Tremendous piece of work too from Nevis range, it's a fair outlay, especially after the last 18 months of bringing in virtually no money.
Bravo.
Nevis Rance managment just been on BBC news channel saying they have plans for a hotel/bunkhouse, bike shop, indoor climbing wall and various other facilities in the next couple of years, no mention of a red trail but said it should create up to 50 jobs
Aye, as I've said before, couple of years ago they realised that winter season wasn't their only cash cow, makes sense to invest in the biking side.
Let's hope Glencoe can have similar foresight, although the resort don't have as much control due to owners....
Street pigeon has put a video of (most of) it up on YouTube (wish I could embed vids on this site). You get a fairly good idea of it,. Looks good, can't wait to try it out
You just post the link in don't need to do anything special.
poahs vid too
Just back , Ended up doing 2 x top cheif and 2 x blue doon . I'd have been happy with one run down the blue but a mate turned up who hadn't ridden it so we did it again. Its long and so easy to wash out , just seems like endless flat corners and half way down I sat down as was tired and bored. My mates kids were riding the WC track all day and hitting everything flat out and wee actually advised them not to do it as they would come a cropper as the corners wouldn't hold them the speed they ride. Thats not a dig by the way , the trail builders have down a mammoth job building this and once it gets worn in I'd imagine it will be a good little addition .
A red would be a good idea as Blue doon to top cheif is a massive step up I think . It was mega busy today with about an hour wait time from the bottom to the top , still nice to the place busy and making money .
Is there a route to scoot up the top of these trails on the Ebike btw? and dodge the gondola?
Never actually been to FW before.
Pretty sure there isn't Joe.
Aye just having a gander, looks like there might be an option of a fire road round to the last 3rd of the blue, but other wise looks gondola only.
Was just curious, no trying to dodgy gondola fees, just interested if there was a decent route up or a way to dodge when it's jammed or when it's closed.. 😆
Not really, you can ride up a fireroad to a little bit above the big doon on the world cup, from there up there's just the barely-paths that are left from spectators at the racing. I think quite a lot would ride overall but it'd still be major effort.
^ Pretty sure there isn't a route , Have to say though the lower trails Blue steel and the wee Orange to the bottom are excellent . After the endless washy blue corners or top cheif rock batterings these were awesome. I'm used to riding the Tweed valley usually twice a week in the summer but a couple of trips a year up here are a welcome change.
Blue steel is a nice we trail. Really enjoyed it.
I'm looking forward to riding the new trail what's a bit too easy for others might well be right up my street. So far as I can see there's no rideable track to the top but joining it about where blue doon and top chief are closest together 1/3rd or so of the way down could still be doable when the gondola stops running. If weather permits.
Saw StreetPigeons video and despite it being on our list once we heard it was opening in time for our week away, now I've removed it from the list because it doesn't look worthy of the ride. Maybe I've been spoilt from riding B-line in Whistler but even for the most novice of riders berms are safer than all those flat turns.
Laura and Tam video
Another youtube review, backs up what many are saying
That vid feels like a cop-out. They ride the trail, clearly don't think it's any good, but don't actually have the clarity to say so in the summary to camera, they just ask people to tell them in the comments what they think.
ERRR HELLO. We're watching your vid of you doing the new blue so you can tell us your opinion on it. So give us your opinion clearly,/ verbally instead of pussy footing around.
If you want to see someone not mince their words about the trail look for Mctrail rider's video. To be fair he does say it will improve over time.
Personally I'm still looking forward to riding it on a quieter day. Maybe I should go and hide on the "changing attitudes to gnarr" thread 😀
If you want to see someone not mince their words about the trail look for Mctrail rider’s video
Its a crap trail and I can't see anything other than a major rebuild changing that.
Disappointing, was wanting to take the family but will give it a miss if it's that sketchy. Back to Glentress it is.
Won't somebody spare a thought for the poor YaTubers, riding bad trails first so you don't have to.
Lol @SM 🤣
Tbh, some of the corners look a bit flat, but as above, they'll bed in, first few weeks it's always gonna be loose.
Mibbe some folk just can't ride unbermed corners, too conditioned to the easy flow trails that have become de rigeur of late.
I'm starting to feel really sorry for the builders - everywhere I look people are slating their work. The amount of graft they must have put into this trail is truly unbelievable - it's absolutely massive! Blue trails are by far the most work as you've got to smooth out everything. If you've done any sort of trail building you'll appreciate that.
