Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • Nevis Red
  • MrWoppit
    Free Member

    Anybody ridden this yet? How do you rate it?

    Rockplough
    Free Member

    I was up a couple of weeks back and it was very windy up top, which made the boardwalk 'interesting'.

    If you're expecting a trail centre red experience you're in for a rude awakening. In my opinion it's never a red, as it's very exposed and there are one or two places where you pretty much have to ride a drop. No chicken runs. Kinda sorts the men from the boys for want of a better expression.

    I'd still recommend it. Lifts are now shut for the winter though.

    uplink
    Free Member

    There's one or two people on this thread with an opinion

    At least I think that's the trail they're talking about

    http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/lovely-looking-bit-of-new-trail-dont-you-agree

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    dmiller
    Free Member

    In my opinion it's never a red, as it's very exposed and there are one or two places where you pretty much have to ride a drop

    Yeah its the blackest red I have seen. Perhaps its a really dark red that looks black but when you shine a trout light on it you see a faint red tingle, a bit like cola in a glass?

    Good fun tho 🙂

    David.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Dmiller, you stole my line 👿

    I loved it, it's ace in my book, very different from most trail centres since they're not having to ration the descents. The boardwalk's a bit meh, not terrible but not all that interesting either, but the rock sections are fantastic… very varied and (for me at least) challenging- I've not done that many blacks but at its hardest it's on a level with those. The river crossing in the forest is mint too. I like that you can ride it different ways, which isn't often the case with built trails, lots of different lines and approaches. The drops are just as much fun (and possibly harder) rolled frinstance.

    I do reckon the red grade is a pisstake, particularily since if you ride the skills area, the Nevis Red is almost bang on as hard as the black skills loop- the red one's extremely easy, then they say "You're fine to go and ride the red!" Stupid. There's maybe 2 or 3 places where a chicken run would probably go down very well. I cleared it all but I won't lie, I didn't think I was going to make it down some bits.

    And then, when you hit the end of the red you can just turn onto the bottom of the WC downhill, which is totally rideable on an XC bike, though slowly! I reckon it's wasted on the downhillers, they just sail over it.

    The only letdown for me was the other reds- the 10 Under the Ben loop is total mince, and the Witches Trail is very badly signposted and has huge amounts of fire road (though at least the good bits are very, very good)

    It's closed just now mind. I'll definately be back up when it reopens next year.

    dmiller
    Free Member

    Dmiller, you stole my line

    If your not fast your last… 😉

    And then, when you hit the end of the red you can just turn onto the bottom of the WC downhill, which is totally rideable on an XC bike, though slowly! I reckon it's wasted on the downhillers, they just sail over it.

    I wish I had thought of that!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I stayed on the official trail for the end bit once, never again. But then, the first time I did the downhill bit I accidentally rode the 4X track, never again x2! "What's that down there? Certain death? Righto. Can I stop in time? No. Ah well".

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    I guess as someone who finds "Hidden Valley" at Afan challenging that's pretty much a black run for the likes of me, then…

    Northwind
    Full Member

    never ridden that but I watched a video, tbh they're very different bits of trail… The big challenge at Nevis comes from the steepness, it's much more technical and committed than most trails, but you might find you're fine with that- it's not a speed trail, which hidden valley looks like, or at least it wasn't for me, apparently it is if you're Ben Cathro and you have a prototype Strange. But I'm a big coward on an XC bike, so it was slow!)

    Barney_McGrew
    Free Member

    I was there a couple of weeks ago. We were delayed on the road up so only managed to get one run in. It was relatively dry so the boardwalk was OK. Certainly more 'Maroon' than plain ol' red. I had a couple of over the bars moments and cooked a set of pads. Would have liked a second chance at it but the following day it was hosing it down with rain! Did a witches/WC/10 ride the next day though.
    I am going back next year, that's for sure! Great fun but rather serious at the same time.


    Look at the wonderful views…………

    It was rather intimidating!

    The following day was WET!

