Now a fatbike would be fun on there.
That's my thought.
If he had summed things up a bit better than just saying "it's shit" he might not be getting such a hard time. If you skip to the end just for a review then I think he's doing the trail builders a disservice. If he'd summed it up by saying "the bottom section is great but the top section needs to bed in and needs some work so you might want to leave it for a bit" then fair enough.
Hope fatbikes do fit in the gondola. Planning a bikepacking loop next summer with this at the end (and Laggan in the middle) and via Comrie on the way up North.
I think it’s ok to question the appropriateness of the bikes capabilities and, indeed, the riders skill level if the video is intended to be some sort of review of the trail.
Top 2% on Top Chief on Strava by the looks of it. Yeah, I know, but it's a reasonable indicator that he's not too bad with a bike..
(Seriously though, is 130mm of travel considered a minimum now?)
Who said that? Seriously though, are you assuming he only went there to ride the new blue trail?
What a weird thread this is turning out to be..
Top 2% on Top Chief on Strava by the looks of it. Yeah, I know, but it’s a reasonable indicator that he’s not too bad with a bike..
I rest my case.
I’m not in the top 2%, does that make my opinion more or less valid? Or Poah, or anyone else who has actually ridden it?
Fwiw, I agree with McTrailrider. I have ridden the trail, along with many others of all shades and colours. This is not a shining example of trail building.
I’m not in the top 2%, does that make my opinion more or less valid? Or Poah, or anyone else who has actually ridden it?
STW hive mind - I'm crap on the bike and have a youtube channel therefore my opinion is shit. once the clique have ridden it we will be able to rest easy.
does the gondola take fatbikes?
I'm guessing you've never been.
I’m not in the top 2%, does that make my opinion more or less valid?
More valid for me.
Jeez, everybody gets touchy eh. 😆 Everyones entitled to their opinions. Calm doon dears! 😆
Looks like a good climb. Before the gondola opens?
I’m not in the top 2%, does that make my opinion more or less valid? Or Poah, or anyone else who has actually ridden it?
I think scotroutes point is that a fast, experienced rider on FS is not really the target audience of a blue route...
I think scotroutes point is that a fast, experienced rider on FS is not really the target audience of a blue route…
Maybe not, but that doesn't stop them being able to judge the merits or otherwise of a trail. Nobody is trying to argue that its not hard enough.
I had a look on the NR Facebook page. Interestingly it seemed to me that there were more positive comments than negative. Maybe newbies are better equipped to enjoy it than Strava warriors or social media influencers.
Anyone who's been to the Alps should know that green and blue trails can be of an appropriate difficulty for less experienced/skilled riders and fun for better/quicker riders. Really what I was hoping for with this but really doesn't sound like that's happened and it's a miss opportunity of it hasn't.
richardthird
Full MemberHope fatbikes do fit in the gondola.
The gondolas have rings that the saddle drops into, so you can hang fatbikes on the back like anything else. (irony- the only bikes that are really hard to hang off the gondolas, are dh bikes with really slammed saddles, the way mine's set up it'll only fit into about 2/3ds of the rings.)
poah
Free MemberSorry but I’m not going to discuss such a asinine comment.
Yeah, you're going to post daft memes, refuse to engage at all, and then accuse me of being asinine, nice one.
who are the social media influencers?
Yeah, you’re going to post daft memes, refuse to engage at all, and then accuse me of being asinine, nice one.
you posted asinine nonsense which I replied in kind.
who are the social media influencers?
The people with thousands of subscribers on YouTube, sponsors and Patreon members. I like Mctrail Riders videos but I think he rushed to ride that for the video views and he should have stopped and had a wee think before he called it shit. That's not constructive criticism and if he's going to criticise the trail builders he should take a more considered approach.
the clique
😂😂😂
From the guy so desperate to be part of the scene he refers to McTrailRider as Andrew just so we all know he knows him personally
@scotroutes the gondola will take any bike that has a normal seat and long enough seat post , so yes it will take a fatbike. The nose of the seat sticks into the the catch and thats what it is carried by. Loads od wee kids bikes having to have there seat pulled out a bit on saturday to get their bikes on.
