I shall be working in town from Sunday for a week. Despite the dubious weather forecasts I was going to bring the bike and go for a spin after work, have been looking at maps and was going to jump on the path that starts near the roundabout on riverside drive. Is that rideable along the river Peterculter-ish?
[url= http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Aberdeen_to_Banchory-Cycle-Route-3649.html ]http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Aberdeen_to_Banchory-Cycle-Route-3649.html[/url]
This?
Trail rat used to ride some of that daily, he'd be the man to ask.
That's about what I had in mind. Just want something to keep the legs turning as no gym thing in hotel and alternative is to sit in the bar all night with the boss and a couple of colleagues.
Old railway line so fairly level, dog eggs could be main hazard.
Where are you staying?
A thistle hotel in town
Used to be my favourite spin that, many years ago. Back then, you just had to join the A93 at Peterculter - the woods on the left of the road just after Peterculter were always good for a muddy laugh.
Was up just after Christmas and took the dog for a walk on one of the 'new' bits of path, just by East Park, Drumoak, by the river. Nothing very special but remarkably puddle free and well surfaced.
There are some right weirdos knocking about out there though. Young Asian guy, dressed up to the nines, standing by himself in a field, talking into a mobile. He was still there when I walked back a good few hours later with darkness falling. Dress shoes, the lot! And an old bloke just shouting at stuff - he was a bit scary.
Oh, and you can get on to the path at Holburn Street, at the far end of Union Street.
Was going to come through Duthie park and join after the bridge. Looking forward to the mad people can compare with those at home often equally bizarre.
A thistle hotel in town
The Caledonia is in centre. Easy ride from there to holburn st to pick up the line.
The path is continuous from the park, all the way out. You don't notice it's a gradual climb all the way until you head back in 🙂
You can squeeze in a couple of kms of tight singletrack by the river if you drop off the railway track at Cults. There's a path by the river next to a rickety old bridge which runs behind the golf course and spits you back onto the track at Newton Dee.
Oh, and yes, there is a path from Riverside Drive all along the river but you'll have to walk for a bit past Inchgarth Reservoir (steep stony bank). After that, you're on to the singletrack by the bridge, mentioned above ^^^.
Summer only path that river side one user removed. Rivers too high at the moment.
Dog eggs and black dogs being walked by owners in black jackets are your biggest hazzard on deeside way
Dog eggs and black dogs being walked by owners in black jackets are your biggest hazzard on deeside way
Oh that's a good post for fubar.
If you want something a bit more offroad see the Urban Ride from Duthie Park. Given teh amount of rain some of it will be a bit muddy though.
[url] http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue_Map_TrailViewer.aspx?VenueNumber=20 [/url]
Bit confused with that link, shows a swanley trail which is no where near Duthie park 13 miles away. Swanley is wet at the best of times never mind now.
😕
Any recommendations of where is holding up well in Aberdeen with all this water? Nice MTB single track if possible please.
It's all a mud fest at the moment. 😐
take your swiming trunks if your planning on going to swanley.
and urban ride will be off - you wont get under the bridge of dee to the trails - which are also under water as the river is about 5 ft higher than normal atm
pitfichie will be a mess , kirkhill will be a mess , scoltys a mess
i would maybe entertain millstone/benachie as its gradiants a bit much for water to sit on and its pretty well armoured.
Pitfichie is pretty well protected. There will be some decent puddles on the Cairn William descent and I'd probably give Green Hill a miss, but the rest of the red route probably hold up pretty well.
I'd avoid the Donview side of Bennachie as there are still a load of trees blocking the trails.
Suspected as much to be honest. Aberdeen never really stands up to the water very well. Has it been raining since 2013??????
you mean the fire road right - the first singletrack climb in the woods at pitfichie will be a night mare - its a bogfest at the best of times , the flat between the first descent and the cairn william climb will be a bog fest.
so really its not pitfichie anymore - its just a slog up cairn william and back down. not worth the effort imo
its been raining since i got here anyway in 2009
So its your fault? Can you just go away please.
Yes, what you refer to as "the first singletrack" is what I meant by the route up Green Hill. Each to their own I guess. I enjoy the challenge of a nice steep fire road climb (closet roadie) and of trying to ride as many of the features as I can up to the triangulation point and the blast back down is fun. But I'd agree, if you hate fire roads I'd give it a miss.
How quick we forget that long dry summer of 2013 !!
"How quick we forget that long dry summer of 2013 !! "
was it long and dry in aberdeen - i spent may - june in nigeria - june - july in france - july september in equatorial guinea 😀
Bennachie not too bad mud wise.. but it was pretty snowy on top Monday night.
Donview was OK last time I was up - but you've got to avoid the tree fall which rules out some of the fun routes. Still plenty of track for a fun ride and it's not too muddy (well depending where you go, I'd imagine you need a snorkel to try Marchburn).
was it long and dry in aberdeen - i spent may - june in nigeria - june - july in france - july september in equatorial guinea
Bad luck 🙂 You missed the best summer we've had.
