# Best place for trail riding in Europe?



## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Hi folks,

As my next vacation approaches, I'm finding myself a little bit in doubt as to where to spend two weeks mountain biking in Europe.

Last year I went to Portes du Soleil in French/Swiss Alps and while I loved the place, this time I would prefer some place with a more moderate terrain. I mean, in the Alps the trails mostly consisted of hard climbing (or going up on the lifts) and then rather technical and fast descending (which made my braking fingers ache pretty soon). Now I'm looking for some large trail center without very steep inclines - some place where you'd take your 5"x5" or 6"x6" trailbike to and ride some 50-60 kilometers a day on your own, without repeating same trails over and over again. Rocky, rooty singletrack is very much welcome as long as it is more or less 'horizontal' overall.

I hope I'm making myself clear as English is not my native language and I hope you guys can point me to some places. Your help is greatly appreciated!


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## Vespasianus (Apr 9, 2008)

If you have the chance, I would spend some time in Wales. It has exactly what you are asking for. Check this link out.

http://www.mbwales.com/

Be sure to go to the Afan Forest and Coed y Brenin.


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Vespasianus said:


> If you have the chance, I would spend some time in Whales. It has exactly what you are asking for. Check this link out.
> 
> http://www.mbwales.com/
> 
> Be sure to go to the Afan Forest and Coed y Brenin.


Thanks Vespasianus, I'll definitely take a look at this. Can you recommend a place to stay there? Something with an easy access to as many trails as possible?


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## innerhaven (Jun 23, 2008)

Hey there,

Have a look at www.7stanes.gov.uk - all about Scotland's biking heaven!

If you're looking for a great introduction to Scottish trail centres look at the info on Glentress and Innerleithen.

Have a great trip!

:thumbsup:


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

thanks *innerhaven*!


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## cxfahrer (Jun 20, 2008)

The best place to spend two weeks mountain biking is as everybody knows the Garda Lake in Italy. You have a great variety of trails and fire roads, from easy flowing singletrack to steep rocky and dangerous. But you will have to climb a lot or shutlle by car. 
And overall it is Italy by its finest. 
You will find enough infomation on the web about Riva, Torbole and Vesio.

A region much underestimated in Italy is Tuscany and Umbria. Look into the www.mtb-forum.it .

In Germany I recommend the Pfälzer Wald ( Kaiserslautern, Rodalben etc.) - a great network of technical singletrack to fireroads in Germany´s largest forest area. 
Similar, but a lot smaller is the Lausitzer Gebirge (Zittauer Gebirge) in Germany / Czechia / Poland. The tiniest mountains in Germany!

Take a look at this website: www.trailhunter.de
These guys went around Europe a lot to ride technical tracks, from the Harz in Germany to the Alpes Maritimes in France.

PS: I forgot to mention the Canary Islands ! Best place besides the Lake Garda ! La Palma is best for mountain biking, look on www.atlantic-cycling.de (you cant ride without a guide or you have to climb too much and wont find the secret trails!).


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## Uzzi (Oct 28, 2003)

If you don't like excessive climbing don't go to the Garda region. I love it there but you will need to do a fair bit of climbing for the interesting trails. Besides that Garda can be extremely crowded during summer, popular tours like the Tremalzo in particular (not that intersesting by the way). Finale Ligure (Italian Riviera) could be a great option. Climbs are short (I am from Switzerland so you must put that in perspective) and they have tons of great single trails.


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Thank you guys for your input, the more options the better!

I'm planning my trip on the second and third or third and fourth weeks of August, if that matters.


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## cxfahrer (Jun 20, 2008)

Smith said:


> Thank you guys for your input, the more options the better!
> 
> I'm planning my trip on the second and third or third and fourth weeks of August, if that matters.


Now that matters  - its *ferragosto* time! 
Nonetheless I will go on holidays in Italy at this time, too. Just think of the whole country going crazy with everybody in his/her car and driving to the nearest lake or beach and get drunk. I love it  ....on the trails you wont notice.

