Gisburn Forest is open.

Harry, I am hoping to be there for 6.30-6.45 but coming straight from t'other side of Manchester so no idea what the traffic will be like. Dont bother waiting for me if you are ready.

Donk from these parts will be there around that time too. Tall, fast ginger bloke who could be on one of several different types of bike, all selected from his extensive collection.

Vortex is setting off about 5.30 ish.

I'll be on a tired old black Turner, no mates, no skill, probably on the floor at any technical stuff 😆

No drama, there's no rush so I'll wait, the sun is shining, gonna be a good evening.

:cry:i will not be thre my ribs are killing me and I am less killed than Lowey
Horse if in doubt just shout Dave someone is bound to answer!
Let me know by e-mail what it was like someone

Mugboo it got washed at the pub before I put it in the car!

Well I'll be there, leaving in a few minutes. Should be riding around 6. blue Stumpy FSR if anyone fancies pulling back out of the ditch.

I was there on Monday (thanks for the GPS track stumpyjon!) and had a great time.

I was astonished by the number of folks who had turned up after hearing good things, but had no idea where to go. I passed out a few printouts of the route I had in the car, but goodness knows how many just wander around the forests missing all the good stuff.

When are the waymarks going up?

We rode it on Monday afternoon and had a great time. Far more technical in places than I was expecting (well it was for me at any rate) and I thought much harder than the black at Glentress overall. We used the maps in earlier posts as a guide so thanks to the people who put those up as they were a great help. The rollercoaster/ big berm section is fantastic and has to be ridden more than once per trip. We enjoyed it that much we zipped back up the fireroad to do it again. Big grins all round.

Wimped at the slab though. There was no way on earth I was going to even attempt it!

Credit to all those involved in designing and building the trails as they've made a fabulous little centre.

Here's a picture I took in the big berms.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andy_rush/3716984865/

Thinking of giving it a try on Friday, please could anyone who has a copy of the GPX file forward it to me martin@mhorrobin.fsnet.co.uk , cheers

I have uploaded the route to http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=12282

looks ace guys – can't wait to give it a try.

Excellent!!! Well done to the trail builders. Some outstanding work there. The slab aint too bad, plenty of grip on it but yes, it is steep. The gully was just superb but the slippy mud in some of the dips made things a little interesting. The place was also packed with other bikers. Will be a real winner when word gets out.

Oh and Horse… good to meet you finally. The STW NYM ride details can be found here mate :-

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stw-north-york-moors-ride-2nd-august-2009-interested

Hopefully see you there.

Seamus

Sent you an email.

Been up again tonight but got knackered, my mate Carl is superfit and strong, thought I'd toughened up. Wimped the slab again, will do it one day, consensus tonight is that it's at least 45 degs (didn't have my iphone with me to measure the angle of dangle, have to go again). Got a bit further up the big berms tonight so that was good. Carpark was heaving at 8:00 pm when we got back, saw a few people on the trails.

SO that's two Wednesdays on the trot I've ridden Gusburn and 2 nights I felt knackered and totally stoked after finishing it.

Glad the maps / gpx files have been useful, never thought they would be so popular. As for signing it's a work in progress but more posts were in tonight than there were on Saturday so I'm guessing Martin is well on with it.

Don't forget the dig day on Sunday.

Stumpyjon – File received thanks

Lowey, I'm going to mention the mud in the dips, they already know about them but they're getting worse, both me and my mate nearly lost the front wheel in different dips, not good. Bit sticky in the forest off the old section of singletrack as well, though that wasn't so dangerous.

When are the waymarks going up?

You might have noticed that some new directional posts have already gone in, the foresters started putting the posts in last Wednesday. They thought that it would take them a week to put all the posts in, So they should be finished by Friday (to give them some lee-way). I spoke to Martin Colledge (Head FC forester) last Friday, whilst doing a promo photo shoot. He gave no specific date, but the old signage will be taken out and the new signage established very soon, certainly by the end of July.

Heyup Dave, were you one of the Gisburn 'super massive' that passed me on a fire road having a swig. I got there early and was on a second loop. Also sorted a quick route direct to the base of the quarry section.

A great evening 🙂
Paul

HI Paul,

Not sure, but I was pointed up a fire road which someone said was a bit of a short cut to the quarry. At that time Vortex's crew were with us, but for the majority of the ride it was just five of us. I would have recognized you though, I'm sure.

Just once again, congrats to the trail builders… brilliant little location. I would sum it up as combining the best bits of Llandegla with the good stuff at Penmachno.

Just one question. Will all the blue trails still be marked when the new marking it done ? I want to take my kids there in the summer hols, but obviously the full trail would be too much for them.

Thanks.

2nd Lowey, great trail, although i'm sure we missed a bit of ST somewhere towards the end.

What time did you get finished lowey? We got back at 9:15, but we did set off later than expected.

great singletrack, I especially like the first bit

well done lads, look fwd to stage 2

oh and trying it on a night ride in winter, that will be fun 🙂

Not sure Dave, think it was about 8.30 ish. We saw a big group in front of us go sailing straight past the right turn into the final section of singletrack and miss it.

Luckily, Harry and Graham knew most of the stuff between them so we got the full lot in.

The last section into the car park with the multiple berms and log bridges were great fun.

