7 Stanes....week booked!

Andy_FSR

Hi peeps!!

Me and my mate have booked a week off work from 23rd to 27th March to go to 7 Stanes (Scotland) for a weeks moutain biking. Going to fit 3 trails in the week, and a day to travel up to scotland.

Just asking anyone been there, if so how was it? any advice on hotels, trails to go on (thinking of doing Kirroughtree, Dalbeattie and mabie Trail) Any info would be great.

Also anyone from Scotland know what the weather is like at this time of year? Especially in a couple of weeks

Look forward to your replies!

counterculture

get amongst it mate,!!!

the weathers a bit chilly and there could be the odd patch of snow on the ground, check www.7stanes.gov.uk for weather nearer the time, as for accomodation, stay in the wigwams advertised on the 7stanes sight, £35 a night between up to 4 folk and all you need for your stay, and only 200yards from mabie.

enjoy!!

hucking_fell

Andy_FSR wrote:

Also anyone from Scotland know what the weather is like at this time of year? Especially in a couple of weeks

It will be raining all week in a couple of weeks time

grumsta

Think you will love it - Kirroughtree red/black is awesome - miles and miles of swoopy singletrack with some techy bits thrown in.

Mabie is good fun for a quick blast.

Dalbeattie is a bit less 'flowy' and more technical than the others - still good fun though.

I've not done any in Scotland but I would try and mix it up with some 'natural' riding as well if you can, seeing as you are allowed to ride pretty much anywhere in Scotland. Not sure where is the best source of routes though.

LoUiS1985

went to Kirroughtree last year, awesome. red and black routes equally exciting! mcmoab was a bit disappointing, too rocky and bumpy to get an real rhythum going! enjoy

trailpuppet

"Also anyone from Scotland know what the weather is like at this time of year? Especially in a couple of weeks " happen to live here(there), 1/2hr from Mabie & Ae.

Good choices btw. Depends where you are staying and how fit you are dictates waht you do. As well as the trails you have chosen there is Ae and Drumlanrigg nearby.

Kirry is an hr from Dumfries, Mabie 20mins, Dalbeattie 1/2hr, Ae 20mins and Drum 3/4 on a good day if there are no tractors on the road.

Accom = http://www.thebreakpad.com/
http://www.wallamhill.co.uk/
http://www.kippfordholidaypark.co.uk/output/home.asp
http://www.dumfries-and-galloway.co.uk/
http://www.dumfries-and-galloway.co.uk/
http://www.gorsebank.com/
http://www.gubhill.co.uk/
http://www.ae7.co.uk/
http://www.cycle-centre.com/
http://www.barnsoulfarm.co.uk/
http://www.7stanes.com/mabie-house-pods-i601628.html
http://www.itvlocal.com/border/weather/

"Not sure where is the best source of routes though." ME :oops:


But shame I`m off to Spain on 21st

Pawprint

Can't remember its name, but when I went to Mabie last february I satyed in this hostel run by a family half way up the hill, right in the thick of it!

The weather is pretty chilly, but it kinda varies day to day whether its going to be raining or have patches of sun.

bregante

Glentress Hotel (www.glentress.org.uk). Fantastic location literally a hundred yards from the bottom car park at Glentress, about 15 minutes drive to Innerleithen. 10 minutes into Peebles for a host of bars / restaurants.

Great bike friendly hotel for about £30 pppn. Secure bike storage and cleaning facilities.

Stay there every time I go (about three times a year) The beauty is after a long day on the trails/ freeride park, you can ride straight into the hotel. No faffing at the end of a long day.

You can't do the 7Stanes without doing Glentress and Inners!

trailpuppet

Sorry Bregante but I have to disagree

Pawprint..that would be Marthrown

papasmurf.

only 3 trails in a week? you can do most in a week..start at one end and finish at the other.. you can do Mabie and Dalbeattie in a day if you're so inclinded..if you're just planning on the west side then I'd say castle douglas is a good base to hit all the centres.

bungalistic

If you're in the area of Dumfries you may as well do Ae forest trail also, the last run down The Omega Man is just awesome best section of any stane if you're into the downhill bits of riding, plus it's an awesome place to just 'play' for a full day.

Kirroughtree is a nice red route real swoopy and no serious up hills unless you do the black route which I didn't think was really worth all of the fireroad climb you have to do.

