[Closed] Gypsy Glen

Not been up there for a little while but it's relatively dry round here at the moment* so should be it's normal couple of boggy bits self.
Most of GT red is open so you could just add that onto the route.

* Golfie was really grippy yesterday.

Thanks Stu. We've got GT Red and a few other loops of stuff on the cards for one day, but when I say 'mixed ability' I mean really, really mixed. There's a couple for whom a single lap of GT red (even with one of them on an e-bike) would be physically pushy, so we're unlikely to combine both!

It’s going to be disgusting up there. I went last week and was very thankful that the mud was completely frozen, it certainly won’t be frozen now. Descent will be fine as always though

It'll be the usual bog at the gate and the hillside from cardrona forest will probably a bit grim but I normally end up pushing that anyway* my big decider would be Whether you'll get a view.

If yes then a goer and if no then do something else.

It's always a slog fest, a miserable shit idea all the way up. And grin enducing blast on the way down.

*On a rigid singlespeed. It's the ultimate bike for gypsy glen but a bit hardwork at points.

Thanks all. It's not a route I've ridden, but it came up as a suggestion - think someone else in the group had also heard of it but also not ridden it. We'll see how we go, and if they hate it they hate it 😉

Very easy to divert over to Cademuir for a play there after too

Thanks all. It’s not a route I’ve ridden, but it came up as a suggestion – think someone else in the group had also heard of it but also not ridden it. We’ll see how we go, and if they hate it they hate it 😉

It's ace, I love it. But the climb through the forest is tedious. Just check the tree situation in cardrona forest though.

There is actually another way up via glen sax but I haven't ridden it and it might be 1km of hikeabike.

Edit: the map you linked to is not the normal loop. The normal loop is out of Peebles on the south road following the tweed. Past kailzie and then drop down to cardron forest where you turn right into the woods and climb the track always going straight and up. At the top you reach a dead end, look for the path through the felled area to keep going up. Turn right and follow the fence until you drop down to a gate which you go through and turn right up and round the hillside, you keep following that over a wee burn and carry on following the track through another gate into a bog where you turn right to the peak.

Then you go.... Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee all the way down to Peebles. Set up rolling gate opening so you only have to stop at one each on the descent.

And cadsmuir is good fun too and there are dirt jumps in the manor sware forest.

I've ridden the route linked to and it's open hill all the way up but a pretty firm double track.

I’ve ridden the route linked to and it’s open hill all the way up but a pretty firm double track.

Interesting, I'll try it out just strikes me as a little to much flat mooching along the bike path.

I might try the glen sax way to see if I can maximise descent to misery ratio.

Last time we did it we parked in Inners then followed that route to Peebles.
Then we went up and out of the top of GT and across the open hill to Lee Pen.
Then descended back down into Inners.
It'd be hell ATM though.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7383274566#:~:text=%3Ciframe%20src%3D%27https%3A//connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/7383274566%27%20title%3D%27Borders%20Cycling%27%20width%3D%27465%27%20height%3D%27500%27%20frameborder%3D%270%27%3E%3C/iframe%3E

Thanks all - we'll give it a whirl and see what happens 🙂

Then we went up and out of the top of GT and across the open hill to Lee Pen.

Jesus. Pyro for clarity whatever you do... Come down gypsy glen not up it!

Not suggesting going up Gypsy Glen at all.

Oh aye sorry I read GT as GG.

That makes alot more sense especially now I remember where Lee pen actually is.

😂

Jean-Marie Lee Pen, a must for any racists out there 🙂

*On a rigid singlespeed. It’s the ultimate bike for gypsy glen but a bit hardwork at points.

I assume this is not entirely serious, but I am curious. How does it being terrible to pedal uphill make it the ultimate gypsy glen bike? How would having gears be a disadvantage? Lighter weight makes it easier to carry?

How does it being terrible to pedal uphill make it the ultimate gypsy glen bike?

Well it's not terrible to pedal uphill it's just different. I max out at about the same point geared or singlespeed. Also getting off and pushing i have never seen as a disaster whatever bike I am riding.

But mainly because of the descent it's well suited to working out speed using gravity alone and it's not rough enough to warrant suspension but it is loose enough give that repacker vibe.

Essentially I think it's more fun singlespeed it's a route that suits being underbiked or it's a bit bland. your opinion may differ.

Thanks to all who responded with advice, we rode Gypsy Glen on Sunday in cracking conditions, climbed up the forest road from Kirkburn as Joshvegas suggested. Only one short damp section - 20 yards or so around the last fence corner before the climb up to Kirkhope Law - everything else was absolutely fine. Made a perfect contrast to 30-odd km of trail centre bashing round Glentress on the Saturday!