Cathkin Braes and Area 69 Mountain Bike Trails

Julmulvan:

Close to Glasgow so accessible for many. Good practice on the technical features and good to have somewhere nearby for short practices.

All single track with plenty of features since this is the trail to be used for 2014 commonwealth games. First major feature is propellor point. Red option on the right ( rollable and looks more scary than it actually is) and a black option on the right. It's possible to bypass both. Next is the first part of the back section with a variety of forest twisty trail leading on to a short section of flowing downhill before a short uphill to double dare. Double dare is a twin track red section, bypass able through the blue downhill trail. Double dare itself is a downhill snaking section with all sorts of technical features built in. After this you'll reach Clyde climb - a bit of a puffer! Another downhill section after this, again with a black option, this is probably the best part of the trails. Once you've completed this, it's up through a technical rocky section which goes on forever and then into the woods. The hardest part of big wood is brig o'doon. They should have called this bloody impossible - so far I have seen only two people manage this! I'll keep trying. Then over stepping stones and broken biscuits back to the start of the loop. It's not a long trail but fairly punishing in places.