Going up there this weekend for the first time, and as I kind of don’t know what to expect, I can’t decide which bike to take.

My 26″ wheeled hardtail isn’t a choice as my GF is going to be riding that, so the choice is 29er Hardtail, 26″ wheeled mid travel lightweight full sus or 26″ wheeled long travel full sus.

I know obviously that the trails will be more than rideable on any bike I end up taking, I’m just pondering right now on which bike I’d enjoy riding more up there… It’s likely to be a while before I get to go again probably, so some useful input would be appreciated…

I enjoy it equally on HT or 140mm FS, I don’t muck about on the jumps though.

Mid travel full suss it has to be in in order to really enjoy deliverance on the way down. I went down on my HT and had motion blur all the way as it is quite rocky. I was both shaken and stirred 🙂

ht all day long.

ride what you want mark 🙂 🙂

26″ wheeled mid travel lightweight full suss

That’d be my vote for a first visit.

8″ travel World cup DH bike, race PJs TLD D3 & Leatt Brace at a minimum
(going by most riders last time I rode there)

Give your GF the short travel sus and you take the Hardtail. 26″ wheels will be more fun

I forgot to say if you are not going to do the black then yeah, Ht will be fine.

high5 gw!

Nothing on Black to put you off the HT imo. Blue through black…its all good. Have fun.

I’d probably take one with wheels and brakes. 🙂

Really depends on your preferences, you should be able to have fun on any bike there. I only really have a long travel full suss so that’s what I took.

Don’t forget your full facer, pressure suit and more pads you can shake a shitty stick at. All a must for Glentress. Apparently.

Nothing on Black to put you off the HT imo

I’ve seen more than one person decide to go FS immediately after riding Deliverance on an HT!

I’ve definitely ridden the HT more than FS at GT myself – but I don’t think I’ve every ridden Deliverance on the HT.

I spent all weekend there with the HT and it was perfect, even with a missing spoke.

Mid travel FS from your options.

HT if you had one spare, the 29er would be fine though as there’s nothing that warrants loads of boing.

A full suss would suck all the fun out of the jumps on the freeride park, imho, though you won’t be playing there too much i’m sure.
And agreed with GW..lol.

Enjoy, i

Of course what you REALLY should be doing is going to Kirroughtree, but that’s a whole different thread 🙂

I’ve seen more than one person decide to go FS immediately after riding Deliverance on an HT!

Made me swap the other way..!? 😆

Ach well….just goes to show we all get our kicks in different ways.

Mboy, only you know which bike gives you the biggest grins. GT is as jumpy/rough/fast/steep as you want it to be.

most fun/fastest i’ve had round GT was on an 80mm 29er ss… was keeping up with 6 inch FS bikes, ridden by relatively handy riders.

I take my race bike now. It’s most fun as the downhills aren’t steep enough to warrant anything big but need something that accelerates fast.

It’s not great on’t jumps but it’s fun on the trails.

So, the lightest thing you’ve got. With the smallest wheels, so your mid travel bouncer.

29er

most fun/fastest i’ve had round GT was on an 80mm 29er ss… was keeping up with 6 inch FS bikes, ridden by relatively handy riders.

:swoon:

Grum- he’s telling the truth actually. Even if he does have clown wheels.

Went up there with my Cotic BFe and did the red, the play park and across the way at Innerleithen. No regrets at all. Really enjoyed it.

i ride my paradox on pretty much everything in the borders and enjoy it immensely.
but whatever ya bring, it’ll be fun if it’s yer first time there…

HT no question, enjoy

Took my old 575 then on my ti ht, I had more fun on the ht, it’s not rocky.

Did GT red on rigid 29er single speed. Didn’t feel especially underbiked. Was a lot of fun. Dunno what the black would be like though.

The black is fine on a hardtail, just took my mmmbop round it, obviously all my fillings fell out but apart from that it was great.

Take whatever bike you want. The worst that can happen is that it’s a bit big and you get more tired than you had to. It’s that sort of place.

ht.. old bike was(is)a Bontrager and current bike is a Blue Pig, always do the Black mixed with a bit of Red & Blue.

So ht is my weapon of choice.

Would give the GF the lightweight fs 😆 and assuming you are not going to p**s of and leave her you could enjoy the big bike on the downs. Bit of an equaliser on the ups 😈

Give your GF the short travel sus and you take the Hardtail. 26″ wheels will be more fun

Not really an option, don’t want to give her a bike she’s never ridden before really. Also, it’s possibly just a tad long for her, my hardtail is on the cusp but have a feeling asking her to ride the full sus she’d feel a touch stretched. If anything, I probably have as much fun, if not more, on full sus these days anyway. Unless the trail is really flat and boring of course, in which case I’d always take my hardtail out, but I expect Glentress is going to be anything but flat and boring!

So, the lightest thing you’ve got. With the smallest wheels, so your mid travel bouncer.

Reading all the above posts, I was kind of coming to that conclusion I must say. 5″ of travel and sub 28lb should probably be alright, have a feeling that a 35lb bike with almost 7″ of travel would probably start to feel a bit too much like punishment after 3 whole days riding…

can’t imagine deliverance being more fun on a full sus… 😆

I’m sure it would be ace on a hardtail but it can get a bit rough in the eroded bits so maybe the mid travel bike?

It is all doable on a hardtail but I’d go for the mid-travel FS especially if you’re there for 3 days, you’ll be less beaten up from it and enjoy your riding more IMO.

Anyone who says it’s not rocky should ride it on a CX bike. 🙂

How steep/long/technical are the climbs there?

I know everything is relative, just wondering whether I can single ring it, or I should definitely take a bike with a granny ring…

I’m a slow fatty and I don’t think I used the granny ring much if at all. Haven’t ridden the black though.

Hub is about 150m and the Mast is about 600m so there’s a decent amount of climbing there. Depends what you’re used to, how fit you are and whether you’re a spinner or a grinder as to whether a single ring will be OK. Black is about 1,000m of ascent and descent and Red is about 600m.

Climbs are pretty long but tend not to be hugely steep nor technical. Steepest bits are probably bottom of the Kipps climb and start of Redemption (both on black), I usually ride most of GT in middle but drop into granny for those bits.

Blue and red, i ss(26er)those ok and you’ll be fitter than me right now.

Spun out though wanting to go faster on the undulating trails as there’s not the gradient to get up to grin factor fast,again on the blue and red trails.

Hope to get up again this weekend to ride the full black and then inners.

OK, sounds like there’s enough climbing to make a Granny gear necessary

Sharki, should be at Innerleithen on Friday afternoon, then Glentress on Saturday and Sunday, or that’s the plan at least… Fancy a meet up?

Mark.
If i can find my way to there from Edinburgh i would yes, there’s a route from inners to GT apparently.

I’ll post up here in a few days if i can find a way over there.

OK Shane, will keep my eye out on here for ya.

email address is in my profile, by all means give me a shout… And if you’ve got a mobile number, email it to me if you’re gonna be about and I’ll give you a bell.

Don’t go to Glentress, the car parks are mobbed and as a consequence the trails will be heaving, you’ll constantly be held up by mincers on DH bikes, dogs, families with baskets on the front of their bikes and trailers on the back, etc, etc. At least according to some on here.

Don’t go to Glentress, the car parks are mobbed and as a consequence the trails will be heaving, you’ll constantly be held up by mincers on DH bikes, dogs, families with baskets on the front of their bikes and trailers on the back, etc, etc

Bit of an arse that I’ve booked a room in the Glentress Hotel for 2 nights then really eh!

😉