The classic downhill is perfect. I took my 11 year old nephew (he rips though for his age) and he did great. You'll see beginners on 30 year old bikes and pro's on super rigs. The trail is what you make of it, go as fast or as slow as you want.

 

Kids these days don't know how good they have it. When I was 11 I was on a rigid $79 bike from Target and the only dirt it saw was deer trails and dirt hills around the neighborhood.

 

I had actually heard from my father (advanced/experienced rider, although with "unorthodox" form) that the classic downhill was a bit much for him, even on his full suspension and even taking 4-ish hours to complete. I'll check it out anyway, though! Thanks for the tip.

 

If someone you classify as an “advanced rider” struggled with downieville and took 4 hours to get down a 1 hour run, maybe look into riding in Truckee for “intermediate” trails. Lots of smooth singletrack with mellow grades that are a lot of fun for anyone.

Mt Hough might be a good option too if you shuttle and don’t want to go to Truckee. I’d ride it on a gravel bike, so should be good for any skill level.

 

Been a while since I've ridden Donieville, so perhaps things have changed. But what I remember of the ride at Bullards Bar Resevoir would fit the bill. Undulating singletrack, not that technical. Not a shuttle ride, so you will earn everything, but also no major climbs or descents either (but lots of short ups and downs).

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/bullards-bar-trail

 

Looks very promising - thank you!

 

The downhill is pretty rough right now for what you're describing, at least Pauley and Butcher are. Bullard's is fun but very pedally.
There's a really cool trail system out of Forrest, CA which is on the ridge to the southeast of Downieville.
Everything on the saddle with the exception of Gold Rim and Sunrise is pretty rock and technical.

 

Mills Peak could be a great choice. It's definitely less rough than the Downhill, but still challenging.

 

I was just going to post MIlls, but really any of the D-ville trails should be fine. And there's Mt. Hough if you want something a lot easier.

 

Thanks for the recs, all! It makes it much easier to have a few specific options to look into.

 

If you end up on the Downieville side of the map, also take a look at the North Yuba Trail down the hill from town. It's more of an XC ride but more mellow from a technical perspective. It can be shuttled or ridden as an out and back.

North Yuba Trail Mountain Bike Trail, Downieville, California

The singletrack portion. Near Downieville, California.

www.mtbproject.com

 

I was just there with a bunch of intermediate riders with 150mm travel bikes. We did Sunrise and Butcher Trail, Third Divide. After the first day, they were all hammered and did not want to come back out the second day. They had some mechanicals and/or crashes too. I consider those to be the easiest trails there.

I did North Yuba Trail the first day and that thing kinda sucks. Steep, sidehill and thorny bushes. I did 5 rides and i had a blast.

Anyway, I talked the group of intermediates in going to Mt. Hough and they had a blast. 1:20 hours away in Quincy, CA

 

Yea you could take them on Sunrise, Butcher, 3rd and take it slow and take forever (3+ hours) but the thing is there is no bail out, once in you are riding to the bottom or back to the top. Mills peak is rocky and twisty, like a slow motion DVL side of the mountain run, or if you want ultra-easy - you could ride it on your beach cruiser with no brakes, go to Quincy and Mt. Hough.

 

ride mt. hough, some great swimming holes at the end! hit the brewing lair in Blairsden if you're into beer. you can also tool around the bottom of mills peak if you want a short ride, or ride part way up and back down if you're feeling it.

 

That sounds ideal - I love a swimming hole after a ride. Thanks!!

 

To me, advanced does not equal "fast." A rider who can handle technically demanding trails at a slower speed than many others is still doing the trail - that's my definition of "advanced," being able to complete the trail (obviously without excessive crashing, hiking the whole thing, etc.) He still enjoyed it and said it was cool, but that he'd probably want something easier next time. If "advanced" = "fast" in your eyes, then yes, we have different definitions.

Edited to add: I do want to check out the Flume Trail and others in the Truckee area, but we're already set with lodging closer to Downieville this time. I'll keep the recs in mind.

 

Echoing what everyone else is saying — Mt Hough is where you need to go. If shuttle timing works, you can easily 2x it.

 

I think lots of responders missed the hardtails part of the OP's post. Or maybe there's a tendency to "flex" a little bit by claiming DVille trails are totally fine on hardtails.

Mt. Hough is your trail for sure.

 

Mt Hough would be your best bet. DVille or Mills Peak would suck on a hardtail. I rode Dville last in Sept 2019, probably after a 10 year hiatus, and it was much rougher than I remembered it. It beat me up pretty good and I managed to biff it (front wheel deflected off of a rock). I think I am done with Downieville. I don't have the skills to go fast on a beat up trail.

 

Resurrecting this thread to ask for a bike-friendly hotel recommendation in the Quincy area (for the Mt. Hough downhill). Any faves? Not looking to camp this time, but open to campground recommendations for future trips.

 

Stayed at the greenhorn ranch for a wedding once. Not super close to Hough but pretty nice.