[Closed] Where to MTB within 30 minutes of Edinburgh ???

Corstophine hill is OK for arsing around. There's bits and pieces in the Braid Hills and around South Edinburgh, again just for messing about or for on your way out to the Pentlands.

Best thing though if you're getting a bit sick of GT and the Pentlands is to go out with others who can show you new trails there. Do you know the trails well? There's a surprising amount out there that you may not have ridden, in both places.

There's a Wed ride organised on here by The Bike Chain - ever been on it? Usually the Pentlands or GT and is v friendly and good for seeing new bits of trail.

Personally I do get a bit bored of the Pentlands and need to take a break now and again. I'd never get bored of GT or Innerliethen though - a lot on offer and so many different ways of riding it.

Tend to go up with guys that are up there every weekend, they no their way about. To be fair i've probably only ridden about 50% so maybe i should do my own thing and scout about.

I tend to get a bit fed up heading up there every weekend, like a change of scenery sometimes.

I've still to do the full black run, might tackle that.

Do Gypsy Glen opposite Glentress. More that 30 mins, but the riding through Stirling way is superb. North 3rd and Dumyat are two of my fav's.

Plenty of "off-road scenic but not real MTBing" stuff around as well. Shore path thru the dalmeny estatre for example. Plenty of odds and ends of single track around as well. Along the almond from Crammond to Cammo, the cammo estate, etc

Thanks to all repliers so far, im jotting down these places, will check them out later.

Innerleithen. Pentands. Beecraigs. Various places in East Lothian.

Basically Edinburgh is amazing for local trails.

Chrisdb. East Lothian? Im intrigued? I stay in midlothian so on my doorstep. Any specifics?

come down to East Lothian next Sunday, organised a ride out with train times etc...an easy day with nice coastal scenery planned with tea/coffee/cake after 😮
will bump up the thread for you...

east lothian - get a map and explore. Off the pencaitland railway walk there are some routes, butterdean woods has some, bits of the coastal path and John Muir Way, Saltoun Forest

There are some absolute gems in Roslin glen, although the 'loop' that existed is getting broken up by big fallen trees, still very worthwhile.

Oh, and unless you've been VERY busy, I wouldn't have thought you'd ridden all the best stuff in the Pentlands in just a few months, unless your mates really know their way around and you've been there most weekends. Problem is, this is not the time of year to explore the best trails...

Between GW's sunday ride last week and Coastkids next week you would have probably got to see the majority of East Lothians trails. There are little tracks in pressmennan woods and some hidden stuff not to far from Mussleburgh.

another east lothian vote here.

kobra2771 - where in Midlothian do you stay?

(I'm a mile or two outside Dalkeith.)

Househusband. Im in mayfield.

What sort of riding do you like?

There's loads of good natural XC trails on your doorstep in and around Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Roslin etc. and quite a few locals on here..
loads of good stuff around me (the Edinburgh end of East lothian).. or Hook up with Coastkid for a ride out the north side, we'll probably do one out my way again soon too.
.

Between GW's sunday ride last week and Coastkids next week you would have probably got to see the majority of East Lothians trails.

BTW, We up for a nightride some night this week?

night ride... aye! need to see what nights Mike is working, HH and SF makes 4 of us

can't I come then? or can't you count? 😛

er...cant count 😆 so thats 4 plus team leader 😉

Househusband. Im in mayfield.

You'll be no further than a mile or so from me then!

There's heaps of quality woodland singletrack in the area; we've done some loops from mine over the last several months - about 40km with about 75% off-road.

Anyone fancy a wee night ride tonight? not too far, i've got a rough route thought out.

HHBand. Would love if you could show me some sometime. Go out with the guys from work and would like to be able to show them some of my local trails instead of heading over to fife and up the M90 of a weekend!

Mike ive just opened a 2nd bottle of strongbow -:)
2nd last day of Hols...back to the grind Tuesday...
going out for a play tomorrow for a few hours if your up for it?, Paul (stanfree) coming out to play too

Stirling but you need to drive fast.

mike, I would have, but I went for a ride this afternoon that turned into a nightride 😳
Now the bike and me are washed beer seems more appealing.

what nights are you free this week?

There are great trails in the Lomonds in Fife, and also Benarty Hill near Kelty. Fife coastal path too.

Stirling way is definitely the best riding but as mentioned you have to drive fast! North third, dumyat and ben cleuch are good as is lots of the other stuff around bridge of Allan

Other stuff that you may not have ridden: pitmedden, carberry, beecraigs, devilla, dollar DH track and probably some others that I can't remember

Lots of mxct in the ochils and lammermuir hills too if you like that

Alot of good stuff in Fife. Was over at Braefoot this morning, some of the jumps these insane guys are building in there are immense! Really like blair adam, white wood and pitmedden. Little gems if you dont actually know about them then get taken to one.

If you like insanity there is falkland too 😀

Can do a nightride In east lothian this week If anyone else Is interested , Just name the day peeps.

Falkland?

kobra2771 - you've not got an email address in your profile!

Got it; but I'd go back, edit your post and delete your email address - email addresses get picked up too easily and added to spam lists, etc.!

Falkland ... Near auchtermuchty in fife and loads of crazy gaps and drops ... Fun DH trail though even if like me you're scared of the crazy stuff

Cheers HHB. Was the business address anyway, but deleted it.

