Advice for trip to Dalby please

jeffdoran

Hi
I do a reasonable amount of riding and Am going away for the weekend to Dalby forest in a small group. It's more of a social occasion and the other people in the group were keen to hire bikes. We are all sub 30 and of reasonable fitness (some more 'reasonable' than others) but they have v little, if any riding experience.

I have never been to Dalby forest before but have heard a lot about it.

My concern is that if I take the group on the Blue route they may find it a bit boring and not be the exciting introduction to the sport that they were hoping for.. plus it seems relatively short for a days entertainment. I hear that begginners are often outfaced by the red route.

Can anyone that knows the area suggest something that I can keep them occupied and excited with as a compromise?

Ta. Jeff

supersonic

Does it have to be a trail centre? The facilities of course will be handy, but so many more places around Yorkshire.

supersonic

Does it have to be a trail centre? The facilities of course will be handy, but so many more places around Yorkshire.

Rory75

HI jeffdoran,

Dalby red route is pretty easy if the riders are quite fit and have some experience of trail riding. The short steep climbs can put off the unfit pretty fast. The red route can be pretty tiring after 23 miles of mostly single track. The tecnical bits are not to bad for beginners but some bits can catch you out but can be avoided.

What you can do is give the group a try on the red route, if they are struggling there is loads of escape routes off the route back onto fire roads and the blue route. There is also a 'Go ape' activity center there to for those who dont want to ride.

Hope that you have an enjoyable day on the bikes.

Skonk

I'm going to Dalby tomorrow (Saturday) for the third time in 3 weeks.

I'm NOT fit, I've been riding for about 4 months after having done no physical activities for around 15 years and i'm a good few stone over weight. My fitness has got a lot better in those 4 months but I'd still say im pretty unfit.

That said, I find the red route very doable and a lot of fun though I'm pretty knackered by the end of it

Last week we did the full red trail with all the short black sections (appart from a scary looking log to cross a ditch) and about half of the longer black trail (group of 4 of us); I think anything less than the red trail would be a little boring.

We also wasted over an hour at Dixons Hollow (I think thats what it's called), where the 4x track and skinnies are.

The biggest problem I found by the end of it was a seriously sore bum and hands from the later sections of the trail where you spend a lot of time going down fast hills over very bumpy surfaces ( = lots of vribration).

Andy B

There's a map here: http://www.singletraction.org.uk/downlo ... ymap01.jpg (also available at the Visitors centre, but might not be as detailed)

You can mix & match trail to suit the groups ability, the red & blue do cross over or you can use the fireroads to join red & blue

fletch8928

I hail from Sleights just outside Whitby. grab a map and link a trail out of Dalby and head out to the radar station of fylingdales. it may not be the most dangerous of routes but by god when your riding next to the pyramid its quite awesome.

onlyonearrow

Quote: "when your riding next to the pyramid its quite awesome"

Quite agree, especially when on the bridleway that runs alongside the base fence, where you can often be 'guided' along the correct route by a patrol car! :shock:

fletch8928

yeah had a patrol guy come and check me and a mate out at new year. We were going over olde stomping ground, not sure if it was for us or the gang of trials bikers that were tearing up the forest roads.

I was back there 2 weeks ago visiting mother, it was gloriously sunny and i only saw 1 other person and that was near the Robin Hoods Bays Trail crossroads.

That doesnt help with your problem between fun and boredom.

ps, did they guide you on the fireroad or did you go on the restricted bridleway? I used that one extensively when they were building the pyramid and knocking down the "golf balls2

onlyonearrow

It's been when I used the bridleway, heading north, next the edge of the wood (at the back of the base), just before the turn right towards Worm Sike Rigg.

It's never been a problem - just find it amusing.

birchy

I like giving them a wave when they come out, then watch the cameras follow me as i ride by giving them an odd wave too

fletch8928

I am planning on going round the base when its cold and donning a balaclava. "but its chilly officer"

cubby@cartorque

I aint no fitness freak , but a few weeks ago i went to Dalby and gave the Red Route a go .... i completed it too ... thought it was good, but saying that its the only trail ive ever done, was totally knackered at the end tho, lol

Will definatly be doing it again

stone-rose

as Rory75 said, you can swap and change between the red and blue routes quite easily and can also "escape" off any route back to the visitor centre if things get a bit much.

when i first went up there i wasn't too confident in my ability so I started on the blue but found it very boring (long boring fire roads) so switched onto the red and loved it, so did the latter half of the red trail then started over when i got back to the car park and went round the red route again following the markers in order.

I was up there yesterday and did the whole red trail - it's pretty tiring work, especially towards the end when your arms feel like they're gonna drop off!

can't wait to get my new bike and go back next week though