Despite it only being an hour away I’ve never been.

Thinking of going up with my lad who has just “got” mountain bikes in the last month or so.

Will I/he die?

Will I/he die?

Nope. Quite XC in nature, with some tech sections here and there. Blue or Red?

Blue or Red?

As much as we can do in 3 hours.

It’s a good place for a beginner – I don’t see the appeal apart from one of the descents for an experienced rider but I took my 16 year old cousin up there for his first mountain bike ride and he loved it. I’d not recommend going up to the very top of the red (he ended up exhausted) but the blue and bits of the red nearer the cafe are good.

I like it. Blue/red loop is about 10 miles.

It’s pretty laid back with a fair amount of climbing to the top.  The “long way down” is a nice piece of single track that’s relatively new.

There’s not much that’s too over whelming for a beginner.

I think you’ll both enjoy it…

A fit(ish) rider can do the complete red loop in about an hour and a half with no hanging about, so 3 hours should see you around at a fairly relaxed pace. If you’re throwing in a descent of the Hope Line, then you might need to take a couple of shortcuts. It’s a figure of eight so that’s fairly easy.

As above, I’d recommend Long Way Down rather than Hully Gully for a beginner. The only other bits to watch out for on the red are a stone staircase at the end of ‘Homebaked’ on the lower loop on which panic-braking is not recommended, a section of steeper rooty stuff in ‘Bottoms’ and a couple of bits of the ‘Swoopy’ section which can catch you out, one with a bit of a drop to the side.

As above, I’d recommend Long Way Down rather than Hully Gully

… that is a shame, as it is probably the best bit. Some rocky sections, rest is rather a bit meh…

If I’m around can ride it, but personally wouldn’t be making special trip.

Cheers!
I.

… that is a shame, as it is probably the best bit.

If HtS’s lad has got his confidence up by then, then why not, but it’s not great if you don’t carry a bit of speed into those berms. All rollable, though, with the exception of the qualifying drop!

It’s my local and I think it’s great and defo worth an hours drive. Hully, Hope Line and the back end of Home Baked are good fun but I agree that Hully isn’t for new riders so hit The Long Way Down instead (then loop back round for a go on Hully yourself 😉 ). I’d ride the red rather than blue and see how he gets on as you can always drop on to the blue later.

Surprised by the comments that suggest there is not much for good riders. I think that the section from the boardwalks up towards the rocky summit was brilliant, and challenging.
That uphill, taking the RH black line over the big boulder, round the hairpins then hed right down another black rocky section to repeat the hairpins before going through the gap in the wall and up to the slab.
Don’t see many people cleaning that lot. In fact, you don’t see many people even trying it. It’s brilliant. SO much better than the tedium of endless rollers at Llandegla. Good tech challenge

Don’t see many people cleaning that lot. In fact, you don’t see many people even trying it.

Yes, it has a lot of interesting climbing challenges. When I used to go there regularly, I got more satisfaction from cleaning various sections than from the downhills, which are decent but short, as you’d expect from a centre with a fairly limited amount of elevation.

It’s definitely worth a try. Bit pedally, but then there’s not that much elevation compared to some TCs.

And it’s bumpy – which is fine – but it always seems like a lot of the bumps are in the wrong places, IYKWIM, so it can feel like it lacks flow on a hardtail.

I haven’t been for ages, but used to pop up for a couple of laps and a play on the Hope Line and parts of the DH.

I’d say go, the descents might not be the longest, but there’s a good variation from older stuff buit with hand tools to machine cut lines. Some of the climbs can be challenging so take your time as some of the best descents are in the back half and you don’t want him knackered for them. I’d agree and say do long way down rather than hully gully, but it’s easy to loop back and do both.
The blue is a good trail too.
Just remember that Gisburn has been around a long time from before the days of LT enduro bikes, so a trail bike or decent hardtail are good fun round it and watch your knuckles through home baked

I live about 2 hours away and its the sort of place I go about once a year, although I always enjoy it. If I’m going that way it’s worth a ride but I wouldn’t plan just to go there.

