This is my first post so first of all hello to everyone.

I've been riding in the Charlotte area for around 5 years but really only starting doing it seriously 3 months ago when I bought my first full suspension. Up until then I gave no thought to technique or riding stance, and honestly thought that jumping was only something that park riders do. I've been working from the ground up with this new bike and I've definitely made some major progress but I'm still unsure where my abilities are right now. To give you an idea of my current level, I recently was able to clear both of the black trails at Beatty (doing all the features besides the whale tail jump) without needing to walk or redo a section and I felt proud about it. Idk how good or bad that is but I'm guessing it isn't much to brag about. I've been to various other places in the past such as Sherman, Anne Springs, LNSP, and WWC, but the only one I've done besides Beatty with my new bike is WWC. I didn't feel too challenged there but tbf I didn't do any of the more technical trails like East Main or Goat.

So backstory out of the way, I've been hearing about RRT and how good it is so I'm interested in trying it out. But the people I've asked about it have said that it's probably Charlotte's toughest trail and I need to be prepared for injuries if I'm a newbie. It's a 45 minute drive to there from where I live so I'd hate to go all the way up there and hurt myself. I'd definitely be by myself because my buddy who I go riding with frequently is not interested in going there.

I don't think this is a question of should I do it or not, because I will attempt it eventually. I'd just like to know what to expect and what type of obstacles I'll need to clear. The other bad part about me is I can't do a full bunny hop but I'm working on that 

RRT is awesome! To me it’s more of a physical challenge then a technical challenge. I would definitely recommend riding the main trail and skipping the two black diamonds options. I’m very familiar with the trail. If you want to try and go sometime I’d be more then glad to go along so you’re more comfortable.

Agree with above. I usually try to ride all the blacks +/- East Main at WWC before I go out to RRT to make sure my climbing and fitness are up to speed. IMO the climbing is the toughest part.

With that being said, go give it a shot. There are routes to shorten the trail if you need it. Walk intimidating sections first. If you can't make it up the climbs, no big deal. Keep trying and eventually it won't be a problem.

Thank you for the replies. If it's mostly punchy climbs then I should be fine. I was worried that there'd be a lot of doubles and gaps because I'm not too good with those. I hadn't heard of BYT before but that looks to be closer to me so I'll try there first. 

Tjkraft wrote on 07/26/21 at 9:44am:


I'd love to do a ride with other members, but my available time for riding is sporadic. I see there is a group ride section in these forums so I'll keep a lookout for ones that work for me. Hopefully I'll see you out there by coincidence.