Well folks, this thread is the announcement for a STW group ride around the western 7 Stanes. So far it is me, Trekster and Forge187 (and maybe Mrs Forge too). Trekster may be bringing one or two of his colleagues he goes riding with locally too. Any questions Trekster or myself should be able to help.

I am not assuming this is going to be one of those really big group rides, but was thinking it would be great to see a few of either the Edinburgh and Glasgow gang or others who are not too far away. Unfortunately I am not in a position to offer accomodation, but if anyone wants to come for both days, we would suggest getting a B&B in Dumfries of which there is a good choice.

Here's the plan:

Saturday 26th September – Kirroughtree
Meet up around 10am in the car park, ready to set off on the ride at 11am.

We will be riding the Kirroughtree red/black route. For those who do not know, the route is like a figure of eight, 8, whereby you start at the very bottom of the 8 on the red route. In the middle, you then start the black route, which loops around and you then finish up on the second half of the red. If that does not make sense, then you will be able download a PDF of the route via this link here:

http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/forestry/achs-5rnf8m

This link also has travel information on how to get there. If anyone wants to say bring a partner or friends who may not be fully confident on doing the entire loop, there are a couple of options

i) Just do the red route
ii) Do the route up to McMoab (the very top) then ride back on the road.

I will bring a few extra maps for those who may want to have options. Kirroughtree is family friendly, and has a cafe, small bike shop for parts, and a bike wash and I think showers?

Kirroughtree features the awesomely difficult McMoab rocks, but this is maybe a football pitched sized area of rock, where there is also a fireroad to ride on and by no means has to be ridden. I tried it once and just got no where so don't worry about this. The black is more about distance, and although there are ridiculously difficult sections, these tend to be a few metres long and can easily be missed by a quick push or carry. Apart from that Kirroughtree features some fantastic flowing singletrack and the black can be ridden by less confident or maybe less skilled riders but who have a good degree of fitness.

Sunday 27th September
AM – Dalbeattie
Meet at 10am, finish around 2pm (This assumes a very relaxed pace) I can do the red loop in around 3 hours, which includes a stop for sarnies. I think we could probably get fish and chips in Dalbeattie for lunch as there is no cafe at the track, and there is a small tap and hose for bike washing.

Here's the Dalbeattie website
http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/forestry/achs-5rnf8m

Dalbeattie features the double black Slab and Terrible Twins rocks to ride down, but I doubt I will ever ride these in my lifetime and there are red route bypasses so the routes are great where there are mixed abilities.

Lunch in Dalbeattie

PM – Mabie
Not assuming everyone would join in, but this is a 2 1/2 hour red loop of nice flowing singletrack. Mabie also has the darkside which is a few km of silly difficult northshore, and a skillz park for kids who like to get "phat airtime". It also has a nice little cafe, bike shop and a bike wash.

Mabie website
http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/forestry/achs-5rnfl6

This is going to be quite a challenge for me fitness wise, so gives me a lot of motivation to get fit, and I thought I would put this up as I dont think there has been a SW Scotland group ride in quite some time, if at all. As I said, please let me know if you are interested just so I can guage numbers. Hopefully it will be a cracking weekend, and even if you can just make one of the days would be great to see you there. So do please come along as I will need a lot of encouragement especially on day 2 to get myself around!

I'll be there for both days, be good training for my Snowdon adventure.

hi si – great to have you back 🙂

sadly i have the girls that weekend but would have loved to have made it. no doubt i'll see you at the q's, exmoor or dartmoor sometime.

ali

Aleigh

Hiya – cheers – yeah, learnt a huge amount and can't wait to go back next year. After all the bugs that bit me in the rainforest am sure some ticks on the 'Tox will not provide any significant issues for me. Will probably be mainly around Dartmoor as I just love that area.

Yeah, not too sure what riding you've been doing recently but for many, including me, Kirroughtree especially has some of the best man-made awesome singletrack in the country. Am sure you'd love quite a few of the Stanes and they'd be right up your street.

