Assuming they won’t have the fitness to go around the entire red, which loop would be best?

The higher one is fun but hard work to get around

The lower one is foresty but not exactly that exciting?

Do the lower red loop, plenty there to keep you entertained.

Lower half of the red is great – and will be plenty exciting enough for a beginner.

what would the lower red be like with young kids?
Aged 6 and 8 ?

My missus a complete novice started on the lower red about three weeks ago, took us about two hours. We did the full red, Hulley gully and it took us two hours and five mins not including stops. So she is making steady progress. She had a fall on the staircase on homebaked but apart from bruising and swelling we are going back again next Friday.

Pure madness to take kids on home baked. i have ridden for 28 years and Home baked stumped me(when i was leading a beginner ? ) so much so she wanted to push each Gnarly section . Gisburn is too hardcore for beginners. take a canal route ? Not big not clever and not troll .

I’m guessing home baked is the rock steps bit, in the woods a few moments before you get spat out onto a fire road?

Yes, took me a few looks and I’m not expecting the beginner to ride it at all. He will be warned.

Personally I like it, it’s way worst looking than it actually is.

As far as beginners go, the point is to put him on a mountain bike trail. Canal ride isn’t going to hit the spot or provide the experience he is seeking.

He may hate it all, he may love it, he may only like bits but at least he will have had a go. Guessing he will not like the rock step buy myself though which is why I was considering the upper loop but feel its a lot more physical and he won’t have the legs.

I’m guessing home baked is the rock steps bit, in the woods a few moments before you get spat out onto a fire road?

Yes, took me a few looks and I’m not expecting the beginner to ride it at all. He will be warned.

Personally I like it, it’s way worst looking than it actually is.

As far as beginners go, the point is to put him on a mountain bike trail. Canal ride isn’t going to hit the spot or provide the experience he is seeking.

He may hate it all, he may love it, he may only like bits but at least he will have had a go. Guessing he will not like the rock step buy myself though which is why I was considering the upper loop but feel its a lot more physical and he won’t have the legs.

Cool, double post! 😀

When was the last time you rode Gisburn? Lots of new stuff on the lower loop including the new skills loops and the rocky staircase now has an alternate easier line.

Main (new) carpark is shut this weekend though for the cloud spotting festival. Trails are still open though.

I like the alternate line at the rock steps, but I don’t consider it that much easier, just different!

Walking down it takes 30 seconds if he doesn’t fancy it on the day. The only other cautionary I’d put forward is to take it easy on Swoopy, the other new section on the lower loop. Not so much that it’s difficult, but the consequences of him cocking it up could be unpleasant.

If he’s going well by the time you get to the turn off for the upper loop, it’s worth considering doing the fire road climb, going up through the quarry section, then turning left at the next fire road, following that down to another fire road, turning right and picking up the red again off to the left as it hits the ‘Bottoms’ section. Some good riding without having to slog all the way up to Whelpstone.

My 7 year old was happy enough on the blue route on his 20″ bike

I took a party of amateurs from work around the red in May, they all managed easily, and loved Hully Gully. Took 4 hours, mind.

would it have been madness to do the red with your 7 year old?

Whats the blue like for them – Hard finding things that are just the right challenge and interesting enough but not so hard they just walk

She had a fall on the staircase on homebaked but apart from bruising and swelling we are going back again next Friday.

lol, I remember the thread you posted:

grum – Member
Blue route is ideal for beginners I would say. Stuff like home baked on the red might be slightly intimidating as its quite tight and rooty.

POSTED 3 WEEKS AGO #
bwfc4eva868 – Member
Is the snake blue? I can’t remember even though I went last Sunday! I think she would manage home baked minus the stair case.

At least it hasn’t put her off going again eh. 🙂

Not sure why some people think beginners are too gnar to do blue routes. I still enjoy them now if they are well done (Glentress and Whinlatter spring to mind). The one at Gisburn isn’t amazingly exciting but would surely be the place to start before trying the lower red loop, depending on how it goes.

Personally and missus agrees I think the alternative line on home baked stair case split is harder. It’s more rocky and takes a bit more skill. The stair case is easy to roll down once you get your mind over the fact once your on it, you just keep it straight and let your forks and legs take the bumps.

The blue at Gisburn is excellent for 7-year-olds, I would have said. The new Snake section and the existing Park Wood bit have plenty of challenge, and if that isn’t enough, you can throw in the Circle technical climbing bit, the bit of Homebaked right at the end after the fire road, and even a bit of the log ride section if you’re prepared to miss out the log rides themselves and walk a couple of tricky bits.

What used to be the final section of berms before Cocklet Hill is ace for kids.

Well, I took the beginner around the lower loop. He looked at the staircase bit in home baked and decided it was fine, he rode it and survived.

He rode the steep bit at the end of the next little trail, by the bridge.

He loved the trail so much, he wanted to do the upper loop to.

He rode all the way up, didn’t do the slab.

He rode Hully Gully though, loved it but did come off near the end on the braking bumps.

We then rode the rest of the red back to the car park.

He was on a full suspension Apollo, wearing gardening gloves shorts an a borrowed helmet.

What a star.

I told him about the “beginners should ride along canals” comment. I can’t type his reply here. 😀

Here’s the “Beginner”, well and truly stoked if a bit sore.

Another one hooked.

Grum- I underestimated her skill level. So we did the lower red and she managed and took her time. And now three weeks later she managed the full red, including home baked staircase even though she braked on a wet rock and the front end went. And banged her knee. She tried Hully gully but that was a bit too much but wants to try it again. And even got a bit of air time on the Hope line. Intact she demolished my time down the snake on strava and is quicker than me down the Royal Arms descent in Tockholes Darwen. So confidence levels are building. Just need to work on the hill climbing.

“beginners should ride along canals” comment.

Yes Made me chuckle – what do you think i did taught my kids to ride then wanted to go straight on the red route?
Done plenty of skills areas. pump tracks, etc
Will do the blue then see about the red