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If the thought of bombing down rough trails has you dreaming of getting off-road, here’s some extra info on suitable four wheel mountain bike trails around the UK to help get you rolling…
Please respect others when riding the trails. If you ride multi-use trails, when you see someone, such as a hiker, slow down. Give any other riders room to pass and yield to those riding uphill. Try not to go so fast or so slow that you disrupt others (hikers or riders) and, when you stop, get off the trail, for your own safety and that of others.
Please respect the trails too… ride only on trails when they are open. Try to ride where the ground is hardest, especially during or after heavy rain. Don't take shortcuts across switchbacks, etc and leave undisturbed areas undisturbed. Travel in groups no larger than 5 or 6 to reduce your impact on the environment and on other trail users. Also, ensure you take away everything that you bring with you, including any litter. Ride on!
Ideally the trail needs to be wider than the width of the bikes at 0.9m. This does not mean that the prepared width of trail needs to exceed this dimension for its entire length. It is often necessary to ride a four wheeler with one wheel off the prepared surface in the undergrowth. The main thing that will prevent the use of singletrack trail is very narrow bench cut single track and raised boardwalk of less than 1m. It is particularly frustrating to find perfectly usable section of singletrack that has a short section of boardwalk that is 0.8m wide. Board walk of this width is not in place to provide the challenge of riding a ’skinny’ obstacle for two wheeled riders. It could therefore afford to be a little wider to accommodate four wheelers without spoiling the challenge in any way for 2 wheelers.
Entry/exit barriers to trails obviously need to exceed four wheeled bike width. Usually 0.15m either side of the bikes is sufficient to allow them to get through unhindered. This allows for the fact that a turn is often required as gates are usually staggered.The Trail demarcation also needs to be considered with the width of four wheel bikes in mind.
Our full 'fourcross friendly' trail building guidelines, are now available to download on-line below:
The ideal trail for a four wheeler has a predominantly downhill gradient throughout. Whilst it is possible to self propel a four wheeler on the flat and up shallow gradients, it is not possible to the same level of efficiency as a two wheeler. Where a normal bike can be pedalled to gain momentum a four wheeler will struggle to regain momentum following flat or uphill sections. A four wheeler can be jumped in the same way as normal bike (with 6 inches of suspension travel) but it is particularly important to take the landing impact on the exit transition. Therefore you need to be able to carry enough speed into a jump to achieve this.
Steep straight downhill gradients are fine for 4 wheelers, however turns across steep gradient on off cambers are not good. Table tops, step up/downs and doubles are all possible providing it is possible to carry sufficient speed into the take off to achieve the landing transition. Small drop offs can also be ridden. Technical features and natural terrain such as rock gardens are usually ok providing they are wide enough. Raised boardwalk sections and fun boxes are fine again providing they are wide enough.
UK MTB trails use colour codes to tell you what to expect. The colours are based on those used for cross-country skiing routes. We have created an easy to follow table showing you what the different colours mean for UK mountain-bikers...
Below is a list of the trails that have so far successfully been used with 4 wheeled bikes. The Rough Riderz club are currently in consultation with the Forestry Commission about other new DH facilities being developed nationwide.
Scotland MTB Trails Promo Video - Click here
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Laggan Wolftrax www.basecampmtb.com
Scotland has some of the best mountain biking in the UK. One of the best venues for fourcross riders is in the Scottish Highlands. Wolftrax has a permanent vehicle uplift service to get you to the top of the downhill trails. The blue graded Fun Park trail is almost 1 mile long and is packed with table-top jumps and bermed corners. There are also plans to develop further routes that will be suited to fourcross riders.
Glentress www.7stanes.gov.uk
Scotland also boasts one of the UK's largest trail centres in the Scottish borders. At Glentress, the Freeride Park and the Essentials Trail feature blue and red sections that are good for fourcross riders, as well as parts of the Unnamed Trail. The Spooky Wood Trail on the red XC route at Glentress is packed with table-tops, drop-offs and huge bermed corners- ideal for fourcross.
Innerleithen www.7stanes.gov.uk
Just a couple of miles down the road at Innerleithen there are numerous downhill trails. Many of these are very technical but some are suitable for fourcross riders, notably the Make or Break Trail and Caddon Bank Descent. We are currently negotiating with the Forestry Commission to arrange an uplift for fourcross riders at both Glentress and Innerleithen.
Ae Forest www.7stanes.gov.uk
The red-graded Shredder is a very challenging but high quality ride that links to the Omega Man trail.
The Omega Man section of the red-graded Ae Line trail runs through coniferous forest. It boasts a more aggressive, freeride style with rocky drop-offs, bomb holes, table top jumps and some very steep descents.
Mabie Forest www.7stanes.gov.uk
The 4x track is short but difficult trail by nature. Whilst being a wide flowing circuit, it isn't perfectly suited to fourcrossing, as the 'bmx' style rhythm of the jumps makes the course harder to negotiate on four wheels. This is not recommended for novice riderz!
Fort William www.nevisrange.co.uk
Another purpose-built downhill site with an uplift service is at Fort William in Scotland. The last section of the Off-Beat Downhill track is suitable for fourcross bikes. The trail (at Nevis Range) is both steep and fast, with some very extreme jumps and drop-offs.
