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Might be up that way next month but it’s been a good 10-12 years since my last visit & was thinking about taking the bike.
Has it changed much in recent times & how’s it ride these days?
It was great a month ago for me. Layout obviously hasn't changed much but they have relayed some bits recently. Nine quid to park! Or four in Thornton and a great cake shop.
Yes, it's a nice location to ride even if not the most gnar etc.. Do the red and stop off at the bike park for some fun then finish and have a blast or 2 round the blue.
Cheers.
Not gnar enough for some, but it is still a worthwhile ride.
Neither gnar, fun nor interesting but if you want a long boring slog on a shitty grinding surfacing, then go for it...
You're constantly thinking, the good bit must come soon, then it ends and the relief hits you.
You could maybe do the WC black section a few times but that aint very good either imo.
It's all subjective isn't it. Obvs not Patriotpro's cup of tea, but I rode Dalby yesterday and really enjoyed it.
Not gnar, but some great flow sections. Last time i rode Dalby i wasn't a big fan and hadn't been back for years, kind of regretting that now.
Trails are running really nicely and the braking bumps aren't too horrendous
As a forest though, Dalby is a nicer place IMHO than the standard sterile tracts of industrial pine that many trail centres inhabit.
I always thought it was pretty amazing that they could build a 20 mile+ loop in such a lumpy area without any memorable descents to speak of.
Must have taken some pretty careful planning to keep the trail at exactly the same elevation for the whole of the loop.
I always thought it was pretty amazing that they could build a 20 mile+ loop in such a lumpy area without any memorable descents to speak of.
Must have taken some pretty careful planning to keep the trail at exactly the same elevation for the whole of the loop.
Whilst still feeling like you're climbing all the way round.
It's my local and I don't hate it, but I certainly don't love it. Works best for me as a smash round non stop kind of thing, riding in a group and stopping all the time is a right pain. There are some good bits, some nice climbs and flatter sections but I do find the descents lacking.
It was better than many centres last time I went so if it's not worse I'll probably chuck the bike in the car.
If you're not keen on the red there are loads of fun off piste runs dotted about.
This:
Whilst still feeling like you’re climbing all the way round
And this:
You’re constantly thinking, the good bit must come soon, then it ends and the relief hits you.
Deggers and Dalby are about the same drive for me. Deggers wins hands down. I Guess if you're close to Dalby then give it a go...
Vive la difference.
I'd never compare dalby to degla. Dalby is much better ( unless you're into jumps I guess)
Dalby is definitely xc if you see what I mean. Riding up, down, across down up etc
Rather than having any signature descents or stuff.
Bit more tech stuff at dalby.
The new blue has been fantastic for teaching our 7 year old singletrack skills.
Went up there early in the summer for the first time in probably 5 years. Bike park is in ruins and a shadow of it’s former self. Liked the changes towards the end of the red though, makes it less of a slog. Enjoyed the last ride more than the previous few times i’d been there.
IMO it suffers from being one of the very first trail centres, sections of man made from a time when contract builders didn't really know how to make the most out of elevation and contour features, cobbled together with large sections of forest road. bits and bobs have been added (world cup track etc) and removed (old black route, woodwork etc). Overall still lacking very many thrills and spills and not making the most of traversing descents. Having said that, I think it's still a good basic xc ride out if you don't want to have to do things like navigate / map read and you want centre / toilets / cafe at start/finish.
Dalby more technical than Llandegla?
What crack are you smoking?
It's never been aimed at the "Gnar" market and will never tick that box, but as a 20+mile loop with an "all weather" surface for the most of it, it pretty much ticks that box
Dixons Hollow (Bike Park) was built original as a "4 cross" circuit, which it never was, in hindsight more could have been done with it, but seeing how many people still get stretched out of there with broken bits, I wouldn't guess it's not high on the upgrade list
The place seems to have become an e-Bike mecca of late, as I guess most trail centres are, guess that's a good and bad thing...
Dalby more technical than Llandegla?
What crack are you smoking?
