Gisburn Forest

DodgeT

As above, can't see it being much fun, unless the L in your username is for Lance.

delcol

beginner + single speed+ plus winter conditions some technical ridng on twisty singletrack and those climbs...

not my idea of fun... but if you have the fitness and can keep that cadence up, then who knows it could be fun for you...

my idea of a singlespeed is a bmx or trialsbike or a dirtjump.slopestyle bike...

1mancity2

I've done Gisburn on a single speed (Hardtail 140mm travel Saracen Zen) and it is quite good fun although some of the climbs then were a pain, since then they have been manicured with gravel and are easy.

Just watch the boardwalk and you should be fine.

stubs

I did 3/4 of Gisburn on a single speed I set out with 18 speeds till mech met tree stump and did a quick single speed conversion. Only 3 climbs beat me one a fire road drag about halfway round another was the climb to Whelpstone crag and the third was the fire road climb after Hully Gully.

Wouldnt do it voluntarily though gears are the dogs danglies.

The Northern Monkey

Any news on the trail conditions as Gisburn at the mo?

Hoping to ride next week, but I know that the trail up to Whelpstone crag from the climb by the quarry can get shocking if its wet!

Will be on my Bro's unused Carrera Fury, should be interesting

stubs

Havent been for a few weeks but last 2 rides were both wet 1 of them in a downpour and most of it seems to be holding up okay. The climb to Whelpstone has been done properly and is okay in the wet. There are still some slippery bits but its 10 times better than the bog it used to be in winter.

stumpyjon

Yep rode it all a few months ago in the pouring rain, no major problems other than the water levels (stream crossings were over the bottom bracket. Whelpstone is significantly better, the forestry guys have done a huge amount of work up there. Start of the first blue section is a bit trashed but we're going to try and get that repaired over the next few weeks.

The Northern Monkey

Stunning stunning stunning trail... well done to everyone that has worked to improve it!

The 2 sections I hated were the fireroad climb, now bypassed by possibly one of my favourite climbs - Circle trail?
I think it follows a route you took me years ago Stumpy, but it wasn't a route back then... more just a bog

And the trail up to the Crag is outstanding, completely changed since last time I rode there! Used to be unrideable!

The Hope line is good, would have been better on the Canyon though!

EDIT: Oh and I think there should be a limit of how many Orange 'bloody' 5's there should be allowed at Gisburn

Proutster

I agree!!

Was at Gisbrun for my first time on Wednesday and I loved every minute of it - some real challenges and a great laugh!

I've never done so much uphill on a black route as on the little diversion up to the slab, got to admit I pushed for quite a bit of it. The slab was fun though and then you hit the berms after that with much more speed.

Loved Hully Gully and the steep muddy descent after the bit of fire road (Bottoms?), some nice step downs there that made my tyre choice of Swamp Thing on the front the right decision!

Also loved the North Shore sections that are scattered all over the place.

Now to book myself a skills course with Ed Oxley so that I can do The Hope Line justice! I think I'll go for the "Jumps for Dads" one - qualify by age if not the Dads bit

stubs

When they get the roof over Gisburn to keep the weather out it will be brilliant.

Proutster

But we're not made of sugar!!

Can't wait to try it in the dry though - any idea what day in 2012 that'll be?

stubs

Proutster wrote:

But we're not made of sugar!!

Can't wait to try it in the dry though - any idea what day in 2012 that'll be?

I'm not made of sugar but all this wet riding is making me start to smell of wet dogs.

The dry day at Gisburn has been booked for June 31st

stumpyjon

Northern Monkey, you remember correctly, was a tad wet that bit before we surfaced it, quite proud of that section of trail now. personally I'd like to continue it and take out the bit of fireroad between circle and the start of Homebaked.

It has been rather wet at Gisburn recently although most of it seems to be holding up quite well. We're on with the start of the blue at the moment, hopefully have it fully repaired by the end of this Sunday.

Best time for dry weather is usually around the end of March, haven't a hope in June.

1mancity2

Proutster wrote:

Now to book myself a skills course with Ed Oxley so that I can do The Hope Line justice! I think I'll go for the "Jumps for Dads" one - qualify by age if not the Dads bit

Booked myself on the Nigel Page advanced Jumps course in Feb with Ed, already done the "Flow" course with him and see him knocking around up there weekly, great guy and very good.

He got me over my drop off mental block.

The Northern Monkey wrote:

The Hope line is good, would have been better on the Canyon though!

There is rumuor of another "Hope" line which will suit the canyon to a tee!!

Its a brilliant addition to an already great ride, I love the bottom section of the hope line the third jump with the kicker is great for trying to get some style on.

delcol

There is rumuor of another "Hope" line which will suit the canyon to a tee!!

i hope so we need more whistlerbike park (a-line crank it up blue velvet freight train and dirt mecrchant) type trails round here....

i'l get you over your drop (mental) issues.... hopefully will be in the quarry sunday firstthing.

