Hi. New to the forums
I got a day off tomorrow and thinking of going Gisburn, is it worth a 2 hour drive? Also how easy or hard are the black sections

Cheers
Kev

Not worth 2hrs each way IMO.

I drive 1hr to get there and do two laps (and muck about on the freeride bit) to make it worth the journey.

Welcome to the forum.

🙂

I’ve done a two hour trip a few times from over Harrogate way, took the CXer and hacked around.

I thought it was a nice place to ride..

yes, it is worth it

Thanks I’m in Staffordshire so I ride Cannock regularly and have rode llandegla, cordybrenin and the Marin a few times. I thought Gisburn for a change. Might end up going llandegla again

I would give it a go – just for variety!

It’s fun, just a little over an hour away from here, but I usually tie it in with working over that way!

How do the black runs compare with llandegla?

I’ve been a couple of times when passing by, I actually quite enjoyed it. It has a definite character of it’s own and although not loads of km the quality is quite good.

Personally I don’t think I’d drive 2hrs to get there (It’s about that far from where I live) though.

Edit: I remember some short black sections being a bit tough but all easily avoidable with multiple routes

depends where else is within 2 hours

i can get there in 2, but can be in the peaks quicker, so it never gets (got) a look in

You could do Lee/Cragg Quarries on the way up?

Welcome to the forum btw.
🙂

Defo worth it compared to other 2hr journeys i’ve done. New section just opened too but if you use it don’t forget to double back for hully gully.

How do the black runs compare with llandegla?

They don’t really compare. The black bits at Gisburn are really gnadgery and technical and interesting. The stuff near the hilltop is excellent. Requires lots of concentration to get round. Though bits of it are quite difficult to spot. Unless you know you’re supposed to ride along the rocks at the side of the trail rather than the trail itself!

Thanks for the replies
I think I’ll probably decide when I wake up in the morning

Its worth it to tick off, quite like gisburn but only probably done 5 centres.

What time does the car park open?

It’s definitely worth a go, some really nice sections although some parts drag a bit. I’m happy to travel 90 minutes to it.

Don’t recall there being any barrier at the main car park, so rock up when you want. There are only a few ‘black sections’ – most near the top of the ‘8’ (including Hully Gully), and a harder bombhole-type drop on Swoopy.

Personally would be a tad disappointed if I’d put four hours driving into the experience, but it’s not a bad trail, and it wasn’t in bad shape last time I went, although I never seem to catch Hully Gully in decent nick. Homebaked is still the highlight IMO.

It’s good for a blast and well worth a visit. It was very wet at the weekend for the Hope Enduro and still enjoyable. Shouldn’t have a problem with carparking and it’s pay and display

Depends on what else you can / would do with the 2 hrs.

I would go.

If you haven’t been before you basically need to go, then you can decide if you want to do it again.

Do it, when you’re in the old peoples home dribbling at least it’s something to remember.

No, it’s not. It is one of the better English trail centres but there is much more rewarding riding elsewhere.

Why not go east to the Peak District? The trails there will beat and trail centre hands down.

I regularly drive an hour or so to get there. If heartily recommend you give it a try.

Don’t mind a reasonable drive to ride anywhere for the first time, really – Gisburn easily worth that for a first visit IMHO.

2hr drive for a second visit is a different story, wouldn’t personally be interested in that for Gisburn, but I’ll ride anywhere once. It’s not even that it’s bad or owt, just that you’re driving past a lot of quality stuff to get to a trail centre there.

Certainly not, drive past it most weeks on my commute home and avoid.

Not bad once a year i guess.

Stokyo based also.

I live about 40 minutes away and have no desire to ever ride there. 2hrs from Staffs you could be at quite a few of the other welsh trail centres if that’s your bag or you could ride The Wrekin or Stiperstones, or bob up to the Peaks or Macc forest…?

I’m in the Rossendale valley but I’d rather go to wales than Gisburn – I can’t stand the drive there and the narrow lanes (I’m in a LWB van)

No barriers at the car park. It’s pay and display.

As to whether it’s worth a 2hr drive? If you’re into trail centres and haven’t been then worth a shot and then you can make your own mind up.

I’m about an hour away from Gisburn, hour and 15 from Llandegla, and 45 mins from the Peak. Most of the time I go to the Peak, with Llandegla as my backup if the weather/trails are minging and/or my legs aren’t feeling up to the climbs. I maybe do Gisburn once a year and always come away feeling a bit meh about it. It’s a decent trail centre, but there’s much better stuff around within easy reach – I certainly wouldn’t drive 2 hours each way to get there.

If you’re in Staffordshire I’d head to the dark Peak and do something round Ladybower, there’s plenty of routes online. Trails should be ok just now but worth checking koftp on twitter to see.

Is it worth it for 2hrs drive? I would say that depends on what type of trails you like. Its not at all like degla, theres a few flowing sections such as the hope line and hully gully but no long flat out jump sections. The blacks are more like dark red.

The trails are very ‘natural’ and I like it because of that, some prefer bmx style flatness. If you prefer the latter you may not enjoy it. It will be wet so if you go take a change of clothing.