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Went today rode over and was impressed, well done to one and all, the wood freaked me as it was lashing down and still have visions of flying off the north face at grizedale. I was impressed by the quality of the trail plenty of everything but did totally manage to mangle my calf on my flat pedals on the green route......do not ask. Personally liked it more than llandegla, much more intresting at Gisburn.
I'm hoping phase 2 will be more fast singletrack, but maybe less berm orientated to add a bit of difference. I got the impression from the foresters that Martins only little niggle with the phase 1 contractor build is a bit too much use of berms along every new section, so I'm hopeful that there will be a bit less banking up of every corner and a bit more just fast track to mix it up a bit.
What does everyone else think? Constructive critical suggestions are welcome and can be fed back to Martin when he's back off holiday.
BTW, the next contractor build phase might centre around cafe/toilets/car park (and hopefully a bolt-on skills area/loop), because that's the easiest to get funding for in the current economic climate (ie creating some employment).
Over the next 6-12 months it might just be volunteer digging that adds to the new route, but in the last few meet ups there haven't been very many of those. So, if you've been thinking about coming to a dig day, now is the time to commit and put it in your diary.
I emailed Nigel a few weeks ago and asked to be put on the mailing list for dig days - he said he would but I've never had anything through since. When is the next one?
The only detractor for me, and a few lads I rode with, were the rather unnecessary "speed bums" that were placed close together on flat singletrack. They were neither one thing or the other. Too far apart to jump them (they were on the flat anyway) and too small to pump them. They just seemed to break up the flow. I'm specifically thinking about the ones quite a way after the quarry and before you get to the slab.
Back there Sunday so will have another think.
Any chance I could have the gps route please?
email - twisteddotdalekatgooglemaildotcom
lowey, what time you going sunday?
More 'natural' singletrack with a sprinkling of rock features would be fantastic 🙂
Paul
Ribble Valley riders club, with Gisburn as our 'home ground' anyone?
I may not be eligible for membership, living half a mile from the "Welcome to Ribble Valley" sign (Grimsargh) but there's a fair chance you'll see me up there. Look out for grey Mundane-o Estate and either a Black Commie 5.5 UK or a Blue Rockhopper.
Slight hijack...Where else local are the Ribble Valley contingent riding of an evening?
Danny, not sure, trying to get an answer out of my riding mates is like getting blood from a stone, but I suspect it will be early to mid afternoon.
Please send me the GPS tracks stumpy, we are hoping to ride this on Sunday if you can help.....
Thanks in advance.
wrahome@hotmail.com
Stumpy Jon, any chance you can email over to nik _ _ uk at hotmail dot com?
SHall I stick up a copy on a website somewhere that can be downloaded?
Great idea - I have some webspace if you need it. Or you could use one of those free file-hosting thingies like megaupload
Sounds like a good idea in the short-term. Once all the signage is up it won't be required will it?SHall I stick up a copy on a website somewhere that can be downloaded?
p.s. I don't mean to sound impatient but I could do with it by tomorrow morning!
Here is the link for your file, which will be available for 7 Days or 100 downloads.
https://www.yousendit.com/download/Y1RwUXVqRnd3NUtGa1E9PQ
Cheers Oggles.
Ive just watched the you tube footage linked, one by one, and really impressed. cant wait to heal quick and get riding, only 50 miles from me, defo one of the first places im going. I haven't been up that way since the NEMBA's.............
Also thanks Oggles, I'm away from home this weekend (currently sat in a tapas bar in Cardiff) so I don't have access to the file.
Agree with Lowey about the speed humps, couple of odd lumps in strange places on the last section of blue as well.
Off to Afan tomorrow, haven't decided which trail yet.
I agree with both too many berms and the speed bumps, I would like to see some more natural singletrack, but will need to describe that a bit better. Will ride it again next week. When is the next dig? 🙂
Next dig is a week on Sunday.
Not sure I agree with there being too many berms although I do agree some more flowing fast less technical singletrack would be nice. I've always enjoyed the old section of red into the valley and the little bit around Stephen Park.
Looks like a consensus is forming. We need to feedback to Martin, coming along to a dig day is a good way of doing it 😉 .
I can't open the .GPX file! Has anyone got the Garmin .tcx file or know how to convert the .GPX file so I can import it in to Garmin Connect?
Kind Regards
do a google search for GPS converter
Thanks,
I have a converter or 2 and I still cant import it in to Garmin connect or motionbased to download to my Garmin Edge 705.....
Anyone else having this problem?
Update.....
nbt I have sorted it, used tcx converter and downloaded directly to the GPS unit. I will post to Garmin Connect if we get there on Sunday, thanks Guys....
what time and where is the meet point next sunday please?
thanks 🙂
Does anyone have a postcode for the carpark?
Car park is here
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=374680&Y=454920&A=Y&Z=120&ax=374680&ay=454920
Streetmap reckons BD23 4SY
Nice one everyone - gonna head up there later today with the gf
Is the black gully section the sort of wiggly looking bit near the north east corner of the trail? I can see a short section branching off there. Any other black bits? My gf will want to avoid them.
