentress. Innerleithen is too focused on a couple of signature bits, while there's just lots of nice stuff all over at Glentress.

i love both equally but in completely different ways.

The XC loop at inners is technically more challenging and a bit more complete as a loop, but defo take the black options as suggested above, that red section is tedious and the black is much more interesting.

Glentress is less technical, more pumpy/jumpy than inners, great berms etc but more stop/start as you cross over the fire roads and need to use some fire road links between trails – i would do the red loop but once you start descending from spooky wood, take the black sections such as "the bitch". then when you get back to the hairpin on the fire road turn back up hill towards the eagles nest and take in the remaining blue descent which takes you to the hub.

Some people dont half talk a load of balls about GT and Inners.

think Glen T is still diverted because of trees that have fallen, may be wrong but it was shut of 2 weeks ago with a hell of alot of trees on the trails.

Drive fast between the 2 and do both. I can do both in just over 3 hours and I'm not the quickest.

i somehow dont believe that you can do both glentress black and inners xc in 3 hours ( taking away travelling time). If you can , and your not the fittest, i would suggest you take up racing expert elite.

Even i would struggle doing it in that time

any need for that? just trying to give some tips of what's worth taking in.

"think Glen T is still diverted because of trees that have fallen, may be wrong but it was shut of 2 weeks ago with a hell of alot of trees on the trails."

Last time I was there (3 weeks ago?) there were logging closures on the red and black, lombard street/matrix/bitch/XX all closed so the red was only via pie run… but all the marked trails are cleared of fallen trees I think. Other trails less so.

Inners

Last time I was there (3 weeks ago?) there were logging closures on the red and black, lombard street/matrix/bitch/XX all closed so the red was only via pie run… but all the marked trails are cleared of fallen trees I think. Other trails less so.

Still got the diversions on GT Black as of Friday past.

Innerleithen by a mile, both good tho.

Can't agree about the Red option on Plora Rig, I think it's good, black option is good too but red flows better.

can't agree about GT being more jumpy/pumpy, Innerleithen has far more airtime, by a fair bit.

So basically I agree with Obi_Twa!

I will be up Innerleithen about 5.30-6 tomorrow on my way home, depending what time I get away from my customer in Paisley. I will be in a black C4 grand picasso/ orange PA, unfit just now mind, I'd probably hold you up, but if you see me make yourself known!

Both great my vote is spank yourself nuts and do both, there only about a 10 min drive from one another and if you skip the red climb on gt and just go straight to the spooky wood climb on the fireroad you can do it in an hour ish?

Someday I'll have to time myself round GT red. I don't think we often even get out of the carpark in under an hour

well thats no surprise have you had the date and bananna cake!

inners

Thanks guys,

made it to Inners at 6.30. Rode the red and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is to date the best trail centre circuit I ridden, love the technical elements and the way the odd drop etc is thrown in to keep you honest. I especially liked the rock garden on the way down the first decent, came up kinda quick and am still trying to figure out how I made it through unscathed!

Views at the top of Minch Moor are outstanding and that comes from someone who is not normally looking.

Thanks for the tips, am in Durham on fiday so am going to hit Thrunton wood tomorrow night.