It’s a good pedal… our local from grans… better with stronger tyres though if you have a choice.
If not take tubes…

If not take tubes…

No need – they grow on a special magic tree just past Hully Gully.

I like the trails there. I’ve been riding them since about 1996 as it’s within riding distance of my parents’ house.
They have come on quite a bit since Chris Boardman opened them!

No need – they grow on a special magic tree just past Hully Gully.

I can see why…. I wrote a light tyre off right at the top of Hully Gulley…

Its a bit like a smaller Dalby Forest, which should give you an idea whether you’ll like it.

…but only if I’ve been to Dalby.

I took my 5 year old around the blue at Gisburn in February in the rain/sleet and he loved it!

We rode the red on Sunday. I like Gisburn. If you / he are new there are some parts of tech sections (home baked, bottom of bottoms (rocky, rooty), possibly parts of sweepy) to watch out for. No shame in looking at sections. I nearly had an OTB catching a front wheel on bottoms.

Really liked long way down – fast and fun.

Bloody knackered at the end but getting on in my afternoons.

I normally go as early as i can to avoid traffic and people, still park at the Cocklet car park just out of habbit. Get around fairly quickly, avoid the bit near the stone slab drop bit i find i cant get any flow there. Do the hope line a couple of times, then on the drive home go around Rivington.

Rode it on Saturday for the first time in years. Place was rammed! literally no parking in either car park. I was camping nearby so didnt bother me.

Its ok, some sections are pretty eroded now. I have taken my daughters in the past and they have both enjoyed it. I would say its pretty spot on to take a young one to get them a taste of the sport.

What time were you there Lowey? I’m planning on arriving at 8:00am.

Can’t believe that it would be anywhere near full at 8am. If it is, then you can park at Stocks reservoir, either on the causeway or the car park a bit further on.

I did an 8am start a few weeks ago it was ok busy when I was leaving though

Ta.

They did post on FB that they were suffering with an influx of e-MX riders so keep your wits about you for meeting someone coming up a down trail!

I would say take him around the blue first, just to see if he is ok with it, then probably head back if he feels confident.
I went up a few weeks ago, and found it needing a lot of maintenance.
I done the 8 with a mate, and the wife and kids done the blue and they really enjoyed it.
There is a lot of peddling, especially from the bottom of the 8 to the top part. So that part is a bit meh.
Hully Gully has eroded quite a lot, used to be really smooth and fast.
Mind you there is a lot of maintenance required around most of the 8.
Though I’ll probably go back again in a few weeks.
It’s probably good for getting your fitness levels up.

I really enjoy Gisburn. It’s a bit over an hour so I don’t head there that often, but when I do always have a great time.

I took a load of people who usually ride Cannock and they thought Gisburn was amazing; they were whooping and shouting.

I’ve done a few dig days there in the past; mainly on the Long Way Down section, so I tend to ride that then loop back for Hully Gully if the weather isn’t too bad (I always feel riding Hully Gully in the rain just contributes to cutting it up).

Well, I’ll be up from tomorrow so see if I can drag the lazy 10yr old over though he’ll probably just want to session hully and the hope line and mess about sending the slab.

I was hearing parking seems a bit tight so might cycle over from Ingleton… again if the 10yr old isn’t feeling lazy but then we’d probably join from Dragons Teeth.

Got all confused last time as they had reversed some stuff in the time since our last visit…

for a couple of weeks ^

Update.

7 of us went on Saturday for the first time, including my 12 year old.

Thought it was pretty good myself, but the rocky climb in the woods on the first half of the 8 was a chore.

The boy did OK, but he was dead on feet by the time we got to the top and pushed a lot of the more technical stuff towards the end.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3810853793

Anyone fancy going to session the Hope Line and the DH jump bits with kids?
My 10yr old just doesn’t like riding with me alone anymore 🙁 unless it’s uplift.
He’s quite capable of pedalling… but just does it when he’s with other kids. (older kids fine)