New Track Proposal: An intermediate level (red) route planned by NevisRange is currently under review. The club hopes to play an active role in making this new track suitable for all riders to enjoy.
Hamsterley Forest www.descendhamsterley.co.uk
Northern England has a purpose-built downhill site in County Durham. This site has a number of traditional gnarly downhill runs, many of which are OK for fourcross riders, as well as the 4X track. A vehicle uplift service is also available here by prior arrangement and subject to minimum numbers.
Whinlatter Forest www.forestry.gov.uk/whinlatterhome
The new freeride descent on the southern side is the UK's first trail purpose built with 4 wheels in mind. The new surface and gradient causes the trail to run slower than usual, but does offer a run that is suitable for beginners. As this new surface beds in, and more riders use the trail, the track will get faster.
The Southern Loop is a good introduction to the sort of terrain the bike can handle. It has a mixture of good features across the upper section of the route, which then drops into a slower but more technical lower half, finishing back on the forest road.
For those wanting more of a challenge the second trail at Whinlatter is in two parts. It begins with a blue section called the Quercus trail. This finishes on the forest road, with a steep descent and a sweeping bend leading up into a section of bridleway, known locally as the Seldom Seen trail.
Surf the Turf www.surf-the-turf.co.uk
This new 'Adrenaline Sports Adventure Park' is a private facility based in Sedgwick, Cumbria. It already has a downhill mountain-boarding trail which is currently being developed to accomodate other gravity based sports. The existing downhill track is good for all mountain bikers, starting with rollers into a heavily bermed section with tabletops towards the bottom end. Great low prices!
New Track Proposal: There are also plans for a slalom-style track, suitable for fourcross racing. Other links are also being developed between the existing trails to provide different route options for riders. We are in close contact with the owners of this exciting new venue.
Srcatchmere Scar Location Map
This new private facility already boasts an NPS approved downhill trail as well as an 'old school' style downhill track for the less experienced. There are also plans for a 4X track, and new links between the existing tracks, with a very cheap uplift service running every weekend.
New Track Proposal: Having been approached by Scratchmere's trail designer, Clive King, we are now pleased to announce that construction is underway on two other new trails. Both a suitable freeride route and the UK's first fourcross-friendly dual-slalom course will hopefully be ready this autumn. Our club continues to keep in close contact with the owners of this exciting new venue.
New Track Proposal: The Reddish Vale MTB Club have created a proposal for world-class facilities to be built in the Tame Valley, near Manchester. Provided local councils approve this plan, Rough Riderz will have the opportunity to influence the fourcross access at the site.
Llandegla Forest www.coedllandegla.com
The forest has mountain biking trails suitable for fourcross riders, with more challenging routes for experienced riders. There are sections of Blue, Red and Black XC routes. All tracks are completely enclosed within the forest, so there are no main roads to cross.
Cwm Carn www.mbwales.com
There is a purpose-built downhill site with an uplift service at Cwm Carn in South Wales. The steep slopes on the top section of this bench-cut trail make it very difficult to ride on 4 wheels. Combined with a very slippery mud and rock surface, this trail is very narrow and only recommended for expert riderz. After crossing the road, the lower section starts with a two foot drop-off into a fast bermed corner that opens out into a much drier, wider trail which is fun to ride.
Bikepark Tenerife www.bikeparktenerife.com
The first bikepark in the Canary Islands is located in Tegueste, in the North of Tenerife. All the installations have been created exclusively for mountain biking, with the added advantage of having a very favourable climate all year round. The park also runs a shuttle service all day, every day, to get riders back up to the top of the park. There are several downhill lines offering many natural and man made obstacles, including lots of different dirt jumps, berms, woodland and northshore sections. There are several sections of trail which are suitable for fourcross bikes, with more development planned to improve and extend these routes. The aim is to create a suitable choice for beginners, intermediate and expert riders, with challenging and technical parts to all of them.
Las Lajas to Los Olivos www.secret-tenerife.com
This is one of the best natural fourcross DH trails in Tenerife. With the start located at approx. 2300m above sea level, just below the base of the famous Mount Teide volcano This is a fantastic ride which ends in an area of Adeje, just south of the Las Americas. Beginning above the clouds, and offering over an hour of pure off-road downhill, this wide trail has lots of natural obstacles and a variety of different terrain. It includes some very fast sections of track, with only two small ascents along the whole route. It is a challenging ride, but ideal for more experienced fourcross riders. We strongly recommend using a local guide. PLEASE NOTE: Unauthorised riding within the Parque Nacional is illegal, and punishable with fines of up to 4000 euros...
Las Lagunetas to Agua Garcia www.secret-tenerife.com
Another good natural DH trail in the North of Tenerife, starting from approx. 1800m above sea level and ending in a small village near La Matanza. Beginning in an area of La Esperanza, this wide trail is ideal for fourcross riding, with a good dirt surface, lots of small jumps, bermed corners and a good downhill gradient all the way to the bottom. It includes some fast sections, technical sections, and other good features on the track. It is an excellent route for four wheelers, including less experienced riders. We strongly recommend using a local guide.
Canary Islands Tourism www.turismodecanarias.com
