Descend Bike Park on a hardtail?

What are the trails like at Descend bike park?

I’m going to be on holiday in the area and am thinking of taking my hardtail (140mm Ragley Marley) for an uplift day.

Will I die?

I did Antur and BPW (consecutive days) on a hardtail. A friend did Dyfi on his. It’s just more tiring and a bit slower!

It will be rideable just not so comfy and you will receive all the feedback from your mistakes.

You just get beaten up more

Big fan of BPW on a burly hardtail up to the reds. I imagine similar at Descend.

I absolutely love to stay with or overtake bigger FS bikes, which I know is wrong and sad.

I do the same on track days with faster cars. But not on my push bike.

There’s a loads of trails in Hamsterley forest as well as Descend Bike park, just don’t do the red trail centre as the loop is marked out. K line, Transmission trails etc are worth riding, especially on a hardtail and there’s loads of off piste stuff,  some easy to find and some you would never find without a guide, I’m local to Hamsterley and haven’t ridden at Descend for years

Agree with the above about the red route. I go with my son three or four times a month and ride the reds and blacks on my hardtail. All the sections down from Polty’s Last Blast and Section 13 are a blast. Most of the blacks are good too (Pikes Teeth being a particular favourite).

My son is keen to ride Descend and I’ve asked myself the same question as the OP, but if it comes to it I’ll either hire a full suspension from the Bird place near the main Hamsterley car park, or hire one from Descend themselves (which I think is also an option).

I used to ride it all on a Charge Blender circa 2008-2010.

Everything is rideable on everything but given the choice I’d politely decline to do it now.

Used to shuttle in Finale on my old DB Alpine and got on fine.

Same in many of the bike parks. Survived.

Mates still ride their hardtails hard, but they live in the flatlands of Berlin.

So, I’m fortunate to have the choice of taking my 140mm hardtail or my 160/150 Stumpjumper Evo. The full sus would be perfect for the uplift, but I’d be overbiked everywhere else, or the hardtail would be good everywhere else, but underbiked for the uplift.

First world problems I know.

I don’t think you’ll feel overbiked at Hamsterley with the Stumpjumper Evo. Plenty of people riding there with Bird AM9s (150/150 or 160/150).

Even for the trail centre and bridleway type stuff round there?

Yes for the all the reds and blacks. 150/150 bike feels more than is required, but doesn’t make it boring. 140/130 bike feels more suitable, for me anyway.

There’s tweaks you could easily make if you feel it necessary – flip chips and whatever else few things the Evo has, suspension setup. If you’ve heavy tyres on could take some lighter ones.

I’ve not ridden Descend but watched people on it and videos. You might feel a bit overbiked sometimes on the trail centre and moors on the FS, but I think you’d very likely feel more underbiked at Descend on the hardtail.

The bridleway type stuff, I appreciate a FS bike when hitting it at speed (video is not me).

Often the family and I are the only hardtails at Hamsterley. I’ve not ridden an FS there so can’t advise on which would be best but my Crush and I have fun.

I regularly ride an alpine 6 or a Whyte e-180 around Hamsterley, you won’t be overbiked at all.

Descend is fun,& you’ll be fine on a Ht should you wish to take it.  Just beware there is some BIG stuff in there.

The full sus would be perfect for the uplift, but I’d be overbiked everywhere else, or the hardtail would be good everywhere else, but underbiked for the uplift.

So this isn’t just a repetitive forum theme, people actually think like this in real life?

Just take a bike and ride it.

@sharkattack yes I do think like that.

Being overbiked takes the fun out of things for me, as it turns rides into XC marathons.

Local to Hammers myself.

Plenty of fun to be had without doing Descend.

It is, without doubt, a long drag from the main parking area to the top of the Poultys, K‐Line, Transmission section, but worth it.

I’ve not been to descend but looking at videos it has some similarities to Dyfi which I have been to. I’d take the Stumpie Evo – it’ll make the uplift day more fun / beat you up a bit less (although if you go at it hard all day I’d wager you’ll still feel a bit broken by the end).

Stumpie Evo is meant to be similar to my Transition Sentinel – I enjoy riding that most places tbh – I do have a hardtail but I mostly use that for the very easy trail centre laps nearby and during lockdown I used it for some xc bimbles. Wouldn’t take it to Hamsterly.

To add I have ridden my hardtail round the Cafell and Twrch trails at Cwmcarn with the Pedalhounds descent thrown in. It’s quite capable with a 140mm pike and 65 degree headangle etc. it’s a steel frame with 2.6” tyres so quite forgiving – but I think I cracked a bone in my foot that day or some other damage. I had foot pain for about a year afterwards before it gradually faded. I think the problem was I was attempting to hit everything at the same speed on the hardtail as I do on the full suss.

If you do go to descend, just a heads up that it is cash only (they are cash is king, COVID is fake gammon type folk). But the burgers are ace!

Descend is full face helmet only if op wasn’t aware