flattyres mtb routes
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The clouds were a bit thicker on the Sunday and there was a bit more of a chill in the air. We were all
moving a bit slower that morning after the previous days riding. It was definitely nothing to do with the
large meal, washed down with plenty of beer and wine that had followed. Still, after clearing out the
Wigwams and settling the bill we were at Dalbeattie and riding for 11am. The plan was to ride the Red
Hardrock Trail, stopping at all the granite sections to have a play. There would also be the chance, for
those who wanted to, to have a go at the Black sections. Only a couple of minutes from the car park we
moving a bit slower that morning after the previous days riding. It was definitely nothing to do with the
large meal, washed down with plenty of beer and wine that had followed. Still, after clearing out the
Wigwams and settling the bill we were at Dalbeattie and riding for 11am. The plan was to ride the Red
Hardrock Trail, stopping at all the granite sections to have a play. There would also be the chance, for
those who wanted to, to have a go at the Black sections. Only a couple of minutes from the car park we
| Steve on the first boulder |
| Shane practising the end of the first boulder section |
| Ken practising the end of the first boulder section |
| Steve attempting to climb onto the second boulder |
| Dave putting the Hardrock through it paces on the second boulder. He didn't manage the climb either. |
came across the first boulder and the first practice session where we stayed until everyone was happy
with their performance. Around the corner came the next, much bigger, challenge. Nobody managed this
one, the hardest part being the climb onto the boulder. I had the line sussed I just couldn’t get it quite
right. Following that was the first slab. On the second half we all gathered together for a session on
descending steep rock. With the more experienced showing how it should be done and offering some
coaching and encouragement most of the group made it down. After psyching herself out for some time
Libby was so excited at making it to the bottom she threw her bike on her shoulder and, shouting “Again,
Again!!”, ran back to the top for another go. A long section of fire track later the singletrack returned,
with their performance. Around the corner came the next, much bigger, challenge. Nobody managed this
one, the hardest part being the climb onto the boulder. I had the line sussed I just couldn’t get it quite
right. Following that was the first slab. On the second half we all gathered together for a session on
descending steep rock. With the more experienced showing how it should be done and offering some
coaching and encouragement most of the group made it down. After psyching herself out for some time
Libby was so excited at making it to the bottom she threw her bike on her shoulder and, shouting “Again,
Again!!”, ran back to the top for another go. A long section of fire track later the singletrack returned,
Ken (left) and Libby (above) practising
the first steep boulder
the first steep boulder
| Steve and Sabine on a connecting section of firetrack |
snaking through the trees and ending with a
rooty, rocky descent. As we progressed around
the route the amount of singletrack increased, all
of it peppered with interesting bits of rock,
(Video: Me, Shane and Libby). Eventually we
came to ‘The Slab’, the most interesting bit of
rock in the forest. Those who wanted to have a
go had to negotiate a steep, tricky qualifier of
uneven stone blocks to get to the top of The Slab
itself. The rest of the group followed the Red
Route to the bottom. Dave, who had previously
never attempted it, disappeared straight over the
edge on his borrowed £300 Specialised Hardrock
(his VT and Maxlight having been nicked the
previous week along with Libbys’ Scalpel) as
standing at the top looking down was his
downfall last time. He was soon followed by me
and PaulB. Back at the top we started giving
pointers to Andy and Jim who were both thinking
rooty, rocky descent. As we progressed around
the route the amount of singletrack increased, all
of it peppered with interesting bits of rock,
(Video: Me, Shane and Libby). Eventually we
came to ‘The Slab’, the most interesting bit of
rock in the forest. Those who wanted to have a
go had to negotiate a steep, tricky qualifier of
uneven stone blocks to get to the top of The Slab
itself. The rest of the group followed the Red
Route to the bottom. Dave, who had previously
never attempted it, disappeared straight over the
edge on his borrowed £300 Specialised Hardrock
(his VT and Maxlight having been nicked the
previous week along with Libbys’ Scalpel) as
standing at the top looking down was his
downfall last time. He was soon followed by me
and PaulB. Back at the top we started giving
pointers to Andy and Jim who were both thinking
| Getting back to the singletrack |
| Paul on the rooty descent at the end of Moyle Magic |
