Just back from Kirroughtree

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wow! Is having so much fun legal?

I took a couple of young friends along to Kirroughtree today (our first
visit) and had a whale of a time bombing around the Twister red route on

my

Quoted message said:

unsprung hybrid (the only bike there with mudguards, pannier rack *and* a
side stand). ;-)

Been wondering whether to have a go on some of the 7 Stanes routes on my
unsprung hybrid. Sounds good.

--
Duncan Gray

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland
www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk

in message <[email hidden]>, Tim Downie

(') said:

Wow! Is having so much fun legal?

Isn't it brilliant?

Quoted message said:

I took a couple of young friends along to Kirroughtree today (our first
visit) and had a whale of a time bombing around the Twister red route
on my unsprung hybrid (the only bike there with mudguards, pannier rack
*and* a side stand). ;-)

Had the immense satisfaction of passing another group of riders on
"proper"
bikes. Also finished with an impressively bloody shin
(http://www.zen31010.zen.co.uk/images/shin2.jpg for the non-squeamish)
which my companions were most jealous of but I have to confess that I
actually gouged the holes in my shin before we even left home.

My only gripe with the place is that it's just a bit far from Ayr for
regular forays. Still well worth the journey. Gotta have a go at the
black route next time.

I love the Kirroughtrie black route, even though I confess I've yet to
ride it without at least one blood-drawing fall. If you like the
twistiness of Twister you'll /love/ Talnotrie Hill, which is miles and
miles of that beautifully fluid line, descending across the hillside.
The thing that earns it its 'black' designation is the regular rock
features, many of which are quite tricky and all of which are
exceedingly hard if you fall on them. Ride it cautiously the first time,
although it isn't vicious. The 'Hissing Sid' section is significantly
more vicious and does need care, but is also great fun.

But if you love Kirroughtrie don't miss Dalbeattie, Mabie and Ae. Mabie
red route has some lovely twisting descents, with bermed corners which
just beg to be taken fast. But those berms pale into insignificance
beside Ae, where berms are as tall as three metres and banked at up to
70 degrees. The Mabie berms you /can/ take slowly if you're unsure of
yourself. The Ae berms you simply have to ride fast, or else get off.

Dalbeattie doesn't have that lovely cursive line. It's the oldest of the
7stanes tracks, and the track designers have learned as time has gone
on. But Dalbeattie does have miles of superb singletrack, and it has the
rock features that make those at Kirroughtrie look insignificant. The
Slab and the Twins are the well known ones, of course, but in fact
Dalbeattie Forest is littered with these enormous pieces of bare
granite, and the tracks make use of many of them.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth
;; knowledge increaseth sorrow.." - Ecclesiastes 1:18

in message <[email hidden]>, Duncan Gray

(') said:

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wow! Is having so much fun legal?

I took a couple of young friends along to Kirroughtree today (our
first visit) and had a whale of a time bombing around the Twister red
route on

my

Quoted message said:

unsprung hybrid (the only bike there with mudguards, pannier rack
*and* a side stand). ;-)

Been wondering whether to have a go on some of the 7 Stanes routes on
my unsprung hybrid. Sounds good.

I used to ride them on a rigid Scott Sawtooth (early gaspipe mountain
bike, bought in about 1991). It can be done. But I'm at least 10% faster
on a full suspension bike. Also, there are sections of the red and black
grade routes which you will find exceedingly tricky to ride on a rigid -
many of them need speed over rough surfaces, and that takes real skill
on a rigid. But the blue and green grade routes are fine.

And I'm not saying 'don't try the black routes on a rigid'. On the
contrary, try them and have fun. But don't expect to be able to ride all
of the route - you will have to get off and walk sections.

Also, of course, Galloway has miles and miles of offroad tracks suitable
for rigid bikes, much of it in absolutely glorious scenery and virtually
empty of other traffic. The Glentrool Orange route (which isn't yet
waymarked but there's a map on the 7stanes website); or the off-road
sections of NCN7; or, a particular favourite of mine, the old railway up
from Mossdale to the Fleet viaducts; or... It's unending. You could
cycle these hills for a lifetime and there'd still be great tracks you
hadn't cycled.

And, of course, if you prefer cycling on the road, we have miles and
miles of nearly empty roads, and the longest, highest continuous climb
in Britain is just over the border in Dumfrieshire.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Just as defying the law of gravity through building aircraft requires
careful design and a lot of effort, so too does defying laws of
economics. It seems to be a deeply ingrained aspect of humanity to
forever strive to improve things, so unquestioning acceptance of a
free market system seems to me to be unnatural. ;; Charles Bryant

Duncan Gray said:

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wow! Is having so much fun legal?

I took a couple of young friends along to Kirroughtree today (our
first visit) and had a whale of a time bombing around the Twister
red route on my unsprung hybrid (the only bike there with mudguards,
pannier rack *and* a side stand). ;-)

Been wondering whether to have a go on some of the 7 Stanes routes on
my unsprung hybrid. Sounds good.

The red route isn't reccommended for hybrids but I found it 99% doable.
Whether that would apply to anyone else is hard to say though.

Tim

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Duncan Gray

(') said:

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wow! Is having so much fun legal?

I took a couple of young friends along to Kirroughtree today (our
first visit) and had a whale of a time bombing around the Twister red
route on

my

Quoted message said:

unsprung hybrid (the only bike there with mudguards, pannier rack
*and* a side stand). ;-)

Been wondering whether to have a go on some of the 7 Stanes routes on
my unsprung hybrid. Sounds good.

I used to ride them on a rigid Scott Sawtooth (early gaspipe mountain
bike, bought in about 1991). It can be done. But I'm at least 10% faster
on a full suspension bike. Also, there are sections of the red and black
grade routes which you will find exceedingly tricky to ride on a rigid -
many of them need speed over rough surfaces, and that takes real skill
on a rigid. But the blue and green grade routes are fine.

If it needs real skill, that'll be a problem for me!

Quoted message said:

And I'm not saying 'don't try the black routes on a rigid'. On the
contrary, try them and have fun. But don't expect to be able to ride all
of the route - you will have to get off and walk sections.

I have no intention of trying a black route on my rigid hybrid. It's the
only bike I've got (and have room for just now) and I need it for commuting.
A red route would be a major adventure for me...

Quoted message said:

Also, of course, Galloway has miles and miles of offroad tracks suitable
for rigid bikes, much of it in absolutely glorious scenery and virtually
empty of other traffic. The Glentrool Orange route (which isn't yet
waymarked but there's a map on the 7stanes website); or the off-road
sections of NCN7; or, a particular favourite of mine, the old railway up
from Mossdale to the Fleet viaducts; or... It's unending. You could
cycle these hills for a lifetime and there'd still be great tracks you
hadn't cycled.

And, of course, if you prefer cycling on the road, we have miles and
miles of nearly empty roads, and the longest, highest continuous climb
in Britain is just over the border in Dumfrieshire.

Yeah, I've a good idea what the area's like. I was a Glenluce boy once.
Picked up a rather good "Cycling in Wigtownshire" TB leaflet recently. Will
have to go back down more often, just need to find a campsite I like. I'm
also planning a JoG-MoG soon.

--
Duncan Gray

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland
www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk