Did my first trip to Aston Hill one evening last week and loved it, although couldn’t believe just how steep and technical some sections were, particularly the drop offs, into a hairpin bend on roots and loose sandy soil!

Anyway, had a great time and plan to get a few more trips in before the alps. First time I have felt my bike (or more accurately the DUC32 forks) to be slightly out of it’s depth too although I’m sure Steve Peat could get it down there without any issues!

Did some GoPro vids but the light was poor and we got a fingerprint on the lens during a changeover. Managed to capture my mate having an off though which he almost repeated identically on the next run (just lost the back wheel on the slope rather than both but came off with style when his chainring axed open a stump!!)

you should try it in the wet

Ditto Kimbers. 😉

Cool vid. How was it mounted to your chest? Official thing or home made bodge?

Double ditto kimbers and the pimp.

Love that place but when it starts to rain it’s time to go home or at least pre book an ambulance.

Nice vid.

Im going there tonight. What run did you do on the vid then ?

if you think aston hills steep you want to have a go on the champery course – its another level entirely. Aston Hill is about average for DH

Aston Hill is simply not rideable in the wet

I raced there after a slight bit of rainfall (the slightest bit of rainfall ever) and wiped out randomly with zero warning on an easy flat part of the track, before the bombhole.

The next guy behind me went down in the bombhole and broke his leg. Again with no warning so massive impact.

It’s not rideable in the wet.

Nice vid. I have also gone down that bank – though in my case think I missed the landing on the jump in the wet.

I think the frist track on the vid was DH3 and the second DH4 though?

I used to do XC racing at Aston Hill. That was – entertaining. Mental sprint up the fireroad that runs up the middle of the course towards the car park, turn right and drop into the DH section. 80 XCers riding 60mm hardtails with narrow flat bars (this was back in the day) all trying to squeeze down that. Carnage!

Then the lungbusting climb up to the top, through all the bombholes, down part of the dual slalom course and repeat 6 times. Utterly brutal!

what time is it open till in the evenings?

Learn to ride it fast in the wet, and you become a whole lot quicker when it dries out!

Rode on the Hill for about 4 years while living in London, in all types of weather – sun, snow, wind, rain, ice…

The black is proper steep, and parts of DH4 are, but DH3 isn’t too bad and is a well fun track 😀

DH4 is ace ace ace. I love that drop onto tight singletrack then series of enormous bus stop turns. Reckless stuff.

Nice vid.
What’s the music ?

What trail is at the start of the video?

First track is DH3, second is DH4.

Its a great vid

so DH3 isn’t a down hill race track its just a nice bit of downhill, like at a trail centre? I’d assumed the downhill runs at aston would be to much for me

DH3 gets a bit rooty but it’s not that steep. There’s also the red run which is good fun and I think part of the XC loop.

yeah you can ride aston in the wet, youll crash lots but after youve learnt to ride it, mud on other tracks wont phase you,
its one of the only places where id bother to go for specific mud tyres

i really like the 423 track there too, great place gutted ive missed it this spring with my bust foot 🙁

try riding dh3 fast on an overbuilt 4x hardtail. 🙂

The tune is ‘Night Air’ by Jamie Woon.

Wasn’t sure what the tracks were called but if it is DH3 initially and then DH4 I’ll update the info on the video.

In the wet it must be lethal as the roots are all off camber and must be like ice – not sure I fancy that much yet!!

The DH4 drop was awesome and Graham only crashed both times as his line was just slightly off and the steep camber off the line is completely unforgiving.

Having watched some of the proper DH Boys going down there on YouTube I know we’ve got a long way to go yet and am not sure I can afford the injuries, but can see DHing becomimng a more regular part of my riding! Oh dear, time for a new bike I think!

must be like ice

Yes a bit like sheet ice, covered in a mixture of cottage cheese and thick oil.

Firecrest used to (& probably still) run skill courses based at Aston Hill. They can show you how to get down those off-camber, slippy, wet, muddy roots with speed and style.

My tip for off-camber muddy roots is Swamp Things, they were a revelation to me when I switched to them.

without sounding like someform of expert rider or the likes….is it really that steep? the video suggests it just looks like anyother trail centre? or is it just the camera angles etc?

looks fun

UK bike park the same in the wet. 😯

there are a number of corners that flow one after the other with roots thrown in – it’s this combined with the steepness that makes it a challenge

its not overly steep, and neither is ukbp. They’re both pretty standard severity for dh courses – naturally some are more mellow (cwm carn for example) but there’s loads of steeper courses around

From that video.. it looks to me like what is needed is a liberal sprinkling of half-sunk pig-sized granite boulders every few yards…

It’s a lot steeper than Cwmcarn, Afan or Llandegla which are the only trail centres I’ve been to. The camera does shallow things out a lot – the actul hillside itself is probably 45 degrees in places, but the tracks are obviously cut into this and run along it. It’s the drops into the switchbacks that are the steepest bits

I’m very new to DH so I’m sure it is just run of the mill, but compared with the welsh centres I’ve been to it’s much steeper and technical.

Didn’t try the black as it was getting dark – what’s that like?

Ooooh, that looks fun. Must try & get along at some point.

How much riding is there? A whole days worth of messing around?

The black run is pretty steep in specific places, for a race course. It’s difficult at speed, definitely a good course. Rob Warner played a part in its design, didn’t he?

A whole days worth of messing around?

depends how fit you are, pushing back to the top can take it out of you – I think I’ve managed 12 runs before being too knackered to do any more

significantly steeper than any ‘trail centre’ ive visited, then to my mind a trail centre is XC and aston hill is DH

the red run which is part of the XC loop at aston is as steep and technical as the black dh on whites at afan or the final descent on climachx, its been so long since i went to CyB that i cant remember a comparison from there.

ive ridden back up at aston hill, but i usually only do it once per visit,
that said there is enough of the xc loop and the start of dh3 to the fireroad, the 4X* and the bombholes, to keep you amused for a while, without winding up right down the bottom

*must admit ive not been there this year so dont know how it is – rough as a badgers arsehole last time i visited!

May I ask, is it just a push back up kinda place or is there a fire road loop. If a ride, how long a slog is it and also how long a push, Cheers.

the only ride to the top is to follow the XC loop
never timed it but i suspect that its similar to walking up the foot path

You could also ride back up most of the fire road that everyone pushes up, if you can be arsed!

http://www.rideastonhill.co.uk/Literature/Brochure_Sept_10/Aston_Hill_brochure_inside.pdf

map might only make sense if you already know the place,
eastern half is the top half of the hill basically