I have only been to Dalby a few times and always done the Red route with no probs at all..The guys that i have been with say the black sections are "well dodgy" so thats why i have nver been on them
As you ride around you can see bits of man made wood sections and that looks slippy so I stick to the Red
Is there any black sections that are worth a look ??
(I am used to rocky stuff i ride in the peaks every weekend and have done the reds and blacks at Coed-y-Brenin)
Cheers
Andy
Hi
I would say give it a go they aren't that bad.
The stuff is mainly the old red route IIRC and is more "natural" than the current man made red route. If can get a bit gloopy if it has been wet though.
If you follow the current red route until after Dixons Hollow then do the short couple of black bits (some of which are very new) you will link back to the red route.
Keep following this until you are at the far side of the forest after the big switch back climb (sorry dont know the name but there is a scenic viewpoint on the left near it)and you will see a black section signed down a piece of boardwalk on the right-follow this and then keep following black and you will eventually come back to Dixons Hollow.
Then you can just complete the red as normal or cut back to the visitors centre as you see fit.
Hope that makes sense.
Cheers
Steve
Cheers for that i know where you are on about
The other week on the local news (BBC Look North) they were showing a downhill section at Dalby that had some big drop off's I am guessing thats not on the Black route is it ??
On the news they said the "new downhill route" thats a new one to me but like i say i have only been three times
There's a separate downhill track here:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=490450&Y=491360&A=Y&Z=120
You pass the top of it on the red route (signed but easy to miss if you're not looking for it). Has some nice drops etc, but is a bit short - definitely one to walk before your first ride!
The only bit of the Black that is a bit tricky is the last drop before you return to Dixons Hollow here:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=489252&Y=489822&A=Y&Z=115
...but it has an easy alternative route now, all well signed.
If ti's dry then the boardwalk section are very easy, in the wet it can be a bit of a lottery.
Any idea how long in miles or time doing the black bit that fatgit talks about then finish on the red would add to the ride
cheers
It's shorter
It cant be if you get back to dixons hollow after doing the black bits then get back on the red route and ride that to the end ...
Hi
Yep Andy you are correct, if you do the whole lot as I described it is longer-I would say add about another 1.5 hours. Just a guess though!
Cheers
Steve
Sorry - Dixons Hollow is on the red route in one direction and pretty close to it in the other.
I had assumed that when you got back to Dixons hollow you would turn left up the Forest Drive (the tarmac) and pick up the red route though the bomb holes section - that would be shorter.
If you head out of Dixons on the same route you did previously over to the Adder's Back climb and continue round the red route that way is would be longer - but most of it would be re-riding exactly the stuff you'd done an hour or so earlier. That said the bit you hadn't done is mainly quite nice chilled gently (very - it'll feel almost flat) descending single track with a couple of very gentle climbs.
Red is about 21 mile & the black is around 7 miles (inc where you have to back on the Red).
There are 2 or 3 droppoffs that are tricky but all the rest of the Black run is perfectly rideable, mostly no worse than the Red really. I've ridden it a couple of times on my 120mm hardtail without much trouble (not the big droppoffs though but they're easily walked/ridden round).
IIRC it took us about an hour and a half to get round the Black
Just back from my first time at Dalby. Started off at Dixons Hollow and set off on the black route. The first few sections were OK, a few drop offs including an interesting end to a section which was steep/rollable on the left but you'd have to take air on the right. Then got to one that was steep, rooty & IMO you'd have to take at speed/confident and know the line to get thru. As I'm a mincer I didn't and wasn't really getting into the ride so after that stuck to the red which I really enjoyed. On a HT BTW.
It did seem that you'd be going along a trail and all of a sudden have an obstacle that didn't fit in with the flow - if that makes sense. Like a tight corner I'd try to take fast and a find a drop off on the outside of the corner where I was aiming to exit. No problem with this as you soon learn and have to keep your wits about you. If in doubt stop, look and learn.
Wasn't expecting much before I got there but thought the place was excellent fun. Though did pass one person in a space blanket waiting for the medics to arrive.
I think the air ambulance has Dalby programmed into it's Sat Nav now. They were out at least twice last week - don't know about this week.
But mountain biking should have some risk and learning to ride to your limits and extend them slowly is part of it.
i did the black route today in a thunderstorm...and done before in the snow....the wood is slippy...but its worth doing...put ur softest compound tyres on
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