[Closed] revamping an old rhs article, your fave 250 yards of singletrack. in the uk

3rd quarter of middle moor, superb heather hidden fast swoopyness.

At the minute some cheeky up in the Dark Peak.

In the UK? Middle of middle cresta run at innerleithen I think. Or possibly Broon Troot at glentress, love that trail.

Can you show me sometime chris? you can blindfold me until we get there so i have no idea where i am, then it can remain a secret.

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Frog Combe, north side, quantocks. A ribbon of awesomeness that's over all too quickly.

If you've ridden it you'll know it.

Think I know the bit in Broxboune where you mean. How's the going over there at the moment?

hard and fast

The phrase, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', has made my realise that there's sections of trails on the Quantocks that completely blow away other's i've ridden across the country.

Carving up the sinuous lines along frog combe roller coaster was one. A ribbon of leafy trail no more than 300mm wide, it rolls and twists, whips round trees, stumps, watch for the roots trying to throw you down the steep bank to your right into the stream bed far below.

Or was it Bincombe?
Straight off the road your speed increases forcing you into a long drifty left hander, the trail is now almost flat, yet somehow it's rhythmic line pumps speed from the bike, only a fallen tree makes you brake to ride around it, but a flick of the rear end and a pedal stroke or two brings you back up to speed. Where's it's straight, little root systems give something to pop off, landing letting the bike roll scattering loose rock, leaves and tree litter as you pass through. There's barely any gradient on this trail, nature has formed a near perfect trial, you need to follow a local closely as it's easy to lose the not so obvious fun line. Roots are in place trying to push your front wheel off course and ankle high stumps lurk on the trail side and at the apex of corners making you need to whip your rear end around to avoid the rear tracking into them. At speed your tyres are fighting grip on the bed of leaves and at times you're even riding in a gully deep in dead leaves hiding rocks and dead branches, sit back, un weight the forks and relax, don't fight it you will stay on track but on'y just.

This is probably more like 400yards of trail maybe more, because it's so rarely used it remains unchanged, therefore naturally perfect.

Or is it........Bowermans...or ..

250 yards of singletrack? That would be the footpath just down the road that crosses the village and links the two roads. Not long, not techy but nice. Tucked in a corridor of trees between two big arable fields and allows me to form a nice short 90% off road loop from my front door.

If its nice soon I will get a photo

@Sharki - I might have to frame some of your last post and put it on my wall - I have no idea where it is and will never ride there, but it sounds like my kind of trail

I'll go for a bit of "usual route to the bridge".

Long singletrack through some birch woodland, the best bit starts at a tight lefthander with a root across it, where what was a flat trail starts to pick up a bit more gradient. Jink round the fallen silver birch, across a wee gully and out straight over the treestump (but only if it's dry - otherwise the slower route round it). A few hard pedal strokes to pick up speed, gentle lefthand curve with some little roots to one side that can give you a wee booster as it turns into a sweeping righthander. Straightens up and you rattle over some roots then carve the tightening offcamber lefthander that has just enough berm to hold a bike away from the edge (10-15m steep drop to a river below). Nip between the two birches and the gradient eases and speed carried from the steeper bit bleeds away as you come out into the open. Best 250 yards over. Another km to go.

When this came up originally it was easy to answer, now I'm not so sure. There's so many great trails out there with some cracking sections. Including loads local, Lakes has some brilliant stuff, ridden some fantastic stuff in Calderdale and other areas.

Mine's not changed. Just as it was in the article.

The bit from the masts behind Llandegla and above the Ponderosa down to the road at Crag Arthur. Not ridden it for about 10 years but it was always the best bit of trail for me. May not be there anymore, TBH I haven't ridden at Llandegla since it became a trail centre.

Or a swoopy bit at the Little Fawn end of the Chase, downhill towards a fords. Had a proper weaving through the trees at speed flow to it. Again, not ridden there for about 4 years.

My favourite local singletrack is the descent through Brussleton Woods in Co Durham.

