Off up to see the folks in St Boswells this weekend, taking a mate along.
Sadly even though they’ve lived there for 10 years, I’ve never got to GT more than once.

Which is going to be a better day out for us? I read a lot that Innerlethein is a better ride, but is it as easy to find our way around or not?

As they are close enough to each other can we manage both in a day or is that too much?

Also.

Having had an off two weeks back that shook my mate up, he wants to stick the SwampThing Supertacky back on the front of his bike as he is sure the Ignitor going out from under him was the tyres fault.

Is he mental for wanting to have a Swampthing supertacky on the front over the summer?

Inners xc for me, then a blast round the red at GT after lunch.

both and ask gw and mc off here to ride with you too. = awesome

There’s a two-day Enduro at Inners this weekend, so it’d worth checking which trails will be inaccessible. Give Diane or Hels a shout.

Cheers for the Enduro info

Looks like it will be GT for the day then. Up early for that then.

Just realised Newcastleton is 35 miles away as well.

Just realised Newcastleton is 35 miles away as well.

It’s not worth travelling 35 yards for

Ouch.

Personally I prefer GT – more descending for the climbing you do and a great variety of trails to mix and match
Don’t miss out on the blue at GT – some of it is great fun. Blue velvet and Good game.

GT for a day out – reds n blues n play on the park stuff. inners xc is still great though.

supertacky swampthing on the front for a trail centre needs sorting out though…

supertacky swampthing on the front for a trail centre needs sorting out though…

I’m trying to tell him.

He did think he had broken his neck though at Thrunton. Hit the ground hard enough to snap the back off his helmet. The ripping sound was the fastener at the back coming undone.
Never seen my mate so quiet after an off. Gave him a fright.

Both you can do them easily in a day. Still dont know really which is my favourite. if he is worried about front end grip just get him to stick a set of Minnions on. Just beware on the Innerliethen descent there was one or two big ‘drops’ if you decide (or dont realise they are coming) and you launch off the lips onto downslopes.
If he is that worried why doesnt he just rent a full face and Leatt neck brace and full armour- I can understand it by the way a real good off that results in shock can have a long lasting mental effect.

Disruption at innerleithen shouldn’t be too bad, I gather the enduro routes won’t make much use of the trail centre.

If you’ve got time do both but if only one, I’d say GT… I think Innerleithen’s XC’s pretty overrated, it’s good but it’s not amazing and it lacks variety. If you know how to work in the dh and offpiste stuff it becomes a hell of a lot better though but GT’s still better for a visit and a blast around.

Innerleithen is always my first choice from the two. And if you do GT, avoid Spooky Wood and go do a mix of black and bits of the red. The black section the Boundary Trail is always a larf. And if you can find ’em, Secrets n Lies and defo do Broon Troot, that is my fav bit at GT by a mile and 3 feet.

With the choice of Innerleithen or GT, Newcastleton doesn’t even get a look in.

IT really depends how fit you are. You can ride the GGT black, red and Innerleithen in a day. IT works out about 50miles if you ride between them as well. It’s quite hard work.

Both are easy to find your way around.

If you think that’s too much then I would suggest GT. If you look at the map it;s fairly easy to combine the red and black into one route if you miss a section or two of each. Or you could just ride it as two loops.

Inners alone might be too short if you are looking for a long ride.

Are Secret n Lies and Broon Troot on any maps or is it a case of find them ourselves.

If he is that worried why doesnt he just rent a full face and Leatt neck brace and full armour-

Because he would look like a complete c*** then and would be riding alone. 😀

Quirrel – Member

Are Secret n Lies and Broon Troot on any maps or is it a case of find them ourselves.

These trails do not exist and there’s absolutely no chance that if you were to send an email to the address in someone’s profile, they might tell you where they are. Definately.

These trails do not exist and there’s absolutely no chance that if you were to send an email to the address in someone’s profile, they might tell you where they are. Definately.

Right.

I’ve come across a few places with trails that don’t exist before…….even received warnings that they do not exist and shouldn’t be spoken about.

I won’t be emailing anybody about them.

Can tell you if you want to know. They are a reet larf.

I’d personally do Inners xc followed by the blue at Glentress as an easy afternoon warm down if the weather is good. If it’s crap then just the blue and red at Glentress as Inners is pretty exposed up top.

