This mountain Was Tougher Than I remembered - Ben Lomond

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In this video, I revisit Ben Lomond. I’d done this one 2 or 3 times before, but it’s most often at least year or so in between visits. As a result, I genuinely forget what it’s like to ride. In this case, it was way more relentless and enduring than I had chosen to recall. It was however, longer and better built than I remembered too.
I was joined, as I often am, by Piers, but we did meet a fellow biker near the top called Paul, and he joined us for the descent👍
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[@streetpigeonmtb]

IMO one of your most impressive vids. Firstly the riding - you were making some of that look way more rideable. Secondly, the footage. A real variety and the drone footage was second to none 🙌 You are totally inspiring me to hit the mountains bud 👍

[@McTrailRider]

Really appreciate that Jamie 😊 To be fair though, I’ve had a fair bit of practice on these kinds of trails.

[@paulgilbert2775]

Nice to meet you Andrew. Always good to have company on big descents like this. Keep climbing high! 👍

[@McTrailRider]

Good to meet you too mate, turned out to be a great night 👍

[@paulgilbert2775]

Great footage also. Really shows off well what this mountain has to offer for the rider!

[@craponlycomesoutadogsarse1731]

We attempted Ben Lomond on our hard tails 25 years ago and made it to the bottom of the second steep climb after the plateaux before the weather forced us back down. We were virtually cycling back down a river. I got several punctures also which didn’t help and ended up cycling the last bit on the rear rim. Fond memories.

[@McTrailRider]

Sounds like a classic old school Mtb day out 😬😂 Modern tyres have been an absolute god send. Even compared to just five years ago.

[@peterj2131]

Inspired by this video, I did Ben Lomond on Friday on the way up to Fort Bill. Well worth the climb, probably one of, if not the most technical ride I’ve ever done. It was amazing and a real confidence booster after I lost my mojo and struggled to find it again. Combined with Glentress on the Thursday I finally feel like I’m back where I should be on my bike 🙌🏻

[@McTrailRider]

Always good to get your mojo back 👍 Ben Lomond is a place more likely to steel it though😜

[@davidm2843]

I've tried it once, on my old hardtail about 10 years ago. Weather forced us down well short of the summit. Need to try it again on a modern bike.

[@dons4europe]

Bumped into Paul at Penmanshiel the other week . That lad gets about. Great video by the way.

[@McTrailRider]

No way! Such a small world👍

[@Zagueirobilly]

I've done Ben Lomond a few times and can't imagine doing it carrying a bike up there! well done!

[@McTrailRider]

It’s tougher on the way up, but easier on the knees on the way down👍

[@asafcohen3272]

Gorgeous drone footage

[@McTrailRider]

Cheers

[@martinhayes5087]

loving these videos as of late. the drone footage is fanastic too

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks Martin

[@UKMitchy]

Nice ride and nice new jacket Piers.

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks buddy

[@ourwilliam2405]

Youre vids are brilliant mate. The drone footage is brilliant too. Your poor fork took a battering there LOL

[@McTrailRider]

Every ride is the same for that fork 😬😢

[@struanrobertson1315]

Kudos to you Andrew. I done this a week prior to yourself and I found the descend so tough😅 I was treated to the views at the top however👌👌

[@McTrailRider]

It’s a tough old descent for sure. The views are definitely amazing when the clouds aren’t in the way 👍

[@stewthelamb]

Did this on Sunday on an ebike, found it tough going,, did it the opposite way to you, very impressive watching this video,, excellent job

[@McTrailRider]

You done the ridge? How was it? I haven’t done it yet.

[@stewthelamb]

@@McTrailRider yes went up same as you, but came down the ridge,, had to carry down some of it, well worth a look though,

[@McTrailRider]

@@stewthelamb worth a try then?

[@seantaylormtb7170]

Agree with Street Pigeon, watched maaaaany of your vids Andrew and that was impressive all round. That didn't look easy on GoPro and we all know it flattens things out!!

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks Sean, I didn’t think this one was going to be all that special, but it seems to have come together quite nicely.

