[Closed] A little annoyed (trail centre parking content)

Scottish isn't it. They're all cheap.

< dons flame proof garments and dives into cover >

Do the fees go to the trails?

In any event, the legal basis for the Forestry Commission charging for parking is questionable...and the land is effectively publicly owned.

I just dont understand why people who get alot of enjoyment from these trails are unwilling to contribute to the upkeep of them.

Locals? I have a philosophy of not paying for local trails otherwise they'd get expensive! Swinley I don't mind the £20/year, but I'd not pay £3.50 a time to park on top of that.

How about just forget about it and enjoy your riding?

I know in golspie the fees go to the upkeep of the trails and also in learnie. I do understand there is actually no legal requirment to pay for it but ( apologies for stereotyping) it seems to be those that drive really flash cars/vans and ride stupidly expensive bikes that don't think they have to pay for parking. Its surprising the amount of mercs and beemers with bike racks that you see parked about 200m away from trail centre car parks

@glasgowdan
I thoroughly enjoy my riding i wasnt exactly sat in the car park all day it was just an observation between laps

Cynic-al - yeh, what have the forestry commission ever done for us eh!? I mean us mountain bikers?!

You think they'd invented the trail centre and provided pretty much free and safe access to the country's very diverse and fully sustainable woodland estate or summit...

Its surprising the amount of mercs and beemers with bike racks that you see parked about 200m away from trail centre car parks

They've got to afford those repayments somehow.

Locals? I have a philosophy of not paying for local trails otherwise they'd get expensive!

No idea what this means.

In any event, the legal basis for the Forestry Commission charging for parking is questionable...and the land is effectively publicly owned.

If we appreciate the FC allowing trail building on their land and enjoy the use of said trails, then should we really begrudge paying a parking charge to make it worth their while?

Unless it's £7 like at Dalby, which is just silly.

The land is not effectively publically owned, infact many forests will be leased. As for does the money go into the trails, cart before horse that comment is. The FC and others have already put a significant chunk of money and time into the trails before you ever parked there.

Burko...on publicly owned land?

£3 to park a car or van all day at Glentress or Innerleithen. I reckon that's pretty cheap for the level of "entertainment" when compared to any other sports facility or things like the cinema (let alone a night out on the booze). For those that use the facilities regularly, there are season passes available - I think it's £50 for all the car parks in the Tweed Valley. Bargain!

£60 for the annual pass, covers GT and Inners

Cynic-al, bit like all the council owned carparks you have to pay to use, or do you not pay for those either, it's not like the money raised goes into the roads.

stumpyjon - as the money for roads comes out of taxation, surely parking on ALL roads should be free?
😉

Dalby @ £7 is a rip off. Glen tress and inners at £3 seems pretty fair for a days parking. I remember speaking with one of the local trail builders up at Golspie and he said the parking fees go towards the trail upkeep.

Parking in Edinburgh / glasgow is way more than £3 and generally no where near the fun :-).

They're not really local if they're driving to the trails.
I can see the old timers' point of view if they've been riding the trails for beards (most centres being built around v old trail networks), and suddenly it's a trail centre full of bellends and jacked up parking charges. This is a real minority of people though.

And then there's Drumlanrig.......

I never understand why people get so hung up on parking at trail centres,

Even at £7 I think that's good value for a day out for a car full of people.

If you don't want to pay ride natural.

Simples

Been riding Glenstress since the 90s 😎

A more coherent multi forest pass would be good, we had Whinlatter because we lived there but started getting expensive to include Grizedale. There were 2 separate ones for the GT/Inners and Mabie etc. and Kielder didn't seem to link up with anyone!!!

Christ, Druidh, don't start them on drumlanrig.

