Hi,
We're going to to Scotland over Easter to ride some of the 7 Stanes.
Which ones should we do?
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Best 7 Stanes
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Posted 1 year ago #
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V. subjective. I'd try K'tree and one other in that area, GT and IL.
Posted 1 year ago # -
How many days/places do you want to visit?
Those on the east make a nice group, dalbeattie, mabie, kiroughtree and if you need more the non stane at drumlanrig is good with newcastleton also nearby.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Probably 3 days of riding, and mainly black routes
Posted 1 year ago # -
kiroughtree.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Inners for the win.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Kirroughtree
Posted 1 year ago # -
With three days of riding, you may want to do this itinery:
Stay the night near Kirroughtree
Day 1 Kirroughtree blackDrive to Peebles after Kirrie, i.e. stay the night in Peebles
Day 2 Glentress black (with a combination of red/blue)
Day 3 Innerleithen red then afterwards play on the Glentress red/blue bit for loads of fun)Just a suggestion really. Are you more XC than flat out downhill jumpy orientated?
Others may have other suggestions. You can also do Mabie and Dalbeattie in a single day, but they may be a bit tame, unless you add in the slab and terrible twins at Dalbeattie. The other option is Drumlanrig for some different more natural XC riding.
Posted 1 year ago # -
There's a lot to ride at the Tweed Valley Stane (which encompasses Glentress and Innerleithen) but they are quite far away from the other ones. Kirroughtree has probably the best route of the lot of them (IMO) but is way out in the other direction.
Given Drumlanrig a go, too. It's waymarked but has a totally different character to any of the other trail centres I've been to and is at least as good as Kirroughtree.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'd stick to the Tweed Valley. Inners is a decent ride, as is the GT Black. Worth doing the GT red too as its awesome when ridden flat out (as good, if not better in bits than the black).
Posted 1 year ago # -
im up there over easter to, doing glentress and innerlethen first day then travelling to Mabie and doing Mabie second day
Posted 1 year ago # -
You want crowds and over built blown out trails hit Glentress (GT), Real riding quite trails then head to Mabie, Dalbeattie, Ae and Drumlanrig (all 4 centers in 20 mile radius from Dumfries) - from the center here you get the option to add either a 1 hour drive west or east to go to Inners/GT or Kirroughtree (1 hour 30 if you take in the views). Where you heading from? Dumfries/Mabie forest area is only just over the border (+30 miles from Carlisle). Just ride multiple laps if your fit, there is nothing more technically challenging at any particular place its all a piece of pi**.
Posted 1 year ago # -
EuroClive - Member
there is nothing more technically challenging at any particular place its all a piece of pi**.So, just to be clear, you're saying there are no technically challenging trail features at any of the 7Stanes centres?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I rather like GT - although to be fair it is the only one of the 7Stanes that I have ridden. I like the way they are set up though with the "skills" areas and the mini bike park. Very pleasant riding although I would say the GT red is not especially demanding technically - the hills will make you sweat a bit getting up them though.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Al_f
Not for me personally no, of course it depends on your skill base but from my perspective compared to the race courses I compete on in the Alps its all very tame, good fun but tame.Posted 1 year ago # -
I went up last year and road;
Kirroughtree Red - Excellent keen to add in the black loop
Mabie - Very tame red route, wouldnt recomend it
GT - Red was ok but not overly fussed to go back, but might with the black bits
Lagan - Amazing, but too far for this tripWe're comming up from Leeds, and would like the idea to add in some natural stuff. We ofen do full day rides in the Lakes and Dales, so looking for a mixture of technical and xc.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I rode K'Tree last Friday. it was deadly quiet and I rode the red and black as a continuous loop. Thought it was absoloutely fantastic. McMoab is certainly not easy but brilliant fune nonetheless! I would like to see someone ride it without dabbing at all!!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Chew - Member
Hi,We're going to to Scotland over Easter to ride some of the 7 Stanes.
Which ones should we do?
Chew - Member
Probably 3 days of riding, and mainly black routes
Kirry & Gt are the " only real blacks " Simply because of their length and distance from civilisation rather than any techy features.Where are you travelling from and how far/long will that take?
When you say 3 days riding, do you mean 3 days riding excluding travelling from & to home?
With the aid of OS78 you can do some cracking hill rides out of Drumlanrig.
Same goes for GT/Inners.If you come in the "fit" bracket it is possible to do 2-3 centres in a day. In the past I have done Dalbeattie+Ae and Drumlanrig. Long day but magic.
If you don`t hang around it would be possible to do Kirry and Dalbeattie in one day. Mabie/Ae or Drum another. Then GT & Inners to round off your 3 days. May be a bit ambitous for some, like the guys I caught up with in Mabie yesterday, talk about weary legs!!!!steveh - Member
How many days/places do you want to visit?Those on the east make a nice group, dalbeattie, mabie, kiroughtree
Are in the WESTPosted 1 year ago # -
Kirroughtree Black for me, Inners is also great fun plus the climbing is over and done with at the beginning!! Done the 7 stanes last 2 years and its always amazing. Can't wait to go up again this year!!