[@georgekirkaldie5603]

Great to see this video. Could almost see home if it wasn’t for the fog. Grew up in Balloch, but living in Canada now. Also have a Highlander on its way to me soon

[@McTrailRider]

If the cloud wasn’t there you would have 👍

[@georgekirkaldie5603]

@@McTrailRider Maybe there will be a next time, but without the Scottish weather

[@grantduffy6332]

Ayeayeayeayeayeayeyayeyahahh

[@McTrailRider]

😂

[@davehutcheson3785]

Whooah Pearce that was close!😆 cracking stuff Andy.👍

[@McTrailRider]

It certainly was 😬🙈

[@MartyFaeScotland]

Another beast m8... killing it ;)

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks dude

[@laurentgaltier6854]

I confirm. it's fantastic for mountain biking. once I got to the top, I couldn't see anything either.

[@McTrailRider]

Classic Scottish weather getting in the way 😜

[@ITS_A_RUCKUS]

I really enjoyed that video. Thank you

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks buddy

[@rossridesmtb7497]

Absolutely Epic! Great riding, that looked super tough.

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks Ross

[@mattmiller5673]

I want so badly to come to your country (the county of my ancestors) and ride these trails. Creative and beautiful video. Might be your best yet!!

[@McTrailRider]

Much appreciated Matt 👍

[@erobertson1417]

Wow those woods have changed! Sliced a tire wide open there back in 2013.

[@McTrailRider]

I’ve heard that, it has already changed when I first hit it.

[@SaddleSore]

Some parts of that descent looked proper rum!

[@McTrailRider]

They were 👍

[@MTBScotland]

Weather a stark contrast to when we did it a couple of years ago.

[@McTrailRider]

Yeah, just a bit. It was a similar temperature though.

[@TribalmonkeyS]

great vids especially now with the drone. ive started mtb in my 40s and these vids have inspired me to leave the trail parks and do mountain adventures and see my country. cant see me ever doing anything as technical as you guys but I enjoy what I do

[@McTrailRider]

Thankfully there are plenty of trails out in the hills that are relatively easy to do, especially in the Cairngorms 👍

[@richardeljay]

Waled Ben Lomond once and that was hard enough. Really great video. Thought the drone footage around 6.45 when it was struggling to keep up was in fact really good as it seemed very close up. Enjoyable stuff. Thanks.

[@McTrailRider]

The close up drone footage is my favourite, but that also means extra noise too 🙁

[@mikejones420]

another fantastic video in the books Andrew, the drone shots were great, and very fun "looking" trail for sure

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks Mike

[@rhettetherington1351]

Superb video. Riding looks really tuff and you make it look easier than I'm sure it is. Cheers.

[@McTrailRider]

I do edit out the slow bits to be fair 😜

[@Mark_Page_MTB]

Impressive footage and riding from start to finish. The drone really shows how steep it was. Quality :)

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks Mark 👍

[@struanrobertson4201]

Looks like a great decent love the drone footage too

[@McTrailRider]

One of the best descent 👍

[@MountainBikePete]

I hate that ruddy GoPro effect! I was just thinking to myself... I quite fancy doing that, it looks not too bad, because you were making it look easy as well. Then you say this next bit is steep and this next bit is steep. That last bit though looked REALLY meaty! Loved the drone shots too Andrew. I’ve only done Ben Vorlich, but I’ll be adding this to my list. 👍🤘

[@McTrailRider]

I’ve been caught out with the GoPro effect myself, many times actually.

[@Doogiehowzer]

Making it all look so easy ! Another great edit and the drone really does add that extra element . Such an awesome looking descent 👌

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks dude

[@Mugtree]

Fantastic video❤️ 👍👍👍. Definitely on the bucket list. Last time I tried it snowed 🤦‍♂️😂

[@McTrailRider]

That sounds most inconvenient 😜

[@Mugtree]

@@McTrailRider lol. Yes very much so 😂👍

[@taffycymroukmtb9073]

Great stuff buddy 😉 enjoyed the video buddy 👌🚴🚴😎

[@McTrailRider]

Cheers Taffy

[@yengsabio5315]

I'm imagining myself ridin' my hardtail on this trial! Full body shake, eh! Hahaha! By the way, those drone views are amazing! It's high time to save for such equipment. Lots'a love, coffee-cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines!

