My non "e" but mtb riding mate ( Dave Tasker) has just sent me this ..
Looks like we are heading to Aboyne this summer ..
Looks like we are heading to Aboyne this summer ..
Looks like we might be heading to Aboyne this Summer š
- Thread starter The Hodge
- Start date
Yeppers, my pal up in the shire has ridden it, absolutely mint apparently 
Tubby G
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Ssshh donāt tell everyone, I want it to be like new when we head up there 
Tubby G
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Hereās a couple more:
Tubby G
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- Thread starter
- #9
You'll be the only one there...(out of the four of us who have responded to this so far )
I used to live nearby back when. Love the area, will have to get this on my calendar!
Tubby G
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Weāre staying in the Cairngorms for a week w/c 3rd July so Tarland / Glenlivet / Aviemore etc will be ridden. Tempted by the Dallas trails too but my other half needs a bit more convincing as they look very steeeeeeeep
I guess it's hit or miss... either quiet as the word hasn't reached everyone that it's open, or mobbed because everyone wants to go! Early night on Saturday and head up for about 7.30am!You'll be the only one there...(out of the four of us who have responded to this so far )
- Thread starter
- #13
Tubby G
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I've followed them on Insta so I can keep an eye on their updates! If I hadn't been off work for the last 2 weeks, I'd be considering taking tomorrow off!!
Tubby G
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And another ā¦
Even within Scotland, Aberdeenshire is f**king miles away from anywhere, and this continuously surprises me.I could drive to Morzine in same time it would take me to get there
I lived up there for 10yrs, it NEVER gets any closer. Drive up the road, oh, look, I'm at Dundee I'm almost there. NOPE! It's still f**king miles away
I watched all the videos... and have just submitted a holiday request form for tomorrow!
Will make sure my bike / range extender are fully charged tonight and get all my gear looked out so I can get away sharp in the morning. The forecast is good too
Looking forward to it... but at the same time a bit nervous. Maybe the videos make these guys look faster than they are (the drone footage would suggest that!) - but I'm scared I end up holding people up. I generally ride forest trails with very few people about. I imagine tomorrow will be busy!
Will make sure my bike / range extender are fully charged tonight and get all my gear looked out so I can get away sharp in the morning. The forecast is good too
Looking forward to it... but at the same time a bit nervous. Maybe the videos make these guys look faster than they are (the drone footage would suggest that!) - but I'm scared I end up holding people up. I generally ride forest trails with very few people about. I imagine tomorrow will be busy!
Tubby G
ā¤ļøāš„ Hot Stuff ā¤ļøāš„
I watched all the videos... and have just submitted a holiday request form for tomorrow!
Will make sure my bike / range extender are fully charged tonight and get all my gear looked out so I can get away sharp in the morning. The forecast is good too
Looking forward to it... but at the same time a bit nervous. Maybe the videos make these guys look faster than they are (the drone footage would suggest that!) - but I'm scared I end up holding people up. I generally ride forest trails with very few people about. I imagine tomorrow will be busy!
Lucky you, not jealous at all
We had similar trail anxiety when we went to ride Steel City in Sheffield not long after it had been completely refurbished / rebuilt last year. It was running so fast and all the experts were jumping triples, huge gaps etc at excessive speeds.We went nice and early one Friday morning after taking a day off work. The vibe there was so chilled we were able to get a few runs in without holding anyone up, and learn the trail. Wasnāt long before we were up to trail speed and had a fantastic day. Iām sure youāll be fine
Trail etiquette, just like skiing, is the rider behind has responsibility to slow down and not intimidate you. Remember you cannot see them but they can see you. If you feel like you are holding up people, just pull to the side when safe and wave them through. Everyone is happy then!
I woke up unusually early this morning, got up, had some breakfast, pulled on some riding gear and chucked everything in the carā¦ and left the house just after 6am to head to Tarland.
How did I find itā¦
Well for a start, I didnāt! Iāve lived in Aberdeen all my life, so know exactly where Tarland is. As I approached, I set Google Maps to find Tarland Trails. It took me through Tarland, and up a side street which was signed as Tarland Trails. Upon reaching the car park - I realised I was in Tarland Trails Original, and not the new one. The original has 3 pretty short trails.
My next issue is that phone signal is pretty scarce in Tarland, so I couldnāt even get onto Google. Thankfully a man walking his dog asked if I was looking for the new oneā¦ and told me to start heading back to Aberdeen and pointed at a hill.
I headed back and turned left somewhere down the road. Again, feeling like I was in the wrong place, I stopped at the side of the road. A nice lady pulled up along side me and asked if I was looking for the new trails - and told me to head towards Aberdeen and theyād be my next left (nice friendly people in Tarland!!). I drove a bit further, and notice the gates. No signageā¦ but Iām sure thatāll come eventually!
I drove into the car park just after 7am - and there was 1 car there. It had blankets over the window and a bike under the carā¦ so I assumed the occupant was asleep inside! Got my bike all ready and paid the Ā£5 parking. I had taken a load of coins, but thankfully itās a contactless card machine.
