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Evening all, just wondering what the hardest or most technical descent on Dartmoor is?
I've done Nutcrackers and Bowermans nose and the Drop in, any other good rocky tech ones?
Cheers!
Have you done the monkey line off the nutcracker? Just after the long slog across look for a line between two sets of rocks.
Or the fox tor descent that cuts back just as the nutcracker hits the trees?
There's another into lustleigh that I've not ridden yet that's supposed to be pretty hard.
And I seem to remember smallacombe rocks down towards the bridge towards hound tor being quite tech in places.
ime, there is actually not many descents that have something between "pretty rocky but rideable" and "you need to be a trials star to ride this" kinda thing.
IE, plenty of trails that take a basic level of skill, and quite a few that have rocks/drops so large you're going to need to hop around on just the back wheel like the pros to clear them, but really not many that fall between the two, ie rideable but challenging.....
Just go faster 😉
The Siegfried line... So named as its the last line of the Lustleigh Nazi defence... Particularly difficult if you follow it all the way to Lustleigh village and clean the clapper bridge. I'm only aware of one who has...
The Monkey Run has 1 awkward corner the rest is quite straight forward.
there's an awkward line in bellever woods iirc
That monkey line off down to the right just before you start the Nutcracker section is the trickiest I know that is perfectly rideable. Just not by me so far...
@hamish yes that 90deg right hand corner is tough...
there is the footpath descent to Horsham steps in lustleigh cleave. I recon it's as tough as the Siegfried line but less likely to annoy pensioners
that roll in at the top of the smallacombe descent has totally psyched me out.. I won't even try it these days
where's the seigfried line?
As Si has said the Siegfried Line is good, as is the little run down from the quarry to the new clapper bridge below holwell lawn. Smallacombe is more tricky if you actually ride all the rocks not round them which seems to be becoming the norm.
Joe - is that the one that starts by going past someone's kitchen window?
Has anyone ever doubled that big rock slab in the middle of smallacombe? Always looked prime for it...
Yeah that's 'Backdoor' Dave. Ime not as consistently technical as the Seigfried Line and arguably has caused me more grief!
Where is the smallacombe descent? Is it the one on Strava marked as "drop in"?
Riklegge - yep thats the one.
Si - Ah, the wet steps! Was racking my brain to remember what it was like.
Heh! Just found the Seigfried Line on Strava.. I've only ever carried the bike [i]up[/i] though!
That was the first ever trail I encountered when I first ever ventured into the Cleave..
I rode in from the village end, completely blind with no info other than a rumour that there was some good riding near Lustleigh..
Yunki - bet that was a proper welcome to the Cleave moment!
Siegfried Line? Would I get to that by continuing down the first half of the Nutcracker, not taking the traverse across to the trail that leads down to the bridge too far, and crossing the road?
I miss Dartmoor a lot, the Quantocks are amazing but just not the same
Yeah, that's the one Bucko if memory serves..
It was an eye opener for sure Burchy 😆
An eye-opener and bottom squeaker that would be...
So you're up on the Q's too now Bucko.. It may not have the tech of Dartmoor I agree but Triscombe has some great technical riding - just roots not rocks!
Triscombe really does have some great trails, the wet roots really do keep you on your toes in the winter, and i'm not disappointed at all by the Q'tox, I just miss the granite sometimes
You're probably right Si about the hassle. I'm only going by my experience of the two lines but I've never had an issue on it. As to technicality, I've always felt that the section with the 90 degree bike length turns and drops is a bit awkward, perhaps it's just the wagon wheels 😉
.. has anyone ridden Manaton Rocks?
Been meaning to for ages, but concerned about hitting ramblers/ dogwalkers / squirrels etc.
Yes... Ok, not exceptional tbh
Triscombe trails that we rode with Si were great fun, will be back (hopefully when dry), the Q's and Dartmoor are both great in different ways. Among some of the best riding i've experienced is chasing Si's dust trail around Lustleigh.
Si - when the dust returns you'll have to look me up when your up this way.