Most challenging trail in the Tweed valley

Well apart from Spooky wood, that’s a given. nominations please and remember since the valley became a world cycling mecca, there really are no “secret trails”, it’s all just for the cycling community and the greater good.

IMO it has to be Pro Spacker at inners

Pro-Spacker is definitely up there. The new one at Caberston is supposed to be nuts.

Caddon bank 😉

pro spaker is just a bit steep etc. broon troot is better/harder to ride smoothly

Good insight monsieur Jedi, did broon troot at the weekend, a tad greasy and bloomin awkward.

a bit steep

A bit? It’s a -30% gradient!

Still haven’t got my finger out and got over to prospacker, maybe it’s time for some brave pills, what could possibly go wrong!.

Prospacker’s not that hard. That’s not willy waving, I’m not that good ergo, it can’t be that hard 😆 Suppose it depends on the rider a lot but prespacker is harder imo, especially in the wet.

I suck at ruts so for me it’s probably the top of lone wolf at the moment, it’s just one enormous panicky unpleasant near-crash. I’d avoid it entirely if I could. But there’s tons of stuff I don’t know so probably it’s some other thing I’ve not ridden.

Original entrance to Boner. The rest is alright, but that section always has me questioning if I’ll get out alive.

Broon Troot harder than Pro Spacker? I know you can do no wrong on this forum, but what were you smoking that made you think that?

Depends on the conditions although I find Avalanche horrible no matter what. I imagine No Social in the wet would need mud spikes and a whole lot of commitment. It’s steeper than Prospacker with tighter corners.

I wasn’t that impressed with Boner, steep – but was really rutted in the spring, looked like it is de riguer to ride with mud spikes in the winter, plus the bottom is blocked with windfall.

Community Service terrified me the one and only time I did it. My riding’s improved since then so I’ll need to re-visit it. Aussie Rules wasn’t pleasant in the wet.

No social in the wet is going to be interesting. Yes.

Most challenging trail? Getting up to no social/FTP!

Bob i had a look down that in the wet on foot, the crux looked like a switchback with a big tree root, have been intending to go back sometime.

PS. Aussie rules

Aussie Rules is the one I’ve been struggling to get down and set a decent time, always something to throw you off line/stall you.

Need to explore moar as I don’t recognise some of these names.

Although I was up at Caberston a couple of months back and found some old skool trails I’d forgotten existed, it’s weird thinking you’re riding a new trail to realise half way down it you know it quite well…

For the record, spikes are cheating.

Double Decker.

spread the love, where is dat.

DD is at Yair, really good but not up there on the near-death scale.

Oh right, is it easy to find the stuff at Yair, i drive past there regularly, park near the bridge I presume?.

Third trail on the right after the fire road at Inners. End of thread.

fergal, there’s a few different ways to do it but I prefer to park near the Galashiels roundabout. Basically get yourself up to 3B and head down the quarry descent or go down the SU Way towards Inners a little and seek out Ginger Mullet.

Most challenging as in steepest/lethal-ist, or the one where you aim to take the best most rightest/smoothest line?

If the former, one of the Caberston or Thornilee trails after a weeks downpour.

For the latter I do like Ginger Mullet, although short, it does reward a good line, and DD is settling in nicely and has a bit of everything.

Although either of the two long trails off Cairn Hill have to be worth a shout.

How about the Sustrans between Peebles and Innerleithen, next to the river, when the midge are biting?

I feared for my life.

being more xc than dh, challenging is about keeping you on your toes with flow and interest, not necessarily steepest/most likely to kill you.

Mr Cunningham’s line at Yair?
The original finish to Jawbone
The proper line round the tree on Aussie Rules; not the short cut!
Boner great fun (not too rutted now and clear at the bottom.

I think folk should find the Yair and Thornylee trails themselves IMO.

Oh yeah Thornylee… that one that’s like pro spacker but covered in rocks. Slippy, slippy wet rocks.

broon troot is better/harder to ride smoothly

not sure if it was, but broon troot now runs super smooth after some work

Rode a handful of Golfie trails this morning, conditions were mostly fantastic! Aussie Rules was probably the toughest top to bottom because it feels like a trail that could be so fast but the dirt has been washed away leaving greasy rocks and tight corners that don’t allow such high speeds. Lone Wolf gave me the usual problems in the ruts at the top, incredible lower down though. Walk or Burn was bone dry, never felt as pinned before but pissed to find strava hadn’t picked it up!

Good to hear, heading over tomorrow, starting with 3G, hoping there is still life in the trail after the EWS.

The trails are fine. Nice and dry up there today.

Challenging – that wood further down the road 😯

Get up Golden Owl and Shirleys if you think Golfie trails are hard.

Rode pro spacker the other day, wowzer, good clean run to, having walked it a few years ago in the rain, I decided just to drop in, so I didn’t over analyze, surprisingly it went well. Looking for some new challenges, anyone know anything about the trail New york New York at the golfie.

PS. Oh and Lone wolf sounds interesting, is it reet bo?

Prospacker goes surprisingly well in the wet too- lovely surface to it.

Lone Wolf is another golfie trail, parallel to 3G more or less, just further up the hill… Bottom bit is mint (fun roots), middle bit is pretty nice (fast, nonsteep woodsy singletrack), top bit is just a royal pain in the arse if you’re me and you can’t do ruts. Nice trail

Ive historically struggled with ruts but have been forcing a relaxed stance and getting much better. Bend the knees and elbows and wobble your limbs about to make them as loose as possible, and don’t ride too slow. Tbe ruts at the top of lone wolf are actually pretty decent and smooth to ride when you get the hang of them. It’s an ace trail. New york new york is a woop fest, very hard on the thighs. Neither are very steep or challenging in a technical sense relative to others in the area.

New York, New York (called Pussy Riot but the name didn’t stick) built by someone who likes to mince slowly down things so built it really tight to annoy fast buggers. He was then surprised to find some of the sponsored riders doing timed laps on it!
Part 2 is more of the same except with a bridge and tree stump.

A jump and a pair of nice berms too 😉