# Favourite Descent



## GilesM (27 Oct 2009)

I was just looking through Internet stuff last night and found this video, very good one of the Deliverance Descent on the Glentress Black run, you'll see from the time that it is fairly long, but you don't get the true feeling from the video of how rough it is, this was the descent that persuaded me that full suspension bikes really do have a place in this world. Definately one of the best descents I have ever ridden, and is one of the main reasons why I could never get bored of Glentress. Also see how busy it is, that's about normal.


View: http://www.vimeo.com/5662909


What are your favourite bits of DH?


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## Globalti (27 Oct 2009)

Go to Calderdale and ride the BW that drops from Peckett Well to Jack Bridge, outside Hebden Bridge. Beats any man-made DH any time.


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## ColinJ (27 Oct 2009)

Rigid Raider said:


> Go to Calderdale and ride the BW that drops from Peckett Well to Jack Bridge, outside Hebden Bridge. Beats any man-made DH any time.


That would actually be Pecket Well to Midgehole near Hardcastle Crags (outside Hebden Bridge). This is the start of it:







By the way - it is a man-made DH - those huge stone slabs weren't deposited there by glaciers! 

There is a bridleway from opposite the New Delight at Jack Bridge down Colden Clough to Mytholm on the Todmorden side of Hebden Bridge but I prefer to do it as a climb - there are too many loose stones for my liking. I descended it yesterday and it was pretty scary because it is now covered in fallen leaves and you can't really see what lies beneath.


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## addictfreak (27 Oct 2009)

Both of them look good, must add them to my to do list for next year.


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## Globalti (27 Oct 2009)

Just think Colin - for hundreds of years packhorse owners were building the perfect MTB trails for us without even realising it! Now people rush off to trail centres when all they need to do is buy a local map!


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## lit (27 Oct 2009)

There's a great one at Newlands Corner from where the car park is heading towards Guildford.


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## ColinJ (27 Oct 2009)

Rigid Raider said:


> Just think Colin - for hundreds of years packhorse owners were building the perfect MTB trails for us without even realising it! Now people rush off to trail centres when all they need to do is buy a local map!


Yes, there are certainly many miles of good MTB trails round this area. 

I really loved riding off-road when we had the drought here in 1995 because all the trails which are normally horribly boggy dried up and became great to ride.


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## jann71 (27 Oct 2009)

Tough choice - Spooky wood all the way down to Buzzard car park at Glentress. Also a great run in Clyde Muirsheil park to Castle Semple in Lochwinnoch.


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## lukesdad (27 Oct 2009)

The golf course run off the back of Elan Valley down in to Rhayader MEGA !!!


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## dan_bo (30 Oct 2009)

Greenhouses lane, at the end of endcliffe park, sheffield. Mint.


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## Waspie (30 Oct 2009)

GilesM said:


> I was just looking through Internet stuff last night and found this video, very good one of the Deliverance Descent on the Glentress Black run, you'll see from the time that it is fairly long, but you don't get the true feeling from the video of how rough it is, this was the descent that persuaded me that full suspension bikes really do have a place in this world. Definately one of the best descents I have ever ridden, and is one of the main reasons why I could never get bored of Glentress. Also see how busy it is, that's about normal.
> 
> 
> View: http://www.vimeo.com/5662909
> ...




The Deliverance descent is great, not quite so keen on the climb after though.

Not sure I've got a favourite descent but the Gypsy Glen descent across the road from GT is pretty good.

Also the Innerleithen XC descent, love that, although I've not been there for ages for some reason.


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## GilesM (2 Nov 2009)

ColinJ said:


> That would actually be Pecket Well to Midgehole near Hardcastle Crags (outside Hebden Bridge). This is the start of it:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Looks good, I'll have to have a wee trip down there sometime.


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## GilesM (2 Nov 2009)

Waspie said:


> The Deliverance descent is great, not quite so keen on the climb after though.
> 
> Not sure I've got a favourite descent but the Gypsy Glen descent across the road from GT is pretty good.
> 
> Also the Innerleithen XC descent, love that, although I've not been there for ages for some reason.



The redemption climb after deliverance is very unpleasant, the fun does stop at the bottom, very quickly.

I've never tried the Gypsy Glen, I really should do it one day.


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## jpembroke (4 Nov 2009)

ColinJ said:


>



That's gorgeous. Proper England, that.


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## jpembroke (4 Nov 2009)

My favourite descent is any off Leckhampton Hill cos it's in my back yard. Lovely!