Ok. Unless I'm missing something, there is one solitary section at llandegla that needs any focus/ concentration to ride it.... the optional black rocky drop on the red just before it rejoins the black below the leat. Apart from that I can't recall anything that's even remotely technical.
At Selby there's loads of mismatched mini sections that are slightly tricky to clean
The thing about Dalby is it’s much better for knowing, that’s what I’ve found over the years, know where the good bits are, so you can give it some welly and get more out of the better sections and save your energy/legs on the ‘not so great/boring bits’, I’ve grown to enjoy Dalby much more over the years, suppose it helps if you’re fitter too, before I used to think it was just a hard slog, all up hill with no good bits but I’ve changed my view on the place now.
@ Nobby - hook up with Karlos, surely?
you lost me at 9 quid parking :O
£9 .. so that's about the price of 1 cinema ticket or a couple of coffees and a piece of cake. Not that much to ask for all day use of a large outdoor leisure facility is it?
It's not £9 for parking, it's £9 to use the forest road, you can park outside the forest and join the route without driving in.
It’s not £9 for parking, it’s £9 to use the forest road, you can park outside the forest and join the route without driving in.
No, the £9 charge is for entry into the forest with a car, which includes parking inside the forest in the FC's car parks as well as the forest drive.
Anyway, you could always pay the nine quid and support the centre and the work that the FC do to maintain the trails? Compared to what most people here spend on the bikes that they would be riding there, it seems like an almost negligible sum of money.
Personally, my life is far too busy to volunteer as a trail maintainer at places like Dalby, so I consider that I almost have a moral obligation to support them financially instead. Dumping the car outside the gates and riding in would feel a bit like freeloading to my mind. I don't think of it as "£9 to park the car" but instead as "£9 to bring the family for a day out riding on maintained, traffic-free trails". Bit of a bargain, when thought of in those terms.
Ok. Unless I’m missing something, there is one solitary section at llandegla that needs any focus/ concentration to ride it…. the optional black rocky drop on the red just before it rejoins the black below the leat. Apart from that I can’t recall anything that’s even remotely technical.
At Selby there’s loads of mismatched mini sections that are slightly tricky to clean
I mean I haven't been to LLandegla in a good few years, but when i was there I remember a good overhead drop off a duckboard bridge, extended chickenwire duckboard sections with drops, rocky jumps, very fast sections with a lot of off camber, some pretty decent jumps and a reasonable north shore section at the end of the black.
I genuinely can't remember a single section of Dalby that stands out. Even the "optional black go right" bits are rollable on a CX bike?
I genuinely can’t remember a single section of Dalby that stands out. Even the “optional black go right” bits are rollable on a CX bike?
There's the section in the woods shortly after you leave the Dixons Hollow bike park area, where the trail drops down to the left. There's a black fork to the left and the main trail rises to the right and then (eventually) descends down back into the valley again. That bit is definitely a more challenging section, especially at the top where it's a bit rocky. To put it into context, however, my 9yo can ride it all...
We rather like Dalby, because it's fast and not too technical. We often take groups of kids up there and for the fitter, less technically minded ones, the red makes a good trail precisely because of the reasons stated above - it's a decent length and not going to kill you.
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@ Nobby – hook up with Karlos, surely?
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Last I heard he didn't even own an MTB.
“”£9 .. so that’s about the price of 1 cinema ticket or a couple of coffees and a piece of cake. Not that much to ask for all day use of a large outdoor leisure facility is it?””
Interesting that you’ve compared the parking charge to the price of cinema tickets and coffee which are often seen as wildly overpriced. 😂
By comparison, if you parked for the day in the nearest town centre car park, how much would it cost? I’d only pay £9 in a big city.
"We rather like Dalby, because it’s fast"
Said no one ever
“We rather like Dalby, because it’s fast”
Said no one ever
Apart from me, further up this thread, which you quoted.
I think you've created a thread paradox. Do we all vanish into the ether at this point? 🙂
By comparison, if you parked for the day in the nearest town centre car park, how much would it cost
For the day? £6.00 for three hours, so that three times and having to move your car as you can't park in the same carpark twice in a day. And for the princely sum of £18 you'd get a maximum 9 hours parking, and the use of a ticket machine. Doesn't really compare with all day parking and as much use of a purpose built facility as you'd like in that time very well does it?
