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Not done either before but I will have the opportunity soon.
I was hoping they would be good training for the 3 Peaks Challenge.
Are they possible on a cross bike or are they just a bit too rough for them?
Ben Lomond would be very tough on CX bike. Quite a lot of 7 stanes woulbe doable if you walk or run the odd bit.
Do you mean the 3 peaks CX race?
BL would be good training carrying it up but you'd be carrying it down too so a bit of a waste.
Tomd is right about the 7 Stanes most of them are doable on the crosser. I would avoid GT black though as the surface and brake bumps make it unpleasant on a HT never mind a crosser.
7 stanes can be great on a cx bike - Mabie and Ae for definite, v smooth. Dalbeattie also a goer - a lot of fireroad, flatt-ish, but the singletrack is a bit rougher.
Glentress black up, red down is a great cx ride, although for 3 peaks training you could belt down deliverance in the drops to put some hairs on your chest.
Innerleithen is a great climb all the way up, but you'd be mincing down on a cross bike, and prob walking plora craig.
K'tree I've not done on the crosser - might be good. It's quite stretched out and undulating, no big climbs, so you'd eat the miles. There are a lot of wee nadgery bits here and there, though, so I'd expect to walk some sections.
Don't know if it would explicitly help train for the 3 peaks (never done it), but in terms of riding your cx bike where you might not normally then it sounds a good idea.
Tomd is right about the 7 Stanes most of them are doable on the crosser. I would avoid GT black though as the surface and brake bumps make it unpleasant on a HT never mind a crosser.
Only seen photos but can't imagine the 3 Peaks being any smoother. Would all be good dismount/mount/run practice.
It would be good running downhill with a bike practice that's for sure. I'm not sure there would be many opportunities to mount the bike, bar maybe 300m about half way down.
Has the OP thought about Conic Hill behind Balamaha? Starting from Drymen and follow the WHW up and over. It's around 300m ascent and would be mix of ride / run. The downhill into Balamaha is steep but you should be able to have a bash it sections of it on the cross bike. Follow the road back to Drymen.
You'd be better just hiking up and down Ben Lomond, which would be a waste- around the Stanes you'll be OK, but do yourself a favour, stick your MTB in the car and take it up Ben Lomond. You'll get all the carrying training you need and a smashing descent back down.
Only seen photos but can't imagine the 3 Peaks being any smoother
It's much smoother being mainly grass.
Lowther Hill and some of the other big grassy lumps in that area would make better 3 Peaks training.
If you want to train for the three peaks take your cross bike fell walking.
In my limited 2 year experience (4h40 and 4h01):
The road sections are for eating/drinking/recovering - find a group work with it and keep your speed up but no heroics.
You will walk up the climbs (not run) so get used to it. I find these the tough bits.
The downs are about damage limitation. Always see a few people flying down stuff then the inevitable bang as they hit something and crash or pinch flat.
There are plenty of bits that are reasonable to ride and you do take a beating but I've never really seen those as the bits where serious ground can be made.
Most of GT would be fine, i'd guess it is all rideable if you are good enough (I'd probably rule myself out of that one).
I rode Newcastleton Red and Black on my CX. They were fine.
Getting comfortable on harder trails is good practice but you'll probably be ok if you are used to the bike and a half decent mtber.
Innerleithen and glentress reds both fine, with a little chickenrunning on caddon bank (must admit I walked a section at GT as well on pie run but that bit's been rebuilt now and would go). GT black I haven't done but wouldn't worry about except for the actual black bits at the end (wormhole etc). Innerleithen black can **** off though 😆
GT black I haven't done but wouldn't worry about except for the actual black bits at the end (wormhole etc).
It's not the technicality of the black at GT it's the rough surface that is the issue on a crosser for me.
Where is Inners Black Northwind? The only bit I know that is black and not a 'downhill run' is razor rock? If thats the bit you are refering to then you're right, wouldn't fancy doing that on the crosser. But maybe there is another bit of trail I have missed!?
GT red would be fine on a crosser. GT black would be nasty from anything between top of redemption and falla brae. And actually pretty nasty up to that point as well