I think there are at least 5 videos up of 'Blue doon' from various youtubers. Its a bit daft to state that someone shouldn't be riding or critisizing a trail as they are not the demographic. I think Mctrail rider does actually state the time constraints and only 2 people built the trail . I've ridden it and as I posted earlier wasn't a fan but I dont blame NR for openong and trying to make some money in their final month or so. It does need a lot of work and it will be better by next season , Its a very long pedally green with some very dodgy corners . What it does point out is that the Nevis range does need a red to sit in between the blue and top cheif as they are a world apart .
Also was thinking today It would make an excellent climb to do a winter WC or top cheif run but im guessing thats not the wisest idea. Maybe the Lecht and Glenshee will up their game and make some decent Gondola assisted trails . Before anyone points out I know they have half arsed trails.
From the guy so desperate to be part of the scene he refers to McTrailRider as Andrew just so we all know he knows him personally
what scene? and why would I not refer to someone by their name?
The people with thousands of subscribers on YouTube, sponsors and Patreon members. I like Mctrail Riders videos but I think he rushed to ride that for the video views and he should have stopped and had a wee think before he called it shit. That’s not constructive criticism and if he’s going to criticise the trail builders he should take a more considered approach.
its a youtube video. Get over being so offended by it.
Is there an Ignore function on here?
@poah , you need to chill bud. Seems you go off the deep end at the slightest thing .
I'm not offended by it I just think he forgot about rule #1.
Hopefully nobody gets caught out by this but it is SOLD OUT this weekend, they've got restricted numbers due to the DH champs/SDA and all the non-race passes are gone.
Anyway, back to STW nonsense.
poah
Free Memberyou posted asinine nonsense which I replied in kind.
I posted a bloody simple and obvious fact based on experience. Honestly, you can't really disagree with it can you? There's no one type of bike that's ideal for all the trails at nevis, so if you want to ride the full range of stuff, it's smart to take 2 bikes if you can. Always has been, even more so now. Like, literally once I could only take 1 bike due to space, and I spent the whole weekend wishing I'd been able to make the choice.
I honestly don't know what point you're even trying to make given that you admit you're posting nonsense, but I've not said anything that's even slightly controversial or really open to misinterpretation.
It does look a bit shit though. And as a parent of a child that would be target market it doesn't look like a good option to take him to, the course doesn't have the tables, rollers or minor steps that he can use to develop on. It has a big ditch full of spiky rocks and there appear to be poor sight lines and lines that feed you into it or off the far edge.
A good blue is fun to ride for anyone and that comes from good trail design, take the blues at Glentress, NyA or BPW. They have tables that beginners can roll, intermediates can learn on and good riders can fly, the speed is regulated by the trail but can also be generated from it and there is good flow.
Yup, getting back to the actual point:
GavinB, I rode it with a view to take my kids and/or teenage nephews. The prospect of them panicking and running off or falling trail into large piles of rocks was a big worry. More than once I spotted places where sight lines are poor even at low speeds.
I would not take inexperienced riders down it, it’s still a high mountain environment and a long long way to get them to safety if the worst happens.
It has a big ditch full of spiky rocks and there appear to be poor sight lines and lines that feed you into it or off the far edge.
My daughter is more than capable of riding a blue, as is my wife. Would I **** take either of them down that as is.
Have flat corners by all means but the run offs shouldn't be full of boulders. Sight lines are another issue that seem to come up regularly. If this was another kids vs council thread folk would be quite rightly saying that's dangerous and needs sorting before anyone gets hurt.
Maybe the reason so many true blue riders rate it is from a position of ignorance? Experience is one of those things you only get after you really need it.
