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I'm after some advice as to where to go please for some decent red route riding. We've got a few days staying just outside Dumfries, and a chance for a 2-3 hours ride. I was originally going to go to Ae on Monday as its closet to where we are staying, but see from their website that the MTB trails are closed Mon-Fri. So the alternative is to go to Mabie or Dalbeattie, or try and drive up to Ae a bit earlier Sunday and ride then. All of them seem to have some sort of trail diversion in place though.
So where should I go?
I'm after some flowy techy red trails. Not too gnarly as I'll be riding on my own. My usual riding is at Hamsterly, and very happy on the likes of K-line, Pikes teeth, Section 13, Special K etc. Be good if there are sections that can be repeated once I've ridden them and got the lie of the land.
Cheers
Ages since I’ve been but I always liked Mabie, Dalbeattie was good but didn’t seem to flow as well, and Ae seemed a bit of a chore - seems to be about 90% uphill somehow. Kirroughtree worth the trip in my opinion. The black isn’t very black and it’s a great loop. The red flows nicely too.
I haven't been for a while but Dalbeattie didn't do it for me at all. I think Mabie was my favourite of the three.
Another vote for Mabie out of those three, but also Kirroughtree is very good and worth the long trip. BTW, the Ae closure likely only relates to the on site cafe/bike shop, not the trails.
There’s loads of felling and diversions in Dalbeattie right now. Unless you’re a local you’ll struggle to string together something decent! Ae is heavily disrupted by Storm Arwen and the clear up work too. Mabie is fine though so I guess that helps make your decision!
I'd say Mabie out of those 3 but kirroughtree over all of them .
I've no idea what the deal is at the moment but I always really liked Drumlanrig if I was riding around that area .
I would also add that I liked Kirroughtree more than Ae, Dalbeattie and Mabie but it's further away.
Mabie is relatively short but you could always ride it twice or repeat one or two sections of you have the time.
Mabie House hotel is nice too.
I always enjoy the Mabie red, but have to agree about Ae, it never seemed to payback the uphill effort. Kirroughtree is great but the drive will eat into your time. Drumlanrig I quite enjoyed but none of my friends did.
I like Mabie.
Kirroughtree is good but it's a drive from where you are, there's some small diversions too.
Funny I like Ae as well
There’s loads of felling and diversions in Dalbeattie right now. Unless you’re a local you’ll struggle to string together something decent!
This is useful. I was about to head there today! How revlcent was your experience? The website seems to suggest only a few sections are closed - but as ever it's hard to know how up to date that is.
Might give Mabie a try instead.
There is a lot of forestry work in the south end of Dalbeattie forest around Ironhash. Fallen trees are being cleared from storms a couple of years ago
This means the diversions cut out a lot of the singletrack at this end and keep you on forest roads.
There are short diversion on sections of the 7 stanes route around the Moyle too.
The unnofical stuff is really boggy and heavy at the minute due to wet ground.
Watch out for timber lorries too, the diversion puts you on some of the same routes they are using to get timber out, activity seems to come in waves but we're quite a few this week.
Would probably suggest just going to Mabie
Maybe also useful for anyone to know that the town wood carpark in Dalbeattie is going to pay and display too from next week to be same as trail head car park. The signs were going in this week.
Local here..
I'd go and park at Mabie, then combine the trail center (flow) with a loop into Shambellie woods (techy) near New Abbey. Easy to link the two using trailforks.
Been ages since I've ridden in the area but from what I can remember, Ae had got loads better vs my previous visit a few years previous. Still not mind blowingly good though. Mabie was more of a ride. Dalbeattie more like a massive skills loop.
I'd go to Kirroughtree.
Thanks All
Sounds like Mabie is going to work the best I think then. (Unless I can negotiate another days ride!)
This is whats on the Ae website
"Due to tree felling operations, all of Ae walking and bike trails will be closed Monday to Friday"....
@Allyharp - be great if you can report back
How revlcent was your experience?
I live here! Got a good view of the felling when I took the dogs out at lunch. As tom7044 says - timber wagons are using the fireroads which has battered the hell out of them and created a lot of mess.
I'd offer to show you round the local stuff but I'm currently enjoying Covid 2 - The Return so won't be out for a while...
Kirroughtree Red/black is a must if you can manage an extra day.... could hook up with you down there (providing you are not a racing snake....as I am an oldie that is slower than a week in the jail.....:-) )
@Allyharp – be great if you can report back
I didn't go check out Dalbeattie in the end, and stuck to Mabie as advised. At Mabie, the closure was exactly as advertised on the Forestry website "Trail diverted from post 68 and rejoins at post 21, missing out The Ridge."