Any new trail is going to take months to bed in properly, especially one that's been built that take this level of traffic/weather where rock, gravel and sand has been used throughout. There is only one way to bed in a trail properly - it needs people running laps.
Also, as with any new trail, some tweaks will be required as lines develop and problems present themselves. I'm sure they'll sort it out and it'll be running great come opening next year.
Presumably it was the same people who built the DH track and Top Chief so they know what they're doing!
Tehy're never going to please STW though are they.
"it's a blue it should be......"
"but it needs bigger berms and more jumps"
"yeah but then kids can't ride it"
"but i want....."
"yeah but then it's not for.... "
For every 100 people who'll ride it, it may suit 75... but that's still 25 who'll tell you it's rubbish.
Exactly the same as Swinley, Pines, Cannock etc Look how they're slated on here time and time again... If it's so easy.... do it yourselves 🙂
I wonder if a lot of the negative responses are simply over-expectation as to what was coming.
It is a blue trail and it's a significantly lower-octane grade than the existing gondola fed trails at Nevis. It makes sense that the fully armoured up storm-troopers on long travel gnar bikes (of which I include myself in at the weekend) were always going to be left feeling a bit underwhelmed as it's just not the same type of trail - in any way - to WC or Top Chief.
I feel bad for not whooping about it as the amount of work that's clearly been put in is incredible. And there were loads of folks there really enjoying it so it's clearly hitting a sweet spot somewhere.
In my humble opinion I think Nevis could have done more with what they had than simply going for the 'UK's longest gondola assisted Blue trail' crown.
Some optional small jumps or pump-lines would have made it way more interesting to all types of rider. Heck, perhaps they could even have split it into two or three trails given the distance and mixed things up a bit that way.
As I say - I'm not slagging it - they've put a huge effort in and after the loose top surface has bedded in a bit it'll be a very different animal to the washy, sandy thing I rode on Friday.
You can please some of the people some of the time and all that...
What I would say is that I stopped in at Comrie Croft on the road home and that is the absolute pinnacle in the world of what can be done with a Blue trail. It's absolutely brilliant, laugh-out-loud fun from top to bottom.
Some optional small jumps or pump-lines would have made it way more interesting to all types of ride
Possibly that may already be in their thoughts for the future ?
From what I overheard from the chap in tweed, they're gunning for a Red next.
Which I really do think will be a magnificent addition.
The lower Blues - Blue Steel & Witches Trails et al - are excellent, as is Wild Goat Red so they clearly know what they're doing up there.
It looks from the vids that they have to build the upper sections on the exposed hillside a lot differently to what's lower down and protected by the trees.
I'm guessing high sided berms would just get destroyed by the weather but flatter turns are a lot easier to maintain. I'm sure every one wanted to make a 10km long Berm Baby Berm, but the trails that you can build in a forest in the Borders are a bit different to what you can build on a mountain in the Highlands.
A new red would be fantastic - surely then everyone would be happy...
I do wonder if they've deliberately left the berms a bit shallow and not built up lips on the potential jumps until the surface beds in. They might have ended up with lots of folk in the Belford if they had!
I remember when the additional trails at Cathkin first got built- the loose, gravel surface was absolutely terrifying and your front wheel washed out even on MASSIVE, super supportive berms on "Down the Clyde".
(It would also be much easier to carry anyone injured off the hill at Cathkin than 600m up the side of a hill in Lochaber.)
What I would say is that I stopped in at Comrie Croft on the road home and that is the absolute pinnacle in the world of what can be done with a Blue trail
We were up there just a few weekends ago and I agree the blue at Comrie is really fun.
The Comrie blue is a fraction of the length of the FW trail, it's not on a completely exposed mountainside that's pretty much a peat bog from top to bottom and it won't get anywhere near the traffic that Blue Doon will get, not to mention the absolute hammering the ground will get over winter.
I saw mention of a video from McTrail Rider but I can't see anything on his youtube channel, and I know Street Pigeon had done one but it also appears to be gone from his channel. Bit of pressure from the team at FW?
Completely accept it's horses for courses and you've got work with the terrain at hand. I chip in when I can at Ae and we'd love to put an Angry Sheep in there but the reality is the ground is different; we have slop where they have rock - I totally get it and empathise.
I'd play the Bike Park Wales card over Comrie then. Willy Waver to take one example is an absolute joy with it's pops, pings and rollers etc. All on a hard packed surface that doesn't wash and fade.
