The best trail in the UK

If you had to name one unmissable, absolutely have to ride it in your lifetime trail?

Trail centres count too.

secret singletrack at Hamsterley. Well away from the formal trails and long may it remain so.

Ben Lomond, not ridden it since it was illegal then legal tho, might be crap now.

Ciaran path. And the one going down the other side of the valley to the Mamore lodge.

Spooky Wood beats them all of course!

For a smashing 120 seconds the trails from Hartslock Farm to Goring really is very good fun. Pity about having to moderate speed due to high walker content.

too many

glen tilt
bealach dubh from loch pattick down to the shores of loch ericht
howgills, with bowderdale descent
gt red ridden at speed

the list is endless innit………. 😆

Harris & Lewis, E of Tarbert loop
look on the brightside I think we have lots and lots of great ones……

The last trail I rode.

Ranger on Snowdon?

Ben lomond is illegal to ride? I didn't spot any signs to that effect when I was there a couple of months ago?

mtbfix – do you not prefer the section from hartslock farm through to Whitchurch done in reverse?

the one from the outdoor centre above ladybower down to ladybower. not the screaming mile, t'other un.

Wherever I happen to be riding suits me!

A few choice picks, though;
The big berm section on the Raven at Brechfa
BKB in the Surrey Hills on a hot, dry and dusty afternoon
My little route across the way to the Malet for lunch.
The last DH on the Climachx in any weather
The Green and Blue at Brechfa. If taken at warp speed.
Any part of Salisbury Plain, either under a blazing sun or a shining full moon.

for me it's about the company on the trail not the trail itself

Coffee – it used to be pre LRA due to concerns over erosion. Still one to be thoughtful about doing IMO. Dunno why anyone would want to take a bike up and down it anyway.

Of the stuff I have ridden:
Purely for the track – Carn Ban Mor – the most fantastic descent. Pity about the mind numbing climb.

for the scenery – Lochan na hearba Just a bit of doubletrack but its stunningly beautiful

Bein a ghlo circuit for the all round win

I love Blue velvet at GT – its just fun. Hardly earth shattering tho.

Jedi – you need 3 things IMO – a nice trail, a good view and good company – different proportions on different days but without one ingredient its missing something

Shootin' cabins, Hayfield. On me own. 😆

Headless Chicken on a super dry summers day

Hopefully that will be bettered by a new trail getting built soon 😉

What TJ & jedi said 😆

Add my local, Mabie, to that and I am a happy chappy any day or every day of the week
And the one I have just walked today.Still to be formed/made & ridden. There are quite a few forest around and had always wondered about this hilly, rocky one 😉 Will include a bit of a boggy hike to get to it but the decent should be worth it. There could be a bit of gorge walking thrown in.

Lhairg Ghru descent into Rothiemurchus on a sunny Spring evening. Not long enough but truly wonderful.

The footpath descent down Ullock Pike off the summit of Skiddaw. Rounded off with the steep descent off Dodds and a village hall cafe stop at the bottom. Marvellous.

Ciaran path and the other descents round Kinlochleven always make for a top ride.

Ben Lomond descent on a warm and sunny day.

Pitlochry riverbank trails at dawn or dusk.

Ben Vrackie (summit down) on a warm Spring evening.

Hmm, warm and sunny seem pretty popular in my book!

Oh and I nearly forgot Newlands Pass singletrack with a cheeky trail return over the high western fells. The final descent is a peach.

Cheers

Sanny

Lhairg Ghru is still up there even in biblical rain. I think Nan Beild is a good shout. I seem to enjoy it more and more every time

sany newlands singlet rack and wetern fells could you giv more details sounds good, is it the climb from where the purple house used to be?

Karnali – that's maybe Rigg Beck you're thinking of. Don't climb from there; the best route is up from Braithwaite, right at Barrow Door onto the path from Stoney Croft, up around the back of Causey then straight across to drop into Rigg Beck and down to (what was) the Purple House. Great descent but there's a lot of damage from the floods / snow 🙁

most unforgettable would have to be kitchener in sherwood pines

I'M SCARRED FOR LIFE!!!!! 😆

Quick loop round Wolstonbury, middle of the week on a summer evening after it's been dry for a couple of weeks. Worth racing home from work for just to fit it in. With a stop at the top just to take in the view and smugly watch the commuting sardines on the A23.

Kirroughtree.

BKB like the Cap'n sez.

STW did an article a few years back on various peoples favourite 200 yards of trail. I recall someone posted one of my local trails (Black Hill in the Pentlands) but I was thinking about the article at the weekend and realised that mine was a section of singletrack through the trees that I ride several times a week (the lower section of the Nail Trail).

That probably just means I need to get out and explore more areas, but I have ridden at Glentress and a few other places in Scotland.

but seriously, from my limited experience afan did it for me..
i think we rode penhdd last time i was there

I forgot the Lhairg Ghru. A great bit of trail

This discussion usually gets someone mentioning Mark of Zorro at Nant Y Arian – so I will.

Anything, that is secret to yourself.

Here's mine and it's secret 🙂

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Does it cause people to be photoshopped as they ride through it? Awesome!

Can't beat the Wyre forest on a warm Summers evening. Dry, dusty fast trails,a load of mates and a pint at the end of the ride..Perfect

Sadly been too long 🙁

Its total cheek so I"m afraid I can"t tell you 😉
But no one has mentioned anything anywhere near so I"m safe!

Coffee – it used to be pre LRA due to concerns over erosion. Still one to be thoughtful about doing IMO. Dunno why anyone would want to take a bike up and down it anyway.

I was thinking the same thing TBH, it was boring to walk, it would seem even more boring to ride except for the last bit down to the visitor centre.

I think my favourite ride in the UK must be the one round skiddaw, past the house.

Sanny – Member Pitlochry riverbank trails at dawn or dusk.

Remember that well Sanny, STW ride a few years ago, blasting past those guys with the fancy bikes(Elsworths?)on me auld Bonty 😈
That is a nice bit of trail

how about, that bit of trail where your really really tired and just thinking you've stayed out a bit too long, really tired, and it's the wrong side of dusk and you don't have any lights, and car / house / mates is still an hours ride away, the bit of the day when you see the night birds coming out to hunt, it's quite and you are alone

thats my favourite.

do you not prefer the section from hartslock farm through to Whitchurch done in reverse?

The drive? Are we talking at crossed purposes?

gusamc – you said:

Harris and Lewis, E of Tarbert loop

Where is that? I'm heading up that way at Easter.

Kirroughtree black, or Nevis Red, I guess. Though no doubt there's better out there but these 2 shine for me. KT proves a trail doesn't have to be difficult to be rewarding, whereas Nevis proves that, maybe it doesn't have to be difficult, but it makes things interesting.

I'd have to say Cut Gate. although it was far better say 15-20 years ago before they laid the flags down and now the new hardpack etc…

Parkamoor down to Satterthwaite in the Lakes.