Review Date
February 7, 2007

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Bogdan ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Porcupine Ridge really is for advanced riders only ... and I mean advanced from both a technical skills aspect as well as fitness level. If you're the type of cyclist who likes to stay on the bike going up as well as down with little or no interruption, you not only need expert technical skills (I don't mean trials), but also olympic endurance. If you lack either of these you will likely not enjoy Porcupine Ridge. The trails here are some of the most technical I've ever ridden, but they have poor flow. If you have skills but no endurance, plan on frequent breaks to catch your breath. If you have endurance but no skills ... enjoy the walk! It is difficult to say what type of bike is best suited to ride here because if you go for the day and want to ride everything (like I did) you will have a hard time picking the right bike ... maybe an all-mountain with 5 to 6 inch suspension (front and rear) may do it, but it'll have to handle some brutal climbs and a 10'-11' drop. What I found odd was that given the extremely challenging nature of the terrain, the built stunts (which are quite a few and fairly well constructed) were ridiculously easy ... go figure! Having said that, Porcupine Ridge is a great place to sharpen any aspect of your mountain biking skills, but in my opinion it's not a fun riding place for any particular discipline, be it anything from XC through DH (i.e. for DH the runs are too short). Bottom line: This place will definitely make you a better rider, but the flow is frustratingly poor ... that's why the 2 for Overall Rating. (NOTE: Something worth mentioning is that we were there on a perfect summer weekend and did not see any other riders AT ALL! Hmmm?)

Recommended Route:
Doug's Run. It has the best flow and exposes you to quite a few of the man made obstacles (bridges, titter-totters, etc.)

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Buckwallow. Technically just as challenging as Porcupine Ridge (less the drops/jumps), but with a much better flow because the tough sections are spaced out enough to give the rider time to recuperate without actually having to stop riding.

Review Date
August 21, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Stoney Curtis ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Porcupine Ridge, what a place. Some locals showed me their favourite stuff. Climbing rock faces and twisting back down. Drops, ladders, teeter totters. By far the best trails i've ever rode. Thankyou SANTA CLAUS

Recommended Route:
Follow the signs to Santa's Village in Bracebridge. Camp in the park and ride it a few times.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
I never had a chance to ride the trail. But Buck Wallow was said to be a close second.

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Review Date
August 8, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: frankie ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
A MUST RIDE. PLENTY OF DIFFERENT TRAILS MY FAVORITE BEING STAIR WAY TO HEAVEN. JUST UNBELIVABLE YOU RIDE UP TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE RIDE DOWN IS CRAZY LOTS DROPS LOGS STEAP HILLS CANADIAN SHIELD. A MUST RIDE FOR ALL AGRESSIVE RIDERS. THERE IS ALOT OF ADVANCED TECHNICAL UP HILL AND DOWNHILL. THERE ALSO IS ALOT OF THICK BUSH!!

Recommended Route:
TAKE HIGHWAY 118 TO GOLDEN BEACH ROAD. THEN PULL INTO THE SANTAS VILLAGE PARKING LOT. IN THE LOT IS ANOTHER LITTLE PARKING LOT THE TRAIL STARTS RIGHT THERE.

Review Date
January 9, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Review Date
August 11, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months