Myself and a few of my mates from south wales are off up to Scotland for a long weekend this Friday and was wondering how the trails are running up in Mabie / Ae/ glentress and Dalbeattie . We’ve not been up for at least a year maybe 18mths any new sections on these trails? Or if you can reccomend any other areas we could try, we are staying at castle Douglas so don’t mind a bit of travelling.

Try Kirroughtree and Drumlanrig which are both my preferences when in the area.

HTH

Check the Stanes website/call the ranger for latest updates.
Ae…diversion at the top end after boardwalk/bomb hole but it is a short one
Dalbeattie…there is a section diverted at Smithlands. Heading out there now so can update on that. It should be cleared for the Hardrock Challenge 7th Oct.
Mabie.. No diversions that I know of. New “big berms” added to 2nd section of Descender Bender, check YouTube

+ what WTF says rather than going over to GT which is 1.1/2hrs from Dumfries (runs away to ride Dalbeattie 😉 )

Drumlanrig may be a bit tam tucked as the last round of the sxc was on on Sunday.

If you’re passing and have a spare hour then Glentrool is well worth a visit – a surprisingly good fast/flowy blue descent.

Try the forum over at trailscotland.co.uk

If you are staying in Castle Douglas i’d do Kiroughtree, Dalbeatie and Mabie.

Glentrees is a fair trek from Castle Douglas but if you are willing to make the trip you could do Innerleithen in the morning and GT in the afternoon

Ah wicked cheers guys, I think the plan will be to stay down and not venture up to GT or inners
Let’s just hope now that the sun will come out!!

Oh I’ve also hear that there is a curryhouse in Castle Douglas, anyone know if it’s any good? Can’t beat a red hot phall and a couple of cobras after a days riding!!

It’s owned by the jewel in the crown from Dumfries and I ve never had a bad meal out of that one so I imagine it will be pretty good.

Supposed to be good and might be worth booking ahead 💡
Wouldn’t worry about it being wet, all the trails are reasonably weatherproof. You just need plenty of biking gear 😆
The chippy down the end of the main street nr the old petrol station is also very good. Be prepared to que ❗
Diversions will still be in place at Dalbeattie for at least another 2wks according to the contractor and FC guys I met and spoke to today.

The CD curry house mentioned above is indeed very good as long as it’s the one at the top of town nearer the roundabout and car park with the info hut in it. Also a nice italian that would need booking too.

The chippy Trekster mentions is also very good, we’re riding Kirri Red and Black on Saturday and Dalbeattie Sunday with an option on Mabie depending on legs, looking forward to it will be also 18months for me since I’ve ridden there looking forward to it.

Hi Paul. I am night shift on Sunday, should manage a ride. Let me know what you decide to do :D. There is a diversion at Dalbeattie due to logging. Smithlands is closed off and diversion is via Spooky Wood after the Smmithland forest road climb. Having said that the loggers don’t usually work weekends 😉

Does Mabie still flood a bit when it’s wet? Still a great ride but last time I rode it on a wet day, it’d held water on the trail all over, seemed to have a lot of blocked drains (rode Ae in the afternoon and didn’t get so much as damp, but Mabie left me soaked. Totally worth it though.)

Hi John, will let you know what we do, just sent you a mail too.

Still a few wet bits Northwind 🙄
Got a Trailfairies sort of crew started last week and hoping to grow this and maybe help rectify some of these issues. There are contractors employed if conditions get too bad but with 4 forests to cover the budget is being stretched to bursting I am led to believe 🙄 All the issues are known about and noted in trail inspection reports, it’s all about priorities 🙄

Great. Just mentioned you on the Yeti thread

I responded with a picture and gushing praise 🙂

Yep, that sounds familiar, cheers Trekster. I did some 5.10 deberming but it was a spit in the ocean. Money for bazillion pound cafes but not to keep the expensive trails in good shape. Still rather ride Mabie in the wet than many trails in the dry though 😀

Ditto 😆
Sad auld bar steward that I am I never get fed up of playing around in Mabie even after xc yrs ❗

Mabie is fantastic especially coupled with the “off piste” stuff too, not sure I’ll be able to remember much of that but will give it a go if we get there I can picture a couple of bits,

IMO it depends what type of riding you like as to where you should go.

I like jumps and berms, not too much undulating terrain (i.e. winch and descend), technical sections and a bit of speed.

Generally the further north you go the bigger the hills get. Having done a tour of the 7 stanes a few weeks ago, with the exception of Newcastleton, but also including Drumlanrig, I can say without hesitation my favourites were;

Glentress – for jumps, berms and just incredible flowing single track
Innerleithen – one big climb then an incredible descent, starting really fast but getting a bit more technical
Kirroughtree – really long and very technical black route with lots of rocky features

The more southern stanes are still fun, but in general more undulating with less distance travelled vertically.
AE for me was a bit of a nightmare – no dropper post, very undulating, done after 5 days straight on exhausted legs.

Just depends what your cuppa tea is.

AE for me was a bit of a nightmare – no dropper post, very undulating, done after 5 days straight on exhausted legs.

Why did you feel the need for a dropper?
Not willy waving and forge will be my witness but you do not need a dropper or a fs for Ae or any other Stane. I have managed the past 3 yrs on a Blue Pig and before that on an old Bontrager.
Agree on the tired legs tho, it is a bit of a slog. We did Mabie, Ae and Drum in a day a few years ago when I was a bit fitter, doubt if I could do it now 🙄

you do not need a dropper or a fs for Ae

No, you don’t need one, I made it round after all! But I like to have the saddle dropped for any of the interesting bits. It’s just more playful that way, when the opportunity arrises to get a bit of air you don’t have to think twice about it.

Tired legs meant I wasn’t prepared to stand up and mash on the undulating bits, so ended up riding the majority of it with the saddle up, which for me limits the fun that can be had.

I have managed the past 3 yrs on a Blue Pig

I was on a Soul, so not so different.

Concur with Trekster dropper nor-FS is needed, whilst I lived there never used a dropper, will have dropper this weekend as I’ve not taken it off the bike yet!!

Have just seen that Heartbreak Hill is diverted that is a shame was looking forward to that descent, still some other nice singletrack at Kirri to do, saves the legs to a degree.

Oh I would say that Ae is harder work on tired legs, it’s a good trail, but not one I would do tired or when not feeling fit you can get the best from it.