Anyway, I guess there is a bit of bike karma for me as after 2 years of posting sunny Spanish ride pics it is hacking down with rain up here. But I need to get fit and recover from Peru, as well as getting ready for a Bogtrotters ride too so it's a week of soggy riding for me and hopefully the sun will make an appearance some time this month.

Si

knottie has an ace tick remover – keep meaning to go and buy one although the tix seems to like the q's lads haha!

i've done 2 welsh trail centres now, brechfa is like a massive version of swinley, really good fun. this weekend coming is a mix of somewhere nearby and the q's.

i think the only thing you have to think about now is the weather, as you know! you'll be fine 🙂

I could be up for this. My folks live down that way and I have ridden all three many a time. I may, however, be planning a Lake District long weekend… Will keep an eye on this though 🙂

Kit

Brill – would be great to see you there but no probs. I may give this thread a quick bounce this coming weekend if it needs it 🙂

Potentially i'll make 1 of the days, not sure as yet which one.

The downside of this being that now people know i'm coming alot wont turn up.
Bounce the thread later on and i'l let you no for def closer to the time and when i do my rota.

Finally got to meet Mr Ralli today afer a few near misses :D. Ta for the coffee and hope you find your way around the Lowthers OK. Remembered later there is another track you can do, will mail some details or meet again sometime.

There was an stw meet way back when Dalbeattie opened. We organised the local community council to do teas, coffees and cakes to allow everyone to meet & greet. Chipps was in attendance along with that wee American guy that writes for the mag(name?)and 50 other riders. Also there was a young guy called Sanny who is back posting amongst us again I see.
Sanny organised a magic weekend in Pitlochry a few years back.
Met raddoggair at GT last Xmas/New yr stw ride along with Ton and others(sorry others)

An option for the Sunday meet at Dalbeattie.

Park & meet in Rockcliffe. There is a nice tea room there to end the ride at rather than trying to find parking space in Dalbeattie. Although there is a big public car park doubt if much will be open.
Other option is just to motor over to Mabie and eat there. We could call forward and arrange eats with Jemma before we get there.

The downside of this being that now people know i'm coming alot wont turn up.

Why? You're a babe. 😉

I'd be interested… however I don't understand why anyone would want to go to K'tree and not do the full route?! Why limit yourself to the Red – or head back on the road from McMoab?! Madness… 🙄

If my legs were feeling it I'd climb Stairway to Heaven then shortcut on the road to Heartbreak Hill at least then you get to ride Black Craigs which is fantastic.

I think what Simon is trying to get across is the flexibility of the trail should you be tired at any point there are leg saver options, it just depends how you use them.

I'll intend on doing the full red and black though.

The downside of this being that now people know I'm coming a lot wont turn up.

You will just have to slow down to our pace otherwise you will be doing double the distance keeping warm or loitering around a lot 😉

Simon. If you are going to Dalbeattie today and read this eary enough give me call. I need to be back for 4 tho.

HH…not everyone is super, dooper fit so may wish to conserve energy from Sat to carry over into Sunday, a bit like Ferarri use the KERS system, especially after a long drive.

The downside of this being that now people know I'm coming a lot wont turn up.

Put me down for the day that radoggair can't manage 😉

and the revolt begins………………….

radoggair=Scots sfb 👿

Tell us, what have you done ❓

Put me down for the dy when radoair IS going so I can hone my waitress chatting up skilz at the hands of the master.

Perhaps I could hone my typing skilz too.

radoggair=Scots sfb ?

Not on your life. He's got a great sense of humour and can really ride his bike. Let the love fest begin.

Firstly Trekster – sorry – I must have got confused about when you could and could not ride. Could have sworn I said I was going to Mabie today. It was ace! :
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hello-bike-mojo-long-time-no-see

The good news is my fitness does not seem to have tailed off too much, so feeling like I have an OKish fitness-base on which to build.

Good to see a few folks may make one or two days as well. Maybe the weekend before I will do a roll-call thread, so I can keep track of who is coming when so we don't set off without anyone, and also, I can make my mobile available via email if anyone wants it and who may be travelling some distance (traffic etc).

