What is the best way round Gisburn these days? I have not been in about 18months, since i moved down south, so before the Hub, the car park and some of the newer sections ive read about – but before that i was a regular. I would park at the D&P or as far up the lane as i could, session the Hope the line a few times, and concentrate on the north loop but sneak Homebaked in there too. Looking to make my return this weekend, obviously wanna make the most of it! any tips from regulars??

I took some non local friends up for a day of playing the other week, we did it like this:

Parked up at cocklet hill and rode the new section to the hub to stretch the legs.
Had a quick loop of the skills loop to check everyone head their eye in.
Red loop through home baked up to the hill then had a run of the hope line.
Continue red loop to Whelpstone Crag with a bit of messing at the slab.
Two runs of Hully Gully.
Follow red all the way back to Cocklet Hill.

Then drive up to D&P for a chip butty (if they’re open)

Doing the red with the black optionals involves a lot more fun these days – if it’s the weekend or Friday, the cafe at the Hub is open so park there (still no charges yet). Stuff you won’t have done on the lower part of the 8 include the skills loops, The Snake, which is fun, Swoopy, which is definitely fun, and a short pumpy link section back to the Hub.

Homebaked is running nicely at the moment thanks to repair work by the volunteers.

Top section is more of a slog, and for me, Hully Gully is not much fun, especially when it’s wet.

The ‘Bottoms’ section has also been repaired and is running really fast, as has the final section of berms down towards Cocklett.

ah right so im probably best just going for the full 8 from cocklett car park then? im guessing the ‘Hub’ is located down there? i guess its the best way to guarantee i wont miss anything, and i can still session the bits i like best…

The best way round Gisburn is the A65 and on up to the Lakes…

When you have a full time job, and a Mrs, and children, and you work away all week so you only see them at weekends; im lucky to be getting a pass for Gisburn never mind a frickin Lakeland jaunt!

Go down the same road as Cocklett Hill Car Park to find the Hub – just a few hundred yards further on. You can’t miss it.

Just park in the new car-park and do the skills loop, ride the 8, the Hope-Line and skills loops again at the end if you can be arsed.

It’s better in it’s recently updated form imo so ride as intended imo…

The best way round Gisburn is the A65 and on up to the Lakes…

Nah, Gisburn is great fun.

Agree that it’s probably best just to do the full 8 so you don’t miss anything. Any of the 3 parking areas are fine although the new carpark has lots of info so may as well park there. If you were up there 18 months ago you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way round the new stuff.

I’m sure I read on the pmba website that the lane from the D&P to the Hope Line has now been blocked off to cyclists. Something to do with blocking access for locals/forest workers. So the only real start is the old Crockett Hill or new Hub car park (which although very easy to find I somehow always miss and overshoot the junction!).

Just got back from there today and it was great. When it first opened I avoided it in the winter because parts were so worn and muddy but now it’s where I go when I want more shelter than a typical Dales ride. Despite the recent rain it was holding up very well. The recent repairs to Homebaked and Bottoms are good, it’s a fine line between technical challenge and eroded mess and I think theyve got it right.

So my way was start at the Hub. Ride the lower 8 then up the hill with the phone lines and do the too half. If I have time/the weathers ok I’ll repeat this by staying on the fire road back to the quarry. Then down Bottoms, back up the hill to play on the Hope Line a bit then home (the new Swoopy is great). Finish with maybe a play in the skills or repeat the first new blue section which I really like.

One really annoying thing though – ugly chicken lines appearing at the top by the slab. It’s a black run. If you don’t want to do it (I don’t) there’s already a great chicken run – the red route. Far more fun than slithering down an eroded peat hillside.

i believe they call that hill with the phone lines ‘Hamburger Hill’ ?

I’m sure I read on the pmba website that the lane from the D&P to the Hope Line has now been blocked off to cyclists

Went that route the other week and there’s some new barriers blocking motor vehicles but bikes can still pass. Might have changed now though.

tomj – How’s Hully Gully looking? It was a slutch-fest in spring and I haven’t had chance to go back since.

ScottChegg – Member
tomj – How’s Hully Gully looking? It was a slutch-fest in spring and I haven’t had chance to go back since.

Was up there on Sunday with Oscillate Wildly and it was running great, in fact the whole trail was riding fantastic.

loddrik – Member
The best way round Gisburn is the A65 and on up to the Lakes…
Nah, Gisburn is great fun.

+10000000000 i dont get whats not to like about it to be honest, its fast, its got some good climbs, nice singletrack sections, some good jumps (hope line amongst little ones throughout), couple of ‘black’ sections (which are good fast techy’ish fun)

its a great great place i cant wait to go back, feels really really ‘out there’ once you get up towards hully gully / slab, not like any other english trail centre ive done

it was running brilliant no sunday, a few puddles but hardly anything to worry about given the time of the year

and hully gully is probably one of the best if not thee best ‘man made feature’ ive ever ridden, its bizarre but for a moment when you ride it you feel like your actually on a rollercoaster like your not in control and just a passenger ( i can see how some people can get it totally wrong mind though 😉 )

ive never ridden gisburn before, and i wholeheartedly think its brilliant, shame its not a bit closer but still worth the drive, having not ridden any of it before, and nothing like hully gully before, i can safely say its great great fun

the only thing there that is shit is that narrow boardwalk, i dont get it, and im shit at it (theres one section of really narrow boardwalk, that i flaked on), like i said thats not my cup of tea and i dont really get the fun in it, but some do, thats the only negative thing i can say, and thats only really because i cant ride the stuff 😆

nice enthusiasm! Like i say i haven’t been back in a while but i used to love it… hope you’ve all bought your ‘The 8’ car stickers from ATR Cycles – £2 each all proceeds to trail development at Gizzy!

