[Closed] Antur Stiniog...120mm full suss enough?

I took a 120 and the mrs was on her 100mm. We just minced our way down the easy stuff, though. The blacks are proper hard. Great fun, if a little wet.

Judging by some of the videos I was just planning to take my fatbike. Have I missed something?

Fatbike would be fine it it fitted in the trailer...maybe ask them first.

I rode the Blue/red on my 150mm front Orange Five. I'd suspect that you could just about get away with 120mm, but some of the rock gardens would be fun.

Full face and armour mandatory for the black runs. Frontal lobotomy probably best for the double back too.

Have I missed something?

Full face and armour mandatory for the black runs.

OK, I possess no full face helmet or body armour...so just the blue/red routes then?

Just ride what you feel comfortable with, on whatever bike you have at the speed you want to. Stop and look at bits first if necessary.

(This worked for me in the Alps this year on my 100mm Anthem X, my mate was riding a 100mm carbon hardtail)

Trailer? Is there no way of cycling to the top then?

Uplift only at the moment

So it is a bike trail you cannot ride up?

Yes, it's a downhill mountain bike centre.

ahhhhh.

* filed into the "I've seen it all now" bucket *

Thought this place was designed with the average trail rider in mind? Although it is uplift only, the impression I got from the article I read last month implied that everything bar the double-black is ridable on a trail bike.

I'm going for the 2nd time tomorrow....on my 29er ht.I am very rad though 8)

Op Ive ridden the red on an ex8 and it's fine. The lower section shows just how noodley the qr 32mm fox fork is but ok other than that. Tis a great place; go!

Ridden everything there fairly comfortably on my TRc which is 125. There are a few sections (and most of the black-black) where a bigger bike would certainly be a tad quicker but overall i didn't feel like the bike held me back.

Went there last week with a 150mm and my m8 had 140mm,spent most of the day doing the blacks,think I would have preferd doing blue and red routes on my anthem(100mm)so a 120mm would be fine.Wouldn't want to pedal up to top every time though,managed to get 10 runs in using up lift.£2.60 a run "bargain"

Sounds like a good place except you can't pedal up 🙁 can you not pedal up where the uplift truck goes? Or will they give you a row?

Not sure if u can pedal up or not,but it's a hell of a long climb,depending on how fit u are, u won't get many runs in

Uplift route is about 1.5 miles and 750+ft of elevation.

AKA not much fun to pedal up.

Rorschach - Member
I'm going for the 2nd time tomorrow....on my 29er ht.I am very rad though

See you there , I'm going tomorrow too but I'm on 200mm both ends 26"er. My bike will stand out as probably the most retro DH frame there (bright orange Keewee cromo eight).

My mate and me are checking it out as an alternative to going up to Fort William for our lads long weekend. As much as I love Fort Bill the 7 hours drive coupled with Junes 60mph wind and horizontal rain meant we only got 1 days riding in due to the lift being closed.

It's private land. Pretty sure you aren't allowed to walk or pedal. Coed Y Brenin is 5 mins down the road if you are desperate to ride up, or it's a short hop to Snowdon. Basically it's an area where there is something for everyone.

To be honest the people wishing to pedal up are missing the point, it's a downhill trail centre of varying grades. The point of the uplift is not only to enable multiple runs without excess fatigue but more importantly to generate funds to pay for the park!

It didn't appear overnight it was built as a means of stimulating the local economy, therefore it needs to generate coinage.

Taken from the sites 'about us' section

"To develop the potential of the Outdoor Sector in the Ffestiniog area in a sustainable and innovative way for the benefit of the local residents and economy"

Carslog, we did a lads weekend there in Sept, Sat we rode up and down Snowddon and then onto antur on the sunday, staying in llanberis, great weekend!

also got Penmachno and Marin Trail just up the road

there planning for next year a path where you can ride up, but at the moment its just a uplift service.

i use my full suss 150mm and did all the runs no problem. ive seen riders who take hardtails and still enjoy the blacks. you will be fine with 120mm as long as you ride to your bikes limits, you will have no problems.

great place

Might be better off with ski's for tomorrow.....started snowing 😯

dont forget rvolution bike bike which is quite near. Absolutly brilliant tracks and uplift service, although it does look a touch more techy that stiniog. ( ive not been there though)

I rode Morzine on a 120mm hardtail for a week...a Chameleon to boot...

so yes.

