Hey bike dudes and dudettes! Has anybody been to Gawton recently and ridden Super Tavi and Egypt? Please give me your thoughts? Is it a DH bike only track? Anyone done it on a hardtail/unicycle/tricylcle?

I'd ridden HSD on a number of visits and had a great time! It truly is a high-speed descent – so aptly named. Then last time I went to Gawton, I warmed up on HSD then tried going down Egypt. I made it down on my Marin Attack Trail, but without much speed or style. I then spoke with a friendly bloke in the car park and he recommended I try Super Tavi – "not as tough as Egypt, so long as you take the chicken runs".

Well it kicked my butt and scratched it till it bled in the process! This is some of the most technical riding i've ever tried, I could only cleanly clear about half of the sections and really struggled to carry speed. It was a lot more difficult than just a badly eroded trail. Is this typical of the new downhill tracks in the UK? Will trail centres be going down this route?

I'm interested to have your thoughts as it will influence where I ride in future as I do not have a downhill bike and am not likely to get one soon. How does it compare with say Cwcarm DH and Fort Bill?

🙂

From what I know Gawton Super-Tavi is one of the gnarlier trails in the England and Wales. Loving a bit of HSD but when I rode it I was alone so didn't try the others.

It's five minutes from my house, once you get your head around how steep it is it's not so bad. It was designed as a nationals standard DH track. I've ridden it on my five but it's much more fun on a DH bike.

Oh and it's a lot more technical/steeper than anything cwm carn or fort bill have to offer.

And try riding Egypt in the wet, even on a DH bike I end up on my arse pretty regulary.

My in-laws are in Tavistock so try to get down there when I visit 🙂

I forgot to say, if you want something a little tamer then try our other site five minutes down the road. Some very technical tracks in there but plenty of mellow, fun stuff to progress on.

It a well designed track, so the faster you go the easier it becomes. Don't try and slow down on the steep bits, hammer down them and then use the berms and ruts to corner.

Oh and it's a lot more technical/steeper than anything cwm carn or fort bill have to offer.

A lot steeper and more techy than Fort William? Crikey.

Thanks, interesting. It is a good track, no doubt about it. I will give it another go. It is extremely challenging, but no doubt will have helped my riding as it is so testing. There is often one line that works and unless your balance and speed are right, you're off!

Dartmoor Cycles mentioned Woodlands and ChipShop. Any good?

tavistock woodlands/chipshop/great consuls/wheal joshuah. its got loads of names. its pretty easy to find, on the road out from tavi to gunni, turn right instead of left at gulworthy cross, go about a mile, second left by a dirt triangle and follow the lane all the way down. if you get to the chipshop inn you've gone too far….

A lot steeper and more techy than Fort William? Crikey

fort bill isn't steep or technical (with the exception of maybe the WC woods), its just long, fast and brutal.