Fast, rooted, a couple of big bomb holes half way down, sketchy (there are the remains of Dere St roman road showing through it so loose algae covered cobbles protruding in parts, from Autumn through till late Spring there is also a covering of wet leaves).

You have to keep your wits about you but it's great fun.

Sharki

Up at the Q's the bit of track beside the road at triscombe car park / D/H tracks is also superb short blast

Even though we do it once a week at least all year round,it has to be Delamere, from the old Hospital down to the clearing.

"The bit from the masts behind Llandegla and above the Ponderosa down to the road at Crag Arthur. Not ridden it for about 10 years but it was always the best bit of trail for me. May not be there anymore, TBH I haven't ridden at Llandegla since it became a trail centre."

The baby elephant's head sized rock in the middle of it is both a good and bad thing.

Still there as well mattbee. I did the 'old' Llandegla bridleways (and other bits) a couple of weeks ago.

Pause for breath at the radio mast, enjoy the view to the sea. Drop your seat and take the plunge into the trail. Loose at first, a sculpted berm fires you out at warp speed. Chain snicks down the cassette reaching for faster gears. Top gear reached in a matter of seconds. Eyes focus on the line through the sinewy bench-cut trail. The bike working beneath you controlled purely by instinct now. As quickly as it begins the trail slows, tightens up and drops into the trees. A smile across your face you wonder if there’s time for one more “Mast Blast”.

-J

I had a moment of zen last year during a ride not far from Hamsterley.
After the high-speed track from Ruddy Car, I entered a field with waist height ferns glistening in the sun. The trail then turns along the edge of Dryderdale and steepens and speeds up as it follows the ravine. Twisty, fast and muchos fun.

Old railway corridor alongside Hucknall Road, Nottingham - Tesco towards City Hospital - because it's the way home and so familiar I reckon I could ride it blindfold.

Rocky Rooty in Mugdock. Packs so much into a short trail

@Drac Traverse of the dogs into the Eiger sanction, sublime.

+1 for Broxbourne 🙂 or Harmergreen woods nearby

A lovely bit in the New Forest that weaves it's way over the spoils from a railway cutting and starts just a quarter mile from a pub. Known locally as either 'The Ferns' or 'Collarbone Alley'.

Is always used to be the bit of follow the dog, from Chainslapper to end of the trail. Whilst the new bit is good, it is no chainslapper.

Good to see Jambo agreeing with frog combe, must mean it really is a great piece of trail, always fun to take noobs down there just after telling them of my trip to A&E via there.

SD, triscombe ST amost got a mention but it didn't quite meet the 250yard mark, in it's entirety maybe, however it's only the first 100yards that rocks, after that it's lost it's flow a little these days. Also for me at least, the first 100 yards it now a little too straight because i now use the roots and cut out two of the little jinks in the trail.

Lonscale Fell

The track that mattbe is on about, proper fast and sketchy as the rock are loose and the gully is just wide enough to get down, but try to pedal too much and you'll be hitting the sides and coming off without a doubt.

There's also an awesome bit in Delamere Forest where you turn off a fire road, up behind the tree line, along the old Roman Road, off a 3ft drop, down a bracken/tree lined bit up over a lump, back across the fire road, through the trees over a ditch, twist through the trees, down into & out of a bomb hole, then another with a tree on the supposed natural line and up the hill at the end to the start - awesome when it's dry, great when it's not - the 2nd half is now utter $h!te since the pony club decided it would make a nice trail to ride in the wet!!! 😈

Drop down to Bolton Abbey from Embsay moor?

Back to Bewick Chapel from Bewick moor, past the old ruins, perhaps?

Drum to Llanfairfechan through the gorse?

Really like the last few miles of Penmachno too, and bits of the track from Gunnerside back to Swaledale.

Boggart Hole Clough?

Moel Y Ci?

Dinorwic Quarry?

Too much to list, TBH.
Aren't bikes great?

i used to like the run on canford heath bournemouth, high along the gulley line.

Thought about this for ages ,
but this week my fave 250 yards of S.Track has to be in Trent park ,near Enfield (!!),
Part of the London Alps. 🙂