As I headed up towards the trail entrance, a man in a van arrived. He said he lives 10mins away and had been on Monday, but it was so busy he decided not to.
Out of the car park the trail is switch back after switch back. You can see from my photo that there must be about 20 in total. Great for the analogue bike boys, as itās a mild 4-5% climb. Even with my Levo SL on 30% output, I felt like I was racing along and then stopping to do this 180 bendā¦ again and again - continually up and down through the gears. It might have been an idea to have a āfast trackā lane at one side that just head straight up. To be honest it wasnāt that steep.
This was the maiden voyage for my new Garmin Edge 840ā¦ and I hadnāt sorted the Trailforks on itā¦ so I was continually getting my phone out to check where I was. I decided to do a blue run before heading up to the top red one. My theory was that if it started getting busy, Iād probably get a few runs up at the top before being joined by anyone.
Further up the hill, you join some fire roads, so the climb is more straight!
I did Crowd Surfing first, and was a little intimidated as some of the jumps. Iām going to need to do a lot of work to be able to carry them! It was fun thoughā¦ and I knew I wasnāt getting in anyoneās way.
I then headed up to High Pressure which was more berms and smaller jumps that I could do. It flowed really well, so I went back and did it again.
The second time I carried on down Bermuda and Bon Gripper - and had to stop for a rest half way! It was pretty intenseā¦ and my saddle fitness is poor since Iāve spent the last 2 1/2 weeks in Florida on a diet of junk food and havenāt been on a bike for over 4 weeks! Spine was closed, so I headed back up a bit and followed Scalextric, Holy Cow, Party Time and then Snakes and Ladders back to the car for a well earned snack! It mustāve been about 9am now, and the chap sleeping over was making a fry up in the back of his car!!
I stuck my range extender on (battery was about 45%), took off my jacket (it was 0deg C when I started!) and put the sun lens in my riding glasses as it was pretty bright now.
Off I went againā¦ up the switchbacks and all the way to the top again. I did High Pressure another 4 times, and then went down Call Me Chris - which started off with some jumps that I donāt think Iād ever manageā¦ but then was really fun further down. At the bottom of that it continued as Chris Crossā¦ and then I went back to Scalextric and followed it back to the car. At this point my legs were completely done and my battery wasnāt far from it either (17% remaining).
Iād travelled 23.5 miles, and climbed 4600ft in 4hrs and 3mins!
The temperature had gone from 0 - 21degC in that time (according to Garmin!).
At 11am, the car park was pretty much full. A couple of spaces left, but the majority taken. I thought it was funny that I didnāt see another single person on a bike until I went down Call Me Chris - which mustāve been about 10.15am!
Overall, I really enjoyed my morning at Tarland Trailsā¦ and will be heading back in the near future. As itās about 40mins from my door, Iād probably do the same thing again and head there early to beat the rush. 4 hours killed me (and my battery) so I think itād be a good morning or even evening place rather than an all day affair.
What itās made me realise is how poor my āpark ridingā skills are, and that I need a lot of practiceā¦ and will maybe even look at some coaching after another couple of attempts.
I do have some GoPro footage to have a look through once the battery in thatās charged up, but it wonāt be particularly exciting!
How did I find itā¦
Well for a start, I didnāt! Iāve lived in Aberdeen all my life, so know exactly where Tarland is. As I approached, I set Google Maps to find Tarland Trails. It took me through Tarland, and up a side street which was signed as Tarland Trails. Upon reaching the car park - I realised I was in Tarland Trails Original, and not the new one. The original has 3 pretty short trails.
My next issue is that phone signal is pretty scarce in Tarland, so I couldnāt even get onto Google. Thankfully a man walking his dog asked if I was looking for the new oneā¦ and told me to start heading back to Aberdeen and pointed at a hill.
I headed back and turned left somewhere down the road. Again, feeling like I was in the wrong place, I stopped at the side of the road. A nice lady pulled up along side me and asked if I was looking for the new trails - and told me to head towards Aberdeen and theyād be my next left (nice friendly people in Tarland!!). I drove a bit further, and notice the gates. No signageā¦ but Iām sure thatāll come eventually!
I drove into the car park just after 7am - and there was 1 car there. It had blankets over the window and a bike under the carā¦ so I assumed the occupant was asleep inside! Got my bike all ready and paid the Ā£5 parking. I had taken a load of coins, but thankfully itās a contactless card machine.
As I headed up towards the trail entrance, a man in a van arrived. He said he lives 10mins away and had been on Monday, but it was so busy he decided not to.
Out of the car park the trail is switch back after switch back. You can see from my photo that there must be about 20 in total. Great for the analogue bike boys, as itās a mild 4-5% climb. Even with my Levo SL on 30% output, I felt like I was racing along and then stopping to do this 180 bendā¦ again and again - continually up and down through the gears. It might have been an idea to have a āfast trackā lane at one side that just head straight up. To be honest it wasnāt that steep.
