Gisburn forest

piker

Went to gisburn for the first time today,hats off to the trail builders pros and volunteers.
Parked up at cocklett hill car park,if i was to park at the dog and partridge where would i join the trail.I would rather just do the top loop.
Where is the rollercoaster section,I take it its on one of the black runs,I followed the red because i was on my own and it was the first time there.
Bit gutted i missed the section people think off as gisburn but really enjoyed it,Wish i lived closer and could get involved with the trail building.

chedabob

It's the black run after Whelpstone Crag from what I remember. There's a drop-off with a chicken line to the left just before it.

stumpyjon

The roller coaster (Hully Gully) is after Whelpstone Crag. You come down a set of sandy berms and out onto a fire road. Go up the fire road and at the top you should see the start of a line to your left. If you start going downhill on the fire road you've missed it. As chedabob says there's a qualifier drop off at the start (for good reason), the chicken run was created by the chickens :evil: .

If you park at the D & P you follow the lane into the forest and it brings you out at the quarry, right at the start of the upper loop.

As a matter of interest what was wrong with the bottom loop ? There's too much fire road at the moment but we're working on that, hopefully have a new section of singletrack open in the new year to remove a good kilometre of fire road.

Did you find the log rides and skinnies in the middle?

piker

Dont get me wrong the bottom loop is not bad the last bit with the berms through the trees is great fun.Even if i do park at the pub i will end up doing the bottom as well.

As for the fire road sections,most of it is climbs so at least it goes the right way and there is plenty of potential for more singletrack.
Is the new singletrack on the bottom loop,i saw some signs about it.

The log rides and skinnies are great fun,but i have to admit to chickening out of the higher one with the turn,being on my own common sense outweighed the need to prove i could do it.When i go back with my mate i will have to do it.

Once again well done the volunteers,home baked section was brilliant,cant wait to see my mate with wide bars come to the narrow tree bit,lol.

leeshields

Hi Stumpy

Is the new section you mentioned to avoid the fireroad drop after the cross over as you turn right?

Just had a conversation over the weekend saying it must be under development as it feels such a waste to drop all that height, looks like it could add a fair amount of sweeping descent in that!

If it is, great work!


Lee

Crash Test Dummy

I like Fireroad, gives me plenty of time to catch my breath :oops: What can I say, Im not as fit as I should be. I'm glad you enjoyed it around Gisburn Forest Piker, I try to visit at least once a week, to try and get my fitness levels up.

I would also like to congratulate and thank all the builders and volenteers for an excellent place to cycle. As I said I try to go once a week and have noticed on a week by week basis small changes and improvements to the current tracks as well as the new areas to try and keep it and make more of a challenge (not that some places need it)

I was cursing you all last Friday as the builders have put more stones and rocks and logs to try and keep people on the track, during an uphill part of the Rock Garden that I found difficult anyway hehe. I need more practice :roll:

1 bit I still dont like is the steps/drop in the wooded area on the bottom of the 8, I have visions of me falling off and impaling myself on a tree, branch or tree stump.


@Stumpy

Do you know if any changes have been made to the long log bridge on the top "8" section? Seems a whole lot narrower and I seem to be testing although not perfecting my falling off abilities especially on top of the last "hump" section. Luckily there is a softish landing (but still high while sat on a bike and when you just keel over due to lack of momentum), although I have badly twisted my ankle that after 4 weeks still aint right. If no changes have been made whats the secret to this bridge as I didnt seem to have any problems until lately. Maybe im just thinking too much.

chedabob

stumpyjon wrote:

The roller coaster (Hully Gully) is after Whelpstone Crag. You come down a set of sandy berms and out onto a fire road. Go up the fire road and at the top you should see the start of a line to your left. If you start going downhill on the fire road you've missed it. As chedabob says there's a qualifier drop off at the start (for good reason), the chicken run was created by the chickens :evil: .

Meh, I went down the chicken line and still completed it on my BSO. Only thing that really worried me was those steps. Probably would have gone over them ok if I hadn't screeched to a halt.

Has Gisburn changed much since June? When I went, I thought there was way too much climbing and not enough of anything else, although there was a fair bit of stuff under construction.

stumpyjon

leeshields

Nope, the bit we're working on is just after the causeway where there is an extended section of uphill on fire road. That said the bit you're talking about does have plans for singletrack as at the moment it is a complete waste of downhill.

Crash test Dummy, yeah far too much thinking, no changes to that section that I'm aware of. We did rebuild the approaches to the two little bridges on the log ride section a few weeks back.

chedabob

the quailifier is there to make people stop and think. Avoiding it and carrying on down the gully is fine except everytime someone cuts the trail we end up with maintenance issues as the trail cuts undermined and covered in mud. The entrance into the gully is probably the hardest bit actually but if I can do it I guess it's no that bad.

