pusswillow do you wear a ‘trail lid’ when mountain biking then? I think it’s ridiculous and not needed. That is my opinion though.

^ Nothing more than a unicycle, a tutu & killer heels is needed.

In my opinion, of course.

But then I ride close to the speed of bullshit light and it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing if you crash then.

ampthill – Member

Most of the yeat they must be fine.
<snip>
i’ve never worn one

Most of the year, most of the time, most full facers are horrible. You wouldn’t want to do more than an easy climb on one, they can even be unpleasantly sweaty on descents (even in Scotland!). So you end up fannying around attaching it to your camelbak instead and sooner or later you’ll probably end up not bothering to put it on for some sections because it’s too much hassle for a 20 second descent or a short techy bit…

They have their place but it’s not everyday riding. That said, some are better vented than others but even the arch-enduro I wore was a sweatbox. My cheapo Strike is grim.

Thanks Kayak.

Those that have done it before, how long does it take roughly, from top to bottom? Just trying to work out what time I’d need to start to make sure I get up and down before 10am.

Prob 2 – 2.5 hrs up Llanberris (if pushing)
3ish up Telegraph/Rangers – I prefer it, but most would think I was insane.

Descent time – very variable and dependant on your abilites, luck with punctures and tollerance for lactic acid build up.

I’d do the most part of Rangers in under 15 mins if I didn’t have to stop now and again to ease the burning in my quads
So call it 20 – 30 mins and then another 30 for Telegraph Valley and getting back to car.

Edit: FWIW I’ve not done it early doors, quite into the evening descents.

Well I thought the Ranger path was insanely hard. I had to carry my bike down the really rocky bit of it

I walked a couple of sections of it as well but was quite surprised by how much of it I actually managed to ride considering I’m more of a flowy jumps rider.

Took us about 2.5 hours to get up Llanberis. I even enjoyed the climb.

I was with Simon in April (laughing at his goggles 🙂 ).

It was the only natural ride I’ve been on where a FF made sense. Carry it up, wear it down. I don’t own one though but if you do then why not.

As for the descent, I rode most of it but bottled a couple of the more trialsy sections. If they were local to me I would spend some time on them and do my best to unlock them..

We had perfect weather and I’m still sming now, a month later 🙂

the majority of riders don’t go fast enough to compensate wearing them

And that’s what a serious brain injury will do to your powers of communication.

ScottChegg – Member
the majority of riders don’t go fast enough to compensate wearing them
And that’s what a serious brain injury will do to your powers of communication.
POSTED 15 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

I take it u wear one too! 😆

Thanks all for the great pics! As to the full face argument, had I remembered I would have taken and worn mine, I did have my goggles and they really helped, it was freezing at the top and very windy until most of the way down. We managed to ride most of it, but my front tyre burped all air around 15m from the end of the tech section, causing an unintentional dismount.We went straight past the turn off and had to push back up and the push up over the grass was hard going. I’m glad we did Snowdon, but I wouldn’t rush to do it again, after the main tech section it was fairly bland.

Thanks all for the great pics! As to the full face argument, had I remembered I would have taken and worn mine

And then this

but I wouldn’t rush to do it again, after the main tech section it was fairly bland.

Don’t make any sence whatsoever and proves my point about folk wearing dh lids when just not needed!……BUT yer totally right with that second paragraph 😆

From the top to the end of the rocky tech section the full face lid is valid in my opinion! 🙄

i reckon pussywillow rides a orange…….. 😆

U’r giving us serious dhillers a bad name that’s all!

Pussywillow the only thing giving DH’ers a bad name is morons like you coming on here demonstrating the intelligence equivalent to that of a boiled potato, to suggest that riders should take in to account ‘giving DH’ers a bad name’ when they’re choosing what protection to use is probably one of the most stupid things I’ve ever heard anyone say. Tool 🙄

Should have taken two helmets Bagstard.

That was the plan grum.

MET Parachute….sorted.

I mean, I normally take two bikes as well as at lest two helmets with me on a ride – one bike is a rigid single speed, and the other a full suspension trail bike. I just strap one to my back when I’m riding the other.

I swap over quite often though, to make sure that no-one sees me ‘over-biked’ for a particular section of trail. Sometimes I’m swapping every few yards.