The old routes still stand and there are maps available (there's a pdf floating around the web somewhere, haven't got the link at work). All of the new blue stuff is around the lower loop which makes it more family friendly and they have also put a new section of family trail in, which runs along the flat below the new twisty red (volunteer) singletrack.

OH and as for the Slab angle, I reckon it was steeper than the Chute at Kirrougtree, Horse reckons it wasn't. 😆

Found some POV cam footage

I'll take my clino next time and put the angle debate to bed once and for all.

All i know is that it felt steep!

OH and as for the Slab angle, I reckon it was steeper than the Chute at Kirrougtree, Horse reckons it wasn't

If you mean the last test of faith at the end of McMoab, then you must be joking, that drop is much steeper, Horse is very definately correct. Honestly, that slab at Gisburn is not very steep at all, 30 0r 35 degrees and no more.

BTW Jon, I emailed Martin Colledge tonight, I don't think some of the new signposts are facing the right way.

I don't think some of the new signposts are facing the right way.

That could be interresting, actually now you mention it I think I saw one that looked to be in backwards. The other thing that needs sorting quickly is the mud accumulating in the dips on the coaster section, someone's going to lose their front wheel big time otherwise.

We really are going to ahve to measure that damn slab (mind you I still haven't had the bottle to ride it).

If you mean the last test of faith at the end of McMoab, then you must be joking, that drop is much steeper

I'm not so sure…. But I wasnt about to argue with Horse. He is aptly named!

Trails look great. Job well done.
The whole slab steepness discussion reminds me of the discussion that was held over a feature in the trails at Carron Valley. The kelpies stair case was debated over by many, with claims of the stone pitched section being 45deg and more. In reality it no more than 30deg and this random pic makes it look much less.

Many found it daunting partly due to its steepness but mostly its surface. Steepness always seems more on top of a bike as you are at a higher level, bent over bars and your eyes/brain are probably judging to angle to the ground and not where you head will end up when on a bike at the bottom of the slope. The only way to tell the angle is to properly measure it.
In all the pics the Gisburn slab looks less steep than McMoab or even Dalbeatie but pics are deceiving.
None-the-less it looks a great feature to a great trail

It's definitely steeper than that picture. I was looking at it from a distance side on, on Wednesday night and I'm sure it's more than 45 degs.

take two sticks of equal length. place one upright on the ground. place the other on at right angles towards the hill. If it reaches the ground, the hill is at 45 deg. If it doesn;t reach, it's less than 45….

Or does anybody fancy making a clinometer you just need a piece of wood and a plumb line

Diagram of a home-made clinometer

In its simplest form the clinometer can, as shown by the accompanying diagrams, easily be made at home. Graduate the quadrant of a circle 0º to 90º on cardboard, or preferably a bit of hardwood, say six inches by two inches; the longer edges of the cardboard or wood to be parallel, and at right angles to a line drawn through centre of quadrant and the 0º point. Attach a metal pendulum at centre, so as to swing freely, and when vertical to point to 0º on graduated arc.

😉

Anyone know if the waymarkers are in place yet?

This looks great. Will definitely have to pop in this year.

You guys are doing a sterling job up there!

Si B, most of the posts are in, but the directional signage isn't (it's the same as at Stainburn, garden posts with slot in plastic signage). Also, I think at least one post is in the wrong place (possible confusion if you're trying to work out the route using the posts) and this last Friday there were IMO a few posts missing (possibly more confusion). All the old 2-way signage is still there (even more confusion). At the moment IMO you have to know where you are going to find it all. However, every time I've been there, there seems to be enough people up there, riding it, who know where they're going.

I THOUGHT I knew where i was going. 🙂

Mr Nana have you any plans to go to Gisburn soon.

If you get up there on Sunday between 10 and 2 you'll be able to meet the trail builders and ask all the questions you want, plus get directions. Better still come and help dig, then you get to decide where the trails go 😆

If you get up there on Sunday between 10 and 2 you'll be able to meet the trail builders and ask all the questions you want, plus get directions. Better still come and help dig, then you get to decide where the trails go

We'll be up there around that time, will try to remember to bring jaffa cakes for the builders 🙂

Si B, I'll probably be going to the Gisburn dig on Sunday and then a ride round after, the forecast looks too windy for skiing. If you want to go to the dig or want to meet me at Crocket Hill car park in the afternoon 2.30ish, then let me know. Knacker asked me to let him know when I was going to Gisburn digs, but that was before the Buck Wood development, so I think there's a high probablilty he'll be 'digged out' after the last few weeks efforts, I'm going to email him anyway out of courtesy, he might want to just turn up for a ride in the afternoon. Actually, as there's no planned dig at Buck woods on Sunday I'll post up a Sunday pm Gisburn ride on the SingletrAction forum, there might be a few takers.

Sounds good , I'll see if I can get a pass out tomorrow afternoon for a ride. PM me your mobile number through the STA forum.

Lowey, good to catch up with you at last (even if it was only on the downs where I could!)
"That" slab is defo not bad, very interested as to what the home made clinometer has to say.
H

PS. Can't make the 2nd, working lates, have a good one though.

Anyone got a copy of the GPX file please,gonna try it one night night in the week or early saturday morning.