Other than doing the above could anyone suggest good combinations on the downhill trails, there seems to be trails every where some harder than others, my limited experience so far - enjoyed Gold run, but Cresta was a tad nerve racking and a little to gnarly, downhillers may well be fat and lazy but they certainly seem to be blessed with good skills, perhaps i should have listened to the kind fellow who said he struggled on Cresta with ten inches of travel! oh and Make or Brake is totaly aaawesome.
So to recap any pointers on any trails not signed or combinations of the signed trails, cheers.
PS. sorry to disapoint will not be riding a rigid singlespeed or Hardtail.
try Glentress, it has loads more signs and easier trails. 😛
to be fair, if you're struggling with the signed DH tracks you'd only struggle more with the numerous un signed race links and old race tracks. just keep going and ask other riders you meet. or just try any new trail you see, they (nearly) all end up down at the finish arena/car park, sorry I mean trail head 🙄
Mmm, I reckon Gold Run's harder than Cresta myself, suppose it depends on your own skillset. I can give you the knobber's perspective... If you can get someone to show you Deerhunter, it's pretty lovely and just at a nice interesting level. It's not signposted but it's easy to find and follow.
No substitute for local knowledge though, I'm starting to get a better handle on it from race runs and endless pushups but I still don't know the hill anything like as well as I'd like to, there's treasure everywhere! Just keep your eyes open, really, by and large if it looks like a trail, it's a trail. Some of the older ones might take you somewhere daft though.
Oh and though you don't need a big bike I reckon big tyres are worthwhile, probably better protection than body armour 😉
Oh i didn't say i'm riding an Enduro, the thing about Cresta was it was a tad slippy and greasy where as Gold run was dry in the main, i think i will give cresta another go in summer.
Northwind could you give me a rough location for deerhunter, i think i have my bearings now, it sounds like just the sort of stuff i'm looking for, no monster jumps such as the Matador.
GW i don't ride trailcentres often, i'm just trying to push myself technicaly, it's a bit of an eye opener to be honest, the sort of stuff you ride in the mountainst you think is the living end, would be a breeze on a downhill bike, have you seen the clip of a guy ploughing down the Ranger track on Snowdon like it wasn't even there.
Sorry but I'm hopeless at directions 😳 Usually some says "Lets go down Deerhunter" and I say "Ok, cool", and at no point do I have any idea where I am 
It has entrances off the main fireroads and stands out from the wee race links etc as it looks very similiar to the waymarked trails, lots of traffic and solidly built.
cool i will just ask, getting hooked.
I have no idea what any of what you said meant 😳
Deerhunter drops off trhe first fire road and the start is the first obvious grassy fade/chute just up the fire road from make or brake (end)/Caddonbank(start). or if coming from the "official" push up, it's the last chute before the felled area above Caddonbank
HTH
a wee history lesson..
Deerhunter was originally part of "the Technical nightmare" a race track from back in the late '90s that's now gone due to felling (crossed where magic carpet/pushup is now) and the Deerhunter section is meant to trtaverse the hill with a shallow gradient all the way along to the open section above the jumps near the end of Matador, from there it went straight down and crossed where Matador is now. There are many race links peeling off Deerhunter now so you can end up on numerous tracks to the finish.
TBH so many tracks at innerleithen have been built to link with other tracks to make races interesting it'll take you along time to ride them all (and that's ignoring the "official" closing down of some of the better old sections)
Yeah i'm just talking pish, thanks for those directions, i have just found this, looking forward to next time.
Just out of curiosity how big is that top jump on the Matador? the one in vid not the 8ft one.
The 8ft one isn't even 8ft
Deerhunter is ace. One of my fav bits at Innerleithen.
Ok Legend how big, even bigger i would wager with the transition, you have ridden it on a hardtail and are to modest to tell, i have been waiting for my granny rode it back in the day comments.
legend - Member
"The 8ft one isn't even 8ft"
Depends how far you travel 😉
Anyone fancy giving me the tour some time, mid week, no one i know really rides there. But it i would be mincing down on an Enduro, not proper downhilling.
Depends how far you travel
touche 😉
Fergal, pretty sure it about 6ft if you hopped off it like a trials rider. Good run in and out though which keeps it fairly simple.
But no, sadly I haven't got the huck on with my hardtail
Fergal, might be able to organise something... I've stupidly entered round 3 in the hardtails class, so I suppose I should get some practice in. (I'll be last, I'm reasonably sure, but I want to be last with some [i]pride[/i] dammit.)
I'm not your ideal guide to be fair but I reckon I can rise to the dizzying heights of "better than nothing".
Fergal - that drop looks bigger than it is from the front...used to ride it often on 125mm travel no probs (2002 Patriot)...same as anything else..commit and you'll cruise it..njoy
If u guys are planning the Deerhunrer for midweek would love to rag along but on my full suss
Why are they wearing full face helmets and body armour? that looks like a cross country course where Im from? 🙂
Deerhunter start is identifiable because it has a board at the top that's blank (Wheres the other say Cresta middle etc)
Be careful though as there are 2 blank boards - one is a push up / xc up.
Hmm, OK... Turns out I need a longer brake hose for the hardtail so that might take a wee bit longer but definately up for a spot of pushing up and trundling down at some point
It seems i'm not as shit as i thought, it turns out the track i did thinking it was Cresta was one of hardest on the hill, nice to know i don't have to sell the bike now.
Northwind we should try to arrange something when the weather settles down again, i will email you nearer the time.