We recently went to Dalby Forest for a great family day out.
Dalby Forest Cycle Hub have some bikes great bikes and we used them for a family bike ride. They have cool trailers for toddlers too. Henry is 6 and Eliza is just 4. We had previously ridden around the Zog trail on her own bike therefore she as a bit reluctant to get in, having really enjoyed her “big girl” bike ride. She has only just got going so wouldn’t have managed a longer ride. However, once in the trailer and going, she loved it!
Henry loved his bike and went well on it. I am not a natural bike rider, I prefer horses, four legs with its’ own brain is wierdly (to some) more appealing! However, since the children, I have got keen, I have embraced cycling as a great thing to do as a family. I’m not sure how long I will be able to keep up for though! This bike was awesome, I loved the suspension and the “fat” tyres! Charlie was in charge of Eliza in her trailer!
We went on the extended Ellerburn Trail and even stopped at the Skills Area for Henry to test some skills. The whole ride took about an hour and we all loved it. There is a bit of everything including the bridges and the stream. We enjoyed the scenery, without it being too extreme for our team!
The bikes were great quality, in fantastic condition and the staff at the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub were very helpful. They ensured the bike was the correct size for Henry and that he was able to use his gears plus he was aware that with disc brakes, he wouldn’t “emergency stop” and fly over the handle bars! More importantly, they ensured we knew where we were going! They are on hand to ask advice re the trails to ensure you get on the right one for your ability.
We did a deal with Eliza that she could have another bike ride before we went home, so we popped up to Adderstone Field. There is another green trail up (Adderstone Cycle Trail) there which we will do another day (it has a recommended time of 2 hours). This time, we let her cycle across the field to the Enchanted Wood. We could have spent so much more time up there but it was getting dark…
We had a lovely family day and were lucky with the weather. If you are teaching your little one to ride a bike or develop their skills, Dalby Forest is a great place for this.
Dalby Forest Cycle Hub provide Mountain Biking Courses for Youngsters, starting with Beginners. Each kids skills course is for ages 8-16 starting 9am-12pm Beginners/ 12:30am-3:30pm Improvers. (If you have a younger, confident cyclist, do ask the team as they may have something else coming up). These courses entail 3 hours of expert coaching based in and around Low Dalby covering the basic skills needed for green and blue trails. All sessions are £30 and need to be pre-booked, with a ratio of 1 coach to 6 riders and if your bike isn’t suitable, you can hire one at a discounted rate. Dates:
Friday 1st March
Then the last Sunday of the Month there after
Sunday 28th April
Sunday 26th May
Sunday 30th June
Sunday 26th July
Sunday 25th August
Sunday 29th September
They also provide “Learn to Ride” courses for younger children as well as “Ladies Only” riding skills courses. They will tailor the lessons to meet your own specific requirements on a one-to-one or one-to-several basis. If your child can’t ride without stabilisers, they have a Children’s Cycle trainer who will have your child riding without them within an hour.
Ladies only (16 years plus) courses run at the same times: 9am-12pm for Beginners/ 12:30pm-3:30pm Improvers. Price is the same as above £30 per customer/ half price bike hire if they don’t have their own. Dates:
Saturday 27th April
Saturday 29th June
Saturday 24th August
You can also join them on E-bike rides, Guided rides and Gravel & Mountain rides. There is a wide selection of bikes and accessories for sale in the hub.
They offer a full range of top quality hire bikes including hardtails, full-suspension and electric bikes. Families are also well catered for with a great range of kids’ bikes starting at 12’’ wheel balance bikes, 14’’and 16’’ kids pedal bikes, tag-alongs, trailers, baby seats and balance bikes. Each hire includes a helmet and back-up kit at no extra cost. Details of the hire cost can be found here.
This is an advertorial review and for the purpose of writing this, Dalby Forest Cycle Hub provided the bikes for Henry, my husband and myself plus a trailer for Eliza to sit in. We took Eliza’s bike with us as she has only just got going and doesn’t like “change”. I would not advocate something I will not return to pay for.
Dalby Forest Cycle Hub
The Courtyard
Low Dalby
YO18 7LT
01751 460585
Website