But on the highways, the campings, the hotels and restaurants (not only in Italy).


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## problematiks (Oct 18, 2005)

Hmmm, going to any remotely popular italian destination during ferragosto isn't something I'd recommend to anyone.Except to someone I don't like very much  

Marko


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## EnglishT (Apr 9, 2008)

Wales... (NOT with a H....)

If you stay somewhere in the valleys, youd have easy access to Afan/Glyncorrwyg (Skyline 46k, whites level, the wall), Cwmcarn, Brecon Beacons - and possible (though a decent drive) to Coed-y-brenin or Llandegla.

Rode "White's level" at afan today, was awesome - though how this only classes as a red route I dont know, it has some very technical sections... Starts with a pretty long climb (6km) then its almost all descents from there.

Cwmcarn also is fantastic, like afan its a fairly big climb to start, and then pretty much all down.



Truly, if you want to come to Europe to ride trails - you CANNOT pass Wales up, its simply fantastic


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## Vespasianus (Apr 9, 2008)

EnglishT said:


> Wales... (NOT with a H....)
> 
> If you stay somewhere in the valleys, youd have easy access to Afan/Glyncorrwyg (Skyline 46k, whites level, the wall), Cwmcarn, Brecon Beacons - and possible (though a decent drive) to Coed-y-brenin or Llandegla.
> 
> ...


Agreed, but I was talking about the Whales. Great ride. They come north in the summer. 

The initial climb in the Afan forest is not that bad, a little boring but not bad. God, I miss ridding in the UK. I actually loved ridding in the Chiltern hills, the bluebells were amazing. And so were the pubs!


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Thank you again guys, so the UK will be my primary option, whether it is Wales or Scotland. It'll be a good chance to visit London on my way back and maybe Edinburgh on my way there if I choose Scotland.


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## EnglishT (Apr 9, 2008)

Vespasianus said:


> Agreed, but I was talking about the Whales. Great ride. They come north in the summer.


I thought they went to london via the Thames in the summer...



Vespasianus said:


> The initial climb in the Afan forest is not that bad, a little boring but not bad. God, I miss ridding in the UK. I actually loved ridding in the Chiltern hills, the bluebells were amazing. And so were the pubs!


It depends which route you do at afan... If you ride the wall, theres fireroad sections on the climb - white's level is more technical climbing, and all singletrack.

Everyone misses the pubs here, or is it the beer?


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Hey it's me again.

At the present moment I'm leaning towards Scotland and the 7 Stanes. My plan is to arrive to London then immediately take a train to Edinburgh and spend a night there. On the next day moving to Glentress to stay there for 5 nights and ride local trails around Glentress & Innerleithen.

Then I'm thinking about moving a bit to the south-west to spend 5 more nights somewhere else and visit other Stanes. Problem is, I'm a bit at a loss as to where to stay... is Dumfries ok?

The remaining 2 nights will be spent in London and then I'm heading back home.


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## lynseyf (May 1, 2007)

not sure if you're bringing your bike or not but it may be easier, quicker and cheaper to fly. Try easyjet.com . They will charge extra for your bike but if its all packed up already then it may be easier.


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

lynseyf said:


> not sure if you're bringing your bike or not but it may be easier, quicker and cheaper to fly. Try easyjet.com . They will charge extra for your bike but if its all packed up already then it may be easier.


I'm bringing my bike along.
Do you mean to fly from London to Edinburgh or what? I'll look into this, thanks for the suggestion.


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## lynseyf (May 1, 2007)

Yeah definitely, Flights can often be cheaper than the trains. Another good website is skyscanner.net , it allows you to check the cheapest flights on any date.


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## chakaping (Jul 6, 2008)

If you have two weeks just for MTBing, you can easily do a "best-of" the trail centres in Wales and southern Scotland.

If you have to fly to London, I presume you;re landing at Heathrow - and from there you could hire a car (if that's your plan) and drive straight to south Wales and ride Cwmcarn and Afan/Glyncorryg, then move up through Wales to check out Nant yr Arian (much underrated!), Cli Machx and Coed y Brenin.

