I am hoping to ride Heartbreak Ridge in March (subject to weather) and was wondering which bike to take. I have a Santa Cruz with 130mm up front and 120mm shock or a Yeti with 160mm up front and 140mm shock.
i will also be riding Glentress and routes up above Peebles (Gypsy Glen etc)
Which bike would you recommend?
Thanks
Best hope it stops raining. The area got 60% of its annual rainfall in January alone so far this year. I'm 60m ASL ontop of a granite cap about 30 miles from there and the water table seems to be above the ground level in my garden and surrounding fields.....
For max smiles id take the yeti.
But me being me id probably take the Santa Cruz so the climbs are bearable.
140mm yeti. Better yet, get an ebike from Cycle Highlands to make the Heartbreak Ridge less boring.
Did on my RocketMAX (160). Brilliant on the descent, a slog on the climb. nothing too lumpy on the way down so I reckon a shorter travel bike would be a better all-round bet.
I was going to do HBR on my 140mm hardtail last year before the weather took a turn.
The Yeti might be better for Glentress though.
Most fun I've had on HBR was on my Stage 4 - 120/110 - and it felt great popping off everything on the way down. I suspect short travel would be better Gypsy Glen and the likes.
There's plenty around Ballater / Aboyne that would be better on the bigger bike but you'll plenty of fun on the short travel.
You'll have fun either way!
The climb isn't particularly difficult (unless you go straight up the hill which is very steep), kind of similar to the length and difficulty as to the top of the Golfie. I've only ridden it on a 150mm forked hardtail, and it's a hoot, if a bit pedalling in sections.
Mastermind on the other side of the valley is way steeper and definitely worth a visit. The climb up is quite steep but on fire roads so not that bad.
Deeside is my favourite area for mountain biking, so much choice, from groomed jump trails at Tarland to big mountain natural rides in the Cairngorms and plenty in between.
I rode thr Deeside Trail last year over two days and loved it, and will be riding again at some point .
https://bikepacking.com/routes/deeside-trail/
Oh,.and try to try out the Ballater Station Cafe, it's very nice, and the bike shop in Ballater is also worth a visit.
I had to buy a saddle in 2024 when my snapped at Tarland on landing a jump.
I did it on a 140mm hardtail, which seemed about perfect. I think you'd be overbiked on the bigger bike.