Dalby Forest Red Route

What’s a good time around the Red Route?
I was there the other day and had too much lunch before my ride, felt dire for 70 mins but after that I had a good ride as it was dry and flows well. Overall I think a full sus’ might be better than a HT.
Tim

a couple of hours would be good
my bet is most folks do it in about 3 hours

FS is easier on the bones – that’s for sure

Don’t worry about time ?

I do worry about time?
I’m running short of it.
Thanks

I last did it in 3.

I last did it in 2h 45 on a singlespead and was b*gg*r*d afterwards! Good fun though.

Who bugg*red you ~ I’ll get them 🙂

I managed 2:27 but that baked potato in T le D just before the ride was a huge error! All I wanten was to be rid of the damn thing and not feel so grim and belch for Britain.
I must try harder!
Tim

Go for a good time, not a quick time! Take it easy, have a break, watch the rad skillz at Dixons Hollow munching a pack of jaffa cakes, chat with your buddies, make some new ones.

Go for a quick time and forget those other distractions that you can do an a.n.other day. Quick lap times are not about harvesting new pals, you can do that on that very occational off-day when you’re not firing on all cylinders.
Personally, living as I do some 5hrs from N Yorks, taking in the views is not part of the remit.
Just my personal approach to the trail centres.
Tim

You sound like a hoot

Go for a good time, not a quick time! Take it easy, have a break, watch the rad skillz at Dixons Hollow munching a pack of jaffa cakes, chat with your buddies, make some new ones.

I second that, spent so long having the same race against a mate at Dixons Hollow over and over again we didn’t finish the red section. Pitch black, no lights and last car in the car park!

Bit of a hijack: Any idea what the course for the NPS XC next weekend is going to be like?

Not as such.
There’s a huge amount of building work on-going, including just after Dixon’s Hollow.
Stu (the head Mtn bike ranger) has BIG plans for Dalby over the coming months and years.

If I wanted to take things easy we’d be chatting over on a golf forum and discussing the various merits of slippers and your latetest Jaguar’s.
Tim

You drive 5 hours to ride Dalby?

You sound like a hoot LOL!

The building near Dixons Hollow (if you mean before jurasic park descent to the lake) is for the Singlespeed championships in June I believe.

2hr 35mins inlcluding a crash 6 miles in, sitting on the deck for 15mins and finishing the ride with a broken finger, that was my last ride out.

Anything under 2 hours is very quick, thats what I was aiming to beat, might have to have another go once the fingers healed

There’s a huge amount of building work on-going, including just after Dixon’s Hollow.
Stu (the head Mtn bike ranger) has BIG plans for Dalby over the coming months and years.

Yeah.
But don’t waste your breath trying to get permission to build a quality downhill in the forest – it just aint gonna happen, which is one of my big annoyances, especially as there’s plenty of quality terrain for one. I just try and push Gil et al for extra descents on sections we’re building. 😉
There is one option that is going to ge started on soon – I’ve already marked out an initial line on a black optional descent at White Cliffs and hopefully will be allowed (within reason) a bit of free reign in building a really techie and sphincter tightening descent to run off to the left of the red White Cliff descent 😀 This’ll get a good look in after we’ve finished the new red section at Crosscliffe.

For more info on Crosscliffe, check these links;
Crazy Blokes Throwing Rocks

April Dig Day

Sounds good. Dalby seems to have a pro-active team with some good young staff who are taking the bull by the horns & as you say, there seems to be plenty of scope for some more technical sections.
Actually I lied, it’s not 5hrs, more like a 4hrs 53 minutes travel time.
Riding with a broken finger sounds painful, so good luck with your assalt on the 2hr time, I’m looking for 2:17 by October & that’d be about my limit.
Tim

Hmmmm, just been there today and it took me 3hr 12.

Not quick by your standards, but I was shagged afterwards!

its the amount of fun your having that matters, if that means a 2 hour blast fair enough but don’t worry if it takes 5 hours

quickest time for me was 2hr 45mins on a stock (heavy) Specialized SX trail. Although being abit fitter now and it being alot dryier, I can imagine i could get it down to 2hr 30mins. Most of the time I go its either with friends and we just take it easy and piss about at Dixons hallow, etc. Or with my friend who is new to biking and we do the blue and then the red from Gate 27 back to the visitors centre. When its dry and sunny and your having fun, who cares 😉

I’ve done it in 1h 55 on a good day. Didn’t plan it as such, just felt good, the sun was shining and decided to see how fast I could get round once I got rolling. I am sure that time could be beaten easily, I think 1h 30 wouldn’t be out of question for someone like Liam Killeen!