I thought it was just me grum! 😀

geminafantasy – Member
U’r giving us serious dhillers a bad name that’s all!
Pussywillow the only thing giving DH’ers a bad name is morons like you coming on here demonstrating the intelligence equivalent to that of a boiled potato, to suggest that riders should take in to account ‘giving DH’ers a bad name’ when they’re choosing what protection to use is probably one of the most stupid things I’ve ever hearEd anyone say. Tool
POSTED 44 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Please don’t take it to heart gemina! There’s no need for aggression! Your contradicting yourself there though because obviously it does matter what protection riders have on! I’m not suggesting that riders shouldn’t wear anything on there head! I’m just saying that a DH lid on a descent like that is way ott! And because of this walkers are more likely to laugh at u than be annoyed at u! They expect to see an engine on your bike.I see it all the time, wear what u want at the end of the day but this is my opinion! Btw, a tool is a usefull devise, I thank u! 😆

Bagstard – Member
From the top to the end of the rocky tech section the full face lid is valid in my opinion!
POSTED 59 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Yeh the best bit which is about 50 yards long!!

i did it in April and loved it, telegraph valley was excellent and the speed i managed was pure quality, no puctures either 😀

oh and just a normal helmet

no googles

it was cold

only had shorts and a t-shirt

😀

pussywillow, is it a 5? i bet it is……….. 😆 😆 😆

The top was pretty sketchy, the wind was so strong at times trying to blow you off the side!This combined with the loose rock surface you were on made for some interesting line choices and I was on an orange! 🙂

xc ride Snowdon done it a few times its ok.overrated as a downhill but nice enough.
only the 1st bit is ok bit rocky here and there but nowt to warrant full face.

i prefer the normal gear when riding stuff like that,so as not to carry to much stuff up there which isn’t necessary anyway.

Armour is never necessary… until you crash!

You don’t need goggles, if the windspeed makes your eyes water, keep em shut 😉

Hmmm ton…… Do I know u!?……. Hmmmm… Maybe I do. 😆

never………….. 😆 😆

Right so for every xc ride i do form now on amour it is then..

ahhh and there’s me struggling for all these years gone by with no amour or full face 🙄

Pussywillow – remind me to check with you whether or not people will laugh at my riding atire before i next go out……….. What a nob!

P.s I saw a guy riding a road bike through Leeds the other day wearing a FF, people were falling over themselves laughing. Oh no, wait, thats right, no one gave a shit!!

I’ve worn a fullface on a green route before….AND on the Verderers.

Oh, and once I even pedalled round the roads with it on!

I rode the lanberis path to the top and then back down the lanberis path, the rangers looks stupidly too hard for me 😐
some of the sections on the lanberis i either swerved round or pushed the bikes over.

ads678 – Member
Pussywillow – remind me to check with you whether or not people will laugh at my riding atire before i next go out.
I saw a guy riding a road bike through Leeds the other day wearing a FF, people were falling over themselves laughing
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

Exactly mate! 😆

Lightweight full face helmets are great. Once you’ve seen someone knock their front teeth out then you’ll realise what a good idea they are. Same with some body armour – I got knocked off on some rocks at the mega avalanche and nothing happened to me. The back protection took it all for me.

You can claim it’s all OTT etc, but it’s quite a long way to the local A and E from the side of Snowdown, so wear whatever you like.

Anyway, for a group that are happy riding moderate drop offs and rocks, what’s the rangers really like? I’d have thought that the basic Llanberis route was a laugh either way.

what’s the rangers really like?

Mostly fine but there are sections where you have to pay attention and a 100 yards or so where you really have to pay attention. Very reminiscent of Chamonix.

Not sure I’ll be attempting this now on my trip in a couple of weeks. Looks a touch too techie for a numpty like me!

Just walk the bits you don’t like the look of and enjoy the riding you can do, along with the views! Don’t let a hundred yards or so (if that) put you off what is an ace ride.

Thanks saxabar.

Was also concerned about my SPD, no pads, no goggles and no full face helmet look 😉

Is pussywilow derekrides new alias?

If you own a full facer then snowdon, hellvellyn and other push/carry up ride down routes are the ones to use them on, if you want. People wear FF and armour on our local stuff, I might have a little chuckle to myself about “storm troopers” but I’m not going to try to tell them the riding they are doing doesn’t warrant it and they should take it off coz “they’re giving us a bad name”* Falling off hurts if you think you are going to/may crash then some protection is generally a good idea and one man’s nice little bit of tech is anothers scary as hell death ride so what you think doesn’t warrant a FF may well warrant one for someone else.

Sorry no pics to add but lowey got some

*usually used for RLJing and worst reasoning ever

This is my favourite (of me of course)