Going for the day next month - what fun might a middle-aged hardtail rider find?
Your HT will be lighter and hence slightly easier to push up...
XC or DH? Very rooty in places,slippy in the wet, fast and loose in the dry. The heavy rain this year has made all the rooty steps a fair bit bigger!
Its great fun on the hardtail, try and go when it's dry. I raced root canal last year it was really good! [url= https://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/524942 ]Pic[/url]
I recall the XC loop as quite punishing on the legs and lungs if you go at it. I think I rode it the first couple of times I went to AH but after that just did the DH
Its mainly a DH place, expect to see lots of full DH bikes and full face helmets. There is a XC route which uses the red DH route as its descent.
I haven't ridden the XC in a while but the climb was a little uninspiring. Just a steep hard climb with switch backs back up to the top. But the descent is good fun and fine on a hardtail. I've seen many short travel, racey hardtails making their way down the XC route so it should be OK what ever type of bike you have.
There has been a lot of work going into the trails at Aston Hill recently so there could be improvements to the XC route that I have not ridden yet.
The DH runs are good fun until last year I used to hit most the runs on a long travel hardtail and used to have loads of fun. Now have a mid travel full sus bike which is a bit easier on the body when going over the roots .. 🙂
I really like the XC loop but would hate to ride it on a HT. The roots and steps are pretty jarring even on a short travel FS (admittedly after multiple laps). I've not yet ridden it in the wet but think it could be very scary. Humungous root sections and some very slippy and very steep chalk switchbacks plus high speeds very close to trees.
Judging by the dearth of Strava times the XC loop is either not very popular, ridden by non strava types or I'm better than I think I am. I suspect the first of these.
I am a local Chilterns rider and member of Aston Hill. I only have xc type bikes and tend to go to Aston Hill to session stuff and do some of the down hills etc, I wouldn't go just to do the full xc route. Its hard work, and after the main down hill, not a lot of fun to get back up! For xc, the local natural riding on offer is much much better imo (and more popular).
However, if you don't know the area, Aston Hill is a good place to start. I don't see a hard tail being that much of a bar to having fun. Personally, I would try and go when its dry, some of the downhills can be very greasy when wet but it gets ridden in all weather and drains well.
plenty there to keep you amused for a day, bombholes, 4x, pumptrack, xc, top section of DH3 is fine too. I doubt you will choose to ride up the xc more than once but the push up the footpath isnt too far. The DH is steep/rooty and S2A is a huge motorway jump/drop fest.
i dont take the HT there. if its wet, you will spend a lot of time on your arse.
Black Run race next Sunday.
I live 5 minutes away. If you are going in the wet then pick your tyres very carefully. I had to 'abort' after mine clogged and turned to 2.4 inch slicks the first time I went. Very scary on the wet roots and chalk!
The XC is actually ok, a challenging ride back up though. Good for training purposes but I'd be disappointed if I'd travelled. My local loop starts next door at Wendover Woods and goes on to Coombe Hill and Whiteleaf Woods. Much better than Aston (unless you are a DHer and are happy to push up) and there are lots of fun trails, especially if you mistake the footpath signs for bridleway signs (as I have sometimes accidentally found myself doing) 😉
As I mentioned on Monday, I raced there once in my youth, crashed, cracked a couple of ribs. I'm sure you'll be fine 🙂
Tizzzzle...
I'm only twenty mins away.. Have you got any gpx files for your local route please?
Seen a few vids on YouTube of coombe hill etc but not sure of the routes..
Getting a bit bored of my local routes in ashridge.
[i]Tizzzzle...
I'm only twenty mins away.. Have you got any gpx files for your local route please?
Seen a few vids on YouTube of coombe hill etc but not sure of the routes..
Getting a bit bored of my local routes in ashridge. [/i]
Mate. Just buy an OS 1:25000 map and get exploring. Routes aren't hard to find and tbh one of our short night loops included both Ashridge and Coombe Hill.