Anyone been up there recently? In particular any of the up and over routes like Maidens?
Thinking about a commute tomorrow but if it's unridable I'll give it a miss and go for a play in the evening instead. I guess it'll be too deep, about 40cm of the stuff in Penicuik

The glencorse side of Maiden's was fine on the 1st, there's been a couple of falls since but I think Maiden's will be well walked enough to compact it. The other side (down to Harlaw) was rideable but a little tricky. Again though, I'd gamble on it having been walked a fair bit since then.

Phantom's was just about rideable on the first but only because people had skied down it, if no-one's been down it since I wouldn't fancy your chances!

Puke hill was ace on Sunday, snowy but still fast on the steep bit, and the stuff in the trees and round about Torduff and clubbiedean was all fairly well walked and rideable.

Good luck!

thanks, we had a lot of fresh snow since the first, about 20cm so will probably leave it another day. Looks like there will be more falls tonight also and I'd definately be first over it at 7am in the morning

If I go I'll take the camera

I was up on Sunday morning and it was pretty hard going, even on the approach roads etc. Tracks like the one from Harlaw to Maidens would have been very tough as there hadn't been enough traffic to clear the fresh snow.

Even on the flat sections I was having to use granny gears to make progress.

We are going round the pentlands tonight, will post up the conditions.

Hi folks newbie on this site and only been properly into biking since last spring . I do the Pentlands loop fairly regularly and the one from castle law fort to Bonaly but have no clue of the proper names of routes , hill etc. Is there any site I can familiarise myself with the routes as I tend to do the sames ones again and again. Ive taken wee detours here and there but usually end up in bogs or carrying my bike . Thanks for sany help you can give me.

This is not a bad place to start.

http://eucc.eusu.ed.ac.uk/pentlands_map.php

Many thanks Zig Zag that will be a great help as cant help thinking Im missing out on some of the best routes and kinda prefer cycling in the Pentlands and Lammermuirs to GT at times.

Similar boat to you stanfree – I tend to do the same loop again and again (clockwise Harlaw -> Maiden's Cleugh -> LoganLea -> Black Hill), mostly because the parking's easier than Bonaly, no Puke hill and I do like the Maiden's Cleugh descent and bit round the back of Black Hill.

There's been a few Pentlands/Singletrackworld meets recently, organised variously by thebikechain (as in the shop), Kit_Carruthers and Robgarrioch.

The "Eucc" map was (I think) originally put together by Onion on here.

Worth hanging around and keeping your eyes open, there were a couple of good night rides in November, lots of chat and a pace to suit everyone!

It does sound like you're both missing some of the better routes although during the winter a lot of the better bits are kind of indistinguishable from the bogs anyway!

Stan and Zigzag. Keep an eye on this forum as there are quite a few Pentlands rides organised (oh, and apologies to the folk whose e-mail addresses I lost after a nightride a few months ago; I lost the bit of paper which is why we never got back in touch; nothing personal).

Most of the good Pentlands routes aren't on any map, but many of them are only rideable in certain weathers. They aren't sustainable all year round.

As for conditions there just now, expect to push on most climbs, but have great fun on the descents. It's a great time to try some of the descents through fields that you wouldn't normally ride. The snow is so deep you'll definitely fall, but no danger of getting hurt.

The path round the back of Clubbiedean is great just now, as is the one linking Torduff and the Scout Camp.

Will keep my eyes open for further details Kenny , sadly cant stretch to decent night lights at this time of year but of next week and hopefully the snow thins out a bit for a wee blast …

Similar boat to you stanfree – I tend to do the same loop again and again (clockwise Harlaw -> Maiden's Cleugh -> LoganLea -> Black Hill), mostly because the parking's easier than Bonaly, no Puke hill and I do like the Maiden's Cleugh descent and bit round the back of Black Hill.

That route, while good, can be improved by starting from Balerno instead of Harlaw and including the Nail Trail/Balerno Singletrack on the descent from Thriepmuir.

That way you get three descent descents:
1) Maidens towards Flotterstone
2) Black Hill
3) Nail Trail

3 of the best sections of the Pentlands IMHO.

Where is the fabled Nail Trail? I thought I'd found it- turned left/west off Mansfield Road then over a wee bridge over the drainage ditch- but after a promising start, ended up in someone's garden. Is it what the EUCC map calls Riggs Singletrack?

Riggs Singletrack, Nail Trail and Balerno Singletrack are all the same trail (or trails as there are a few in there).