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks Yeng 👍

[@A_AAA232]

great video Andrew, big skills coming out on that descent - looked really tough in places but you guys smashed it -big kudos to you, fantastic content as always, cheers

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks dude, think we were all on good form on this one 👍

[@MTBRoyale]

I was nearby recently and wondered how the riding was, looks ace!

[@McTrailRider]

It rides well 👍

[@themadscot34]

Excellent, you took it much faster than me, did my very first Ben Lomond few weeks ago having never so much as even tried a black trail before, but loved it, I agree it’s much harder on the down hill than expected. I took my time but I know the bike can handle the speed, just my own self preservation held me back lol, it’s relentless indeed, I cycled up most of it on the e-bike which was great fun, but it’s not so much fun putting 27kg bike on your back at the tricky bits, I took a few grass detours to avoid some of the nastier drops. Enjoyed your vid reliving my decent. Cheers bro

[@McTrailRider]

That a hell of a trail to hit if you haven’t hit any black graded trails before 😯 sounds like it worked out well though 👍

[@themadscot34]

@@McTrailRider tell me about it, I’d just done 2 red trails before that as well and those were at Cathrin braes and 1 down in glentress, go big I thought. You inspired me what can I say…..I loved it, but hell I sure wasn’t as fast as you by any means. 3times slower I’d have said. But all the enjoyment indeed

[@fatbikemontage2931]

Excellent video. Have you tried Carn a’ Chlamain descent? Accessed from Glen Tilt north of Blair Atholl. It’s a loose rocky challenge. Worth a trip in my opinion. And if you do, I can recommend Wasted Degrees brewery if your there on a Saturday.

[@McTrailRider]

Funny you should mention this ride, it’s the next video 👍

[@scrakymtb3495]

Great video.. i was ment to be riding with paul then but got him in Aberfeldy in morning .. Bummer i would of meet u and been in video 😭

[@McTrailRider]

Maybe we’ll meet sometime in the future dude 👍 You did miss out on a good descent though.

[@KingSadim]

Climbed Ben Lomond last week and said to my friend that it’s clearly not fit for bikes 😅

[@McTrailRider]

You’d be amazed at what modern mountain bikes can do👍

[@rory9894]

Great vid!

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks buddy

[@kieranwhittemore1010]

"drone can't go fast enough" LMAO that's when you know you're shredding fast.

[@McTrailRider]

😂 maybe it just wanted to be closer 😜

[@frandevereaux]

I was up Ben Chonzie last week. I thought that would be good to mountain bike down. Not many obstacles though.

[@McTrailRider]

It’s one that I know a lot of bikers do, but I’m yet to try it for myself.

[@romanski-g9n]

"I think we cracked 15 degrees!" - Haha, how on earth did you survive Spain? ;)

[@asafcohen3272]

Yeah it made me smile as well. Here in the mediterranean it's considered chilly

[@kekehilo1169]

It’s about humidity.

[@JD_Speakman]

Awesome video again, the drone shots are pretty epic. I like the links etc you provide too for your gear - can I ask what you use for audio recording? All I get from my camera is a ton of noise from the bike amplified through the mount. Thanks in advance!

[@McTrailRider]

Thanks for taking the time to look through the description John 👍 The audio is straight from the GoPro hero 9. I make sure the audio is set to stereo and that’s I cover the mics with some fur.

[@letsridebikes7716]

Great vid mate, love the quality of your vids, do you use your ebike as much as your enduro bikes? Keep up the good work.

[@McTrailRider]

I rarely use my ebike now, but I did use it in my last video 👍

[@ceriway380]

Good angles again ,the drone helps to show how steep it is, what happened to insta 360 camera to show front and rear views.

[@McTrailRider]

I ended up selling the Insta360, it was very frustrating to use, with lesser results than the GoPro in many scenarios.