Maybe stop for a lap at Coed Llandegla on your way back out of the top of Wales, before driving north a few hours to the southern Stanes (yes Dumfries is a good place to stay, or Castle Douglas). Whatever you do don't miss the black route at Kirroughtree, but the red routes at Mabie and Ae are also very enjoyable (you can do those two in a single day).

Then finish up at Glentress and Innerleithen before hitting Edinburgh, probably the most beautiful city in the UK.


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Thanks chakaping!


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## toolittletime (May 16, 2008)

If you are coming up to Scotland, you need to get up into the Highlands both because of the riding and just the sheer beauty of the scenery. Havn't done Innerleithen but hear it is very good.

Wolftrax at Laggan is also great, and in the Highlands. You could also head to Fort William to do the downhill course and the Witches Trails cross country routes. Renting a car is the best option, but if not you can train from Edinburgh to Laggan (Newtonmore) and Fort William.

However, these are "made for mountain biking" trails, and for me the best riding is to be had doing paths and tracks that are just out there in the big wide mountains. One book to give you ideas is http://www.mountainbikescotland.com/ .

Or for more general stuff you could visit http://cycling.visitscotland.com/mountain_biking/


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## clemson (Jan 30, 2004)

Finale Ligurien....

http://www.finalefreeride.com/

beside greet freeride posibilitys you´ve a lot of perfect single tracks and the sea is always near you, amazing views, nice climbs and descending and also mountains behond the sea


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Thanks again everybody!

I'm pretty much set on the 7 stanes, booking tickets and reserving rooms now


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## alexpryor (Sep 2, 2007)

*7 stanes*

7 Stanes would definitely be my choice!
Far better than the Portes du Soleil for quality of x-country cycling (though the P-du-S has more impressive scenery and give much longer rides and should be sunnier with less midges (mosquitoes)).
I've also done most of the mid and North Wales trails and the 7 Stanes is better.

Dumfries/Dalbeattie is a good base for all the southern areas, but you really need a car for getting around. You can then drive up to Peebles (calling in at Ae (or Newcastleton) on the way) for Glentress and Innerleithen, which are the best and the hardest,

The southern areas tend to be a bit easier, physically and technically, so are good to warm up on:
*Mabie* - Red run is quite straightforward, but worthwhile. Kona dark side is real hardcore North shore, experts only. Shop and cafe.
*Dalbeattie* - Red run is good, not at all hilly, but quite technical in places. Black sections are scary options which may finish your holiday early if you're not careful! No facilities except bikewash.
*Kirroughtree* - best of the soutehrn areas. Red is v good, black extends it and is not over-technical (except for optional granite slabs of McMoab). Shop and cafe.
*Glentress* - a short blue trail, and a longride on tracks over the hills. Can be VERY midgy in the forest. Probably worth missing out unless you want to get all 7 stanes. Cafe

On the way up to Peebles call in at either (or both) of:
*Ae* - a good long red run. also has showers! Shop and cafe.
*Newcastleton* - a short red trail but some interesting North shore practice sections. Could be missed out.

And the highlights:
*Glentress* - blue, red and black all well worthwhile (red is best) and quite independent of each other. Excellent freeride bikepark for all levels. Also showers, shop and cafe. The best area of all, but the busiest.
*Innerleithen *- just 10k (6miles) from Glentress (can be ridden over the hills). Was a black run, now called red (with black options) but arrows are still black. Excellent trail, as good as Glentress, but much quieter. Also several downhill runs. No facilities.

Hope this is useful. Let me know if you need more info.


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

*alexpryor *
Wow, thanks for such a detailed reply!