And yes, for clarification, I was trying to emphasise that although we will be doing a red/black combo at Kirroughtree, even I am able to ride most of it and I wanted to make this ride as inclusive as possible.

As for why someone may ride the road back from McMoab, well * cough * some people may need to do that for reasons that they may wish to keep to themselves but may well be reminded about by * cough * mechanics in G&G Dumfries LBS mentioning no names 😳 but who you would think would not remind their valued customers of ay?

[Although after saying that I was given a lot of free help by the lass in the Bike Shed shop at Mabie this morning of which I am very greatful hurrah].

Cool – put me down for the full Red/Black, and 'chatting up wimmen/gurlz' masterclass to be run be Radoggair.

Put me down for the dy when radoair IS going so I can hone my waitress chatting up skilz at the hands of the master.

Think it was the free love i offered her which was the clincher 😉

So basically we all do Kirroughtree on the Saturday where we get a bike masterclass from Forge and Trekster, then we all go for a meal in Dumfries, and then radoggair shows us his silky moves with the laydeez at Chancers "niteclub"? 😀

and can really ride his bike

Hey……….. i'll do the bike masterclass as well 🙂

This is looking like it could be one heck of a weekend 😮

Not on your life. He's got a great sense of humour and can really ride his bike. Let the love fest begin

Yeah, know that

Sounds like a plan forming – SC might drag his sorry carcass along…

Bu99a, I'm up there 2 weeks after for a week:-( will have to ride it without the STW massive although there is 8 stw'ers coming up for that week!

Ayatollahofniche post up when you are hitting any of the stanes there maybe some "locals" around 🙂

Myself,Simon, forge, scotabroad are all Doonhaners or adopted Doonhammers so give us a shout and we can show you the best bits :wink:if we are around

…at Chancers "niteclub?

Oh good God, you're not being serious are you? Well if you're going to do Chancers then you should at least start off at the Lyver!

Kit

No – I am joking. The actual plan is to start off with some karaoke down the Hole in the Wall but if I said that no one would come out with me – oh!

But seeing as no one has said they are styaing the night it's all theoretical at this stage really.

I'll give you a bell John 😉 would be good to catch up again!
We do fancy doing something more natural!

Ayatollah

A little bit more serious now, speaking to Trekster there is quite a good chance that he may not be free on the Sunday. I am going to be doing one of his suggested natural routes, but maybe a STW group ride out in the wilderness of Galloway is one for the future when we have someone who knows what they are doing with us.

I thought that this would be nice and chilled doing The Stanes. I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it means I can at least stand half a chance of getting everyone around without getting lost and it's all weather with no bogs etc. 🙂

We won't be there for your ride Simon so nae probs! John has shown me some good stuff up there before and had mentioned some good natural rides which we'd like to do during our week up there. The rest of the week I'll more than likely be found riding the Stabes 🙂

Ok – well I dont have a job right now so maybe see you at one or two of the stanes mid-week to say hi 🙂

That'd be cool
there's myself, singlespeedpunk, singlespeedstu and cheesybeanz and respective other halves all coming up!

What dates Ayatolla?

10th to 17th is Oct. I think! Sat to Sat, you about?

"Hey……….. i'll do the bike masterclass as well"

For those wishing to take part in his "bike masterclass" please see link of what to expect.

Radoggair starring role around 1 minute in and then again at 4 minutes.

The dvd to go with his 'chatting up wimmen/gurlz' masterclass is sadly banned.

EDIT: Forgot to say I should be free that weekend for a ride, was at Mabie on Sunday and had a good day

Stick me down for the Sunday, Dalbeattie or Mabie but not both.

Not been biking much lately but I am to speed on curry and beer training so I will enter the carthorse on a bike group… 😀

Oh Oct – by that time I will be down in Devon interferring with that lot down there 🙂

ijs – 31seconds in – are those full length lycra leggins?? That video needs some kind fo warning!