- This topic has 19 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by pottsathome.
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7 Stanes advice – sorry….
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agentdagnamitFree MemberPosted 10 years ago
We’re driving up to Scotland from a few days in the Lakes for some riding in Torridon and the highlands. Seems a shame not to take in 2 or 3 of the 7 Stanes on the way, even though the trip isnt about trail centres.
Any suggestions on where to get a summary of what’s on offer at each, not sure the official site is what I’m after.
If you were going to ride just 3 or 4 trails, which would it be – looking for a different experience to the Welsh centres, and definitely on the more techie side of things. We’re lucky to have long trips to the Alps and Moab coming up too, so McMoab, Slab etc arent compulsary for us. Would you still do the Innerleithen DH runs even with an Alps holiday booked – do they offer something different (other than a lack of uplifts most days!?).
Good campsites nearby is a priority.
brFree MemberPosted 10 years agoInners is fun and there is loads of off-piste stuff there, plus in the surrounding hills – check Strava for segments.
gavstorieFree MemberPosted 10 years agoIf you Camp at Glentress (they have wigwams etc) You have lots of options in that area..
Glentress
Innerleithen
Cademuir
Caberston
Thornielee
Caddonfoot
Gypsy GlenThat area has a little bit of everything.. Do some searches on youtube and you will see what stuff they can offer.
agentdagnamitFree MemberPosted 10 years agoThanks, we have a campervan, so dont need yurts etc. Just a decent site with a pub nearby.
marccr0wleyFree MemberPosted 9 years ago+1 on what gavstorie said.
The Tweed Valley is my favourite place to ride, there’s a great variety of trails from easy trail centre stuff to technical, enduro trails.
That’s why I’ve chosen here to organise this Singletrack Stramash
When are you heading up? You should let people know and you’re sure to get a guide around some of the
ivnickkateFree MemberPosted 9 years agohttp://tweedlove.com/ for lots of events & links, 24th may to 8th june.
TreksterFull MemberPosted 9 years agoFrom the M6 at Lockerbie you are not diverting too far to be able to take in Ae, Mabie, Dalbeattie and possibly Drumlanrig 😆
Possible to do Ae or Mabie+Drum in a day then drive over to Peebles 💡 Route would be from Dumfries take the A76 to Drumlanrig(Thornhill) Then the Dalveen Pass over to M6 and over to Peebles.
Mabie is short & sweet with short, steep climbs, a few table tops, big berms, a couple of steep climbs. By the sounds of things you are stw fit so will get round in just over the hour. 😉
Ae has the championship DH course, SDA this weekend followed by the BDS in a couple of weeks. The Scottish Enduro round is to be held there and the UKGE event was held recently.
Ae is a bit love/hate on here!! The Shredder is an add on to the red route, starts at the same place as the DH trail but is a bit tamer with smaller jumps and a bit less eroded.
Another ride of just over the hour. Couple of locals are knocking on the 1hr mark, 1hr.07-13min!!Not been to Drum for a bit, Banginon(Rik) posted recently that a lot of work has been done to open some of the trails post winter storms which caused a lot of damage.
Dalbeattie is a rock fest. There is no real altitude gain(no hills)so no real descending, just lots of pedaling!! Ignore the Slab and do the red which runs below it 😆
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3753
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/dumfriesgalloway/moffat/moffatNorthwindFull MemberPosted 9 years agoInnerleithen’s trailcentre is lacklustre but the downhill is excellent and the offpiste nigh godly. And, reasonably easy to navigate- it’s mostly built off hubs and main fire road links and though “secret” it’s not very. If you can find a local, definitely do that, but Steve at icycles is usually happy to draw on maps too.
(the downhill is actually pretty hard to follow the official lines, with race lines, local’s trails, etc all over the place)
So I reckon, head to the Tweed Valley, you could easily spend 2 days at innerleithen, one on the uplift and one on the “enduro”, I would personally recommend not doing the trailcentre at all except to get up the hill, it’s worth doing but it’s lower down the pecking order . And throw in a lap of glentress red if you fancy a trailcentre blast, it’s not technical but it’s fast and approachable, you can hit it fast first time. And it’s kinda iconic too so a good one to “do”.
The western stanes are great too but they are very trailcentrey. Trekster was kind enough to show us some class offpiste stuff at Dalbeattie once and I bet there is similiar elsewhere but imo it’s not as accessible as innerleithen. (Is Dalbeattie still affected by closures?) I love Mabie but it doesn’t really seem to fit your bill to me?
NorthwindFull MemberPosted 9 years agoOh, PS, have you planned a stop at Kinlochleven? If you can, do… The trails used in the dudes of hazzard enduros are blimmin brilliant. Ciaran Path is good too.
brFree MemberPosted 9 years agoI would personally recommend not doing the trailcentre at all except to get up the hill, it’s worth doing but it’s lower down the pecking order
Except since you are staying over try Inners at night, with a reverse ride on the Minch ‘hill’ trails.
bloodsexmagikFree MemberPosted 9 years agoBoth Mabie and Ae have cracking off-piste stuff. Perhaps not the in the same volume as inners but of equal quality.
TreksterFull MemberPosted 9 years agobloodsexmagik – Member
Both Mabie and Ae have cracking off-piste stuff. Perhaps not the in the same volume as inners but of equal quality.Not as much at Mabie now due to harvesting/Larch disease and wind blow over the winter 😥
For a longer ride a trip through Troston/Shambellie over to New Abbey, up to the monument and back is good 😆bloodsexmagikFree MemberPosted 9 years agoNot as much at Mabie now due to harvesting/Larch disease and wind blow over the winter
For a longer ride a trip through Troston/Shambellie over to New Abbey, up to the monument and back is goodYeah, unfortunately true though still a load of good stuff on the other side of the hill and found some promising looking stuff over by the old dark side the other week. By contrast loads of new off-piste ‘enduro-type’ trails appearing at Ae.
New abbeys good for a blast, monument trail and a couple of tight ones in the trees too.
agentdagnamitFree MemberPosted 9 years agoSo turns out there was so much natural riding (and carrying!) that we only rode at Dalbeattie and Glentress.
I enjoyed the nadgeriness of Dalbeattie, especially in the wet. Glentress Red felt like a pretty bog standard trail centre route, but still fun.
Cairan path was a tough ride after coming over from Glencoe and crossing the dam.
TreksterFull MemberPosted 9 years agoAye, you have to earn your fun at Dalbeattie. Glad you enjoyed it, not many on here do 🙄
Which reminds me I’ve not been for a while, too much logging going on over the winter trashing some roads and off-piste 🙄
As a Dumfries native I’m spoilt for choice 😉
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