Reviews for The Red Trail - Glentress

Summary:
Great trail

Review:
During a 2 day trip to Peebles in March I rode this trail after doing the 16k blue! I didn't rate it as much as the blue but I would still highly recommend the red. It was quite rocky and rutted in places, you might like that but I prefer smoother trails (such as the nearby Innerleithen red), I found my mate on his 29er was keeping with me on the downhill switchbacks where normally I would expect to pull away on my 26er. I am being picky though, if it hadn't have been for the fact I'd just rode the fantastic Glentress blue and wouldn't have been complaining! This place is an essential ride! Shame the car park was £5 for all day.
Check out my reviews for Glentress blue and Innerleithen red too :)

Summary:
Best ever!!!!

Review:
I've just completed this for the first time and have to say it's the best trail I've done to date.

The first climb up to Pennels Vennel is a steady snake through the forest, just to ease you in. Then once through the downhill of Pennels Vennel you start the long and pretty tough climb to the top of the mountain, the rest of the trail is pretty much downhill from here on in, starting with Spooky Wood, and this is just an awesome bit of single track, about 1.5km it just flies and flows so well.

More single track follows, culminating in Magic Mushroom which is another fast smooth, well flowing section.

All in all, fantastic route and well worth the visit. We came up from Manchester and did Drumlanrig and then Glentress red. Can't wait to come back - It will leave you smiling from ear to ear!

Summary:
very good trail, challenging in all aspects

Review:
Just about survived a lap of the Glentress red route today (31/08/09).

The facilities at the beginning of the trail are very good, showers, cafe, bike shop/hire.

The trail itself has aged well, there was very little in the way of loose earth on the majority of the trail.

The up hill sections are long and demanding but keep enjoyable non the less.

The down hill is superb. The trail was farily wet when we visited which mad for a technical decent but we buzzed the whole way down.

If it hadn't been for a fairly decent fall at the beginning of the down hill section which ruined my wrist and spoiled the enjoyment of the rest of the trail (entirely my own fault) this would have been by far my favourite trail so far (including kielder deadwater read route, grizedale north face and altura north loop), I will return with armour and lesson learned to do the route and myself justice asap.

enjoy, this is a quality trail

Summary:
Breath-taking in spots, amazing in others

Review:
Un-beatable, 9 1/2 hours in a&e were worth it , truly magnificient in every essence of the word

Summary:
Sets the standard

Review:
When I first went to Glentress in September 2008 it was a mountain biking epiphany for me. I was on an 8 year old GT with dodgy rim brakes and I still loved it. Ten months and a few hundred quid later I was back but on a Pitch Pro and with a whole week to spend. So it was that 6 marvellous never to be forgotten days in a row I did the Spooky Wood descent.

Glentress in short is excellent. There are various routes to try and you can mix and match bits as is your want. The Red Route will be the one most people come for however and very few people will be disappointed (it has an average score of 9.6 from all the More Dirt reviewers which speaks for itself).

For the use the red trail undoubtedly gets it is in very good shape with only the Pennels Vennel section showing much wear and tear. As to the rest to put it succinctly if there is a more fun descent than Spooky Wood, Super G, Hit Squad Hill, then the Gold arrow through the woods (I was never sure if this was Pie Run or not) then Magic Mushroom back to the ascent fireroad then tell me, I will go tomorrow. At the fireroad, if like me, you dont want the day to end you can go back up to Buzzard Car Park and take Electric Blue back down to the road. I know what you are thinking, But its a blue route!. Humour me though, you wont regret it. That section is brilliantly flowing and fast (tell me you dont have a big smile on your face as you shoot over that bridge and down into a massive berm). When you hit the road again you have a choice of Blue and jumpy or Red and rooty to the bottom car park. Pure heaven.

I was there 6 days and didnt get to do the Black Route or have a look at Ewok Village, which I promised myself I would do, just because I was having too much fun. So those delights will have to wait till next time and there definitely will be a next time.