I'm going to North Wales next week. I'm passing Delamere and thinking about stopping off for a ride on the way. The Delamere bikes website mentions that there is loads of singletrack but there isn't any info about it. Has anyone got some local knowledge that they can share?
My son is something of an afficiando of Delamere as we live just 5 miles away and he takes himself off there for endless evenings / weekends.
He tends to head for the Manley Bike Park area which is on the north side of Ashton Road, not too far from where the Sandstone Trail exits the forest towards Manley Common. There is free parking along there too, rather than having to use the pay and display in the main car parks.
There is also some good stuff around Old Pale, which is on the opposite side of Ashton Road and nearer to the cafes etc.
If I remember, I'll try to get him to signpost some of his favourite areas on here for you. It's no Marin Trail, but it keeps him occupied (15 y.o. riding a Canyon Nerve - far, far better rider than me!)
Thanks that's great. I'm just looking for a stop on the way, I've got a full week of riding in North Wales but though a fun ride on the way would be a good way to start.
The good stuff is indeed unmarked. The waymarked trails are just firetrack, a million miles away from a typical trail centre.
The bike park bit is great if you want to go session the short built jumps and berms, but if you want a lengthier ride you'll either need a local or a GPS with a local's route on it. I could probably pull something off Strava if you want a GPX? There's a few Delamere riders on here who might be up for a ride if you post a date/time.
there is indeed tons of singletrack to play on but none of the good single track is waymarked. If you dont have/get a ride partner to show the way to the best bits then then I'd take a digital map and just go and ride. Just pick some gaps in the vegetation and explore. The forest isnt easy to navigate in a newbies brain as much of it is very samey looking. Not many landmarks once in the trees hence suggesting a digital map so at least if you get lost then you can head back in the right direction. If it was me I'd probably park in the train station car park and head out from there.
Yep, station car park is good, or Gresty's Waste on the A556 at the top of Kelsall Bypass. There's a couple of tasty sections between there and the big masts which are worth riding.
Thanks for the info. Not sure what time we'll get there on Monday. I'll take a digital map and have a look on Strava.