OK another dumb question for the FAQ: are there cross country routes at trail centers or just downhill runs?
I ask as the advent of centers has come about in my time away from the sport and I've never been to one.
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Trail Centres, downhill only?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Most are XC routes rather than DH.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Definitely not, even at the busiest centres there are excellent trails which are out of the way and nowhere near downhill. Most centres you have to cycle to the top anyway and there are some amazing routes through great scenery. For bang for buck, they really are a great option.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Interesting, thanks.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ok - I'm gonna say that its down to semantics. Most trails involve going "down hill", just that some go down steeper and over rough terrain than others. The only truly XC trail I can think of in Scotland would be the big loop at Glentrool.
Posted 2 years ago # -
OK semantic wise I use downhill to mean Steve Peat type riding, thus requiring a FS bike, whilst XC to mean Liam Killen and HT suitable.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Cool - just checking. The hive mind sometimes forgets that there's a whole world of riders out there not up to STW riding god standard
Posted 2 years ago # -
Kirro black is a proper XC trail. ok it has some very tough and techy sections in it..
inc Mc Moab (that you can skirt around) but its deffo an XC loop..and probably the best trail centre loop going.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I take xc to mean ride up and ride back down. dh to mean steve peat style courses.
most trail centres are xc.Posted 2 years ago # -
A few dh trails at Innerleithen
Posted 2 years ago # -
For arguments sake, I've never been to a TC that has more downhill than uphill, the car park is usually the start and end of the ride, so ascent & descent metres are generally the same.
Posted 2 years ago # -
theres downhills, and uphills. Boring fireroad bits. A few berms that kind of thing. Not sure about cross country, they are more like loops in forests
Posted 2 years ago # -
If I can ride it its XC imo - and that glentress, laggan and Innerleithan I have ridden (most/ some) of
Even laggan black is rideable on an HT
Posted 2 years ago # -
We regularly get folk in the shop asking to see bikes for "downhill". After a bit of discussion, it usually transpires they're talking about Blue grade stuff at the likes of GT (and even that would frighten some of them). Cross Country is usually used to describe more "natural" trails using forest roads and land rover tracks.
So - a definition of "downhill" depends on your experience.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Remember, for trail centres you need:
1. Full Facer
2. Pressure suit.
3. Knee and arm pads.
4. Downhill bike.Or so it would seem at Glentress sometimes...
Posted 2 years ago # -
need? it's about want
Posted 2 years ago # -
You don't need a downhill bike for the blue at glentress ??????
Posted 2 years ago # -
"whoosh"
Posted 2 years ago # -
yeti guy - Member
You don't need a downhill bike for the blue at glentress ??????By your definition of the word downhill and by what we, as regular mountain bikers, have come to know as downhill. My point is that, for folk new to the pasttime, they'll use the phrase downhill to describe most man-made trail centre tracks.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"For arguments sake, I've never been to a TC that has more downhill than uphill, the car park is usually the start and end of the ride, so ascent & descent metres are generally the same."
Fort William :mrgreen:About 30 metres of ascent on the red, and something like 540 metres of descent.
Posted 2 years ago # -
All the forestry commision trail centres have XC trails, infact they are predominantly XC centres, with more XC trails than DH trails. Even those with full on dedicated DH race runs, which are Cwncarn, inners, glentress and fort bill all have XC trails. Some others do have short DH loops in them that you can miss out such as Afan, lagan and Dalby.
Even so you can do any of the DH runs on a hardtail. None of them (as far as know) require a full face helmet but they are strongly recommended as is body armour.
personally I would recommend a full sus for all trails as they are much kinder to you back and arsePosted 2 years ago # -
Northwind - Member
"For arguments sake, I've never been to a TC that has more downhill than uphill, the car park is usually the start and end of the ride, so ascent & descent metres are generally the same."
Fort William :mrgreen:About 30 metres of ascent on the red, and something like 540 metres of descent.
Car parks tend to be at the bottom hills eg Inners, GT, Ae and you travel downhill to get back there.
Ae has both DH & XC
Posted 2 years ago #
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