Heading up to Laggan this friday for my first shot around the wolf track's and i cannot wait 😀 but i have a couple of Q's..

How tough is the Black route and is it do-able on a HT and is the red route much tougher than the GT equivalent??

The black is truely a black grade IMO – mainly because there are no chicken runs. I rode (most) of it on an old shonky hardtail with barely any front sus either.

Red is not really tougher than GT – just different.

The black route is technically very tough- like a black should be, really. It's the best black route in the country.

Yes, it's doable on a hardtail BUT it depends if you're used to it and if you ride a full susser most of the time. Every rider's different.

The red's about as tough as GT, yeah. the new upper red's a total waste of time, though.

Thanks TJ, reckon it will be the red route until i have done some more practise 😆

So no extra padding needed for the red route??

steve – do the black – just be cautious – is the most fun I have had at a trail centre even if I did wimp out of some bits.

the blacks fine just very technical. Give it a bash. The red was a bit loose the last time I was there so just watch out for loosing grip on the bends.

or just get loose and enjoy the hell out of it

An HT wouldn't be comfortable, but possible with plenty care. This old thread might help…?

i can ride the black on my HT but (here's a shocking statement from me) it's better on a proper capable full susser with good gripping tyres.

the HT is fine for the red run.

tell us how you got on 😀

a ht is great fun on the black. and plenty comfortable.

HT on the black is great. Best with the biggest, stickiest tubeless tyres you can stuff in your frame though.

laggan rock is grippy as anyway. theres no need for super tacky style tyres on it.

You'll be fine…it's technical but doesn't matter what kind of bike you are riding – it's technical…no need for padding unless you wear it already – your choice.

I've ridden it on ht and fs and I rode more of it on the ht (first time and didn't want to loose face) – I'm not convinced about armour – I understand the benefits but it just doesn't appeal to me…so I wouldn't even consider it…but if you wear it already then wear it on that.

I'm not that good a rider though and I suspect a bit more baws and a lot less brakes would see me clearing a lot of the stuff I was wimping out of…I really like and consider it a true black – but not a double clack diamond or whatever nonsense it is…

I'm up there on Saturday I think…

Red is good fun and the black is worth calling black.

Cheers for the input lads.

I dont wear armour as it stands so i wont bother this week, i will give the red a run then see how i feel about the black, i reckon if im intact we will just give it a whack.. 🙂

i loved the black run! Really is a proper black run i feel, as many have said! I would do the red run, then see how you feel. I did the red, with a mate, then when he decided he was tired went and did the black on my own. Probably the best ride i have had, even if it is short 😆

"The black is truely a black grade"
Its listed on the boards as a double black grade (just the name of the route is the black route)
I think thats probably the best way to look at it. A step up from other blacks. Though probably easier than stainburns warren boulder trail or mabies kona dark side (Also double blacks)

"the new upper red's a total waste of time, though"
I quite liked the drop after drop after drop after ..
I wasn't so keen on the tight slow corners between the faster bits

"The black is truely a black grade"

I don't agree to much with that. Perfectly doable on a hardtail. Just be warn you will get rattled.
There is nothing very exposed/engaged. Lots of rock though and big steps but:
You have clear entrance and exit
and you have a clear view of the stuff way ahead.

You won't find anything genuinely difficult. No very tight corner with rocks before after and in the middle of it.
Nothing that can catch you by surprise and makes you fall.

Do it it's a good laugh. But I concur with the fact that the red is going to be more pleasant, just because it's less "bumpy".

stiletto staircase – designed to confuse short and long wheelbase bikes. if your wheelbase fits though………. LOL 😆

Thing is, if the Black is too technical then just walk that bit – you don't have to ride it all (although the idea if that you do ride it all) – so although it is black and nicely very technical…if it isn't for you then you walk that bit and move on…

I'd say it was a proper black and other trail centre blacks need to step up to be similar – i.e. some folk look at the Glentress Black as the Black marker – so anything that is more technical is more than Black – but up until recently GT Black was Black on distance and not technical stuff – this is/has changed but it did skew the grading on other centres as the technical stuff was always compared to the GT Black…

juan – Member
"The black is truely a black grade"
I don't agree to much with that. Perfectly doable on a hardtail. Just be warn you will get rattled.
There is nothing very exposed/engaged. Lots of rock though and big steps but:
You have clear entrance and exit
and you have a clear view of the stuff way ahead.

pish juan. anything is doable on a ht (even fort william dh etc are fine)
you need to learn to be smoother if your getting rattled.

maybe sticking your elbows out instead of tucking them in will help next time 😉

Got to Laggan on friday and the weather was excellent, so the view's were 8)

I found the track's very gnarly indeed, complete shock to the system if im honest 😆 but a real enjoyable experience. I started doing the black run then thought f*ck this, as i was walking far too much, so ended up doing the red route which i really enjoyed. Unfortunatly it was a shortish visit as i managed to mangle my front disc being polite to someone walking on the track's(shop onsite did not have any spare's) so need to get it into the local bike shop on monday also my youngest boy was unwell so had to head home sharp to help out…

Great track altogether so for anyone who has not been, do it!

Thanks to everyone who passed on advice to me 😀

I've only been once but don't see why Black isn't doable on ht.

I was on ht and walked about 5 bits – but that's a lack of bravery and skills, not the limits of the bike 😉
Just go for it. You'll probably want to stop and look over the available lines for a lot of bits though. And if you aren't comfortable, just walk (and use the ht as an excuse!)

You can cut off from black onto the red I think anyway.

I did all the black except one bit (Steep slab) and i think it is really technical. However having done it gives me the confidence to try other stuff which is very useful 🙂

Still scared though!

Laggan is a great little centre. I would love to go again and try the black next time – it looked mean. People moan about the upper red but I enjoyed all the little rock drops/jumps.
I think Laggan is a good model for other centres – in a compact area, selection shortish runs at all grades and styles: skills area, 2 genuinely easy trails, two medium with hard add-ins, and a genuinely hard techy trail, and jump trail that anyone can enjoy, uplift, cafe, bike shop.

It's perfectly do-able on a hardtail, if you have to walk a couple of bits then so be it, it's short enough that you can do another lap and get it next time.

had a couple of offs, one right near the end where i misjudged a rock and bent an axle, but was otherwise ok, the other was on the rocky staircase thing when i ended up hugging a tree rather going over the bars at the top of a drop.

it's always fun to see how far you can nose wheely down the slab (seems to get shorter and shorter these days), and it was most amusing when a mate decided to launch the slab, needles to say he didn't make the turn at the bottom.