Mabie is great, nice short route and you can have a right blast on the mini 4X track they have there, good bacon butties too.

Dalbeattie has some great technical bits and has some fun sections but again there is a lot of fireroad up hills which get annoying.

pdid

When I went we stayed b and b at Low Kirkbride farm which is a 10 minute drive outside Dumfries.

http://www.bed-breakfast-accommodation- ... loway.com/

Its run by a very friendly and helpful couple. Think they charge around £25 pp pn.

If you can only do 3 I would do Kirroughtree (red and black), Ae, and one of either Mabie or Dalbeattie.

Andy_FSR

Thanks guys for all the advice and links!!!

I will be re-thinking of doing just 3...might do the AE trail as well. So 4 trails will be enough.

Really looking forward to getting up there now and getting out.

There seems some nice hotels which people have posted on here. (thanks) Will be booking them tonight. Liking the idea of biking from te trails straight into the hotel!

trailpuppet

papasmurf....all depends on how fit you are whether you can do more than the guys have sais they want to do. I have come across many a rider who have underestimated these "soft" trails.

Plenty other stuff to do
http://www.dgcommunity.net/dgcommunity/ ... spx?id=310
http://www.mabiefarm.co.uk/

bungalistic...don`t know when you were last @ Kirry but there is not much forest road now. If you don`t do the black you will miss out on the best bit of singletrack anywhere, Talnoutry. The red and black are basically the same route so no point in doing red&black.

Have fun guys

The Northern Monkey

We've just booked 2 weeks in august staying here http://www.crossburncaravans.co.uk/

Had it booked before xmas can't wait to go!!

Steve_F

I'd have to say that if this is your first and only trip to the Stanes this year I think you've picked the wrong side of Scotland.

Over that way Kirroughtree is absolutely amazing. It is worth going over there for that trail which I try to do a couple of times a year.

The rest are not up to the same standard. Ae is a long slog without much interesting happening to get to Omega man although you can go straight there and push up the side of it as many times as you want.

For a first trip I'd have to recommend Glentress and Innerleithen. There's easily enough to ride GT for two days (red and black + some time at the freeride area) with the day inbetween at Inners. There are sections you will want to do again and again to try and improve, I can easily go back to GT twice in a weekend and still want to go the next weekend!

Steve_F

Actually, thinking about it all these trails will be on Youtube. Have a look through them yourselves and see which one looks the best. Might make it an easier decision, but probably not!

grumsta

Kirroughtree is a nice red route real swoopy and no serious up hills unless you do the black route which I didn't think was really worth all of the fireroad climb you have to do.

Do not agree - black section is awesome. Don't remember any fire road climb?

bungalistic

Last time I rode Kirroughtree was last year and I remember quite a bit of fire track before and after the McMoab section, and although there were some fun bits I didn't think it was worth the extra effort, but it was a while back so it's possible I'm forgetting many other enjoyable bits.

I am aware that they have added more single track there now however and would like to try it again as I've always enjoyed the red sections that are there.

lochussie

Another thumbs up for Kirroughtree. Rode it for the first time the other week and it was brilliant. Not much fireroad and the singletrack descent after the climb after McMoab was the best I've ridden in at a trail centre, maybe anywhere. If anyone knows of better, let me know! The bike shop seemed pretty cheap too.

Dalbeattie was more fun than the red at Mabie. The Dark Side at Mabie in great fun but tough and knackering and can bash your bike about. I think it is shut at the moment.

Glentress is great too, red, black, funpark. It's much busier than the ones in the west though.

rudedog

here is an excellent promo vid of the 7 Stanes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJJ9i2e79SE

SilverC

I've just come back. Weather reads like this - Day One - Peed down, Day Two - sunny and bright but everywhere slippy (obviously) due to previous days downpour. Rest of week really windy and cold but rainfree.

We did Mabie & Dalbeattie plus the tracks on the 600 acre site we were staying on. Had a great time - Mabie being my favourite, but I will add that I'm a beginner, my other half slightly better, although he did come a cropper on the dirt jump section on Mabie, resulting in whiplash and a bent deraillieur (he was on a hardtail and not an actual dirtjumper - that's his excuse!!)

Noticed some great pod things by the Mabie House hotel - £35 a night and sleep 4......we went for a log cabin though as I am a girl so like running water and luxuries like that!