I like Mctrail Riders videos but I think he rushed to ride that for the video views
Well of course he did. What's wrong with that? He's one of the most viewed and respected MTB choobers commenting on the most exciting development in UK uplift in years. MTB choober in MTB choobing shocker!
and he should have stopped and had a wee think before he called it shit.
He clearly did think. He was obviously greatly conflicted about what to actually say, and I think he did it extremely well.
That’s not constructive criticism and if he’s going to criticise the trail builders he should take a more considered approach
Rubbish. It was constructive. He mentioned Limited workforce, he mentioned tight timescales, he mentioned the great bit at the bottom, he mentioned that it'll probably bed in and get better , he mentioned that it'll get tweaked.
Would you prefer it if he just did a standard gushing "it's awesome " response?
Why, what's the point?
There's no point in doing reviews if everything gets a 9 or a 10.
Would you prefer it if he just did a standard gushing “it’s awesome ” response?
Why, what’s the point?
There’s no point in doing reviews if everything gets a 9 or a 10.
Compare and contrast with the thread on why is all MTB journalism rubbish. Here you have someone (admittedly non-journo) giving a genuine view which is fairly heavily caveated and they get pilloried for it.
A lot of people really like McTraileRider here
I’d just like to say that the fact that he called it “shit” is a major reason I like McTrailrider. I don’t feel he said it lightly. If he really felt it was worthy of that accolade, that says a lot to me.
But I’d hate for someone to think it’s fairly rubbish but tell us all it “fine”.
I took my boys (10 & 8) this Saturday just gone. They loved it. I think it is good (not ideal, or perfect, but good nevertheless) for younger and less experienced riders. I didn't see anyone who ticked these boxes not enjoying themselves. My lads managed 4 runs, probably enjoying Blue Steel and Wild Goat more, but they liked the top section too.
Yes, there are quite a few rocks lying around, but this is 600m up on a mountainside. There are lots of rocks. There were also lots of rocks at Laggan on Sunday. There are couple of magnetic ditches too, but this will be addressed as the trail beds in and the line(s) of choice become apparent.
I rode the Black as fast as I could followed by the Blue fast as I could. I survived the Black and almost drifted off the trail a couple of times on the Blue, but this was rider error as much as trail design.
Overall the style of trail is not my cup-of-tea. I prefer more singletracky trails, but I would have been more bored if had been the formulaic berm-berm-tabletop-berm type of trail.
I think the arrival of the Blue is a good thing. There are opportunities to add variants in a few places to add challenge and variety, whilst maintaining an accessible core trail. Now they just need a handful of Reds, and a couple more Blues and Blacks, interlinking in a way that gives variety and progression whilst allowing for closure of sections for maintenance. cf. Whistler...
Rode top chief at the weekend (been 12 years since I rode it and forgot just how good it was) and a mate and his wife did the blue. They both said it was fine but needs finishing. Aslo a few too many hero's flying down it with not enough regard for others.
The lecture at the window about folk being airlifted off set i think a bad tone and maybe got some people anxious about the trail anyway even more nervous. I did however see a massively wide range of bikes getting the gondola up, all the ususal monsters but lots of hardtails and xc looking bikes and a lot of folk looked far more on the beginner stage of the scale. This is great and brill to see so many folk enjoying it.
Have to say Nevis was mobbed, busiest I have ever seen it bar bluebird snow days.
Hopefully they now realise the massive market here, build a red and link in more of the excellent trails at the bottom of the trail and also a dedicated green my toddlers can ride, which would be very welcome.
The 34 quid to ride up a couple of times is not cheap, but if you do 5 runs over the course of the day it works out not too bad.
this thread makes me laugh
Its claimed on it that its too easy and too dangerous !
Its claimed on it that it's too easy and too dangerous !
And your point is what?
That if some think its too easy and some think it too dangerous then its probably about right
Really enjoyed it when I rode it a couple of weeks back; there is a few sections which could be improved, but for the most part, it's a bloody good 1st draft; and not nearly as shit as some folk whose livelihood depends on people going on youtube looking to be inspired to ride non uplifted trails in the wilderness might have you believe.
