7stanes Itinerary...

Tel39

Howdy chaps

Staying just north of Dalbeattie for a week in early June and just wondered about
any advice on what trails/centres I should fit in?? Do they get busy at the weekend also?
Fitness is average (could be better obviously!) Done a few trail centres and local xc... But like the look of trying out the trails at Dalbeattie, Kirroughtree, Mabie, Ae....

Any one been with advice or opinions welcome

Cheers

dave_hill

Not been to Ae but Mabie, Dalbeattie and Kirroughtree are definitely all worth the effort.

Mabie may not be long but I think it's one of the most under-rated. The red loop is really fast and swoopy in places. Plus there's also the Kona Dark Side trail - 3,8km long, all on boardwalks. It's never more than a metre off the deck, but it varies in width from a metre down to skinnies a few centimetres wide. It has been known to reduce grown men to tears!!

Kirroughtree is epic. The red and black runs combined (including the famous McMoab slick-rock) run to about 35km in total. It's worth spending a day there and taking your time over it.

Some video links by my good self -

Mabie - linky

Kirroughtree - linky (The copyright nazis have been at this one so there's no music).

bungalistic

I ride the 7stanes quite a lot and they have all have good and bad points.

As Dave says above Mabie is great, nice red route with some great sections and quite a bit of single track riding, it's definately one of my faves.

Kirroughtree is very much a xc style route, I like it but I still think there is too much fire road riding on the red route. Don't remember much of the black now, remember some fire road climb and the huge rock known as McMoab at the top.

Ae is a pretty knarly, rocky, punishing etc.. route. But if you like play sections, jumps etc then it is great for this, last section of Omega man is really good fun to play on all day and you can also attempt the freeride or downhill tracks if you're so inclined.

On a really sunny day they can get fairly busy but they're usually not too bad for parking and once out on the trail you don't usually get stuck in any 'traffic' as it were.

Enjoy your time up there.

BoardinBob

Well worth visiting Drumlanrig while you're in the area

http://www.drumlanrig.com/pages/content.asp?PageID=144

dave_hill

bungalistic wrote:

Kirroughtree is very much a xc style route, I like it but I still think there is too much fire road riding on the red route.

Personally I think the balance is about right. The sections are just long enough to let you get your act together after the excellent swoopery. If you look at the trail map, there's actually more fireroad on the black than the red!!

bungalistic wrote:

Don't remember much of the black now

You can't have been paying attention then!! The Black Craigs, Talnotry Hill, Hansel & Gretel and Hissing Sid sections are immense!! I thought that McMoab was over-rated though. Having said that, it's probably the sort of place that you could go with the right bike and spend all afternoon sessioning it. (BTW if you search "McMoab unicycle" on YouTube theres some headcase doning the lot on one wheel... :shock:)

ben-1888

kirochtree used to be my local, love it! If you do go then id do the red route over the black... and at afew bits (if you have a map maybe b able to see) you can skip onto the black and do all the fun bits. Or if your wantin a long technical ride then do the black. All of the 7 stanes are good.... dalbettie is my least favourite. Ae is really rocky and at points quite hard goin with big climes on loose ground... but there is a great section with tabletops and berms. Its all down to what kind of riding you do!

Tel39

Cheers for the feedback guys, mucho appreciated.
Lots of food for thought there with some brill advice. Really looking forward to the trip
and am sure the trails will be enjoyable and great fun, will probably come a cropper a
few times while I'm there but willing to give em a good go anyway
Nice vids there Dave, like the choice of music mid way through the first one especially, a certain Mr Astbury and a Mr Duffy I do believe
Anyone local or otherwise up there early June be sure to give me a shout if your in the
area.
When is Midge season by the way?! :shock:

trailpuppet

I`m local. Can bike out to Mabie & Ae from home. If you are staying nr Dalbeattie you are about an hrs drive from Kirry. There is not that much in the way of forest road at Kirry nowadays, a lot has been replaced with singletrack last year.

Lots of local trails to be had in Mabie & Dalbeattie

Drumlanrigg is about an hour away from Dalbeattie, also worth a go.

Ae trails should all be re-opened after felling during the winter months.

Do they get busy at weekends?....not as busy as GT but as above once you are out on the trails you rarely see anyone.

Cafes @ Kirry(Skyreburn roadside cafe is good if cafe is busy), Mabie and Ae.

Midge season will have started :evil:

I work shifts so some dates would be handy.

dave_hill

Tel39 wrote:

Anyone local or otherwise up there early June be sure to give me a shout if your in the area.

Always up for a run to God's Own Country. I live about 3 hours drive away so its always good for a weekend!!