I won't get drawn in any more but yep, it is public land ( some of it that's not leased) and originally most of it was about growing trees. BUT growing trees in a sustainable way goes hand in hand with opportunities for recreation and conservation and the FC does a pretty good job of adding value to that. This might be by providing extra facilities at the upper end such as at trail centres and cafes etc and at the lower impact end just cleaning up after people and making sure we all have a safe visit. The cafes and trail centres werent all about making a profit at first but were about supporting disadvantaged areas and kick starting tourism. All this costs the FC money and the income from growing trees doesn't cover the conservation improvements and (mostly) free or very cheap access costs - picking up litter, fixing fences and gates and checking trails etc. The FC don't get any cash from the increased tourism except from the car parks and some franchise fees from the cafes and bike shops etc.

Cha****ng
Dalby parking join Singletraction and do a handfull of dig days
and get a years pass to Dalby

£3 to park a car or van all day at Glentress or Innerleithen. I reckon that's pretty cheap for the level of "entertainment" when compared to any other sports facility or things like the cinema (let alone a night out on the booze).

Agreed. The price is getting silly at some of them though IMO - can't remember how much at Whinlatter and Grizedale but it seemed a bit extortionate last time I was there. I tend to just pay what I think is reasonable, which is generally around £3 - £4. 🙂

cynic-al - Member

Been riding Glenstress since the 90s

Then you know better than most how much investment has gone into the place 😉

[i]£3 to park a car or van all day at Glentress or Innerleithen. I reckon that's pretty cheap for the level of "entertainment" when compared to any other sports facility or things like the cinema (let alone a night out on the booze). For those that use the facilities regularly, there are season passes available - I think it's £50 for all the car parks in the Tweed Valley. Bargain! [/i]

Agree, and I always congratulate the FC guy who wanders around checking on tickets - if I had my way I'd clamp em all, tight gits.

No idea what this means

Swinley is £3.50 to park, say I ride on average 3x a week that's £10/week, £520 a year. Not such an issue now that I live within riding distance but sometimes I want to park at the trails and just ride singletrack rather than adding a 10 mile featureless cycle track.

I don't believe that people actually complain about parking charges at trail centres. Even Dalby's excellent value at a mere £7 a pop (we managed to avoid that last time by getting there early & naffing off before the woman came round to check the tickets but thats another tale)
If you want to enjoy the obvious benefits that trail centres give you, then cough up & stop being a tight git. (or ride predominantly natural stuff, like wot I do). 😉

If you want to enjoy the obvious benefits that trail centres give you, then cough up & stop being a tight git.

+

(we managed to avoid that last time by getting there early & naffing off before the woman came round to check the tickets but thats another tale)

Does not compute. 😕

My understanding is that only something like 20% of car park users actually pay to park and that includes walkers and those that use other facilities such as kids play areas. Those using the other facilities are the worst offenders apparently ie those who walk their dogs regularly etc 🙄

I don't believe that people actually complain about parking charges at trail centres. Even Dalby's excellent value at a mere £7 a pop

paid

When visiting once people don't when it's local enough to go regularly people do.

Buy a season pass then.

[i]If you want to enjoy the obvious benefits that trail centres give you, then cough up & stop being a tight git.
+

(we managed to avoid that last time by getting there early & naffing off before the woman came round to check the tickets but thats another tale)
Does not compute.[/i]

Obviously. (must stop saying 'obvious' & any derivatives)

I was misleading. What I should have said was, 'If you ride trail centres most of the time then cough up, if you don't, then don't.'
Well thats my philosophy anyway.

[quote=Trekster ]My understanding is that only something like 20% of car park users actually pay to park and that includes walkers and those that use other facilities such as kids play areas. Those using the other facilities are the worst offenders apparently ie those who walk their dogs regularly etc

How many purpose-built trail features do dog-walkers need? 😆

I do pay, but having change is a PITA. FCS don't provide anyway to pay by card or mobile phone. When they catch up with 2002 they might increase their revenues. I also find it slightly odd that the expected fee is usually the same regardless of whether you are popping in for a quick hour's blast or an all day session. Also, AFAIK there is no option for a season ticket that covers all FCS car parks across Scotland; strikes me that wouldn't be a bad idea.

I do pay, but having change is a PITA. FCS don't provide anyway to pay by card or mobile phone. When they catch up with 2002 they might increase their revenues.

Also, AFAIK there is no option for a season ticket that covers all FCS car parks across Scotland; strikes me that wouldn't be a bad idea.

