Reviews for Glentrool Mountain Bike Trails

Summary:
Possibly the World's Greatest Blue Route

Review:
A much underrated trail center which makes up for in quality what it lacks in quantity.

The Blue graded trail is a beautifully crafted and comparatively well maintained 9km of predominantly single track. There is some fire road including the a short descent but the bulk of the climbing and almost all of the descending is on single track which swoosh discretely through the wooded hillsides.

There's nothing particularly technical here but it is a great place to spend a few hours, especially for less experienced riders or those looking for a taste of the lowland wilds.

The 58km Purple graded trail offers a little more distance on a mixture of B-roads and fire roads for those of a more cyclocross-y persuasion.

Unfortunately the Green route (a shortcut of the Blue) has now been closed.

There is a seasonal cafe and the parking is regulation Forestry Commision with regulation potholes and regulation Play-&-Display machine.

Summary:
Brilliant first time trail

Review:
For someone who has dreamt of riding trails for a very very long time and not having a real chance of doing so this trail most certainly put a smile on my face there is a slight climb and some small single tracks to warm you up. After that the downhill section is epic the berms are very well looked after and are well put together so that you flow from one to the next in all it took around 1 hour to do the trail although with the sun shining you could probably do it in under that before I head back to manchester i will definitly be doing that trail again. all in all a brill trail wouldnt recommend for riders looking for something more.

Summary:
Nice long XC ride

Review:
I've done this trail in both directions and the correct way round is much easier going on the legs.
If the weather is nice it makes for a good ride and with some great views on the way. Only a little road riding 90% is fire tracks and Newton Stewart is a friendly little town to visit. No shops on the way round so you must make sure you've got enough stuff with you before setting off.

Summary:
Excellent entry level trail

Review:
The blue trail is mix of fire road and singletrack climbs until the rather beautiful Loch Trool comes into view and it's all downhill from there. The singletrack is relatively wide and free of roots or rocks. Technical features are thin on the ground but there are berms and small jumps, which makes this a great place for novices to try their hand at somemthing new. The final descent through the forest is great fun and flows nicely, but it wont be enough of a challenge for experienced riders.

Glentrool has a large carpark, loos and a cafe (which sells fabulous haggis toasties), however there are no bike wash or showers on site.

To round up, the route is great for beginners, the scenery is beautiful and there's a good chance you will have the place to yourself. However, if you want some hardcore XC/DH you'd be best to go elsewhere.