Parallel Universe Is The New Black

Llandegla today was damp, warm (16 deg!) and shrowded in mist.  Only half the car park was open and that was about 75% full, so not exactly busy.  First time up there for a few months and the second time out for the Mutt for this autumn / winter period when the weather and the daylight is less roadie friendly.

I chose to do the Black as I wanted to give the new "alternative" black section a try - its called Parallel Universe because it doesn't replace the existing Black route - it runs as an option.

The main climb was despatched in under 20 minutes, I didn't need the granny ring and felt good enough at the top to just stop long enough to put the saddle down a couple of inches and then keep going.  The second section after the main climb was closed again - more trail maintenance going on there, so the 3 or 4 black table tops along that mainly red section weren't possible today.  Worth noting that there's some more trail building going on up there too.

So far so good.  The new Parallel Universe section is part way down the main Black descents on the North side of the forest.  There are large signs up about how its a "jump specific" section and that its "designed to get you airborne".  You should have "excellent skill levels" and "don't go here if you're not completely sure".  "Look at the jumps before riding them" etc. etc.  Sounds like they're throwing down the gauntlet to me!

So the first obstacle is definitely designed to challenge / put you off / vastly increase the profitability of your favourite chainset manufacturer.  "Sponsored by Truvativ" might be a good one to add to the sign (please note that other chainset manufacturers are available - see your LBS for details).  It's supposed to be approached as speed, of that I'm very sure.  You go up a large flat rock which is raised at the trailing edge where it overlaps another large flat rock which is near enough horizontal.  At the end of the horizontal rock there's a big step-off - at least 18 inches - either side of which there are supposed to be vertical slate "gates" about 2-3 ft high.  Today though, the left hand gate post is lying a foot or two down the slope to the left - somebody has hit it and I suspect bent aluminium, broken bones or a minimum of some big bruises will have been the result.  The edge of the step-off is solid rock and even though this part of the trail has only been open a few weeks, there are dozens of grooves on the trailing edge, evidencing much grief for many chainsets.  I don't have the confidence for this bit, so skirt around the edge.  It seems to be the toughest step off though as the later ones are less severe and / or aren't built out of such solid material.

From there on in it's clear that the trail fairies must have been in a very bad / evil / sadistic / crazy / loopy mood when they designed and built their Parallel Universe.  This section is WAY above the technical standard required for the rest of the Black and will be good for those who've grown in skills and bravery enough to be feeling underwhelmed by the standard Black. For once the safety notices make some sense.

There are many and varied table tops (I roll over them), some of which, if you were in the air, would require you to launch the bike at an appropriate angle to enable a safe landing back onto the trail path, there are some great step-offs and lots and lots of berms and yumps - all strung together by some seriously quick downhilling.  Yikes and whoop whoop would be a family friendly translation of the language going through my head.  Berms.  Good grief - never seen anything like them.  Are they actually vertical or is it just some kind of wierd illusion.  They're very rideable though - its another one of those things that makes me realise that the bike is still capable of much more than I am - confidence and more speed than seems reasonable makes these berms work well.

Not all plain sailing for me though.  About just over half way down there is a series of large flat rocks placed in a very broken pavement kind of way, with some of them steeply inclined downwards, a short series of steps and some yumps in the mix too.  I did the first quarter or so, then discretion got the better of me and I walked down the rest.  Am I disappointed in myself?  Not really - I still have all my limbs intact and I don't need a new helmet!  Today the surface of these rocks was very wet and slimy with mud - I'm sure they're rideable (see the vid below - they're ridable at a very high speed!) but not for me today.  Would like to build up the confidence by riding them in the dry first (so that'll be June 2011 then!).

I hope all this about the new section doesn't sound too negative - its not meant to be - I'm trying to explain that, with my "just about happy to go for it on the Black" level of skills, this is a serious challenge and will take some time to get used to and to feel confident about attacking rather than treating with caution.  Perhaps next time I'll sit off to one side of the pavement section and see how it should be done as other riders go through.  I think its a superb addition to the trails at Llandegla.

The rest of the Black was up to its usual standard and tricks - there were a couple of sections where the climbs were very tough today, but perhaps I haven't had enough sleep this week to be really up for the exertion.  I need to check my tyre pressures too - I think the new track pump I've got is putting in substantially more air for 40psi that the old one did (using the built in gauges on each pump) - I'll have to verify with a separate gauge.  I'm saying this because I feel particularly battered after the ride, much more so than usual, and the bike was a bit skittish from time to time.

Another change from last time I was up there towards the end of the red - they've taken out the Notshore section - its still there, but it has been disconnnected at each end by 20 or so feet.  I never really enjoyed riding that stuff - the logs hadn't been graded so it was difficult and painful.  Having got the hang of it for the last 5 or 6 rides up there and been able to ride it end to end with little problem, its now gone.  Replaced by and extension of the approach - a flat singletrack running alongside a ditch with a token hump in the middle - hopefully something more imaginative will be added soon.

Had my photo taken again today - coming off the top of the big Northshore drop on the Black - I was so pleased to have gone over at a reasonable pace I forgot to slow down for the turn into the following climb (its not even a turn, more of a gentle bend) and ended up parking in a clump of bushes.  Not so cool!  Got passed on the final meandering black climb up through the trees by a couple of guys on single speeds.  As my local roadie mate would say "chapeau".

So a good, but hard ride - this stuff certainly packs a lot of strenous exercise into a shortish route and amount of time - hopefully it'll keep my fitness up during the winter.

This, of courese, is the way it should be done!  http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/video-jay-hoots-rides-llandeglas-new-black-section-27669