I'm up in Scotland for a break with the family. I badly injured my shoulder last year mountain biking and have been off any red routes since as a result. Done plenty of non trail centre riding and a few blue routes which appear to be mostly fire roads & a bit dull. The Phoenix trail at mabie looks like a decent route to try to refind my mojo. Anyone got any advice or opinions on this trail? Plus if your on it in the next few days & see a pie eating Yorkshire man blubbing like a little girl, say hello, it'll be me.
There's nothing very lumpy on Mabie red, go for it.
I really like it, and it's mostly not a hard red so should be pretty much ideal for you.
(I suppose the only thing that struck me was the stupidity of the Bad Step... Fast no-tech swoopy trail then without any warning or foreshadowing a top-of-grade feature with nasty consequances if you do it wrong. Bad layout... But it's still a good trail and if you're taking it easy it shouldn't bite you.)
Aye, Mabie red is the most user friendly in the area, short climbs followed by short downs.
From the car park you climb up and round the back of the hotel to find the start of the trail.
Then there is a switchback climb up onto a wide, multi user track. Left turn up a short, steep, rocky climb which takes a wee bit of effort then a bit more up and over the first bit of board walk(wide). Left onto a forest road which takes you to another climb up to the view point. Now for the first bit of downhill fun 😀 Swoopy bit with a few small jumps, bomb hole and near the end a bit of a rocky drop which can catch the unwary/inexperienced. It's then back onto the same bit of forest road and a climb( long drag in local speak)
At the top of the hill the trail goes right and climbs a wee bit before contouring the hill. A couple of tree route sections to negotiate and a short bit of boardwalk with a drop onto some rock. Then anther climb up to the top of Decender Bender. Starts of narrow and widens into some berms followed by a table top and more berms 😆
2nd part of Decender is narrow to start with then shoots you into 2 big berms, narrows into a couple of smaller berms 😆
Cross the road towards the burn splash. Twisty section, look out for ramp up'n over some tree roots which can cause pain if got wrong 😕 Down into the burn splash the it's time for pain climbing the Scorpion.
Roller Coaster is a climb followed by a decent followed by a climb levelling out before crossing another forest road onto the Marthrown section.
Green Link is a short footy decent onto the forest road leading to Elevator which as the name suggests is a bit of a climb with some boardwalk included. When it levels out there come a good decent which if you are to come to grief this is the bit likely to catch you out, fair bit of erosion over the past few years. Rocky and footy in places 😆
Drop down the Bad Step and negotiate a few other boulder obstacles. Cross forest road and up the rocky climb you did at the start. Turn left for the last bit.
Enjoy 😆
As Northwind says the Bad Step is now a bit out of place on the route partly due to erosion causing the drop off the boulder/feature washing away the soil, wasn't as "bad" when reconstructed a few years ago. Look before you leap 💡
I'm not around this week but some of my riding buddies usually ride from around 6.30 on a Thurs night, not always the whole route, ending up in the hotel for a beer 😆
PS....there is a ride out at Ae on a tues night for all abilities. Slow group just mixes up bit of red & blue as the notion takes us. Out for hour'n half and back to cafe for post ride nibbles. Take the family who can enjoy the forest walks whilst your out for a ride or chill with a coffee in the cafe 💡
Trekster - Member2nd part of Decender is narrow to start with then shoots you into 2 big berm
Not sure big is the word, you can see them from space 😆
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Where are the natural trails around mabie? I'm down that way at the weekend for my missus seeing Clive Forth for some coaching and fancy a taxes round the local trails
Am sure wee Clive will point you in a direction