Reviews for Glentress Mountain Bike Trail Centre

Summary:
For something Leagal it's awsome

Review:
Most trailcenters and things you go to have some sort of freeride area. These are normally rubish. The jumps are either tiny, have a landing far to close so you have to go slow or overshoot, have uphill jumps, are built on a hill so where it is so windy you can't do anythig or, more likly and are half way round an xc trail.

At glentress you can park next to it, it's in sheltered forest location and has jumps and drops for all. There are 3 main tracks going from top to bottom, with different features and eatch TTF having a beginer, moderate and advanced options.

As with most good bike riders I had no trouble doing anything, as it is mostly tabletop based and almost everything was rollable. Infact it all felt realy easy. Dispite this it was still fun and I think it would have taken a couple of weeks before I got board with it.

The only downsides are. You have to pay for the carpark next to the freeride area but you can just park at the bottom and ride up the incredably easy xc uphill. Although the jumps and drops are big for forestry they are just not as big as people tend to build themselves. But mainly, groups of people who come for the day tend to fill the place up. They all gather around basic stuff trying to get the hole group to do it. This is fine because they all get out your way quick enough but it does feel like waiting in line for the swings. Also it's a little anoying when you pushing up back past them and they start asking you in utter amazement how you just did a drop a full 6" higher than the one they can do.

Still if you don't go at peak times it's great and right next to some of the best xc trails in the uk and not to far from Innerleithen

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.

Summary:
Brilliant

Review:
The freeride Park has got it all. Jumps, berms, drop offs, a bit of low shore. You can session whatever you like.

The only very slight downside is that the 'big' wall ride that was opened with lots of fanfare in May (ish) '09 has been closed off. Insurance issues apparently. Still a 10 though.