Members Reviews
Review by: dp on 1 May 2007
Summary:
Best XC in scotland if not the UK
Review:
Simple really - The Black route Rules. Once the trails get expanded, will be the best trail centre in the UK
Review by: fraserreid on 2 October 2006
Summary:
Twas a Wet day!!
Review:
I hut this yestarday, A very wet and damp 1st Oct. To give a full review I think I would have to try this course in the height of summer, because its obvious that the trail varies with the seasons. The start of the trails opens onto a forrest road climb, which is suprisingly do-able, because I am the world worst climber. I thought more could bee done with the board walk, perhaps instead of 240m constant. the could have broke it up the three seperate sections with a couple of drops. The Air's Rock and mini slab next to it, are great features. The funpark rides well, with a couple of sneeky tight corners toward the end. I thought the cafe was very similar in design and menu to Glentress (hmmmmm suspicious). All in all it was a good ride even although the rain just kept coming.
Review by: boofont on 25 September 2006
Summary:
A very technical trail not for the faint hearted!
Review:
Follow the fireroad pass the Blue and take the right hand fork at the top of the hill. A further 5 minutes of climbing and the single track begins with a left hand exit off the track.
The first part of this trail is similar to the red although it is slightly more technical. Using the granny ring allows quick down-shifts on the rear to allow swift acceleration over some of the rugged terrain which often comes at you with no warning as you ride round tight corners. Follow the single track as it sweeps around the side of the hill with impressive views to your right. You will come across several rock based features on the climb, don't be fooled though, the best is yet to come. Keep climbing and follow the switchbacks, after a while the basecamp will be behind you. This is where you'll find the first of many technical sections. Don't be fooled, it looks like nothing, just a rock ledge sticking out of the bank. However, ride it with your seat high and you'll be over the bars on the other side! Best to either drop the seat a little or walk it, it's not very long. After a few more minutes you'll be at the top with stunning views of Loch Laggan to your left. Drop your seat now!
Set off down the trail and within a few cranks of your pedals you'll be mixing it up with some impressive terrain that wouldn’t look out of place in a motorcycle trial! Expect to find big rock chutes, drop offs and teeth-chattering granite formations, with woodland single track in between. Most of the technical parts can be avoid but you may need to walk your bike around. That’s not what this trail is about though! If you are unsure it would be better to walk the sections first, some of them could give rise to serious damage to you and your bike!
This trail can be ridden on a hardtail; I did it on a Hardrock which is not a top-end spec bike. Better fun on a full-suss long travel bike though, I ride Ransom now and find I can ride much more aggressively. One thing to watch for is setting your rebound damping to high. You need your forks and shock to soak up as much as possible. Lean right back too as you don't want your front to dig in anywhere! Also try to run your tyres a bit higher, pinch flats are very common.
In summary, a very rewarding trail that really is unique! Ride with caution for the first time and you'll live to ride again!
Review by: niro750 on 28 July 2006
Summary:
Tricky tech trail that involves bags of concentration and good pads!
Review:
Getting to the top of the Black trail isnt as hard as some other Scottish trails such as Glentress, you follow fire road up for 15mins and then ride 10mins of single track before reaching one heck of a stunning view at the track summit.
Then comes the hard part, the trail is 90% rocks and a very small ammount of single track. Single track is used to link patches of rocks which you must navigate through without totalling yourself or your bike, which is easier said than done! Some of the sections could be likened to trials with drops landing on uneven surfaces, steep chutes and in one place a tripple section of rocks that really have to be ridden in one go to appreciate.
Some sections are better walked first to try and find a line or take a closer look at drops and chutes, some drops look rideable from top down due to the lie of the rocks but when you see them from the bottom up you realise there wouldnt be enough bb clearence to make it over safely.
Going out on this trail alone is not somehting I would recommend as threre are no chicken rus and no easy routes back to the cafe and there is the possibility of serious injury on this trail, however managing each section first time is extremely rewarding and having been out with a group of friends I can say that the trail had us laughing, swearing and in one instance so frustrated a bike was hurled into the undergrowth!
If you ride with adjustble geometry raise your bb height, if you ride with your seat up xc style put it down and if you ride with spd's and your name isnt Steve Peat... God help you!
Basically the most rewarding technical trail I have ridden, every time you find a good line and clean a section its great, sections contain lots of possible routes so you can re ride them, taking a different route each time and still have as much fun... Even better is that it improves your riding skills more quickly than anywhere else I have ridden.
Dougie Todd
www.darkside-images.com
Review by: ferg on 28 July 2006
Summary:
a great set of trails i could spend all day on
Review:
you pull into the carpark and first thing so see is a cafe. im only 20 but mtbin to me still means sarnies in the hills(old skool) so hot food is a great start. easy coast to the top of the hill via a forrestry firetrack road as you approach the top air's rock juts at your left hand side.
the trail starts wtih some fast singletrack and severe rocks you next follow the hill up round through the woods and then down. this is where it becomes intense. very fast singletrack through the trees, beware of mud as the trees are close and wipeouts will result in firewood. then out of knowhere you hit the boardwalk. Although it's a great size to tackle at speed and even in the wet with 1.95 semi's on i still had control. off the end of the boards and your on the blue run. a very smooth trail stocked with jumps and berms that you can easily handle on any bike. then you finish in the carpark with a huge grin and a fresh cup of tea. ready to go again.