about it. For their first attempt they went down a shorter section on
the side, just over half the full height. With that under their belts and
with a bit more confidence they returned to the top to ride it all. Andy
was the first to try and all went well till he changed his mind and pulled
the brakes. Not a good move. His back wheel lifted and he had to bail
over the bars. Sliding down the rock he came to a stop on the ledge
above the shorter section he had just ridden, so being saved the full
drop, unlike his bike that bounced to the bottom. Luckily once he
checked himself over he only needed a few plasters to cover the
grazes on his legs and his bike was fine. Jim, still at the top looking
down, kept looking down for some time. We needed to keep moving
so I shouted that he best just do the shorter section again so he could
leave the Slab having ridden something and not being left with a
the side, just over half the full height. With that under their belts and
with a bit more confidence they returned to the top to ride it all. Andy
was the first to try and all went well till he changed his mind and pulled
the brakes. Not a good move. His back wheel lifted and he had to bail
over the bars. Sliding down the rock he came to a stop on the ledge
above the shorter section he had just ridden, so being saved the full
drop, unlike his bike that bounced to the bottom. Luckily once he
checked himself over he only needed a few plasters to cover the
grazes on his legs and his bike was fine. Jim, still at the top looking
down, kept looking down for some time. We needed to keep moving
so I shouted that he best just do the shorter section again so he could
leave the Slab having ridden something and not being left with a
| (below) Andy riding Moby Dick |
| Jim (below) riding The Slab for the first time and (above) glad to have made it |
| Andy and Jim trying a short section of The Slab |
Me dropping in from the top
| Andy learns the hard way that once you start you can't stop |
memory of completely bottling it. He thought about that for a minute
then, to our surprise, jumped on his bike and rode the whole thing. At
the bottom he had a bug eyed, what have I just done??!! look on his face
but you could tell he was well happy (possibly ‘stoaked’, if you can be at a
few years over 50). To think that he was one of the riders we coached
down the small slab at the start of the ride made it an even more
impressive achievement. It was then back to the techy trail, firetrack mix
for a while, with some big boulder block sections making an appearance.
I’m not sure what Ken’s previous forks were like but he was getting on
then, to our surprise, jumped on his bike and rode the whole thing. At
the bottom he had a bug eyed, what have I just done??!! look on his face
but you could tell he was well happy (possibly ‘stoaked’, if you can be at a
few years over 50). To think that he was one of the riders we coached
down the small slab at the start of the ride made it an even more
impressive achievement. It was then back to the techy trail, firetrack mix
for a while, with some big boulder block sections making an appearance.
I’m not sure what Ken’s previous forks were like but he was getting on
| Paul (above), me (right) and Dave (below) riding The Terrible Twins |
| Sabine on the rocky singletrack between The Slab and The Terrible Twins |
well with his new Marzocchis’ even if they
had been locked down for most of the time
since the Slab. With full travel selected
again we set off for the Terrible Twins, the
final big rock of the day. Me, Dave and
PaulB were the only ones to ride it and
Dave was still putting us to shame by doing
it all on the Hardrock. The video did show
he was pushing the limits of the forks as
the bike twitched a bit on the middle
transition. From here our average speed
picked up as it was back to the firetrack,
singletrack mix all the way back to the car
park, with technical rock sections still
being thrown in on the way. The amount of
time we had spent messing about on the
rocks showed when we eventually
completed the ride after 4hrs30min.
had been locked down for most of the time
since the Slab. With full travel selected
again we set off for the Terrible Twins, the
final big rock of the day. Me, Dave and
PaulB were the only ones to ride it and
Dave was still putting us to shame by doing
it all on the Hardrock. The video did show
he was pushing the limits of the forks as
the bike twitched a bit on the middle
transition. From here our average speed
picked up as it was back to the firetrack,
singletrack mix all the way back to the car
park, with technical rock sections still
being thrown in on the way. The amount of
time we had spent messing about on the
rocks showed when we eventually
completed the ride after 4hrs30min.
| Paul on Rock Don't Roll |
| Jim on Jacobs Ladder |
| Sabine and me at the end of Rock Don't Roll |
| Andy climbing the roots after Volunteer Ridge |
Related Pages: Dalbeattie 2004 & 2005
| www.flattyresmtbroutes.com |