I did a downhill a few week ago in the peak district, some of the locals there call it the beast! Very steep and extremely rocky! It certainly made me feel a bit on edge and it certainly lives up to the name! 😯 don’t try it if riding alone.

Ton, not sure how serious you OP is, but what are you real expectations of a new bike? Your OP seems to suggest that the bike is only a small part of your feeling out of depth but a large part of the solution. (edit, genuine question and hope this doesn’t sound rude in any way)

mate, my post was meant in fun…..the place was fantastic.
it was mega steep, it was mega rooty and slippy.
but after 30yrs of riding offroad, i know when enough is enough…and nowadays this is usualy before i hurt myself.
i am getting the new bike for skill compensation and a bit of comfort.
regardless of what any of the experts on here (GW 😉 ) say, riding downhill on a 100mm forked hardail is not very much fun….even (i find) on a smooth trail.
and we do it for fun dont we?

regularly.

actually last time i went to glentress i fell off in the car park before i’d even started on the trails 😀

I agree ton, for most of what i ride i don’t really need a fs but i find i have more fun on mine than i do on my hardtail so more often than not its the bike i pick. Doesn’t really “flatten the trails” as some people say it just gives me more confidence to ride faster and do bigger stuff 🙂 that being said its good to go out on the ht or bmx regularly to make sure i don’t get too sloppy!

Ton, I thought that was probably the case. Indeed we seem to share things in common. I ride an old100m Trek HT everywhere and have found that working on technique has overcome most of the shortcomings (if any) on the bike. Still doesn’t stop us dreaming, or in your case, acting on those dreams. Enjoy the new bike!

And you may be a new trend setter. Seems that people are actually going back the other way ie, less travel, bigger wheels (?) so you are the retro-ton. Good for you! Ride safely !!!

RBut that may because my experience and skill level on skis is considerable higher.
This ^^

A little 100mm ht is loads of fun on steep wet rooty DH tracks in the same way short skis might be fun on super steep technical ski runs if you can ride em well enough

Horse pooh, I once having decided it was big and clever took a Santa Cruz Chameleon to Morzine.

I reckon riding it down the Pleney left me me brain damaged.

Hey Tony – you want to practise steep & rooty, try Wharncliffe, it’s a lot closer than Wales 😉

You probably know that already – but if you fancy joining a few of us I’ll be there on Saturday morning.

More to the point, has anyone not?!

I think downhills can be easily as physically demanding as uphills but I also think that in the vast majority of cases it’s a personal decision as to how hard you make yourself work. There does come a point though when an excess of steepness plus a shortage of grip forces a high minimum speed and then the terrain demands you work seriously hard to stay on the bike.

Broon Trout at GT had me well out of my depth. I’ll mince down most stuff slowly but I reckon I was off the bike and walking 95% of that trail.

I did a downhill a few week ago in the peak district, some of the locals there call it the beast!

Some of us refer to it as “The Fluffy Kitten” on account of it being nowhere near as bad as it used to be or MBR make it out to be.

If you enjoyed it, try Cavedale, steeper, rockier and without the MBR chicken line round the outside.

Felt slightly out of my depth on a 100mm HT in the Alps last year, but this was only because I’d tried keeping up with the front runners.

Although it did feel pretty awesome when we got to the bottom and the full sussers were shocked I was right behind them all the way.. Bloody scary at times tho!

Hopefully I’ll get a full susser in time for this years trip in 7 weeks. 😯

No doubt I will feel out of my depth again, going even faster, making it feel even more scary!

What’s the Pleney main line got to do with steep and rooty?, it’s so badly maintained it’s shit on any bike. Plenty other nice steep fun technical descents to ping a hardtail down the same mountain.

+1 on the cavedale descent, seems most rides up in the area end with us doing that as the last part!
I like to go last to watch the fun in front of me, one mate fell off and the follower was that close he ended up riding straight over him, still laugh at that one….

thisisnotaspoon – Member
I did a downhill a few week ago in the peak district, some of the locals there call it the beast!
Some of us refer to it as “The Fluffy Kitten” on account of it being nowhere near as bad as it used to be or MBR make it out to be.
If you enjoyed it, try Cavedale, steeper, rockier and without the MBR chicken line round the outside.
POSTED 24 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

I’m sure it can’t be the beast that your referring to! Have you ever tried riding down it!?? I ride a lot around coed-y-brenin and landegla and it’s much more technical than that!! A few of the forum members keep mentioning riding short travel hardtails, I really do not think you want to be taking such a bike down there! 😮

The Beast of Hope Cross?

Not easy to do fast but there’s waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more challenging descents to be had – espesh at DH venues.

I ride a lot around coed-y-brenin and landegla

Broaden your horizons – that stuff’s a piece of piss

GW – Member
What’s the Pleney main line got to do with steep and rooty?, it’s so badly maintained it’s shit on any bike. Plenty other nice steep fun technical descents[/b] to ping a hardtail down the same mountain.
POSTED 48 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

[b]

The only thing pinging down the beast would be your ring piece! 😆

Yes rob it’s the one at hope cross, surely you can’t have done it though if that’s your interpretation of it.