    Let's face it, I wasn't getting any wetter!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Hah, see that last pic with the watersplash? I somehow managed to wander off the trail and into the mud on the left and sank up the bottom bracket, completely stuck… Ended up washing my shoes in the river :mrgreen:

    Vortexracing
    Full Member

    loved it.

    add the bottom bit of the black onto it and it makes a great descent.

    definitely on the to do list again for next year.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    when does the nevis range open to bikes again? i have a couple of weeks of product testing next year I'll probably do out of fort william, think i'll arrange it for when the lifts open…

    Northwind
    Full Member

    May I think. I know they're trying to lenghten the season but last year it was May.

    Mugboo
    Full Member

    Me and the missus were there 2 weeks ago and got 3 runs in. Defo Black graded.

    First run down (sign nr gondola said SLIPPY boardwalk) my arse was nipping on the woodwork but i loved the rest apart from the stream crossing that looked treacherous!
    The missus had walked a few of the rockier sections and wasn't sure about having another run, it was only her tight Yorkshire nature (i've paid for a multi pass so i'll use it!) that got her up there again.

    Second time down it all made sense, on a dry day the woodwork is like a rollercoaster, hit it faster and you'll find a camber everwhere you need one.
    The rocky middle section is my kind of riding, techy with decent size steps and the finish throws in some good old fashioned berms. (Turns out the stream is grippy enough as well)

    This time where the red ended i pushed up a little to hit the first jump on the Black and opther than rolling the small double there's nothing you can't enjoy on an average bike from here.

    On our third run down i got a real kick from watching my wifey ride past blokes who were pushing (full face helmets/armour/decent bikes) on the techy stuff, in fact she rode the lot and came away buzzing.

    I grabbed the last lift and took my already pumped arms for a blast down the Black. Talk about a humbling experience!

    From the lift it looks a doddle, from my saddle it was anything but. As i suspected its designed to be ridden fast so mincing down is difficult because all the steep bit are loose or deeply rutted, at least they have painted the worst rocks in red…

    I'm convinced that if i rode it fresh and 2 or 3 times i could make a better job of it next time!!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    That's exactly what I felt about the boardwalk… Some people have slated it but to me it's like spooky woods at glentress- absolutely rubbish if you go slow but if you crank it it suddenly makes sense. Still wish they'd laid on some narrower bits, logs and skinnies and suchlike, but I'll let them off 😉

    langy
    Free Member

    From those pics, it looks like it a bit of a 'speed is your friend' trail; trying to go slow makes it harder, going with a bit of momentum would let you 'float over' the rocks and let the camber in the wooden stuff direct you around.

    Looks fun.

    Re it's closed; is it really not possible to pedal up some how and then ride it? I don't know Nevis, so a genuine question!!! sure you'd be stuffed to do laps without the gondola, but…

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    Had a look at this:

    As Ian Dury once said – "F*ck*ng Ada"!!!!!!

    And that's a "Red" run? More like Pants-Wettingly-Terrifying run. I'd have a go, but it would take me more like a careful twenty minutes and that boardwalk stuff is a complete freak-out…

    I've nothing but respect for people ride this sort of stuff.

    Blower
    Free Member

    next year methinks,bit of speckle'dy black in it.

    marty
    Free Member

    is it really not possible to pedal up some how and then ride it?
    you could ride up forest roads to about 250m, then it's only another 400m (vertical) of bog trotting to get you to the top gondola station.

    piece of cake. 🙂

    Northwind
    Full Member

    "From those pics, it looks like it a bit of a 'speed is your friend' trail; trying to go slow makes it harder, going with a bit of momentum would let you 'float over' the rocks and let the camber in the wooden stuff direct you around."

    True in some bits, but on the bedrock bits I found the opposite- slow was my friend, speed would have had me crashing in several exciting new ways :mrgreen: But I'm sure that depends a lot on skill and bike, if you watch the video of Ben Cathro on youtube he's not hanging about on bits I picked my way through.

Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)

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