Yeah whatever..my dads a policeman……

Ti29er – So you drive 5 hrs to get there then thrash round the route like a raped ape in just over 2 hrs & drive home again ? 🙄

I ride dalby a lot and find the faster i ride it the more involving and therefore fun it is. If i want a look around at the scenery i go elsewhere in yorkshire.
Not sure about the long drive to it especially if short on time the hour it takes me is enough and so i often go early to miss the tourist traffic.
fastest time 2.02 [hopefully beaten this weekend]
Have fun at whatever speed.

This, being the nature of the beast is so true.
The best views are not normally reserved for forests. I believe that is a given.
By definition there’re full of trees, although Dalby is well “vented” unlike say Glentress’s forests which are claustrophobic at times.
As you rightly point out, if you want scenery, then Dalby is not the best attraction NYM has to offer.
2:02 is seriously rapid. Good luck with your assalt on the sub 2:00 time!
Tim
ps – just catching up with previous posts: 1:50-ish that’s FAST.
Why are some Muppets so concerned in how long it takes me to drive (not ride) to Dalby from Watford?!

Why are some Muppets so concerned in how long it takes me to drive (not ride) to Dalby from Watford?!

Dunno, it doesn’t bother me how long you sit in a car. As an absolute minimum though, I try to aim for at least as much riding time as driving. On that basis I’m supposing you’re doing at least 4 laps of Dalby Red.

Did the red this morning in 1.57.31 well chuffed could still go faster on a dry day and need to set off even earlier [or not a bank holiday] as there were some early door riders out and i didnt want to upset anyone by barging past.
Good few hours out, reccomend it.
Hope to get there next weekend to see the real fast boys do there thing.
Will look later to see if there are other races going on, i hope so.

What bike and what tyres?
That’s super-quick I’d say.

Riding locally & putting in some miles (3.5hrs) ahead of Clic24 and the Donington bash. Can’t ride the Merida as I’m working.
Tim

Nosemineb: Great time, highly jealous! Dalby is at its best at early doors, feels like your the only one in the forest 😀

I should be (fingers crossed) riding around Dalby next sunday, want to see the new XC course too, as well as the racers. That is of course, if i get my broken forks back by then…

You’re presumably aware that the race is next Sunday and as such you’ll probably struggle to do much decent riding?

Is it wet up there at the moment then!? Totally dry down here, hope it’s nice next weekend!

Riding a litespeed with bonty mud x tyres. Was damp after early morning rain and so a little slippy in places on the exposed parts.
Online entry available until tomorrow for the nps race.

Why are some Muppets so concerned in how long it takes me to drive (not ride) to Dalby from Watford?!

I guess because you’ve driven straight past the Peak District for example – great riding and a lot closer to Watford – and more to ride at a trail centre with an emphasis on going as fast as you can?

Ironically I raced at Lee Quarry on Monday and have no idea where I finished or what lap times I did because, guess what, I was riding purely for the fun of it and it was ace. Great atmosphere too and some lovely people to talk to afterwards.

I’m not having a go at you, each to their own and all that jazz, but if you come on here spouting slightly mad stuff, you can’t really be that surprised that some people call you on it, can you?

I guess you’re a top racer though, not a bimbling amateur like me.

Dalby is a work of art. Can be done in under 2 hours, but not by me! Normally about 3 hrs, but we once took 5. In the dry. Sun out. Pure MTB fun. The slower you go on the climbs, the more energy=fun you’ll have on the descents. And it’s only 25mins from my place. I can’t praise it enough. We started a lap at 8am last sunday (bank holiday). 3 cars in the park when we got there, hardly saw anyone for the whole lap. Get up early, and miss the crowds.

Nick and others,

The XC course is seperate to the marked loop being discussed here. I don’t think the two share any of the same trail so I can’t see it being a problem. Check the Forestry Commission website for info, they always post notices about closures due to car rallies for example.

Yes they do. Lumps of the red (and others) will be shut around Adderstone Field.

Ok, my mistake. That would be a very short section of the full marked loop though if I understand you correctly? If you have a look at the trail map in advance you should be able to bypass the closed bits.

Yes there will be closures on the red route around Addrstone field. I’m helping marshal at the event and have had a look at the course. It will use a section of the red after Adderstone as a climb so there’ll be a few closures and diversions in place.
Should be a good weekend providing the weather doesn’t get any worse!

Yep – the new race course crosses and reverses some bits of the red past Dixon’s Hollow. I wouldn’t bet on being able to ride any of the red or black between Dixon’s and Crosscliffe, but everything else should be OK.

And on another topic… I’m not announcing on here the quietest times to ride Dalby, local’s perogative 😉