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## fuzzy290 (6 Nov 2009)

Either the final downhill of the XC trail at Cwncarn or the final descent on Whites Level, Afan.


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## Kirstie (9 Nov 2009)

Too many to mention!

In the UK it would have to be the Walna Scar Road just because its an old classic - but of all time it would have to be a descent called Sooo long near Williams Lake in the BC interior. It was truly Epic!!

Here's a pic:
http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=yb3a4g&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1 

You don't get the length but maybe a sense of the height gain/loss...

Then there's the alps - my favourite was one called Black 8 in les arcs...


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## GilesM (29 Nov 2009)

Kirstie said:


> Here's a pic:
> http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=yb3a4g&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1
> 
> You don't get the length but maybe a sense of the height gain/loss...
> ...



Kirstie, the link to the pic didn't work.
What bike did you ride for the Alps, interested to go myself, but wondering do I need a different bike.


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## GilesM (29 Nov 2009)

Waspie said:


> The Deliverance descent is great, not quite so keen on the climb after though.



Managed to find the path out from the bottom of Deliverance yesterday, ends up on the road opposite Cadrona, then a ride back along the old railway to GT.


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## Waspie (29 Nov 2009)

GilesM said:


> Managed to find the path out from the bottom of Deliverance yesterday, ends up on the road opposite Cadrona, then a ride back along the old railway to GT.



Any tips on how to find it? I've tried before with no luck.


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## yashicamat (29 Nov 2009)

The Macc Forest descent from Nessit Hill is a fantastic fireroad blast through a pine forest. All downhill with a few twisties on a fairly good condition fireroad - most of it can be taken at 30mph which is a blast! Have to watch out on the blinder corners though as it is quite popular with walkers too though - go early on a Sunday morning to avoid them.

There's now a short section of singletrack recently opened which links the end of the Forest descent with the Leather Smithy pub.


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## GilesM (29 Nov 2009)

Waspie said:


> Any tips on how to find it? I've tried before with no luck.



The easy thing is look for the shared trail marker just before you start to climb redemption, just before the right hand bend at the bottom of the descent, look to your left here, there is a path downhill, it's a sharp turn left, head down to a small stream, and there is a path through the grass. We managed to find the path this time by riding slowly from the last bridge over the stream, the one with the drop off, normally you just hammer down that section and see nothing but the rocks in front of you.


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## Kirstie (29 Nov 2009)

GilesM said:


> Kirstie, the link to the pic didn't work.
> What bike did you ride for the Alps, interested to go myself, but wondering do I need a different bike.



Sorry! You can see a smaller version here, but click on full size:

http://michael-wright.fotopic.net/p18629260.html

For the Alps I rode my Ventana X-5 with RockShox Revelations - that's the normal set up, but I did change the tyres and brakes. I used Maxxis High Rollers - 2.7 I think, and the Hope Mono M4 brakes off my downhill bike. I needed them as well. I usually run minis on the Ventana and they would have been nowhere near good enough. I still got through a set of M4 pads in one week as well. 

I also rode with a full face, dianese safety jacket and leg armour.


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## Waspie (29 Nov 2009)

GilesM said:


> The easy thing is look for the shared trail marker just before you start to climb redemption, just before the right hand bend at the bottom of the descent, look to your left here, there is a path downhill, it's a sharp turn left, head down to a small stream, and there is a path through the grass. We managed to find the path this time by riding slowly from the last bridge over the stream, the one with the drop off, normally you just hammer down that section and see nothing but the rocks in front of you.



Cheers. I'll look out for it next time I'm down there.


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## GilesM (30 Nov 2009)

Kirstie said:


> For the Alps I rode my Ventana X-5 with RockShox Revelations - that's the normal set up, but I did change the tyres and brakes. I used Maxxis High Rollers - 2.7 I think, and the Hope Mono M4 brakes off my downhill bike. I needed them as well. I usually run minis on the Ventana and they would have been nowhere near good enough. I still got through a set of M4 pads in one week as well.
> 
> I also rode with a full face, dianese safety jacket and leg armour.



Thanks, hopefully just a brake upgrade, I have Hope minis on my Orange Five, and I'll definately go for some armour.


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## zacklaws (5 Dec 2009)

Down the steps from the "Royal Standard" heading towards the "Rose and Crown"

Ignore me I've had too much homebrew.


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## joshtp (11 Dec 2009)

darkside on Whites level @ Afan.


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