If so, has the last bit of the red/blue (used to have the creaky boardwalk over the swamp) reopened yet? Was supposed to be closed for about four weeks until the end of March.

Thinking of taking the kids for a pootle round the blue.

It was shut last Saturday.

Does it stop you taking the kids?

Cheers. Wouldn’t bother me if I was doing the red, but it’s quite a substantial slice of the singletracky blue.

Get the kids riding at least the lower half of the red – or am I just a cruel parent?… 🙂

At the closed bit just do a second loop of the new (puddly) singletrack after the hub, then turn left up fire road and head back towards Cocklett. Turn left at top of climb and do the short swoopy bit back to hub. Repeat loop as many times as they fancy.

They’re not quite up to Homebaked or Swoopy yet… 🙂

I know how much whining I’ll get if I make them climb all the way back up to the berms near Cocklett Hill after a second run down The Snake.

It isn’t that big a hill, but I know what you mean if their heart isn’t in it….. How about just a couple of loops of the bermy bit? That isn’t too much of a climb.

I must be cruel 🙂 – boys have ridden most of homebaked from about age 7 and 8 respectively. Proud dad when eldest first rode the rock staircase at age 10.

They have to ride past the cafe without dabbing to get there as well…there never used to be obstacles that severe on the blue. 🙂

My two are less than keen offroad, but I’m working on it. TBH I’m proud of myself every time I ride the staircase.

It has taken time to get to this stage with the kids but now worth it as we can do increasingly interesting “proper” rides together. Also helps that mum is an ex-elite racer so they’ve grown up with this kind of thing as normal activity.

Youngest hated the bumpy fire road on small wheels so the newer red climb + homebaked was his preferred choice to avoid it.

Kept eldest off the staircase until on 26 wheels and clipped into some old spds so didn’t get bounced off.

Anything with kids and bikes is great 🙂