1mancity2

delcol wrote:

There is rumuor of another "Hope" line which will suit the canyon to a tee!!

i hope so we need more whistlerbike park (a-line crank it up blue velvet freight train and dirt mecrchant) type trails round here....

i'l get you over your drop (mental) issues.... hopefully will be in the quarry sunday firstthing.

Nice one see you up there.....

frankspencer1979

stumpyjon wrote:

We are a bit short of long descents although you clock up a surprising amount of climbing on the 8 :?

New bit may well be unofficially open after Sunday although to get to the start is a bit of a muddy slog. Going to do some repairs on the blue before we start the next section.

Hoping to get to Gisburn again one day next week. I've seen the little map on PMBA re' the new section and think I know where it is, but is there any kind of land mark I could look out for to show me where it starts!?

stumpyjon

Yep as you go down the long fire road descent, look for a couple of piles of gravel on your left with a grassy track leading off behind them, follow this (it's very boggy in places) until you come to anoither pile of gravel. You'll see the start of the new trail section off to your right following the stream.

frankspencer1979

Just back from a ride round gisburn, to be honest I seem to find it harder going every time, slipping on rocks and roots and losing momentum all the time; and hully gully shook the cr@p out of me! Think I need the sun to come out to dry things up and a full susser for a bit of comfort! Little moan aside, it's still a great ride.

Anyway, found the new section of trail after nearly losing my trainers in the bog! Had to perservere once I'd started though. That trail is gonna be the bees knees once it's completed, I wasn't expecting it to be so ...... big, if that makes sense. Thought it would be on more of a level. Had to chicken out of the big rock descent, but I'll beat that eventually I reckon. If the whole new section is like that, it'll be a real highlight!

1mancity2

frankspencer1979 wrote:

to be honest I seem to find it harder going every time

Anyway, found the new section of trail after nearly losing my trainers in the bog!

Harder conditions, pushing yourself more, it never gets easier only harder!

Get some proper shoes man!

The new section is going to be a brill, fast flowing run.

Going Sunday I think!!!

frankspencer1979

Ha! I've got 5:10's for riding in, it's just that it was REALLY boggy!

1mancity2

Yeah I was up last Friday, Hope line was a bog in places.

delcol

i prefare riding gisburn on my hardtail, it more fun..

Had to chicken out of the big rock descent, but I'll beat that eventually I reckon

is that the slab right at the top if so it's easy it looks worse than it is...

1mancity2

delcol wrote:

i prefare riding gisburn on my hardtail, it more fun..

Had to chicken out of the big rock descent, but I'll beat that eventually I reckon

is that the slab right at the top if so it's easy it looks worse than it is...

Think he is talking about the new section which will cut out the fire road before you hit "bottoms" section, its a up and down trail but there is a section which can be best described as "severe cobbles" around 20ft decent, quite good and nearly finished.

stumpyjon

Yep that section is actually finished bar the final water crossing that needs a couple of barrow loads of gravel on it (stream came over the top of the trail despite there being a 4ft pipe there, now 2 4ft pipes).

'Severe cobbles' ! Was a pain to build. The upper section back to the fire road won't be quite so uppy / downy, less gradient to play with but there are some gullys to run in and out of and the trail follows and old stone wall we hope to use making it pumpy (if we get it right). the whole trail should be a progression down from the gates getting progressively more challenging culminating in the 'mega swoop' and final stream crossing.

1mancity2

stumpyjon wrote:

Yep that section is actually finished bar the final water crossing that needs a couple of barrow loads of gravel on it (stream came over the top of the trail despite there being a 4ft pipe there, now 2 4ft pipes).

When I last did the bottom loop, "bottoms" was closed for maintenance just as we were about to set off up the fire road a hobbit appeared from said "trail" and told us we could ride it and "bottoms", but just watch out for his tools and barrow.

Was that you stumpy? (Tue27th Dec)

stumpyjon

Might have been, more likely Kev, he likes to pounce on unsuspecting riders to make sure they get the most out the trails.

We've got another day of repairs on bottoms before we get back to building new trail (which is infinintely more rewarding).

frankspencer1979

I was talking about severe cobbles! Not gonna let that permanently defeat me thpugh, like the rock steps in homebaked. Damn those steps, one day I'll beat them.... or break my face, one or the other.

DodgeT

Just look past them, before you know it your over them
They had me the first time, but then so did the slabby section after the boardwalk on the top loop. They had me off everytime... Then one of the first things Ed had me tackle was those...
Love homebaked section, such a mix of flowy tight track, then the step bit, its great

TheNorthernTrain

If that cobbles section is the one I'm thinking of, then i definitely approached them waaaaay to fast when they were damp. Certainly didn't make the corner at the bottom, infact I think my back end slid so far round i was pretty much facing the way I came.

If it's a different section then I've no idea. I swear I missed loads of the new stuff cos I've ridden it twice over a year apart between both times and barely remember any difference between the sections.