Hi folks,
Toying with taking the kids (8 to 12) to Dalby on Saturday so after some advice..
Trail conditions – pretty weatherproof? Also it’s forecast windy so how exposed?
Looking at the map I was thinking of doing a chunk of blue then joining the last bits of red.
Doable for kids with a bit of riding experience?
Thanks in advance..

Any red is not advisable to kids unless they are used to berms and jumps of course. Suppose they could get off and push here and there though. The trail is pretty waterproof but expect mud and.puddles here and there. Take a towel and spare socks/trousers etc.
It will be windy.

We used to ride Dalby when the kids were just starting out. The complete blue loop from the Visitor Centre was a good starting point for them. If they are brave and you are patient, the same loop joins the red at Riggs and Dales, and this was good point to take them to sample the reds, but it is pretty tough for beginners in places, they struggled early on with some of the climbs and steps, and slippy rooty bits may catch out the unwary.

Otherwise, start at Dixons Hollow and mix red and greens. Again, the red round the northernmost loop can be a bit full-on for inexperienced youngsters (but can be shortcutted or chickened on fire roads) but most of the stuff right at the top of the loop back down to the green due east of Dixons is pretty tame.

It’s muddy in places, and puddles galore this time of year, but not impassable. As above, take towels and dry change of clothes

The trails are weatherproof inasmuch as you won’t be bottom bracket deep in mud but there will be thin surface gloop in places, and the odd puddle, so you will get dirty.
As it’s a forest it’ll be far less exposed than not being in a forest:-)

Don’t miss the first bit. Miss the middle bit.

Red from the visitor centre to Dixons Hollow takes in a few good sections. The World Cup stuff is pretty good and makes its own little loop back to Dixons Hollow so maybe do that (possibly without the drop/steep climb out to the fire-road). Then cut across the fire-roads to pick up the return leg of the red. Looking at this map, from Dixons Hollow you want to be aiming for point 35 which is the start of a long steady descent from the old quarry. From there back to the visitor centre its pretty good.

For a 8 and 12 year old I’d have thought that’d be enough? The bits you miss out (particularly the section from 23 to 25 which is all fire-road) largely pretty average/crap with a few good little bits from 25 onwards…

Thanks for the replies – sounds as I was expecting but good to get confirmation!
Now to see how this next storm pans out..

Thanks to SG and DBW – did a mix of blue and mainly red in Spring sunshine – they loved it!

as above really, taking the kids to Dalby at the weekend and keen to know which bits are good but not too difficult for youngish kids. Last time we went we did the green + some other stuff but I seem to remember it being mainly fire roads which won’t thrill them this time round.

Any further recommendations on how to get the interesting bits but without too much gnarl? The kids are only 6 and 8, but fairly competent for their age. I seem to remember Dalby is a fair bit more technical than Llandegla so a lot of the red will be too difficult for them, as well as being too tiring.

Specially interested in hearing about a good way of using the car to do a shuttle. I drive them up to the top of the hill, do some cross country and then end up at the visitor centre – I then cycle back up to pick up the van.