[Closed] First time to Gisburn tomorrorw.

Take a book

Its pretty dull there

up and down, dropper post or leave yer seat down and mash everything. Hope line is closed but its a bit overrated IMO. Stop at tosside and go to the bike friendly pub.

Its a bit knackers in places but generally a great trail with many rocks.

Being local, pubs wise I'd pop to the Maypole in Long Preston.
Cafe try the Old Vicarage in Tosside
Parking either at Tosside Disadvantage its uphill from the bottom of the trail.
Or official carpark, can be busy.
Keep a keen eye out for the route signs as you can ride past some of the best bits and think the place Dull and need a book 🙂

Sorry, but get really p1$$3d off with the negativity on here at times!

If its your first tome out in 15 years then i dare say you are looking forward to going to Gisburn tomorrow! And so you should be - you will have a great time!

Sure, once you have done a lot of riding then maybe you will think it comparably less exciting or challenging than other places but i reckon you will enjoy it!

Its quite hard work on the uphill sections especially if bike fitness is a little lacking. As Dales_Rider said, some of the best bits are off the main fire road so keep your eyes peeled so you dont miss them. Also (according to some) the Hully Gully is in a poor state towards the bottom so watch out for that.

Have a good one!

Hallz, you're right, I'm REALLY excited. More nervous as I'll be on flats as SPD's kill me knees now, so I'll have to remeber how to bunny hop on flats again!

Ability-wise, fitness is ok but on bike, not so..also my technical ability is limited, I'm just looking to find my feet again and get out on a trail.

Thanks for grub/pint advice, I'm guessing it won't be busy tomorrow as forecast is dire. Is there any charge for use of trail or car park?

You'll have a great time, I quite enjoy it there. The pub at tossiide is good and you can park the car near there and ride in. Not much in way of shops so take food / provisions with you.i don't think there is a charge at the moment however I believe the new trail head car park and centre open next weekend ; I'm sure someone will correct me..! I was there a few weeks ago when there had been a light snow dusting and it was pretty busy. Either way have fun.

Avoid Hully Gully and the pot-heads.

Enjoy the rest of it, especially Home Baked and the new Swoops section.

Gisburn is probably the ideal choice for easing yourself back in! Obviously if, like some people on here, you're, like TOTALLY rad to the power off sick, then it's just, like SOOOOOOO lame and boring n shit!

If you get on well and you are feeling a bit more GNARRRRRRRR then you're less than half an hours drive from Lee Quarry. You could make a day of it! Have fun!!! 🙂

New trails, new car park and new cafe open on the 23rd, come back and ride the extra bits and make it your 2nd time at Gisburn 😉

Dango 🙄

new Swoops section

Is that on the red or black? I'm a bit scared of black, just knowing my own ability! I was reasonable back in the day, but that was back in the day. Now I am receding hairline and 34, not 20, with dodgy knees!!

Obviously if, like some people on here, you're, like TOTALLY rad to the power off sick, then it's just, like SOOOOOOO lame and boring n shit!

Cheers Binners, when I rock up in a Mondeo, whip out the branded carbon frame and look around with a bewlidered look, people will quickly realise I am as far from Rad to the power of sick as, well, a middle aged Civil Servant!

Swoopy is red grade with a black option towards the end. Keep your speed down and you'll have no issues. the only bit that sometimes sneaks up on people is the staircase at the end of Homebaked. Feel free to push, there's all sorts ride at Gisburn.

hallz - Member

Sorry, but get really p1$$3d off with the negativity on here at times!

Its quite hard work on the uphill sections especially if bike fitness is a little lacking. As Dales_Rider said, some of the best bits are off the main fire road so keep your eyes peeled so you dont miss them. Also (according to some) the Hully Gully is in a poor state towards the bottom so watch out for that.

Have a good one!

Maybe thats why there is some -ve comments, uphill technical riding 🙂
The whole trail is very good and certainly has the most challenging techy bits of any of the trail centres [except Stainburn] in th UK. Ok so they are few and far between but the Gisburn slab is harder than any of the Scottish offerings. Hully Gully is better than any section of the Stanes OK its a lot shorter so last time I was there I rode it twice 🙂

bearnecessities - Member

new Swoops section

Is that on the red or black? I'm a bit scared of black, just knowing my own ability! I was reasonable back in the day, but that was back in the day. Now I am receding hairline and 34, not 20, with dodgy knees!!

34? Pfft! A mere whipper snapper!! Lacking skills? Receding hairline? Welcome to my world! 😉

You'll have a great run! There's some fun sections at Gisburn. My better half hasn't been riding long and still lacks confidence on the bike, but she loves Gisburn! Just enjoy yourself!

Slight thread hijack, but are there any decent maps on PDF available online ?

Cheers Stumpyjon, nice advice. I'm proper looking forward to this 😀

Should I bring the HT or FS? HT is more what I'm used to, but should I get used to the FS and try out here? Appreciate this may be a subjective question...

FS can be nice for joy riding at gis, but HT will be just fine.

Stumpyjon - can you give us more info on the new trails? Distance, grade, technical?

If you've been off the bike for a bit, id say take the FS bear. Definitely a mud guard job if you have them too.

