[Closed] Gisburn or Llandegla...again!

Gisburn is totally different. Much more technical compared to Degla. I've ridden both who knows how many times and prefer Gizzy. I find Degla a bit boring as it's just not challenging, although it is fun in a fast, flowing way.

In the same boat, ride Degla fairly regularly but not tried Gisburn yet, or Penmachno, Brenin etc etc 🙂

Gisburn is very very wet at the moment. Big big puddles.

Gisburn is OK. They've done a great job within the constraints of not having much altitude to play with or anything particularly steep.
There are some interesting trail features and enough to keep you happy for a half day or so on the main trail and the Hope line.
If you're feeling a bit more ambitious, then there is also some DH stuff that's worth a play on.

If you're same distance from 'degla and Gisburn, I can't see any reason not to give Gisburn a visit.

I don't know about Llandegla but Gisburn is dire every time we go we realise why we don't go that often I've official banned it for 2015 a lot of climbs for VERY little reward. E.G Hully Gully is about it 🙁

I'm the other way round to you OP, ridden Gisburn a few times, but never got to degla (but off there this weekend)

It depends what you want out of a ride as to whether you'll like Gisburn. If you want fast flowy stuff then the bottom end of the '8' / blue stuff is good at Gisburn, otherwise it's a techy place.

Russianbob is probably understating the puddles a bit, the trail holds up really well on the important bits, otherwise prepare to get moist

Just thought i'd add that I like going there and the way it's set up with different sections is good and makes for a nicely varied ride within 18km. I've never found the climbing/fun ratio the wrong way round. Only two bits of fireroad that i can remember and the rest of the climbing is on trail
It's worth a visit just so you can compare the two yourself

I like Gisburn, but I'd plump for a couple of laps of 'degla today. For a start, I don't think the Gisburn cafe would be open today for drying out/pieing out reasons. I also suspect that Llandegla would be slightly more sheltered - it's blowing a hoolie up this way this morning.

I also think that Llandegla will be slightly less puddly/muddy. There has been a lot of rain and certain sections of Gisburn on the top loop - Hully Gully for example - are not set up as well to deal with it.

And as HG is one of the highlights of Gisburn, it makes sense to come on a drier day when you'll actually enjoy it.

Cheers lads. Decision made, Degla it is, and then off up Peaks for some natural techie stuff Monday. Happy days!!!!

Go to Penmachno.. It's the Trail centre, that isn't a trail centre..

I was at Llandegla yesterday, it was very, very windy and wet in places but overall it was fine

Did (most of) Gisburn yesterday and visited Llandegla the week before last.

My 2p's worth - Llandegla is far more open and flowing, whereas Gisburn is generally more twisty, technical and rocky.

I find Llandegla more fun, especially the black run down through the forest. Depends whether you want fast, open, swoopy and flowing, versus twisty, rooty, rocky, techy.

The cafe at Llandegla is also brilliant 🙂

As already stated above, Gisburn is very wet at the moment. there are loads and loads of deep puddles on the trail where it's been erroded by riding (some of which seem to be there most the year round...). It wasn't cold yesterday and I wore sealskin socks, so no problems....but if it had been really cold, it might not have been as enjoyable.
HTH

More space at Degla means more open flowing fast sections. It seems to get a lot more money thrown at it as well, as skydragon says above there are plenty of heavily eroded sections that need sorting out but its pretty much up to the volunteers and thay can't do everything. Good lads and lasses that they are.

Go to Penmachno.. It's the Trail centre, that isn't a trail centre..

Correct. Its a stream currently.