A lot of folks think big jumps, drops, slabs and technical lines when you mention Mt Penn, but there are several great skinnies there too. And while there are plenty of beginner/intermediate level skinnies, this video will focus on 5 of the most difficult ones.
1) Teeter Totter Skinny
Located just 5 mins from Skyline, this skinny is famous for having a see saw built into it. The highest point is only 2 ft off the ground, but it is well over 50 ft. long. There are also few rocks and speed humps at the end to up the difficulty level.
https://www.trailforks.com/poi/13451/
2) Network Skinny
You can find it along the trail labeled “Network Bottom” on Trailforks. It is about 25 ft. in length with a 3 ft. drop and an 8” pad to ride on. The hardest part of this skinny is the entrance and exit. To get on the skinny you navigate a narrow branch that’s curvy with a few humps. The exit ramp is short, but at 45 degrees, you may need to do a small endo turn to get your back tire on to it.
3) Rock Skinny AKA “Old School”
At 35 ft in length with a 5 foot drop off at its highest point it requires a tremendous amount of focus. At the start you will be greeted with a skinny to a rockover, followed by a slight turn to enter the main stretch. And because there is only a 6 inch pad to work with you may have to readjust your back tire placement on the first curve. The main portion has a 12” riding pad. The 45 degree exit will require a slight endo turn.
https://www.trailforks.com/poi/18178/
4) DUI
You can find it at the end of Stonehenge Rock Connector on Trailforks. We call this one DUI due to its proximity to the Wine Cellar. It is 30 ft. long with a 3 ft drop along most of it. There is a bail out point on the left 20 ft down if you get uncomfortable. It starts with a rock pop and tight turn on to the log which is not flat. If you choose the long option the log gets skinnier and higher off the ground. Once you pass the tree on your left the skinny dips down and then you can exit to the left or right.
5) No Joke
This is actually a combination of several skinnies in a tough line we call “No Joke”. The start is located off Chunk Chutes and Ladders on Trailforks. At the start you will be greeted with some nasty rock tech to a small slab drop. The trail bares slightly to the right where you will see a 5 ft. plank that will lead you onto a rock ledge. Around the bend there’s an 8 ft. exit ramp to get you back down. Make a hard left onto a two piece skinny with a rock hump which will lead you on to another boulder. Follow that down until you get to the tiny skinny at the end. At the bottom look for a hard left into some heavy chunk. The last skinny is 20 ft. with an 8” pad. There is a rock over at the end which will dump you out onto the main trail.
Additional Information:
Huge props to the members of both BAMBA and Berks Trail Works for creating and maintaining these awesome trails. Here are the links if you want to donate to either or both.
Berks Area Mountain Biking Association “BAMBA”
https://berksmountainbiking.org/donate
Berks Trail Works (berkstrailworks.org)
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UPEA3DYEJ5QGL
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If you like what you see, or have some feedback/questions, feel free to contact me. If you enjoyed the content and you want to see more check out my other pages on Trail Sage.
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Featured rider: Dan @the_ride_abides
Bikes: Ibis Mojo 3 and Carver Carbo’Beast
Footage notes: All shots were taken at Mt Penn in Reading PA.
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