As a trailbuilder myself, I'm aware of time and budget constraints which mean you rarely achieve exactly what you want and looking at the scale of what they've built, I consider it an impressive achievement; if you're a timid rider, just finding their feet, you shouldn't go too far wrong; big rocks are often used as a visual aid (or 'choke') as the primal fear they instill is generally pretty handy for slowing riders down to a safer pace... at the other end of the scale, if you're giving it beans, you can get some real schweet hooligan drifts in some of the turns just after the pedally bit (although I ended up riding chainless most of the day when I was there).
I can see why people might prefer a singletrack trail, but it's probably worth doing a bit of deduction and reading between the lines here; let's not forget, the Macavalanche, a mass start race involving a lot of overtaking has recently moved venue from Glencoe to Nevis range...
tjagain
Full MemberIts claimed on it that its too easy and too dangerous !
Those aren't 2 points on a scale. Take it to extremes, an easy trail on a clifftop is dangerous, the exact same trail in a field is safer.
Haven't ridden it yet- will be up in 2 days so these are more general observations. Lots of stuff can make a trail more dangerous- death spikes on trees, rocks in fall zones, bad sightlines, things that trick the brain into going in the wrong direction, etc etc. And from the videos there does look to be a few places where people are pretty likely to crash sooner or later, that have hazards in. Big Rock In Ditch. Obviously you shouldn't be in the ditch, but sooner or later someone will be and when they do, there shouldn't be a big rock in it.
That if some think its too easy and some think it too dangerous then its probably about right
Difficulty ( or lack of easiness) and danger are not the same thing. Something can be easy but dangerous.
Basically what northwind said.
What Northwood said, absolutely.
I found it fun but not stellar. There are a couple of places where the "sight lines" (if i understand that term) are poor to the point of "major pisser" if you are travelling at speed and you get things wrong.
The surface "needs" to bed in and braking bumps are developing - ATM it would be fun on a H/T but I could envision the braking bumps getting to a point they buck off the novice/unprepared.
Mrs Baron reckoned it was a "blue DH" grade, implying it isn't a blue as per a trail centre - the opportunity for a ride in a red and white flying ambulance is greater - some folks might think blue=blue.
I thought the signage could be improved - you seem to have to go back up a bit to join or start one of the other blue tracks (the trail doesn't go all the way to the car park in a single trail).
Edge case: Mrs Baron suffers from Mr Baron some form of motion sickness - she only managed one run before she felt as sick as a dog. This has occurred once before on a push-iron; on the new Cannock Chase blue.
It’s gondola fed, and drops around 500m in height. Do you want a great big sign telling you it’s a DH?.
We’ve argued gradings to death over the years, I’m not gonna keep that you going, if you don’t like it, fair enough, of it’s too much, don’t go, I’m just happy we have more options.
It's not as DH as you might think, and it's absolutely not what most people would consider a DH track. Sure it descends, but so does Berm Baby Berm. There's even pedally points, you definitely don't want a DH bike for it.
But it's also a rubbish trail and feels completely unfinished, so it's unsafe for totally different reasons.
Why do places like the french pyranees have such great blue trails by comparison. Is it simply more tourist traffic so more viable? Or are highlands too rocky. Or what?
My take after 4 runs down...
It's got a couple of borderline dangerous corners if you're at speed.
It's got a few 'what is going on?' corners with berms in wrong place or a series of corners with berms followed by one without.
It gets more fun the lower you go, and after a couple of runs.
The repairs are going to be an ongoing challenge for them.
Amazing to see such a variety of people out riding bikes 😎
I still prefer Top Chief above the woods and Happy Ending (an amazing trail).
And to add:
It's a damn expensive family day out.
I'm not sure I will rush back, there is other riding I enjoy.
McTrail riders summary is right in my view
