[Closed] Forest of Dean-

Its a Capra, so you can pedal it up hills fine 🙂

Anyway, from the trail centre you can ride up to the top of all the downhill runs. The height is not much.

Or just do the Red and Blue trails at the centre. Off piste stuff there is epic, but you will probably get lost if anyone try's to describe where it is. Sort of left at the tree types of explanations.

Forest of Dean? 😆

Sorry, meant to say Forest of Dean in my post.

(it was in my head, but not in the post)

The FOD short red is good- very compact and lots packed in. The extended red, as far as I recall, adds about an hour of climbing and no descending, i don't know how.

I'd push/ride up and do FOD dh stuff tbh. The bottom of the hill is pretty nasty but the rest is just a spin up a fireroad. Slightly steeper than I might like but not really hard.

If you have a garmin with you, you could download some GPX files from Strava. The Red and blue are pretty boring especially on such a big bike. Much better if you can get to some of the off piste stuff. Blue descent is pretty good fun, but not really worth the rest of the trail.. That said its my local so I have perhaps flogged the marked trails to boredom over the years. If i wanted a quick fix without the hassle of getting lost I would do as others have said and pedal up the push up and smash some downhill runs in.

Thanks all. I arrived much later than I planned. On the pedals up the Blue. And came down what I thought was a XC red.Sheepskull and something else To many roots for me. Still getting used to being clipped in and came off few time stil connected.

Loved the bit just up from the car park with all the jumps. Managed To get air clipped in only to then fall over at the bottom trying to unclip.

Will be going back as it didn't take long back to Reading, but I'll not being doing the root runs without knee, elbow pads and full face helmet again. Or maybe put the flat pedals back on.

Not convinced by the mountain goat attributes of the Capra. I have Bos suspension front and rear, My old 2010 Alpine 160 with small wheels and a CB air and Fox 36s felt like it could climb most hills.

Are you new to the Capra? How bad was it climbing? I've been told there aren't any big hills at FOD.

My first time going there will be this Saturday. Sheepskull is one of the DH runs I believe. Hoping it's dry or I'm going to have a mare with roots.

Joe . If you want to email me i will give you the lowdown on the Forest of Dean, the trail centre is really not that big ( email in profile )

Hi, I have had the Capra a few months but work and family have taken over my weekends so only had a few outings on it.

The climbing was easy enough just didn't seem as effortless as the Alpine. I guess I convinced myself I needed a modern bike with big wheels and am now disappointed. But it must be me, all the positive reviews can't be wrong. Maybe I just need to get out more on it.

If Sheepskull is DH run I feel better about my riding ability

Sheepskull's definitely part of the DH. It's not a hard one, to be fair, but it's not on the red route.

russyh - Member
If you have a garmin with you, you could download some GPX files from Strava. The Red and blue are pretty boring especially on such a big bike. Much better if you can get to some of the off piste stuff. Blue descent is pretty good fun, but not really worth the rest of the trail.. That said its my local so I have perhaps flogged the marked trails to boredom over the years. If i wanted a quick fix without the hassle of getting lost I would do as others have said and pedal up the push up and smash some downhill runs in.

I have a garmin 520- can I use that?

Sheepskull's definitely part of the DH. It's not a hard one, to be fair, but it's not on the red route.

Probably didn't help with my unclipping skills, when I tried to ride unclipped I kept clipping back in and am useless at quickly unclipping

It won't be dry this weekend. It was biblical rain this afternoon.

The amount of erosion over the winter has washed the top dressing off the Verderers, which in turn has left holes everywhere, which have today filled with lots of muddy water.

One berm about halfway round has washed a drainage gap out about 2ft wide in the wall. It was either hop the gap or ride through the 1ft deep puddle full of rocks.

Today's ride was generally shit.

Alex
Not sure on the 520 mate to be fair, I am happy to show you some off piste stuff next time you are over in the forest. Emails in my profile

Russ

Not sounding good with all the rain. Showing t should be fairly dry on Friday and Saturday but rainy tomorrow and Thursday. Here's hoping it dries out a bit at least x fingers!

I wouldn't be fannying around with the blue or red on a capra. The dh runs are brilliant and not overly taxing.
Oh and put the flats back on, no need for them silly clippy pedals!

Try fiddling with your suspension settings. Its not a XC bike, but in my experience it climbs better than most bikes in its class.

That's one of the reasons I bought it. Compared to my Scott XC bike, it climbs as well.

Was there yesterday on my Trance, the start of Sheepskull at the moment is nasty as you said, the roots are horrendous, genuinely technical DH stuff despite the small hill it's on.

The jump line (launch pad?) was epic yesterday in the dry, corkscrew was good but the best stuff is after the access road halfway down.
It's where GBU and the other 'three dot' runs start, properly steep heart in mouth drop in chutes etc, off camber root sections and multiple 12-18 inch drops to catch you out if you're not concentrating all the way down.

I love the place, uplift is fast and always waiting at the bottom, the cafe and Wi-Fi is good, the kit shop excellent (picked up a 2.5 650b Hillbilly for £35 despite only ever seeing them online for £50)....personally I think it's far more challenging than BPW, only Antur compares but if you're coming from the South Antur is a pain in the arse, from Reading FoD is ideal and your Capra is perfect, just switch to flats for next time!

russyh - Member
Alex
Not sure on the 520 mate to be fair, I am happy to show you some off piste stuff next time you are over in the forest. Emails in my profile

Russ

I have saved your email address. Thanks

I will be re installing the vaults next time, and as I bruise easier than an apple Ill be wearing more than shorts and a tshirt 🙁

The Forest of Dean is not that big!!!!!!!!!!you must be riding in a different one to me.

last section of the verderers trail is great if hit flat out. not hard at all but great fun