I've not been to Dalby in a few years. I always quite enjoyed it, it's not technically challenging nor has it got jumps (i don't personally think one is necessarily anything to do with the other so I'd actually agree it's more technical than degla which is more daunting than Dalby, but tomatoe, tomato) but it's an enjoyable mountain bike loop in the traditional sense. Depends what you like really. It's quick enough if you're fit enough.
Interesting that you’ve compared the parking charge to the price of cinema tickets and coffee which are often seen as wildly overpriced.
If they were wildly overpriced then cinemas and coffee shops would be going out of business left right and centre, which doesn't seem to be the case so it suggests they are priced at what people will pay.
By comparison, if you parked for the day in the nearest town centre car park, how much would it cost? I’d only pay £9 in a big city.
It's a false comparison, at Dalby etc. you're not being charged for somewhere to leave your car, you're paying to use and maintain the facility.
For the day? £6.00 for three hours, so that three times and having to move your car as you can’t park in the same carpark twice in a day. And for the princely sum of £18
What or where are you actually talking about? The quickest Google search shows that you can park in Scarborough’s main NCP from 9-5 for £6.30. (Scarborough being the closest big name I can see to Dalby?)
If they were wildly overpriced then cinemas and coffee shops would be going out of business left right and centre, which doesn’t seem to be the case so it suggests they are priced at what people will pay.
It’s a false comparison, at Dalby etc. you’re not being charged for somewhere to leave your car, you’re paying to use and maintain the facility.
Cinemas down here have reduced ticket prices to £5, and yes, coffee shops are going out of business all over the place if they aren’t chains. That doesn’t change the fact that they are overpriced.
But - the main point - you are paying to use the car park, not the facilities. Do you get charged if you ride into the forest? (And, maybe not a great comparison, but the parking charges at Afan don’t get fed back into the trails.) BPW is the only place I would be willing to pay £9 (£10 in the case of BPW), but the money there definitely does go back to the trail network, and it’s a good one.)
Don't know why people are whining about the car parking, I usually go with my mate so it's basically £4.50 each which I think is totally fair given what you have access to and it goes toward the upkeep of the place.
They are charging cars rather than individuals because it's a convenient and practical way to collect money to help make the visitor facilities viable - not just the trails, the whole place.
We could debate this all day. In short, personally I don't think it's an unreasonable charge if I want to park conveniently and ride purpose built trails somewhere with a washroom and a cafe. YMMV etc.
Nobby - if you do make it to Dalby after all this, I hope you take a bike and have a great ride.
A lot of the above holds true, about it being a bit boring and not making the most of the terrain.
However
It's judged against a lot of trail centres that are just a whole load better for numerous reasons
If you put the comparisons to one side for a moment, it's just a nice long XC ride through a forest with some interesting but not brilliant singletrack and berms. Judged on it's own merits I have rather warmed to it over time.
I went, I had some fun, I paid for the car park as the FC and trails need our support.
We could debate this all day. In short, personally I don’t think it’s an unreasonable charge if I want to park conveniently and ride purpose built trails somewhere with a washroom and a cafe. YMMV etc.
My mileage certainly does vary. 😁 I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by Welsh trail centres (all of the southern ones within an hours drive). I also spend a lot of time working away, which means I get to ride a lot of places. To give you some reference points, I rode at Newcastleton and Glentress last week. No charge for parking at the first, £5 all day at Glentress iirc. Bargain for such good trails. (Glentress - Newcastleton was rubbish.) Off the top of my head, in the last few months I’ve ridden Swinley, Whinlatter, Thetford, Sherwood Pines, Cannock, FoD. None of them charge more than £5, iirc. The problem that I’d have with £9 is that, almost without exception, the English trail centres are dire. I won’t justify £5 for somewhere like Sherwood so Dalby would have to be the exception to justify that charge - or offer free cake. 😂