SM555 Might give falkland a go in the next couple of weeks.

GW / HH if you're night riding tue or thurs I might be up for it

Stu, I'll probably be out night riding locally Tues and Thurs this week anyway. Your company's always welcome 😉

coastkid, HH, Stan, Yoda What night (other than Wed) we riding then? and where do you want to meet?

Thursday would be good for me ,I dont mind where to be honest as Its all gonna wet. Butetrdean Is probably one to avoid after a big downpour.

Thursday evening fine,meet at pub car park again?

Aye.
What time? (I'm free from 6.30)

Sounds good to me , See you both there.

I recon I can go on thursday night too. What about Saltoun Woods? it will be pretty muddy but its pretty good fun.
I'm hopefully going out on wednesday night with a mate as well, so I'll be able to scope out the tracks. Everyone is welcome to join us.

7pm (ready) at car park then head up to Saltoun? 😮

sounds good. We can head through pencaitland woods then through saltoun estate to saltoun big w
oods if folk prefere that to the road? Anyone want to come out on wednesday too?

Should probably be there!

Aye, I'd rather stay off road as much as possible.
With 5 of us hopefully it'll be faster moving so we could maybe venture further afield after Saltoun woods.

see you all at 7.00

Is 7pm the earliest we could start? Just wondering!

im home 3.15pm so happy to go with the flow 😮

I'm home around 5 on thursday, i'd only need time to get some food in me as I live falling distance from the pub. No takers for a ride on wednesday as well as thursday?

[Getting a bit sick of glentress and the pentlands!!!]

Ungrateful Git 🙂

I've recently departed Edinburgh for Swindon and the disappointing array of mountain biking on offer here has me crying when I read your post

Seem to have some kind of disease / cold thing going on - but if I'm feeling good by Thursday I'll be along 🙂

just got in from a wee nightride, there were a few boggy/damp bits but in the woods a lot of it is surprisingly dry 😀 had to remove quite a few fallen branch/trees from the trails I rode.
The Tyne and another wee river in another wood are pretty high so I cut a new trail to go round a (usually dry) water crossing.

Andy, I can be at the pub ready to leave at 6.30 if it suits everyone else too?

G, weather forecast for tomorrow is dry so that could sort the trails out even more! 😀
I recon I could make 6.30 too.
G - Do you wrap the batter for your light in a wee bag or anything?

I can make 6.30 too

Im still up for this as desperate to see some Of Gary's trails , so I will be there unless It's totally blowing a gail. Today looks like the best weather of my holiday week so heading up the Pentlands for a wee scout bout and take some photos. So I will see you at 6.30 tomorrow.

G - Do you wrap the batter for your light in a wee bag or anything?

I hate bar mounted lights.
[img] [/img]
😉
but if you have a battery pack it's always a good idea to keep it as waterproof as you can and keeping it in a secure bag will prob stop it scratching your paint badly (you have a steel frame don't you)

coastkid - can you make 6.30 too?

im off work with the lergy GW so sitting tomorrow out 🙁
Sunday is still on though as cold improving daily! 😮

oh.. nightmare! 🙁
I'm not free this weekend 😕

I'm still not sure if I can make sunday or not.
G - we meeting at the Winton at 6.30?

yeah 6.30 Thurs @ the Winton
me, Mike, Andy, Paul & Stu?
Stu, do you know where you're coming?

Ps. that light above ^^ is about £25-30 off DX with a charger and a couple of batteries.

Which light? You got a wee linky for it?

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12060

5 modes sounds too many (and it is) low/med/hi/strobe/sos. the last two you won't need (hopefully 😉 ) and you prob use Med most (they do a 2 mode too but being only high or low there's no middle ground)

you'll need a charger and some protected batteries, bodge a sweet helmet mount and that's it. 😉

Looks pretty good. I'm interested to see what TJ's recipe looks like too. If you're bringing both yer lights out tomorrow it'll be good to see your setup.

i hear there is only 1 pub in pencaitland so i should work it out 🙂

DX 12060 torch here too! also have a hope HID which i never bother using as i prefer the DX torch!

I went out last night for a wee pedal with a mate.
http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/yodagoat/68rhs2uav5i92oq4
The woods were pretty muddy but it was good fun. my first time round those woods at night. I struggled a bit with the mud but hopefully the arrival of new tyres with sort this.

Just been out with the Dog and fair to say the weather is pretty awful , Are we still going out?.

Aye, why not?

most of it'll be under cover of the woods

Cool was going to cycle to Pencaitland but I think Ill take the car . 😳

Talking of which, Mike, had a look at your GPS thing, did you get a lift to Saltoun? 😆

my wee gps programme crashed and i only noticed then. We had went through saltoun hall, honestly!

I'll be there - looking forward to it!

is it half six or seven?

It's just after 5

HTH

is it half six or seven?

We're going for 6.30pm - gonna be grim weather I'm guessing!

druidh - ho ho ho 😀

Wet run tonight, but good fun lads.
Here's what my gps thingy on mp phone came up with.
http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/yodagoat/85cj4dusdedosrgl
I missed kinchie woods cos my light ran out of charge. Doh!

Crackin' fun guys!

And many thanks to Gary for the light after muggins here remembered to charge his battery but forgot the lights (and battery - left on charge...).