This was the maiden voyage for my new Garmin Edge 840ā¦ and I hadnāt sorted the Trailforks on itā¦ so I was continually getting my phone out to check where I was. I decided to do a blue run before heading up to the top red one. My theory was that if it started getting busy, Iād probably get a few runs up at the top before being joined by anyone.
Further up the hill, you join some fire roads, so the climb is more straight!
I did Crowd Surfing first, and was a little intimidated as some of the jumps. Iām going to need to do a lot of work to be able to carry them! It was fun thoughā¦ and I knew I wasnāt getting in anyoneās way.
I then headed up to High Pressure which was more berms and smaller jumps that I could do. It flowed really well, so I went back and did it again.
The second time I carried on down Bermuda and Bon Gripper - and had to stop for a rest half way! It was pretty intenseā¦ and my saddle fitness is poor since Iāve spent the last 2 1/2 weeks in Florida on a diet of junk food and havenāt been on a bike for over 4 weeks! Spine was closed, so I headed back up a bit and followed Scalextric, Holy Cow, Party Time and then Snakes and Ladders back to the car for a well earned snack! It mustāve been about 9am now, and the chap sleeping over was making a fry up in the back of his car!!
I stuck my range extender on (battery was about 45%), took off my jacket (it was 0deg C when I started!) and put the sun lens in my riding glasses as it was pretty bright now.
Off I went againā¦ up the switchbacks and all the way to the top again. I did High Pressure another 4 times, and then went down Call Me Chris - which started off with some jumps that I donāt think Iād ever manageā¦ but then was really fun further down. At the bottom of that it continued as Chris Crossā¦ and then I went back to Scalextric and followed it back to the car. At this point my legs were completely done and my battery wasnāt far from it either (17% remaining).
Iād travelled 23.5 miles, and climbed 4600ft in 4hrs and 3mins!
The temperature had gone from 0 - 21degC in that time (according to Garmin!).
At 11am, the car park was pretty much full. A couple of spaces left, but the majority taken. I thought it was funny that I didnāt see another single person on a bike until I went down Call Me Chris - which mustāve been about 10.15am!
Overall, I really enjoyed my morning at Tarland Trailsā¦ and will be heading back in the near future. As itās about 40mins from my door, Iād probably do the same thing again and head there early to beat the rush. 4 hours killed me (and my battery) so I think itād be a good morning or even evening place rather than an all day affair.
What itās made me realise is how poor my āpark ridingā skills are, and that I need a lot of practiceā¦ and will maybe even look at some coaching after another couple of attempts.
I do have some GoPro footage to have a look through once the battery in thatās charged up, but it wonāt be particularly exciting!
Last edited:
Tubby G
ā¤ļøāš„ Hot Stuff ā¤ļøāš„
A great write up of what sounds like a fun day out. How lucky you are to have this built within 40 minutes of your home, as well as all the other riding possibilities your corner of Scotland has to offer. Looking forward to our visit there in the summer
I do miss living up there.
I was there yesterday pretty impressive. I don't do much park stuff and what I had seen on the videos was loads of jumping im not in to that really. Ive done Laggan ,Golspie and Glentress which are more technical . I found it quite easy the berms are well made and I'm no berm expert but it is fast and some tight corkscrew bits great . I'm thinking its made with a lot of safety in mind you could go slow as you like and its smooth so far. Saying that someone was injured on Crowd Surfin and trail was closed yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours the MRT and ambulance were involved . Must try out Dallas that's only twenty miles from me Oakwoods Elgin has some serious stuff as well or used to have its all natural or home made you would need a local to find some of it. Lochnagar in the distance enjoy
Lochnagar - ridden (and carried) bike up there and across the top... Thank goodness it wasn't an e-bike, but less than 30lbs early full sus GT Team RTS.
Showed Tarland to my wife and she's showing some interest too! Woohoo! Just need to plan in a visit, maybe staying at Inchmarlo...
Showed Tarland to my wife and she's showing some interest too! Woohoo! Just need to plan in a visit, maybe staying at Inchmarlo...
I walked Ben Bhuird last year lots of bike tracks on the top. Mount Keen a good one as well i got twenty metres from summit on Ebike last summer.
Some great info there for non-jumpers like me. Thank you
You can roll over a lot of them, and just do little hops on others.Some great info there for non-jumpers like me. Thank you
The danger there is that sometimes you end up landing your little jump into the next ones ramp!!
The other downside is that you lose a lot of speed / flow by not riding the course as it was designed.
Still good fun thoughā¦
Agree I hit the second bump every time as not going fast enough. No big deal for me I don't want to improve or impress I've had my day happy to take it easy. Saying that it was full on yesterday the two lads I was with were twenty years younger so I held my own. It was great day out and its good to see lots of bikes on the trail I seldom meet anyone normally where I go .
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