Reviewed by: Bryce Matthews ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Having come to visit my family in Sonora Tx., I was ALL GIDDY to find this gem of a trail in my old back yard.
I rode this trail last spring and promised the owners I would write a review. If you've ever ridden the Flact Creek trail by Perdanales Falls and liked that, your gonna love this trail.
This is clearly a technical riders dream. I loved this trail and will be going back every chance I get.

Recommended Route:
X-bar is a long way from nowhere, if your gonna make the trip, do the longest loop, twice!!

Other recommended trails in the same area:
San Angelo has good riding ass well

Reviewed by: christianer1 ,  Racer

Summary:
Video of Trail

http://www.pedalmasher.com/html/2003_fall.html

Reviewed by: PN , from Austin, TX

Summary:
My wife and I decided to try x-bar ranch because we liked what the MTBR reviews said and because we wanted to see West Texas. The owners (Stan and his wife) were very friendly and helpful, and the $8 per person to ride and camp is a good deal. A fire pit and picnic table is provided for camping, you can tuck your tent under trees but bring some shade device, and the swimming pool is clean and refreshing. The trails are a very fun mixture of smooth single track, technical rock gardens, tight twisty rocky s-bends and patches of slick rock. Starting, you wind down the side of the valley by clearing stair-step drop-offs, rock-strewn s-bends, weaving between trees and jetting down the single track. The valley floor is wide open and fast, and the trail can fade from view, so keep an eye for the ribbon markers. The return winds up the side of the valley back to camp. Beware of the following: Increase tire pressures as to not pinch-flat on the rocks, run slime-tubes or tuffys because there are thorns (we got 4 flats on one loop!). Overall, the trail is well maintained and consistent (no nasty surprises). If you can ride Rocky Hill Ranch and BLORA, then x-bar is for you. I highly recommend x-bar!

Recommended Route:
Both the 8 mile and 12 mile loops.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
None yet, but Kelly Creek in Kerrville is on the horizon.

Reviewed by: Dan , from Houston

Summary:
The trail winds through both limestone outcrop and loose rock, both of which make it tough to pick a line through it. However, there are also some sections that go through grassy/tree-lined pasture. Lots of cacti meant two flats by the time I finished. Great trail for testing your technical skills, if not your aerobic capacity. Also, a good trail to try when others in the region are wet(like San Angelo). This one should drain more quickly, and has less dirt.

Recommended Route:
See other posts. Easy to choose one of 3 routes due to colored flags.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
San Angelo (except when wet in Spring).

Reviewed by: Steve , from Amarillo, TX

Summary:
I raced there this past Sunday. I drove in late Saturday night and did not have a chance to pre-ride. Big mistake. For Texas, this is a very technical trail. Just like the guy that posted before mentioned, there are a lot of rocks. Rock drop offs, rocky corners, rocky descents, rocky climbs, rocky flat sections. Did I mention there are a lot of rocks?
The people at X BAR ranch were very friendly and seemed to enjoy having us strange mountain bikers on thier property.
Overall it was a decent trail that would probably be a lot of fun to ride with friends on a Saturday afternoon, but I wasn't too thrilled to race on it. Give the people at X Bar some business and check this trail out if you are in the area.

Recommended Route:
Any of the three loops

Other recommended trails in the same area:
San Angelo State Park