Cheers
you can skip any of the black bits. The berms come after the slab: they are marked as black due to the consequences of failure rather than technicality, so make sure you go down them!
grumm-if she doesn't fancy the really big berms, she can ride past to the right there is the old red route down, it meets the bottom of the berms at an old ruin. You'll know when you get to these, as there is a little rocky step down section at the top.
Whoops you've probably set off by now.
Still here - I'll be going soon though 🙂
Thanks for that. She's not normally too bad with big berms, it's steep rocky stuff she doesn't like (and boardwalk!). Watched a few vids and it seems like she should be ok with most of it.
Went for a couple of laps this morning (semi-bearded bloke with severely clashing dark clothing/sky-blue helmet on a Pitch Pro, if anyone noticed...), found it a very decent work-out with plenty challenge to keep things interesting. Accept that fire-roads are a necessary evil to get you to the good stuff, but still loved the climbs, though there seemed some odd choices here and there that broke the flow up a little, those curiously sized / spaced speed bumps as has already been said. Be interesting to see how it develops under the traffic it's going to get, slip-fest in the muddy section through the trees, hopefully riders will exercise the caution muscles when it's wet through the 'swoopy canyon'.
It's quite tight in places compared to, say, GlenT, but no less enjoyable. Also got on about the best I ever have in a 'black' section, up the top. That slab slope is THE quick-hit rush. It's kinda like Laggan up there, if rather less intense.
Well done to all involved, you can really see the work that's been put in. Hopefully will join one of the dig days in the next few months; stumpyjon - will you keep posting the dig dates?
Cheers.
Many thanks nbt i found it before you had posted but will be handy for next time. Great afternoons ride. Loved the northshore, the slab was a quick rush and the berms are stunning. Some excellent singletrack it'll be a shame to see it all full of brake bumps form idiots who can't ride (IOM).
Thanks to all those involved and i will try to get up for a dig day asap.
Will do Rob, next date is as I have said a week on Sunday, one after that will be a fortnight later.
Best way to keep up to date is to email this guy:
Martin.Charlesworth@lancashire.gov.uk
He maintains the email list and usually sends out reminders and more importantly lets everyone know if a dig day is cancelled or postponed.
Not quite sure what his role is but he seems to organise a lot of volunteer type activities for Lancs council.
Not to be confused with he other Martin, Martin Colledge who is the FC driving force behind the project.
grumm-how did your gf. get on with the boardwalk? I got off the bike when the board walk humped up. I also didn't ride that rocky ladder descent in the woods, which was in the first section of volunteer built st.
We both really enjoyed it. My gf didn't ride most of the boardwalk section with the humps in it (or that rocky steep bit in the volunteer built section). She did ride some of the black section with the giant berms though, which she was quite pleased by. Not sure about the black grading personally.
If I was being critical I would agree with the comments about the bumps - I like getting two wheels off the ground and there seemed to be a lot of things that looked like they could be jumps, but because of the way they were placed didn't seem very jumpable. I suppose when I get to know the trail a bit better I might find more opportunities for jumping.
Just driving back from gisburn now. We got there for 830 the rain was lashing down, but wow, much better than expected. Really grippy( even the slab ) in the wet.
Pleased there is a place to mess about/have a quick blast only 40 mins from home. Looking forward to when it gets waymarked (the yellow crayon arrows did help tho!)
Wow! We (4 girls on Thurs night) had tremendous fun and I can't believe its almost on my doorstep. Plenty of "just nipping out, dear" to be had. We laughed loads down swoopy canyon but wouldn't want to do it after rain. The 'blue' back to the carpark was fun and will be great for kids. Will be revisiting very soon and will do the hump on the boardwalk now my heads round it.
Many thanks to all involved and I look forward to watching incredibly brave types going down that new (as yet unopened)black section. 😀
Was up there today in the pouring rain. Had a great time, however, the surfacing in the rollercoaster really does need thinking about. It was like ICE all the way down. I think its only a matter of time before there is a nasty accident there.
When are the marker arrow's going to be in place?
diz
Not before 3rd August, is all I can say for def.
Martin Colledge (the main FC guy behind the whole project) is back from holiday on the 3rd August. At some point, soon thereafter, he will remove the old two-way route signage and estabilsh the new correct one-way route. How quickly this happens, I suppose, will all depend on whether all the new posts have been put in correctly (in his absence) and when/whether all the plastic signage inserts are printed, correct, and in his posession.
Maybe another week or two, at a guess. Before he went on hols, he certainly stated it's his top priority.
i went up on monday afternoon, having never been before found the signage quite confusing. But, i enjoyed what i found to ride just exploring, great especially within 30mins of home, will be up there again friday i think doing some more exploring. at the moment i only have my full race hardtail or my race 4x bike, nothing ideal for such a place!
there was a guy on the black runs last time i was up an a ridged jump bike guess a 4x bike isnt far off?