I've just remembered I'm actually 35, not 34. Talk about denial....

Pretty sure swoopy is a red with a black option at the end.

I realise this question might start a war for those that look for a war, but is the car park safe? Is anyone aware of any thefts taking place there?

Only asking as I fancy taking both bikes and doing a few laps on each, which means leaving one in the boot...

Cheers again, Rich

Park at the pub, a lot of tooing and froing, so should be reet. As of 2 weeks time, new carpark opens at gis with cafe, and that should be fine also.

Ok cheers, I'll do that then. By 'pub' do you mean the Maypole that Dales_Rider mentioned?

Main car park is fine, usually fairly busy. I've just uploaded some stuff about the opening to www.pmba.org.uk/news.htm, around 1.3 km of new trail, blue grade (in theory) but quite fast and tight, downhill a lot of it. New skills loops for practicing on as well.

Map, trail advice etc. can be found at www.pmba.org.uk/gisburn.htm

SJ, brilliant links, thank you. 😀

Cheers sj.

Bear depending on which way you come in, park at the dog and partridge. A busy car park with toilet, eating and cleaning facility for after. The food is reasonable and the landlord a biker so you'll be in good company there.

Enjoy 8)

^that pub he said.

the only bit that sometimes sneaks up on people is the staircase at the end of Homebaked. Feel free to push,

When we built that, the intention was to build a separate chicken line

Kudos for building a trail thank you, but maybe "chicken line" is a bit patronising?!

Or have I misinterpreted?!

I'd call it a pussy run 🙂

I'd call it a pussy run

I'm in!

I liked Gisburn when I rode there a few weeks back. I thought that some of it was reasonably technical for a Red..... I liked that there was a lot of technical climbing...makes a change.

The alternate route is back on the cards, the number of people slipping about in the mud down the side is eroding it badly. We'd like to put in an easier option, just need the rock shifting from the quarry.

just need the rock shifting from the quarry.

Get Tezzer on the case, piloting the power barrow.

Gisburn is quiet short but it is more technical than most trail centres.

Kudos for building a trail thank you, but maybe "chicken line" is a bit patronising?!

Chicken line/run is the common colloquial term referring to the go-around for technical features. Not a dig at individuals, just the word that's used.

Ah, I did misinterpret then 🙂

Cr*ppy weather for it today!

The whole trail is very good and certainly has the most challenging techy bits of any of the trail centres [except Stainburn] in th UK. Ok so they are few and far between but the Gisburn slab is harder than any of the Scottish offerings.

I'd say Laggan is quite a bit more techy. The slab is easy, it just looks a bit scary from the top.

grum - Member

The whole trail is very good and certainly has the most challenging techy bits of any of the trail centres [except Stainburn] in th UK. Ok so they are few and far between but the Gisburn slab is harder than any of the Scottish offerings.

I'd say Laggan is quite a bit more techy. The slab is easy, it just looks a bit scary from the top.

Not ridden Lagan, but will do one day.
So as an overall techy section starting from the first ascent up and over the small slab and actualy ridding up to the top of the big slab, how does that compare ?

Similar I guess but Laggan black is mostly pointing downhill and a lot longer (than that bit). There are some little steep ups as well.

Defintely has more tricky technical descending, but like the slab it's mostly easy enough if you can work up the courage to just point your bike down it.

The D&P do a magnificent post-ride chip butty. You owe it to yourself to wash one down with a pint of readily digestible carbs.

Slab at Dalbeattie is scarier for me. Not knocking Gisburns slab though.

SJ - have you considered copying McMoab and spray painting some techy lines round the quarry as an (maybe) easy win? It would make a good turn around point to come back to the Hope line for a good half loop.

Mugboo, could do but they keep expanding the quarry for trail materials 😯 There was talk of a pump track in there at one time.

7:30am - Got up, made porridge and a large pot of coffee. Drank 3 large mugs.

10:00am- at LBS buying some new 3/4's and getting gears fettled. Took longer than expected...without regard to previous consumption, drank abother 2 cups of filter coffee.

11:30am - Set off for Gis, stopped at McDonalds and bought a large coffee (I really wasn't thinking).

12:30pm - picked up some nice glasses from a fellow STW in Keighly...had a natter, set off again thiking "I could do with the loo"

1:15pm - Had to pretty much abandon car in middle of the road, run into some community centre and throw myself though the doors of the bog and **** like someone with Norovirus (reference the previous 6 large cups of coffee).

1:16pm - realised there was only 8 sheets of loo roll...

2:00pm - Arrived at Gis, very late, in the freezing rain and in a bad mood. Spent the next hour realising how unfit I am, tehcnically lacking and riding a FS bike that I don't actually get along with.

Finished the ride, freezing, filthy, p*ssed off and headed home.

I now realise though I actually did it, I got off my ass and did it....and I now feel quite good about that.

So I'm going to go back tomorrow, which is probably going to be even colder and I'll still be as unfit, but instead only drinking tea in the morning, and I'm going to take the HT and do that run again, and again until I don't feel like a the stereoptypical preception of a fat old knacker on an expensive bike.

Oh, and I only did the blue Run... 😳

This tmro, your gonna hurt 😛

Yup...and will enjoy it even less probably!