:?Didn’t know about the stickers, or the shop, saw the van though. Does the cafe stock them?

Can only get the stickers from ATR at the moment.

John doesn’t like trail centres…..

For those that do we’re working on a new section at the moment to link circle with the start of Homebaked, techy rocky uphill section to give a couple of miles continuous singletrack, should be open in the spring.

Good to know people like swoopy, was a sod to build. Also pleased people like the repairs, it’s not easy getting the right balance. Forestry team have done a lot as well, they did the repairs to bottoms and heading up to Whelpstone over the winter.

Hully Gully was great yesterday. Very fast and fun, and not too muddy. Like the rest of the trail really. The repairs round Whelpstone have really helped, that bit used to be hard going in winter.

Also big thanks to the volunteers for all their work. Especially liked the new section bypassing the staircase on Homebaked. Often ride by myself and never had the nerve to try it, but got annoyed at having to get off the bike and push. I always thought it was a bit hard for a red grade section. The new line is no pushover, and quite fun

of you get there early I prefer to park at the D&P. As said the road is closed to vehicles but open to bikes. Then you can do a few runs of the Hope with fresh legs for the climb.

Everywhere was running great & the improvements everywhere are a real benefit.

Hully Gully was great although the botto, third is a bit rutted.

I think the alternative line at the staircase on Homebaked is as hard, if not harder than the original, just less intimidating.

+1 for the new line on the staircase on home baked… Love it

So, parked at the new car park, very nice. Did the skills loop, wasn’t really taken with that. It was very slippy, muddy and wet, huge deep puddles meant I was soaked before we even set off. Wasn’t that arsed tho it was quite mild up there today and sunny in spells… Anyway, did the bottom of the 8, couple of sections I hadn’t seen before, sessioned both stair lines on homebaked a few times each then ploughed up hamburger and did the Hope Line, that is running fantastic – sessioned the top section again a couple of times then spent a while repeating the jumps at the bottom. We then decided time was pressing on so we should crack on with the north loop. By the time we had crawled back up hamburger the skies blackened, it was getting on for tea time too so we frigged off back down the HL again and headed back toward the car park! Some great improvements on that lower section too btw and we got back just as the monsoon hit. So we were obviously delighted not to be stranded up at the slab or something at that point! All in all a good blast, plenty of fun fast flowing technical stuff and that’s without even touching the top section! Never been before and not done up there, been plenty and done just up there but not vice versa, which is testament to the wrork the trailbuilders have put in over the last 18 months! Just wish I could get up more often.. Good stuff!

Just got back from Gisburn. I love the place.

Home-baked, Hully Gully and Swoopy are all brilliant and there is a bit of everything if you do the full 8. I swerved the Hope Line today, just because I could only face the climb once today, but am still absolutely knackered. I know if I keep getting fitter and braver I’ll get more out of the place too.

Also been up today for the first proper ride on my 5 29. Considering the weather it was holding up very well. Interesting to see how sections that were great on my old 26″ 5 were less so on the 29 but some that were a less so were better. Gisburn is ace imo, my new tyres less so.

Need to get the downhill route finished! Just past the Hope Line / Quarry. Had a play on the little gap jump on Saturday, but the rest of the route is really unfinished! Which is a shame as it has great potential!! 🙁
The hope line jumps felt a little odd to my mate and I, like someone has tried adding a bigger “kicker” at the top of them, they seem to be too forceful.. Maybe we were just being a bit wimpish!
Decent spot though, just wish that dh route was finished!

Was up there last weekend and saw a boardwalk exiting the trees just near the big stone barn (fire road after hully gully/stream crossing) is that a bit under construction or did I miss a newly opened section?

I think that is part of stage 2 from when they ran the Enduro up there a few weeks back.

It was the off piste enduro stage, we’re working on new singletrack before Homebaked at the moment.

The track from the D&P is not blocked off to cyclists – just cars/vans.

Just park for free in Tosside and enjoy the trails, you can get some food and a bevy at the D&P when he is open (fairly random)…

I will continue to support the landlord after he showed the way to The Slab to the ambulance and took our bikes back to the pub after my friend ended up helicoptered out.

C

Strictly speaking despite the wide track there is no right of way for bikes in from the D & P and the lane isn’t owned by the FC, it’s Tilhill who manage it and they ain’t that keen on cyclists using it.

Parking is still free in the FC carparks and when the machines get switched the money will go into the trails.