Quirrel
I know where secrets and lies is 😉 and it’s ace, can get muddy though
Search vimeo for a video called ‘glentress trailfairy trails’ by MorayCuthill
http://www.vimeo.com/14866078
Inners xc is definitely worth a visit too
Second jedis comment about riding with the locals 😉

Or just enter the Enduro at Inners. The timed sections are off the main trails, so you won’t have ridden them before.

If you’ve only got a day of riding, you can enter for a single day only if you like and there’s a dual slalom on the Saturday night – free entry to that.

Pop into i-cycles shop for info on Friday or at the sign on tent in the car park from 10am Saturday 🙂

would do gt red first and get yer eye in on spookys jumps ect then go to inners and enjoy the drops and bomb holes ect . ps the swampthing is not the tyre you want to be riding as inners is a fairly long haul up to the top i have used small blocks at both , easy on the ups and ample grip on the decents

Enter the race – now that’s an idea, do they have a category for the unfit and heart attack prone?

Do inners first, worth it for the view off minch moor alone and the descent is great, then join the queues at GT

do they have a category for the unfit and heart attack prone?

Yes 😀

It’s a really relaxed format – take your time on the ups, stop for a blether. No seeding, no 30 second intervals, just go when you’re ready. Very chilled event indeed. And a great laugh too!

If you can’t make the event though, do come along for the Dual Slalom on Saturday evening.

Entries on the day and details at: Innerleithen MTB Racing

I really like the GT black, but its a crime to go there and not do the spooky wood descent. so as above, id do the GT red and the Innerleithen red back to back if its open, because the descent from Minch Moor on Innerleithen is frickin ace too!

I completely agree with Blur’s advice, GT is easier than Inners so I’d head round there first, do the red, get the confidence up, enjoy lunch at the hub – actually I don’t know if the new centre is open yet but bound to get good food at either.

Can see why people are saying about the hidden trails but for your first time at GT Spooky Woods is a must for me. It’s the highlight of the red and well worth heading back up for another loop (ones you finish spookies head down the fire road to the right for quarter of a mile until you see another fire road heading right up a steep hill, can’t miss it from there).

Think the enduro will close down the part of the Inners red before Caddon Bank. You’ll probably be diverted down the fire road but if you head up the hill instead of down you’ll get to a crossing of the downhill tracks on the fire roads, Make or Brake is very similar to the red and takes you back to Caddon Bank, better than a road diversion.

The enduro might be a good option though, plenty of time to get up the hill between runs meaning you can push if you have to.

Or steve you can do SaL onto the blue then back up the way you describe to rejoin red again at spooky descent

Thanks for all the input, GT it is for now.

Good choice! Last time I was at Glentress we did the GT red in the morning with 2 runs of Spooky wood and innerleithen in the afternoon. It was a great day! Spooky wood decent is great fun, I dont know why anyone would miss it out. Its not difficult or particularly challenging its just a good fun well designed trail that leaves you grinning at the bottom!

If you have to do Spooky Wood, do it before Caddon Bank at Innerleithen. Caddon Bank is miles better than Spooky Wood IMO. And do some of the black at GT, it is some of the best parts there.

Best thing to do at Glentress is a pick and mix. Wouldn’t worry about the secret stuff if your mate is feeling a bit low on confidence. Last week we did, Zoom or Bust – Blue Velvet – Berm Baby Berm – Spooky Wood – Super G – Hit Squad Hill – Double X – The Bitch – The Wormhole – Mushroom Pie – Magic Mushroom – Falla Brae – Good Game. Should have done Electric Blue as well but haven’t been on the bike much recently. As said before, some of the best trails are on the blue route.

I think something similar was mentioned earlier but I’d suggest GT black, cuppa and nachos; GT red, cuppa and cake; GT blue.
Thats a great day!!!

Well we got there in good time, about 10:00 ish.

My bike was ready to go, my mates bike was another story. He had failed to heed my instructions and pick up some spare brake pads as his were getting low. 28 quid later he had front pads fitted and half of a back pad, but one of the pistons is a bit sticky and not wanting to break something used the best of the four old pads – the only one with any material left on it.

By the time I had fannied around gettig the pads in it was 11:30.

We managed in the end to do the red loop with a couple of other bits thrown in. Feeling the pain today, and quite scary how much my fitness has dropped in the last few months.

Quite amazed by some of the fast old men getting their knees down in the corners.

Gae the wormhole a go as well. Took two attempts to get through the first bit cleanly. My mate managed to stave his toe and turn it black – bloody pansy, but I have it on video.

Will have to get back more often, the folks only live an hour away from me.

They also have the Elisdons (sp) out the back of their house for some more adventuring