CTD

The steppy bit you'r talking about, the key is moderate speed. I built the step section at the top so was forced by peer pressure to ride it. Actually the smoothest I've ridden it was on my hardtail. I normally ride Gisburn on a full suss but had decided to take the hardtail instead. I still hadn't decided if I was going to ride that section by the time I realised my front wheel was over the first step, this left me committed at speed and it just flowed really easily. The rock is actually very grippy.

padinski

StumpyJon, Im visiting Gisburn for the first time ever in a couple of weeks, not ridden MTB for years properly. Looking forward to it. Any tips? whats the postcode for the car park? Would red run be ok ?
Thanks in advance

stubs

There isnt really a post code for the Cocklet Hill car park its in a forest the grid reference is SD745550. However you can park at the Dog & Partridge pub in Tosside which is about 5 mins ride down a bridleway to the trails. Post code BD23 4SQ.

If you havent ridden recently the Red route might be a bit too much for you there are some bits that will make your bum squeak. Take it easy though be prepared to walk a couple of bits and you should be okay. The Blue route is actually a lot of fun for beginners and people with rusty skills I took a friend round there and she loved it as her first experience of MTBs.

Crash Test Dummy

padinski wrote:

whats the postcode for the car park?

I Don't think the actual Car Park has a postcode, but the road for the Stocks Res, (which is about 100 yards away down Hole House Lane) than the turn off for the car park is BB7 4TS

stumpyjon

BB7 4TS is the postcode for Stephen Park. If you follow your satnav to this location it will take you past the main carpark at Cocklett Hill which is the official trailhead.

As for the red route, I'd echo what stubs said. There's not much that isn't doable (rocky staircase at the end of the Homebaked section has a few people squeeling). The whole loop though is hard work, some of the surfaces on the upper loop are hard going (lots of stones and obstacles). there's also more climbing than you'd expect. If you do decide to do the whole red loop take it easy or it will be miserable.

piker

When i went i just put Dugdale lane into the satnav,Cocklett hill car park is off this road you cant miss it.Probably park at the pub in Tosside next time and get some grub.
Red route is fine just take it easy,im not very fit and a novice rider and it took me just over 2 hrs to get round taking it easy as i was on my own.
To the trail riding experts its probably easy and flat as a pancake but to us mere mortals there are some hard rough climbs.Once you get to the downs though you soon forget,if there is a bit you dont fancy,walk it.
When you finish the loop you dont half feel like you've had a good ride.

padinski

Thanks everyone, 37 years old and laughing out loud at 'squeaky bum'
Im going with a pal who thinks cos of my half hearted road riding background Ill be ok. I used to race BMX back in the day (LONG TIME AGO!) Will take things easy. Really can't wait, it's been too long and I vow never to leave the MTB world again. Next topic...sticky.... spuds or flats............ :P

Andywilliams89

Would really like to get to Gisburn but I live in Lancaster without a car, is there any way of getting there (or a bit nearer) with public transport?

stubs

You can get a train to Long Preston station then its about 30 to 40 minutes ride to the trail. There are direct trains about every 2 hours or you can change at Carnforth. Either way takes about an hour.

Andywilliams89

Thanks for the info. Had a great day there today, really enjoyed it! Wasn't too keen on the whelpstone crag bit but think that's just down to my poor riding! Hully gully was brilliant, will def go again!!

stubs

Andywilliams89 Nice to hear you had a good time. Whelpstone can look a bit daunting but its all rollable when you have a bit more experience and nerve. Did you use the train, I use the train a fair bit because I cant be bothered owning a car these days.

piker

Was at Gisburn for the second saturday in a row this week,did hully gully this time and the skinnies.There is still loads of potential for Gisburn and if the home baked section and hully gully is anything to go by then things can only get better.

grim168

I'm off there tomorrow for the fourth time. Its fairly local to me (Preston) but I go alone due to shift work so try and take it easy. Hats off to the builders and I really should volunteer. Well done I think the place is superb.

stumpyjon

grim168 wrote:

I really should volunteer.

Graham I've PM'd you.

Anyone else fancy giving a few hours back let know, loads more building work planned if we can get the people to do it.

Gisburn is a bit different from some of the other Forestry Commission trails in so much as we have superb support from the head forester at Gisburn. He rides and enjoys trail building himself. As a result the materials we need are pretty much always available as are tools. All we need to keep going is the manpower.

And Martin's still chasing funding for bigger developments as well.

The more people volunteer the more we get done and the more it motivates the onsite team to push harder for more funding.

Andywilliams89

stubs - I took the train from lancaster - got the 7:10 which was a bit earlier than i'd like but there weren't many options! yeah i don't need a car either, just takes a bit more planning when you go on the train. glad i went yesterday when it was dry rather than today!

stubs

I think you might have needed a snorkel if you had gone today. They didnt put that big reservoir there for no reason.

grim168

:oops: Gotta admit I cried off. Working tonight so needed a kip this aft and morning was too wet.

stumpyjon

stubs wrote:

They didnt put that big reservoir there for no reason.

The land the forest is on is actually owned by United Utilities as it is the catchment basin for the resevoir. Beautiful here now though.