Reviews for Hamsterley Forest Mountain Bike Trails

Summary:
awesome

Review:
This is such a great trail even though it is not that long. Went a few months ago and loved it. Very good for beginners and advanced.

Summary:
Very poor, not enough single track and over grown. NOT A BLACK TRAIL!

Review:
I rode this today after having read reviews. I wasn't expecting it to be the best trail in the world. But wasn't quite ready for how bad it was. To start with the trail markers are very poor, this ruins the flow as your'e aways on the lookout to see when you have to turn of the fire breaks. Which brings me to my next point. Far far to much of this trail is on fire brakes for it to be a black run. You work very hard hill climbing (which i dont mind)(mostly on fire brakes) for very little single track or flowing decent. The new section 13 is a perfect example of this.( Where did all that money go for the trail upgrades?) You just start to enjoy yourself, then you find your'e at the end of it and back on a fire road! (again). Bottom line on this trail. Dont bother! stay in the car and drive to Dalby where they know how to build trails.

Summary:
Much improved in places

Review:
I do this trail by starting with the second half and finishing with the first half - that is kicking it all off with Section 13 - then hang a right along to the 2nd half of the black route. There's some nice sections there now - including rock table-tops, a lush floaty bombhole jump, a new big wooden berm - then a fairly tasy drop (about 3') which is a decent height and can definately be graded as a black as it can seem fairly big. Then over forest drive and yeah, a boring bit of climbing but there's a new really challenging piece of technical up hill (before you get to the old stone wall). This involves some tight skinnies and then trying to hold a line over some fairly large boulders. I think this kind of thing is what bumps the trail up to a black as it is quite difficult to nail this without sticking a foot down.
I think the added feature of a skinny over the streams/river would make this even more interesting, instead of getting soaked feet when you become stuck in trying to get accross them

Summary:
Totally not a blue!

Review:
Did this today, and after doing the Glentress and Whinlatter blue trails this is nowhere near it. The short section of singletrack at the start is nothing more technical than green at its very best. Followed by the rest of the trail which is just Fire road.
The only redeeming factor in my eyes was the views, but as im used to riding up in Cumbria and Scottish borders it was nothing special.
A very nice route so long as you have no confusion that it is not a blue trail in any sense of the word, great if you are after a green/purple though.

Summary:
lots of ups and not enough rewards on the downs

Review:
i live about an hour away so localish for me terrible if its been raining but a good practice trail. As in previous comments if youve been to 7stannes (glentress innerleithen etc) this will be a big let down. However the new section 13 bit of the red route is good fun and i hope that they extend it all the way down to the valley that would make all the difference for me.