I'm staying several nights in Peebles to ride in Glentress & Innerleithen and then moving to Dumfries to stay several nights there, so I'm hoping to cover a lot of trails. However I'm not very comfortable with renting a car there since I'm not used to driving on the left side of the road


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## cxfahrer (Jun 20, 2008)

Smith said:


> *alexpryor *
> Wow, thanks for such a detailed reply!
> 
> I'm staying several nights in Peebles to ride in Glentress & Innerleithen and then moving to Dumfries to stay several nights there, so I'm hoping to cover a lot of trails. However I'm not very comfortable with renting a car there since I'm not used to driving on the left side of the road


When turning left stay left, when turning right dont take the right side of the road...
And those freaking drivers that drive up to you on your lane.. - remember: LEFT side


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## alexpryor (Sep 2, 2007)

It will be very difficult moving around between areas without a car. Public transport is not very good in Britain, except for between cities.
Don't worry about the wrong side of the road - I have to do it several times a year when we go to Europe. However, it is a bit scary leaving the airport, especially in London!
Where do you fly to? Where are you from?

You can find 2 sets of photos of the 7 stanes on my website: www.alexpryor.net


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Very nice photos, thank you Alex.

I'll think about renting a car though I still have some reservations about it. Probably a cab would be a better choice if I'm not going to need transport every day of my stay there, even if it's somehow more expensive.

I'm from Moscow, Russia and I fly to London, from where I'm going by train to Edinburgh and then by bus to Peebles.


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## alexpryor (Sep 2, 2007)

Just read your earlier posts again Smith.
If English is not your first language I wouldn't have known that - your English is fantastic, how come it's so good?
You mention riding 50-60k per day. Most of the trails are 20-30k long and you can combine them in some areas, but as they're nearly all singletrack it's quite demanding riding. When I was there with my wife we averaged about 10kph in general. In most areas you could do other forest tracks as well if you wanted to.
As I mentioned, Glentress and Innerleithen are the hilliest, but not like the Alps, maybe 500m uphill at the most on any trail. Have you checked out the trail maps and other info on www.7stanes.gov.uk ?

Back to travel - have you checked that train and bus will carry your bike? If it's in a bag or case it should be ok. Otherwise, different trains have different rules: some don't carry bikes, some you have to book, and some may only take a limited number. I don't think buses normally carry bikes (I've never seen one) but you may be ok if it's in a case.

For travel between cetres, Glentress is about 3k and Innerleithen about 12k from Peebles so you can cycle to those.
You may be able to get a bus from Peebles to Dumfries, I don't know? In a taxi cab it would probably cost about £70.
From Dumfries, Mabie is quite close, about 5k, and Dalbeattie is about 20k. However Kirroughtree is more like 80k, so you wouldn't want to cycle there and back as well as the black run!
I've checked a few taxi cab prices for you, just to give you an idea:
Dumfries to Dalbeattie £15, Dumfries to Kirroughtree £55. (And unless you pay the taxi to wait a few hours you would have to pay this fare each way.
On the other hand you could hire a car from Edinburgh with Hertz for a week for £120. Petrol would cost you about 10-20p/k, depending on the car and how you drive it.

So you could have a car for a week for the price of a return cab trip from Dumfries to Kirroughtree. It would also give you much more flexibility, eg calling in at Ae on way from Peebles to Dumfries. You could even move to a different area if the weather is bad in Scotland.

If it was me I'd probably hire a car at Heathrow and use that all the time, but if you don't fancy driving the motorway round London, then I'd hire one in Edinburgh. Believe me it will make life much easier!


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## SteveUK (Apr 16, 2006)

That's some great advice Alex, although given the price of fuel and time involved it may make more sense to get an advance booking with a return train ticket from London to Edinburgh, then hire a car out of Edinburgh. Public transport in the UK is, in my opinion, pretty decent, you can even get rides with the Royal Mail post van in most rural areas (for a small fee, of course), but bringing a bicycle into the equation can seriously reduce your options. Most bus companies say that taking bicycles on board is accepted at the discretion of the driver; however, all it takes is to get a driver in a bad fettle and you find yourself waiting another hour for the next bus, which might even be driven by the same driver!! I agree entirely that renting a car is the way to go if you want to have even the smallest degree of independence on your trip. The roads which would take you around the 7 Stanes are relatively quiet, especially midweek, so you shouldn't worry about driving.

edit. You'll need to make a reservation for your bike on the train, too. Do you know yet when you'll be going?