I needed a trip to A&E after slicing my hip open, losing the front wheel on one of the switchbacks coming down Cairn William as it was so dry and loose (and I had no idea how to handle those conditions of course :-))
Scolty is wet obviously but the trails on Gouch are steep enough for it not too matter too much. Crack Cleaner and MDK were fun last weekend.
you guys cleared the fell up there then cultsdave ? was rotten last time i was up - if only the gates werent up id come in and clear it up/dispose of the waste 😉
ken shuv and campbell were up clearing some of MDK the other week.
I'd imagine you need a snorkel to try Marchburn
Is that the bit with the signs asking the people who made the trail to contact the FC? I've not been up there for a while, but I wondered what those signs were all about.
Any Cults/Bieldside riders about that head out locally?
Roverpig - yes the March burn is that trail. I imagine it will be a river just now!
Trail Rat - Shuv and Campbell did a magic job on MDK its totally clear. Crack Cleaner didn't get blocked as far as I know. We rode the new bit of the lower half so didn't check out the bottom.
Rim Pinger had loads of trees down a few weeks ago.
The forestry have been at work on Scolty but the most eastern trails were fine last week.
Do I know you?
MDK & Crack cleaner??? Am I missing some quality riding on my own doorstep?
cbalir246 - I believe MDK & Crack cleaner are at Scolty so not exactly your doorstep (as the Deeside line or Countiswells for doorstep territory) but pretty close, seems like there are a fair few of us on here from not too far along the road from you.
I'm based in culter.
probably not specifically but you do any of the ABZMTB mates races dave ? - you might know me from there.
russ - when we taking the pivot out on its maiden voyage ?
Doon the road this weekend for my nan's 90th and full of the dreaded lurgy. Need to get out on it soon though. Lost your number when switched phones, can you ping me an email with it.
trail_rati would maybe entertain millstone/benachie as its gradiants a bit much for water to sit on and its pretty well armoured.
Aye, it's definitely not sitting at the moment, sections of the Don View to Millstone climb are now a stream.
Seems a fair few Aberdeen(shire) folks on here.. or just that we're all hiding inside from the crap weather!
russ - when we taking the pivot out on its maiden voyage ?
Is that another one going to be making an appearance? Which flavour? 🙂
masquarading as working.
do i know you euain ? are you daves fast mate that used to be scottish champ in his youth ?
Every other Friday off for me and I'm sat in front of a nice fire at home in Dunecht. I really couldn't face getting soaked again. *feels like a wimp* 😳
do i know you euain ? are you daves fast mate that used to be scottish champ in his youth ?
Certainly not me.. no allusions to be anyone's fast mate! :).
I might have seen you round the Mates' races - or out on the trail occasionally. Normally out Monday nights with a wee group (monday muppets). I'm normally on a black/blue Mach 5.7 Carbon though - so say hi if you see me out!
same here. You based in Dyce by any chance?Every other Friday off for me...
MDK & Crack cleaner??? Am I missing some quality riding on my own doorstep?
Some decent quality riding, yes.
Euain, a 5.7 but just an alu one in black. It has taken some time to get it all built up after I broke my iron horse mkiii.
Every other Friday off for me...
same here. You based in Dyce by any chance?
Yep, RollsWood Group.
Ah.. my 9-day fortnight comes courtesy of BP. I love it! More in the summer than today though!
Rusty - the Mach 5.7's a great bike for round here! I got it to be a bit more travel and slacker than my old 120mm StumpJumper - but I've not ridden any other bike since I got it. It's done everything from the Dudes' Enduro to Strathpuffer with a tour de Nevis and many miles of local riding thrown in. Just better at everything than anything else I've ever ridden.
Some decent quality riding, yes.Looks good, thanks for sharing Robin. Will have to give them a try out sometime once the weather improves.
I rode Scolty today. The FC have driven their harvesters up the trails from the mast and deliberately wrecked them 🙁
They are not harvesting there.
Was out at Kingshill/Gairnhill woods at the back of Bieldside/Cults yesterday and noticed the Forestry commission had been at work. Someone had a few ladder drops and nice features in part of the woods which have now either been bulldozered or chain-sawed in half 🙁 I hope it wasn't anyone's handy work on here?
Once the FC have moved on I would be game for attempting to make a more natural trail route as its a decent close location perhaps to a few of us? That is if the FC aren't clearing it to let Stewart Milne put an estate on it??!!??
There seems to be some history with the FC and trails built in and around Aberdeen. I have heard of a number of 'features' being destroyed in the past. I think the crux of it comes down to the trails being built without permission and the possibility of the land owner getting sued if someone was to get hurt using them.
It does seem a bit OTT to me the level of destruction they have gone for*
Still I'm going to try to maybe improve on some of the tails in the woods come the spring or summer. Won't be building any massive wood features mainly due to my lack of wood butcher skills!!!
*Fully aware that building these type of trail features is illegal on FC land etc etc etc