Posted 1 year ago # -
My favourite has to be Kirroughtree Red and Black the Black Craigs it's just brilliant and the trail never stops giving right to the end.
But I do like my other locals Dalbeattie, Ae and Mabie in equal measure.
Still to head to GT, Inners and Drumlanrig though should get them sorted over the coming months.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Give us a shout when heading to GT, could mobilise the gang. Good fun mixing Black/red & blue
Best Stane is Kirry
Best trail "centre" is GT
If as much effort could be expended on Kirry and Ae then they would be up there with GT imo.Like forge I also have Ae & Mabie within bikin distance. Dalbeattie & Drum are but 1/2hr away by car
This weekend I am off to the Peaks. Hope/Hathersage area.
Next week a visit to the Lakes is on the cards.Posted 1 year ago # -
Trekster - Probably be April or May got a quite heavy ride load in April
Will let you know. Oh and see you at Mabie
Posted 1 year ago # -
Three days? I'd still go to Laggan - it's worth the extra time in the car. What makes it great is its 'bike park' model. You can hang out there all day getting the uplift up the fire road to save time and energy, doing the black and red, and hitting the orange a few times. You've also got the option of a big day out in the munroes. Sorted.
Posted 1 year ago # -
two of the furthest apart unfortunately - k'tree and inners. found them both fan-bloody-tastic.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Glentress - we do 2 laps of the red route to make a day of it and i never want to leave, what a blast!
Innerleithen - you have to experience this at least once in your biking lifetime. Some tough climbing but the steep, quick bmxy end leaves you begging for more.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Enough people have commented on man made tracks, as you requested, but why not take a day out to use a Landranger and ride a natural trail?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Kirroughtree is definitely the best, but GT and Inners have a huge quantity of trails. Drumlanrig is great too, though it isn't actually a Stane. I think Ae is a great trail, though not everyone agrees.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Innerleithen is the best by a mile, it's a must do I'd say.
And it's only 15 min down the road from me, yippee.They all have something to offer.
Posted 1 year ago # -
the Mrs has booked us into a caravan for a romantic week away over easter- at Kirroughtree, this'll end in tears.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I could happily ride any of the ones I've ridden over and over til the wheels drop off. Kirroughtree has the edge of McMoab for a bit of a USP, and Drumlanrig nearby- who cares if it's not a Stane, it's absolutely fantastic.
There's so much riding at Glentress, you could spend 3 days there no bother but it'd be a shame with Innerleithen just down the road. So that's another great weekend. Probably the most accessible- easier to get to, and great to ride blind.
Lots of people like to look down on Glentress but to me it's fantastic, I went there as a noob and now I go there as a reasonably competent rider, and it's as good now as it was then.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Although not a 7stane, don't miss out on Drumlanrig on the way from D&G up to the Borders.
Posted 1 year ago # -
[why not take a day out to use a Landranger and ride a natural trail?]
Waderider - the title of this thread is Best 7 Stanes! which as far as i'm aware are all man made tracks so could that be why we are all helping Chew decide his plans with our man made ideas?
For me, i agree you can't get better than a natural ride but trail centres are soo much fun as a 'no-brainer' change and no ramblers to get under your wheels
Posted 1 year ago # -
We're actually leaning towards the natural rides, just most of the great stuff in Scotland is north of Glasgow. 7 Stanes was just a first thought.
After all of the riding we've done in the Lakes recently, i'm wary of going to a trail cenre and being underwelmed, so now looking for something which is as good as the Lakes or better.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Having rode all the 7 stanes I think Innerleithen is about the best of them and there are plenty of DH tracks to have a mess around on IMO. Don't leave inners without doing some proper DH tracks, a 5" travel full sus is good enough! Kirroughtree has a good black run and tends to be a bit less busy. If your doing GT black do it on a HT it will be much more fun as its vastly XC orientated. I would also do Dalbeattie as it has enough features to keep it interesting for the best part.
Posted 1 year ago # -
kirro is the best, GT is good altho if you ride with someone who 'actually' knows the place you'd enjoy it so much better
Rode Mabie on Monday for first time in a year, and it was fantastic. Rode it on my hardtail and rode it fast but was really good at pace.
Inners is good but for the real inners experience ride with someone who knows alot more routes round that area
Drumlanrig is also good, has to be ridden fast to enjoy the technical sense to it, and you MUST like riding roots
Posted 1 year ago # -
radoggair - Member
kirro is the best, GT is good altho if you ride with someone who 'actually' knows the place you'd enjoy it so much betterRode Mabie on Monday for first time in a year, and it was fantastic. Rode it on my hardtail and rode it fast but was really good at pace.
Specilized? Borrowed pump, bought punc repair outfit & wearing red top?I was out for a night ride after work
Posted 1 year ago #
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