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

alexpryor said:


> If English is not your first language I wouldn't have known that - your English is fantastic, how come it's so good?


Thanks Alex  It's just I spend too much time on MTBR reading stuff. My spoken English is much much worse, unfortunately.



alexpryor said:


> You mention riding 50-60k per day. Most of the trails are 20-30k long and you can combine them in some areas, but as they're nearly all singletrack it's quite demanding riding. When I was there with my wife we averaged about 10kph in general. In most areas you could do other forest tracks as well if you wanted to.


That's not a problem; besides, if I combine riding an actual trail with cycling _to_ and _from_ it, I will probably total 50-60 kilometers 



alexpryor said:


> Have you checked out the trail maps and other info on www.7stanes.gov.uk ?


Yes, I checked that site and www.7stanes.com, too.
BTW I wonder if there are any downloadable Garmin GPS tracks of the 7stanes trails. I'm bringing my unit along and they would be very handy.



alexpryor said:


> Back to travel - have you checked that train and bus will carry your bike? If it's in a bag or case it should be ok. Otherwise, different trains have different rules: some don't carry bikes, some you have to book, and some may only take a limited number. I don't think buses normally carry bikes (I've never seen one) but you may be ok if it's in a case.


I bought a wheeled bike bag because I got tired of lugging around 25+ kilos of bike & stuff in a soft non-wheeled case, like I did on my previous trips abroad. I hope I won't have any troubles with public transport with this bag. It's bulky of course but it's a bag, not a bike.



alexpryor said:


> For travel between cetres, Glentress is about 3k and Innerleithen about 12k from Peebles so you can cycle to those.


Yup, I presumed I wouldn't need a car while in Peebles, 12 kilometers to the trailhead is bearable enough.



alexpryor said:


> You may be able to get a bus from Peebles to Dumfries, I don't know? In a taxi cab it would probably cost about £70.


I haven't really thought yet about getting from Peebles to Dumfries, it's a secondary matter at this point. I don't think it would be much of a problem though.



alexpryor said:


> From Dumfries, Mabie is quite close, about 5k, and Dalbeattie is about 20k. However Kirroughtree is more like 80k, so you wouldn't want to cycle there and back as well as the black run!
> I've checked a few taxi cab prices for you, just to give you an idea:
> Dumfries to Dalbeattie £15, Dumfries to Kirroughtree £55. (And unless you pay the taxi to wait a few hours you would have to pay this fare each way.
> On the other hand you could hire a car from Edinburgh with Hertz for a week for £120. Petrol would cost you about 10-20p/k, depending on the car and how you drive it.
> ...


Well yes, you definitely have a point here. On the other hand, I'm going to cover the nearest stanes first (that would be Mabie, Ae, Dalbeattie) which seem to be within comfortable cycling distance. So I may only need a car for a day or two. Even if a cab will cost me more, it's like paying for the peace of mind, if you know what I mean. I really don't feel comfortable about renting a car, not only because of the wrong side of the road, but also because I nearly gave up driving a car here in Moscow. With the traffic that we got here, using public transport is in most cases faster, more reliable and less stressing.

Anyway, it's just too early to decide. I am not booking any tickets in advance (except plane, of course) so I may make up my mind while already in Edinburgh.

Thank you again for the information!


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

SteveUK said:


> but bringing a bicycle into the equation can seriously reduce your options. Most bus companies say that taking bicycles on board is accepted at the discretion of the driver; however, all it takes is to get a driver in a bad fettle and you find yourself waiting another hour for the next bus, which might even be driven by the same driver!! I agree entirely that renting a car is the way to go if you want to have even the smallest degree of independence on your trip. The roads which would take you around the 7 Stanes are relatively quiet, especially midweek, so you shouldn't worry about driving.