[@patljak]

Epic riding. I can´t imagine navigating that top steep/switchback bit. How long is it cca? I have been thinking of doing Ben Lomond, but not sure can I ride that stuff!

[@McTrailRider]

cca?

[@patljak]

@@McTrailRider my bad, “circa”, about. I forget not everyone uses that acronym!

[@McTrailRider]

@@patljak ah, Strava tells me that we were 2:07 of moving time. Maybe three and a half hours all in, going fairly steady on the climb.

[@br5380]

Two refusals from Paul, he’s let the Valley down.

[@McTrailRider]

First time I’ve done those two in the same ride to be fair

[@malcolmfrew7460]

Watched this a few times, and as always great vid, but can I ask, are using the hookabike system while carrying your bike? I got a new bike (steel full suss) and it's a tad heavier than my old one, killer on the shoulder when hike-a-biking!

[@McTrailRider]

I didn’t use the hook a bike on this ride as the Highland suits really well on my shoulders. I would recommend the hook a bike if your struggling though, as it really does help.

[@malcolmfrew7460]

@@McTrailRider nice one. Thanks for the reply. 👍

[@SaddleSore]

Hello McT... can you settle an argument for me please. I’m currently getting messed up in Dunkeld thanks to one of your previous edits. Can you tell me, what does Pearce keep in ‘Pearce’s Pockets’?

[@SaddleSore]

Because he never wears a backpack or fanny pack.

[@McTrailRider]

Piers carries very little with him tbh, but I have most of the emergency kit that we would need in my backpack. His frame bag also holds a decent amount.

[@SaddleSore]

@@McTrailRider ‘Pierce’s Pocket’ should become a regular feature of your vids. In fact, he should probably have his own spin-off behind-the-scenes mini-series. #Pierce for President

[@Itsthejourneynotthedestination]

Excellent as usual. Spoke to a fella up in Torridon the other week who was from the Kent area, involved in some digital online mtb mag, said he was going to be getting in touch with you to go for a ride with while he was up here.....anyway, do you know who I mean and did you ??

[@McTrailRider]

I know who you’re talking about👍 Unfortunately I couldn’t manage up to meet him on this occasion.

[@tobyehillier]

Pierce with the new jack-wet 🤟🏼 What did he go for? Endura?

[@McTrailRider]

Endura Singletrack👍

[@tobyehillier]

@@McTrailRider Looks good ✌🏼

[@spartanmtb2640]

Hi Andrew, heard it gets busy with walkers? Is that right? what's the best time / day to do Ben Lomond to avoid walkers?

[@McTrailRider]

Yes, it gets very busy with walkers! I find it best to hit it on a summers evening. Most proper are off the hill after diner time.

[@TuckRob]

Drone gone rogue. Off on it's own mission. Did it come back or is it still circling Ben Lomond looking for you like a lost puppy?

[@McTrailRider]

Thought I’d lost it, only to return home and find it waiting for me 😜

[@themadscot34]

Ps I started at 5.30am only 3 people on the mountain passed me coming down as I was on the way up, 👍 they had gone up at stupid o-clock for the sunrise

[@McTrailRider]

I’m not a morning person, so leave it till sunset time 👍

[@Adasrast]

Hi Andrew. How long took you to get to the top? I’m planning to do Ben Lomond quite soon and don’t know how long will take me to get to the top. Been there before but never on mtb

[@McTrailRider]

I think I’ve done it in as little as 2 hours before, but I’d definitely allow at least 3 hours at a normal sustainable pace.

[@Adasrast]

@@McTrailRider thanks Andrew👍🏻 I will get myself 3 hours plus one hour at the top to chill out eat something and recover 👍🏻

[@Adasrast]

@@McTrailRider btw I’m huge fan of yours videos. I think I’ve watched all of them, some even couple of times. Your channel keeps me motivated to go outside and explore 👍🏻

[@PlateauproductionsCoNz]

how have you found the drone?

[@McTrailRider]

It’s been great so far. It can lose track every now and then, but it doesn’t go far and it’s easy to get back on track if it does.

[@PlateauproductionsCoNz]

@@McTrailRider cheers for that