Reviews for Nevis Red Trail XC

Summary:
Good trial!

Review:
The new red route, needing to take the gondola up with the DHers is a good trial! ALOT of boardwalk though! and in the wet, very slippy!
Personally i would of rated this black DH, because of steep technical 'open rock' sections!
WARNING TO XC RIDERS! --> This track comes out half way up the DH track, and comes out on a very fast DH section! take care when crossing over to forest road which leads to car park, or turning left to do the bottom section of the DH course WHICH IS VERY ROOTY WITH GAP JUMPS!

Summary:
Awesome!! Truely unique trail

Review:
It's fairly obvious that this trail has been built by downhillers rather than xc riders, though it has been built wil xc riders in mind, so it is not too extreme but really pushes the boundaries of what a proficient mtber is capable of, if you get my drift.

The first section of the trail is all boardwalk. Its like nothing i have ever ridden before as the boardwalk is so long and so uniform, almost feels like your in a video game. Your constantly watching the carefully cut edges and looking for the yellow strips that indicate a drop. It clutches to the side of the mountain with loads of smooth dips and turns. Great fun!

The next stage is very rocky and technical, where picking the right line over the rocks is essential. You are aided by spray painted arrows of where to go and what should be avoided.

Once you enter the forest the trail quickly changes style again and becomes very fast and flowing with big berms and steep descents through the trees, along with some truely epicly proportioned bombholes.

If anything, the very last small part of the trail lets it down, where it feels like it trying to get you to the carpark by avoiding the main world Cup downhill route. I would actually recommend switching onto the downhill run where the trails cross over near the giant "Visit Scotland" wall ride. I certainly managed fine on a hardtail and avoiding some of the larger gap jumps towards the bottom greatly enjoyed this section. I would only suggest people do this part of the downhill trail if your confident with steep descents and drop off's in quick succession.

You will be smiling when you get to the bottom, safe in the thought that you can ride it again and again the very same day thanks to the gondola. I did this trail 4 times when if i had to cycle up would only have done it once. 4 days of riding in 1! If i remember correctly a gondola pass is ?25 for multiple trips, well worth the money.