Over the bridge (or plank really) is one starting point, although you can also join at the an opening just before the high point of the road, perhaps a couple of hundred yards before where the plank crosses the ditch (which is pretty much opposite a cottage).

Once into the trails you can either head directly down towards Balerno (which is were most folks will go as it's a great section of trail) or continue west, pretty much following the road until the trail loops back towards Balerno.

Yep, although there are a lot of wee bridges and drainage ditches in the area. It starts at NT 157 639

Its starting to show its age though, the top section is pretty cut up and boggy. I've been trying to avoid it in the wet, only riding it as a guilty pleasure on summer evenings.

Could understand the Balerno locals riding it all the time though, i would if it was on my back door!

If the top section is boggy I use the loop to the west. It's also good fun and quite a bit longer, although it does require lifting over a few fences. I've never seen it too boggy to ride.

13thfloormonk – Member
Yep, although there are a lot of wee bridges and drainage ditches in the area. It starts at NT 157 639

Its starting to show its age though, the top section is pretty cut up and boggy. I've been trying to avoid it in the wet, only riding it as a guilty pleasure on summer evenings.

Could understand the Balerno locals riding it all the time though, i would if it was on my back door!

I used to ride it a lot but it got very cut up last year, so I try to avoid nowadays. Some more maintenance might be in order during the spring/summer evenings.

Stan / zigzag; the venerable HouseHusband posted a good gps route of our 2nd last jamboree in October – Here (at the r'send)
Also some typical photos of more-recent group action…
Erosion is an obvious problem in certain areas, though it's not difficult to stick to 'all-weather' paths for the most part when necessary.

Trying to decide if it worth going out on Thurs, Sundays attempt at home was a complete waste of time, slippin and slidin all over the place. Got to get out of the house so may go for a walk instead and do some survival bag sledging.

Cheers folks!

There's a ride organised for tomorrow night, 7pm at the Bonaly shop if anyone fancies it? I might be along, it all depends if I'm late out of work.

If I happen to finish on time (i.e. too early to meet everyone), I'll blaze a trail to Clubbiedean and then Harlaw from Bonaly on my way home.

In theory, I've got a driving lesson but it's almost sure to be cancelled…

Some great info in here, thanks all, will definitely take a look at the Nail Trail… after the snow. Can't make tomorrow's night ride (no lights), but I'll keep my eyes peeled for other organized rides.

I'm thinking of taking a wander up the morn'
what d'you reckon, rigid MTB with fat low profile tread, or crossbike,with fattish knobblies?
I'm leaning towards the cx, in case its no fun and I bail onto the road instead.

"after the snow"

Wait a bit. Normally the snow seems to go with a bout of rain. All the meltwater plus the rain proper messes up the pentlands for a few weeks.

CX bike – hooning about in the snow's* great fun on one.

*actually it's great on anything really.

Went out last night, the majority of the pentlands is not rideable, probably moreso now after last nights snowfall.

decided against a Pentlands commute this morning after the recent fall, and the fact that the A702 is closed at 9 mile burn due to a gritter stuck in a drift!

where did you go liftman? i was out for a ski last night and didn't think the conditions looked too bad for biking but I was mostly around bonaly

i'll be there tonight at 7pm – on a bike this time 🙂

Thanks for the info guys , some cracking photos in there and make me realise how much of the pentlands I am missing . Just been mucking about in the local woods here in East Lothian and although its good for an hour or so its not the same. Where is the track in the pic that seems to look onto loganlea reservoir that looks ace. Will be up for a daytime ride any day next week as on holidays if anyone is out about…

The ride at 7pm has been cancelled now due to lack of enthusiam! So please don't anyone turn up at Bonaly expecting anyone to be there 🙂

was up last sunday and a lot of it was a waste of time, anybody been there in the last couple of days?

I was up there this morning and it was a lot better. The ground has frozen so it's not muddy, but as it was pretty cold there were quite a few icy patches.

What a difference a week makes.

If anything it was even better this morning. The westerly loop in the Nail Trail was excellent. If it stays like this I think I'll be doing a lot of night riding this week:

Shoosh

where's that?

Enter the Nail Trail from the top but follow the trail round to the west instead of heading straight down. It loops round and joins the direct trail at the bridge.

Sorry, I meant "where is the Nail Trail"?

The Nail Trail runs in the treelines between Thriepmuir reservoir car park in the Pentlands and Balerno.