Thanks Steve, point taken!



SteveUK said:


> You'll need to make a reservation for your bike on the train, too. Do you know yet when you'll be going?


The bike will be partly disassembled and packed into a bag:








I presume it's no longer considered as a bike?


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## SteveUK (Apr 16, 2006)

You'll probably not need a reservation for a bag that size, although I imagine that the train staff will insist on you putting something that size in the guard's carriage at the end of the train. If you don't alreday have it, here's a link to the (only) train company who operate the London-Edinburgh. If money is an issue, it is generally considerably cheaper to book tickets in advance. Operators have an set amount of discounted seats for each journey which are sold on a first-come-first-served basis. Standard Class discounts tend to sell out a lot sooner than 1st Class, so take a look at your options because you may get a nice, comfy 1st Class trip for less than the cost of a standard ticket.


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## alexpryor (Sep 2, 2007)

Smith said:


> BTW I wonder if there are any downloadable Garmin GPS tracks of the 7stanes trails. I'm bringing my unit along and they would be very handy.


I don't know of any, but I don't use GPS myself, just map and compass.
But you'll have no problem on the trails - they're VERY well signposted and the trail maps are helpful for planning, though not necessary for following routes.


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## alexpryor (Sep 2, 2007)

SteveUK said:


> although given the price of fuel and time involved it may make more sense to get an advance booking with a return train ticket from London to Edinburgh, then hire a car out of Edinburgh.


You're right Steve. Heathrow to Edinburgh is 650k, so would cost at least £65 fuel and take at least 7 hours (could be MUCH longer on a Friday afternoon!). The train would definitely be more relaxing.


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## EnglishT (Apr 9, 2008)

I know its a bit late since you've made your mind up....

But if you get time/oppertunity you really ought to go and ride the "Skyline" trail at Afan in wales... was there yesterday, absolutely stunning epic ride - not to be missed.

Its really well worth it if you can manage to get there - even if you end up hiring a bike for the day.


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Hello again guys!

First of all, let me thank you for suggesting the 7 Stanes. The trails there are just amazing and I'd never seen or ridden anything like that before. So well thought out, so well built, maintained and signposted, it's incredible! Built by bikers for bikers and that shows everywhere: I could swear that almost every rock on the trail was laid there with the intention to let the riders have the most fun riding it!

I spend 6 nights in Peebles and another 6 in Dumfries.
While in Peebles I had 3 riding days:
the first one was the acquaintance day which I spent on green & blue routes at Glentress;
on the second day I did the red routes both at Glentress and at Innerleithen. Both are lots of fun though Innerleithen is a lot tougher, especially on the climbs;
on the third day I did the black route at Glentress, though the Deliverance and the Redemption sections were closed and I was forced to shortcut.

While in Dumfries I had 4 riding days.
First I went to Mabie and did the red route which is a fine trail but a little too short for my liking.
Next came Dalbeattie which I liked better, but then on the third day I went to Kirroughtree to do the red+black route and this was the best ride of all of them. I was tired to death by the end of the ride but I still think it's the best technical epic trail of all that I've tried.
Last came the forest of Ae with two sections of the red route closed, and the shortcuts were rather muddy, so by the end of the day I didn't like the trail as much as the previous ones, but I still had some fun and this is what counts after all.

As you see I was more focused on the red routes which probably suit my riding skill best. I was slow as I was not familiar with the trails and I had to stop to make photos here and there, besides I'm not too fit either. I also tried avoiding walking anywhere: if I didn't clear an obstacle for the first time, I would normally walk back and try it again until I clear it. On one of the obstacles it took me around 30 attempts to finally clear it. Yes I may be stubborn at times 

I also tried to do the black bits except larger drop-offs and northshore stuff since my balance skill leaves a lot to wish for. I didn't do the Qualifier and the Slab at Dalbeattie as they were scary but I did ride all of McMoab at Kirroughtree except the last steep climb with the following scary huge roller. I had to do McMoab stage by stage with short breaks to catch my breath in between though.

