Kielder Mountain Bike Trail Centre

Horatio:

The remoteness and solitude of Kielder may not suit all but i enjoyed it and shall return to try out the other trails available.

Parking was plentiful on a fresh December morning and at £4 for the day i thought it was reasonable.The shop was closed today but the toilets where open with not another sole about. I had quick blast around the skills course and then headed for the red route - Lonesome Pine and Bloody Bush. The trails themselves are very raw and dont have that bedded in feeling which makes them more natural surface, once they get more use the smoother and faster they will become.

Harvey:

I rode the 2 red routes in on a mid week in August and didn't see another soul on a bike. It felt quite remote in places so maybe riding alone is a bit risky. The trails flowed well most of the time but a couple of poorly located gates on uphills resulted in walked technical climbs. Blue Osprey route was entertaining and in a couple of place felt more like a red level, especially the climbing. Bike shop and local pub good for facilities but cleaning facilities could be improved

Not busy so trails are in good condition Good mix of trails, almost feels natural in some areas

David:

Kielder often gets overlooked because of its remoteness, but I really like that. If you spend some time exploring you can soon link up the good bits, or even session them for example Sky Dive is easy to get to the top of, just follow the forest road up to Skyspace and you are at the top again. The facilities are pretty good, excellent bike shop with good bike wash, cafe with proper homemade cakes and a friendly pub. The only thing missing are showers.

Some re-worked trails have been opened (18/10/14) and some improvements made to the trails, go and explore. Kielder has some excellent single-track, it is just a matter of joining them up while trying to avoid the forest roads. The best sections on the Deadwater trail are Into the Valley and Twist and Shout, both should put a grin on anybodies face. The blue Osprey trail is quite challenging and long for a blue but once you get to Hill 361 the fun begins and it just gets better with Squirrel Nut Pines topping it off, beware the drag back on the Lakeside Way. On the other side of Kielder is the Lonesome Pine and the Bloody Bush Trail, the highlights are the hand-built Capon Hassock section and Sky Dive which flows really well all the way back to Kielder. The Bloody Bush trail is little used and remote but has a long section of north shore and is the way to go if you are going over to Newcastleton. There have been a lot of trail developments and improvements in the last year (2015/16) or so.

Gregg:

Really impressed with Kielder, recently done Lonesome Pine and Bloody Bush trails which I found good quality and fun routes with a mix of terrain and stunning views! Its about an hour out of Newcastle so easily accessible.

Kielder is stunning and there is plenty to go at here, including some longer rides. Great facilities and generally a nice place to be.

karl:

I have only traveled a little in england and scotland on my bike and when i moved to kielder i found we have the largest and longest downhill section in england.

:rattle snake (black) great fun to ride fast flowing and some nice jumps drop offs and a great rock garden half way though. if you keep going to the top of dead water you will be meet with some insane views that stretch from the west coast to the east coast dead water fell is one of only 3 places in england you can see coast to coast. :jimmys hill (red) great technical up hill section with 4 rock gardens and some good climbs its all worth it to get to twist and shout or up and over. :up and over (black) well i think this one explains itself half way up jimmys hill turn left to the up and over this is a great fitness and skills test even for the experienced rides devils elbow is very hard to climb on your wheels i have to admit i have never been able to complete on my wheels, there are rock gardens 12 inch wide north shore and a fantasic downhill section with 4-5 foot drop offs and 6 foot jumps the burms are slightly washed away but they are in the process of being repaired. ( THIS TRAIL IS CLOSED UNTIL 2014 ) :twist and shout (red) carry on up jimmys hill and you will come to a t junction where you can turn left for the super bowl or right for twist and shout, the super bowl is a power bowl with 5 corners and 20 foot downhill decents. twist and shout is a really really fast flowing track with speeds to be gained around the 35 mph mark you no your riding when you are going like a bat out of hell there are a number of different terrains to comprehend from loose soil to gravel northshore and rock this track has it all. thanks to the trail reavers for putting grip take strips on wood stock (OPENING SOON) and a big thank you to tony from the forestry for taking the time to repair this track ready for next years tourists. the end of twist and shout brings you to the trails area and skills loops which are brilliant and well worth a potter around. THANK YOU TO ALL AND EVERYONE WHO HAS PUT THE EFFORT IN IN BUILDING THESE GREAT TRAILS AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS AND GIRLS.

Tibbort:

You'd perhaps need a couple of days to complete the red and black trails here. The Deadwater Trail was a good warm up with some very technical climbing over boulders, not helped by a couple of gates to open on the way up. The lonesome pine trail was varied though a bit loose in places, and it was quite a long ride along the lakeside way to get to the start of the trail proper. Trail builders were out in force adding more diversity to the singletrack already in place. The view from the top of the hill is great reward on a fine day. We didn't take the plunge and do the Bloody Bush trail. For those taking families Kielder is ideal- plenty of easy graded trails and alternative activities when youngsters get bored- a maze, wildlife watching, outdoor activities(climbing, kayaking etc), mini golf, stargazing in the observatory at night. We'll be back to complete the rest of the trails but its too far away to make it a regular visit.

Enough trails to make a weekend of it trails not too busy great views on a nice day Cycle hire available There is a pub on site