Broaden your horizons

rupert’s a troll, he can’t see much past the end of his bridge.

Don’t know how deep this is, but I’d think twice about going in after my bike..,

Bike goes in rapids, man says “oh my god” a lot..

And I’ve been swearing much more than that too.,,

The beast is a pussy cat, try dollywagons, that’s fear inducing.

Don’t know how deep this is, but I’d think twice about going in after my bike..,

Bike goes in rapids, man says “oh my god” a lot..

And I’d have been swearing much more than that too.,,

I have to admit Ton, it was hard.

I never minaged a full run without dabbing/walking/slipping/falling 😳

getting home was a bloody nightmare, with the M56 being shut. Glad to hear you got home Grumm.

All in all a good day if a little ‘stretching’

Funny how washed away roots can cause so much carnage. Especially when it’s thats steep you can’t stand up on it. !!!!

cheers for sorting it

Yeah, I normally think I do ok on steep and rocky stuff, but I was hopeless yesterday. I’m just glad it was relatively dry!

Thanks for doing all that driving by the way Dave – I would have had some major road rage I think!

1984 at Birmingham Wheels, shortly before hitting a quarterpipe for the very first time… 😳

I think its healthy to be a littler out of your depth once in a while, as long as you are aware of the risks and the skill/strenths you lack but are prepared to practice until you have beaten it.
One thing I have found in mountain biking is there is always some good people out there to help you overcame whatever hurdles come up, even if out on the trail and they are compelte strangers, its one of the friendlier pursuits out there it that respect.

Ton, don’t take any notice of the experts selfappointedguardiansofcool. I am a poorly skilled overweight adventurer too, I often get out of my depth, it helps you to improve. Keep on keeping on!

You might gain a lot from a trip to Jedi.

There are two types of out of depth:

1) Challenging skills, strength, fitness and bravery – always do this.

2) Overtired – quit when you start showing signs of fatigue, otherwise something bad will happen.

2) Overtired – quit when you start showing signs of fatigue, otherwise something bad will happen.

Yesterday that would have involved me quitting straight away!

Thanks for doing all that driving by the way Dave – I would have had some major road rage I think!

No probs, I was getting quite P!$$ed off after the first 4 hours sat in that traffice TBH.

It was straight in , shower, say hello to Mrs V and the Dog then straight to bed for me. 😳

Did you get home OK and what time did you get back there?

got all the stuff to sort tonight, and the other bike to get ready for the madness race on Thursday, nice flat, smooth, riding.

In other words stuff I can do, although not very fast 😳

Yep…..many many times! Made me quit for a bit when I found riding stressful on some of the bigger stuff we were riding I needed to relax and ride how fast I wanted too! Still back now and happy to slide down stuff having let the bike go on a solo mission!! 🙂

Yesterday that would have involved me quitting straight away!

😆

No probs, I was getting quite P!$$ed off after the first 4 hours sat in that traffice TBH.

Oh yeah, just remembered there was one or two near-road rage incidents 🙂

Did you get home OK and what time did you get back there?

Got home fine ta, just after 11 I think. Let me know re petrol money – I’m off on holiday tomorrow though. Good luck with the race.

Hi cheers for the post 😀 we had never heard of revolution before and booked a day for a few of us on sunday after reading your post, and what a day 8O. after the 2nd run and a couple of off’s each we did sit there and ask “what the **** have we got in to here”!! But by the end of the day we were lovin it and can’t wait to go back. The riding is hard but great fun, there is mud roots and drops everywhere but as soon as you get your head round it and the adrenalin starts flowin, its spot on. 8)

Yes, the beginning of the year. 170kg sitting on my bike in front of the pyramids in Egypt with 120 days and 12000 km between me and my eventual destination.

Worked out ok in the end.

I peddled like a mad man down Pebble Hill near Dorking on my road bike after only going up it once in a car.
The left turn at the bottom isn’t doable in a car at 40 and you need to slow down some what, it was only after I found myself in the oncoming lane in pair of Lycra shorts and shirt with fingerless gloves and flimsey lid that I thought it wasn’t the best idea I have had! I don’t know who got more of a fright, me or the oncoming GTI, me I think. Yes definitely me.
I just managed to get out of his lane back into mine with a shave so close it would have made the cheesiest Gillette advert!
I stopped a little way down the road and speedo showed Max Speed 58mph.
My Lycra shorts said I was way faster.

Did the Mega a few years ago – did one run of the glacier in practice to confirm that riding on snow is like nothing else and I can’t do it, I just kept falling within seconds of moving. 2 days later found myself on a lift in storm conditions, waiting to go up to the front row of the Mega B final – Utterly convinced that I was going to bin it 3 yards off the line and have 400 other riders ride over me.

However because of the weather, they moved the race to the qualifier track which avoided the Glacier – Phew! Was very relieved to be able to sprint out of the gates and try for Mega glory. I got a head start, caught up with the A final riders, overtook most them and when I got tired, buzzed Mr Absalon’s tyre all the way into the finish arena*.

*This is what happened.