I'm really hopefully that part will improve at Blue Doon over time because to be frank, it has to otherwise they've got a bit of an awkward sad duck on their hands. Not gnar enough to satisfy the enduro gang but honestly really quite dangerous for sending kids and beginners down as it stands.
I washed out a few times on loose scrabbly corners - nowt to do with the berms or lack of, I was banked in and turning and then I was on my side.
The trail's shape and contours encourages a fair amount pace but the lack of grip on the surface and support in corners punishes it.
I'm very glad I was there on Friday when the queues got as far as the ticket desks and not over the weekend because they looked mental in some of them YouTube videos.
Street Pigeon's video is there - I just watched it.
If you’ve done any sort of trail building you’ll appreciate that.
A very valid point, and a quick swatch at some of the choobers doesn't show much in the way of that either, although I'm pretty sure the pigeon fella has done a bit.
Street Pigeon’s video is there – I just watched it.
Strange. I can click through from the vid link on his facebook page and watch it, yet when I go directly to his channel on Youtube I can't see it
Bedding in the surface doesn't alter the fact that many of the more built berms are simply in the wrong place.
The most concerning part for me are the many spots where sightlines are poor and consequences for mistakes are high relative to the difficulty of the trail. One that stick in my mind is the entry to the bridge, where you see the bridge but the trail turns right over a blind crest- the natural instinctive line is to go straight for the bridge, but there is a large ditch there ready to catch you out. The perfect place for an inexperienced rider to panic and have a big off.
Once in the trees, the trail is fantastic though, I wonder if there was two separate designers? The difference is massive..
Was up yesterday, had been looking forward to it.
There had just been some rain, feedback from someone who rode it on Friday and Monday was there was a lot more grip after the rain.
They know how to build trails on that terrain so fairly certain it will improve over time. The amount braking bumps four days after opening were interesting though!
The lack of features seems a bit of a miss, some jump/drop options with chicken lines would have broken up the top part. Worst part for me (as previously mentioned) was the ditches in the run off areas with giant boulders in them. Those are gonna make a fall hurt. Also seemed to be some corners that tightened just as you'd expect them to exit (some with rocks on the line the corner sets you up for) and some S bends that neither the high line or straight line set you up right for the last one. Last negative, it will also be a long walk down on the trail if it turns out to be too much for a family expecting trail centre flowy blues.
Pleased they made it though. The picnic benches on the way down were a nice touch and there were plenty of safe passing places. Hopefully with a few tweaks (moving the boulders in the most likely crash sites!) and the track bedding in it will prove a good family option/warm up prior to Top Chief/WC trails. The lower sections were also really good, pretty much from the bridge IIRC.
One that stick in my mind is the entry to the bridge, where you see the bridge but the trail turns right over a blind crest- the natural instinctive line is to go straight for the bridge, but there is a large ditch there ready to catch you out. The perfect place for an inexperienced rider to panic and have a big off.
Yep, both runs down I got close to that ditch, there were nasty rocks in there too.
@boardinbob It was me who referred to Mctrail rider's video. I'm a subscriber to his patreon channel I probably saw it on there Maybe it'll appear on YouTube in a few days or weeks.
I don't think there will have been any any pressure from Nevis Range.
I do wonder if it basically just isn't finished but they felt that it was better to get it open as it is and build more features/berms over time than keep delaying it opening, not saying this is a good plan but you can see the logic. IIRC there have been steady improvements to top chief over the years. In terms of the surface whenever a new trail is put in or resurfaced there seems to be problems with grip which once the trail beds in become less of an issue.
I'm of the same opinion joe, you can't blame them, folk were desperate for it to open, NR same as many other businesses need money going in. As said by a few, it'll bed in, and then be improved over time.
Wasn't someone saying on another thread that there was a work party planned for October?
or did i make that up?
So in summary, people don't like flat corners? 😆
My daughter hates berms!
So in summary, people don’t like flat corners?
They'd have a meltdown in the PDS. Trail building there equates to scraping the top soil off, sticking some blue or red signs up at the start then letting folk ride. I'll never forget when the new Pleney red was "built" a few years ago. Came round a corner and found two folk in tears desperately clinging on to the side of the vertical mud chute
So in summary, people don’t like flat corners? 😆
Some don't! In reality, when riding outside of groomed stuff, you'll rarely come across a bermed corner anyway.