The blue and red are easily rideable on a hard tail, the black was comfortable on a 140mm full suss but I am no riding god, the blue and red are more than good enough for a day there as you just keep getting faster and faster, my advice is to go straight on or turn right after the bridge to finish either blue or red on the last bit of the black - DO NOT turn right at the top of the bit when you go straight on after the bridge, just stop and have a look at the drop, not for the faint hearted!!!!

It is a great set-up there and the guys running it are a good laugh

You just need a bike realy.

Full face needed for black powder and the double black but no need for body armour.

Rode all the tracks on my Rocky Mountain altitude including the double black.

Body armour and full face mandatory on the blacks? Serious?

IIRC its what it says on the sign-in form, there is nobody to enforce though.

I have ridden the red, blue and first black on a hardtail with a piss pot and no pads. If you can get hold of a full face and some pads I would take them, some of the rock sections are pretty slippery.

Second time I went was on my stereo @140mm, just less fatigue than the HT

philwarren11 - Member
Body armour and full face mandatory on the blacks? Serious?

do some work....lol

 

I'd agree. It's not the rock gardens and drop offs that are the most tricky (you can mince if required) it's the damn slippy rock slabs. The ones before the bridge get me once and I was glad to have the armour on.

From a DH POV is it worth a 3.5 hr drive?

i'd say yes

Its a great place to go. DEfinately worth a 3.5hr drive.

It has got something for everyone but it is a DH course not a trail centre. The trails are set to be built soon. I saw group of older gentlemen riding down the blues and reds on what looked like supermarket special bikes. They were having fun and were happy to make space for faster riders. Good times had by all.

I take my 224 there and am happy on that with armour and a full facer, I wouldn't feel comfortable riding without some padding and a Full face helmet. Other are welcome to do what they like though.

Doesnt look rockier than some of the Bridleways in the Peak, in fact all the rocks are flat and going in the same direction...any travel suits, DH bike overkill.

[img] [/img]

Doesnt look rockier than some of the Bridleways in the Peak, in fact all the rocks are flat and going in the same direction...any travel suits, DH bike overkill.

It's a lot rougher than it looks in all the videos.

It is very good.

Full face is compulsory for blacks (says on the sign in form).

It is very good.

Any bike will do.

It is very good.

A proper DH bike is more fun.

It is very good.

If you want to pedal up go to an XC trail centre not a DH one.

My helmet cams here from 1st time there the other week (180mm travel for those that are interested): [url] http://mountainbikerides.co.uk/video/15-wales.html [/url] I will be back.

And I'd probably avoid this if you're taking your fatbike / rigid singlespeed fixie / other STW fashionable niche non big hitting bike

[img] http://mountainbikerides.co.uk/photos/image.raw?type=orig&id=3999 [/img]

[quote=Mad Pierre ]And I'd probably avoid this if you're taking your fatbike / rigid singlespeed fixie / other STW fashionable niche non big hitting bike

Thanks. My initial impressions of the tracks had been formed by some of the previous videos posted here (including that one with the inexperienced guy breaking his shoulder). They looked nothing like your photo 🙂

Mad Pierres photo doesnt do the middle drop off after the bridge on the black run justice. That's a 10-12ft vertical drop. In no shape or way rollable or really possible without a biggish rig. Rollable options are there on either side.

Interesting.

**** me that drop looks WAY beyond my skills!

But then again I've been told you can simply roll over more things on a 29er!

That was my mate Rob doing the big drop. I didn't have a go myself. 😮 Here is one of yours truly doing an easy step down up the top. Now while this could be rolled on any bike you will see that by adding skill compensation, mucho fun air time can be had even by a numpty like me! In the helmet cam videos it probably doesn't even look like I leave the floor doing this?

[img] http://www.mountainbikerides.co.uk/photos/image.raw?type=orig&id=4009 [/img]

Looks like Christ on a bike to me!

I think I'd need a lift to get me to the bottom safely on that drop!

The video in this thread from the spy camera really doesn't do Antur justice.

Ok , now I've been I can make an informed(ish) opinion. A 120mm bike will be fine on the blue and red trails with an average rider , if you're a good rider then with care the red/black trail(black powder trail) would be rideable , We didn't ride the double black as we were told some of the corners were a bit dicey due to the ice on them so I couldn't comment on it.

The Youtube video's really do no justice at all to the trails they're all much rougher than they appear on film , we had a great day and will definitely back in the future. I loved the red/black run although I couldn't manage to get a decent line into the first tight left hand switchback .I ache like a bugger today but am still buzzing after my visit , the only downer was the traffic driving home from the start of the M56 till the other side of Manchester was a bit of a car park most of the time.