So I'd vote for Kirroughtree as the best epic trail and for Glentress as the Stane with most variety of routes. The less favourite were Mabie and Ae, and all others somewhere in between.

The two bad things about riding there were the weather (it rained every single day of my stay there) and the lack of a company of good riding friends to enjoy the trails together and shoot photos & videos of each other in action.

And yes, it was essential to hire a car in Dumfries. I was lucky to snag a micro-minivan (Ford Transit Connect if I remember correctly) at Enterprise rent-a-car. It took me some time to get used to but I did fine. Can't really imagine how I would do without a car in the southern Stanes. On the other hand, Glentress and Innerleithen are close enough to Peebles to be ridden there and back with no problem.


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## chakaping (Jul 6, 2008)

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. You're a man of good taste, Kirroughtree really is fantastic.

Shame about the rain, but at least you know you had an authentic Scottish holiday!


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## The Sac (Jun 6, 2006)

I'm all for Finale Ligurie in Italy. Amazing views the whole time!


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## oddiokasko (Nov 27, 2007)

*Abruzzo Rules!*

Look for the best place for trail bikers in Europe? from Italian, I can only show a region: Abruzzo ... 
Have a 'look at these links Abruzzo:
http://www.clorophillafilm.com/
http://www.mtb-forum.it/community/forum/showthread.php?t=100299
http://www.pratoselva.it/
http://www.pizzalto.com/webcam_2_roccaraso.php
http://www.mtb-forum.it/community/forum/showpost.php?p=2243939&postcount=1
http://www.regione.abruzzo.it/turismo/index.html


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## C. Alshus (Jun 29, 2004)

Norway?

There is a loong picture thread on RM: https://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80811





































The two latter are captured by Geir Kjosavik.


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## alexpryor (Sep 2, 2007)

Hi Smith

Pleased to hear you had a great time. I was hoping I might get up there to meet you for a few days, but I had problems with a bereavement and starting a new job. And the weather, whcih has been awful in Britain all "summer", but especially in Scotland. It's a long way to Scotland for me, but I managed to get a few days in S Wales. I did enjoy the Afan Valley Park, but still think 7 Stanes is far better.

Thanks for your detailed report - I'd agree with just about everything you said. I think it's better to do Dumfries first, then Peebles. Maybe Mabie is good for your first trail to get warmed up, then Dalbeatttie and Kirroughtree before Glentress/Innerleithen to finish.

Like you I haven't done the slab and terrible twins - too scary! There were diversions at Ae when we were there too - hard work!
Shame about the weather, but the trails up there are still good in the wet - some other areas get far too muddy.
I'd agree with K being the best of the S areas, but I thyink I might have to go for Innerleithen being my favourite single trail - but it's a close thing, and the Innerleithen climb is tricky in the wet.

Maybe meet up next time you're over here?


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

alexpryor said:


> Maybe meet up next time you're over here?


Thanks for the offer Alex  We'll see. I don't know yet when and where I'll be going for my next biking vacation. It'll most probably be in next August, so it's just too early to think about it.


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## GreenBonty (Feb 11, 2004)

Don't know Europe too well though I know Italy and the Garda lake from hiking. Norway looks great as well. I can share this:
A great trip from last weekend!.
I rarely post trip reports, hence the lengthy report this time!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gbonty/...906754/detail/


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## cxfahrer (Jun 20, 2008)

cxfahrer said:


> ...
> Similar, but a lot smaller is the Lausitzer Gebirge (Zittauer Gebirge) in Germany / Czechia / Poland. The tiniest mountains in Germany! .


Quoting myself: Here some fotos of riding in the tiniest mountains of Germany (and Czech).

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## chinaman (Jun 8, 2007)

hey smith ... do post pictures ...


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

chinaman said:


> hey smith ... do post pictures ...


Here are some, all featuring my bike in different places of the region. I may post some more scenery, but a bit later. No action shots unfortunately since I was riding alone.


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