Does anyone know if the Fort William Red downhill route (not the world cup one I'm too young to die)is clear of snow at the moment and if this route is doable on a hardtail? Thanks.
Don't know about the snow,but is it doable on a hard tail,answer is yes.Would want a bit of travel up front though - say 130 and above.
Read on the press release that they are covering the boardwalk in chicken wire! So it'll be harder to fall off, but when you do you'll get grated! Hope it was a misprint and they're putting down grip tape or something.
Oh you should try the main track too - perfectly doable on a hardtail as well, and much more fun than the red.
Ok thanks. I was up at the World Champs last year and most of it didn't look to hard accept maybe for some of the rooty bits. I just read on a website that the red won't be open until 'May next year' but I don't know when that was written.
Definately doable on a hardtail... Though I'll be taking the big bike next time.
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Season starts today for the red, funnilly enough. To me it's not actually a red... Quite tricky in places and fairly high consequence of failure. Screw up the rock features in places and you've got a fair drop onto, funnilly enough, big rocks. There were an awful lot of people scratching their heads when I rode it (was fun "showing the line" to a group of guys on big alpine full sussers 
) Not as hard over the rocks as mcmoab, and no mandatory air anywhere but still, harder than most blacks to me.
Unless they've made a lot of progress, the red probably still runs out before it gets to the bottom, last year it stopped suddenly where it crossed the DH at the wallride, so the sensible thing to do is to ride the DH from there on down 😉
The boardwalk is very easy because of its width, i'd not heard that they're chicken wiring it but tbh the only reason anyone should be crashing on it is if it gets slippy anyway, it's over 2 feet wide. More to get you to the good bits really.
Its a red downhill run apparently,not a red "ordinary" run.
So people say but comparing it with a DH run is even dafter tbh, it's about 6km long and traverses back and forward across the mountain face. And it does say "Bikes - better quality off road mountain bike" in the guide on their website.
Chicken wire wouldnt have stopped a mate knocking himself out at the very end of the boardwalk - as he went for air time with a gale of a cross wind.
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many seasons in 2hrs
Dont kid yourself about the main run its much harder than it looks when you do it at speed,the wee rockgardens are big but as long as you enjoy it thats what counts.Thought the red was ok to do once but you really go to use the DH track.
Thanks went up there today and had a go at the Witches trails. Really enjoyed it and looking forward to doing the red dh soon.
I'm going up on the 29th, which only gives me the Sunday to do it, as it will be closed for the world cup event.
And I shall have to hire a bike as I dont think my stumpy will handle it ! 😉
The red descent is rubbish on a DH bike (too much pedalling), a normal xc bike would be fine.
I've just booked a days 1-2-1 instruction for August on the red xc. May venture onto the DH.