+1

The ones at GT and Inners take cards.

[quote=poly ]I also find it slightly odd that the expected fee is usually the same regardless of whether you are popping in for a quick hour's blast or an all day session.There are two tarrifs at GT. I can't remember what the cheaper/shorter one is.

Also, AFAIK there is no option for a season ticket that covers all FCS car parks across Scotland; strikes me that wouldn't be a bad idea.

Some of the Lake District car parks now have revenue protection cameras fitted with number plate recognition cameras and you need to enter your reg to get a parking ticket 😯

I think they're a bargain, when I take the mrs to do the chrimbo in the city, it costs over a tenner to park and then I've got to pay for everything we do there too. £5ish to enjoy your hobby on purpose built trails is amazing compared to other sports.
Car/bike track day from £50-£200
Mx practice track £25-£40
Watch rugby/football £10-£50
Play golf £??

We got it pretty good?

I've got a season pass for Dalby, £42 which is great value, as I probably go 40 times a year.

Compare this to two days parking at York station, which set me back £28.

I have a Sherwood Pines season pass, the young lad at Dalby said he thought it WAS a Dalby one. And when I was still offering him money he refused and waved me through. Good lad. Seriously though, as I'm obviously not at Sherwood that day, why do I need to pay again. A bit of a discount would make sense to me. This would be beneficial to all centres and their local economies as a reciprocal arrangement I would have thought.

Should try Bedgebury, Kent sometime, £8.50!

More than happy to pay parking if the money goes towards trail upkeep but £8.50 for the muddiest ride ive ever done (and im used to welsh slop) was a bit to bloody steep imho.

Motorists financial contribution to society significantly exceeds what they get out. Squeezing them further is unjustified.

First time riding at The FOD yesterday. £3 or £20 season ticket to cover the local area. Bargain. Fun filled cheap day out IMO.

It was glorious in The FOD. Deathly quiet, pleasantly mild, trees and colours were marvellous. Shame that I didn't get to hear the silence, cos some fat chuffer was breathing out of his arse most of the time. This SS malarkey is tough going. 😳

Don't get me started on this. People drive their £20k Audi 150 miles to ride their £3k bike then buy a tenners worth of cake and Monster, but park on the verge just outside the gate to avoid paying the cheapest bill of the day. Bear in mind it costs around £20 a meter to build a trail and even the parking charge at Bedgebury looks very cheap.

And yes, at Bedgebury the car parking fees as well as the season ticket money does go towards maintaining the site including the bike trails. The problem at Bedgebury is that the trail surface just sinks into the clay! But the 2 new sections (gloomy wood and the cake run) are still dry and solid. They were not cheap to build, but will last a lot longer than the "old" style of building...

Local FC rail nant yr arayan ,i pay as think it only fare,although see lots of dog walkers come n go without paying.or is their dog poo there payment?

In Eire Ballyhoura trails ,barrier system in operation to get into carpark ,so no choice but to pay!
Do we want this situ here ?

Shame we live in a society wher occupying land with a car is seen as a right. That is wrong.

£3 for a day at GT is a bargain. I am happy to pay that if it pays (in full or part) for the infrastructure. I hope the new enforcement policy is working for them, and especially they use it on ****ers that park a minibus and trailer across nine car spaces (yes I did count them).

FC car parking is so cheap it's an insult that folk don't pay. It will not be long till the money dries up for these trails, then we will all be complaining.

well.. I'm well and truly insulted..

Just hopped in the car and up the road to the local FC trails, only to find that the verge and lay-by that I would usually park in have been well and truly blockaded with boulders and large carefully sculpted piles of earth..

I wouldn't be quite so put out, but the car park is locked and gated after dusk

I'm not quite au fait enough with the route down to the bottom car park to chance it in the dark, and it doesn't take a great deal to dissuade me from getting the bike out of the car when it's pitch black and raining..
So I tootled off home again frustrated..

I'm not sure what the reasoning for these prohibitive earthworks might have been as anyone usually parking there to avoid fees will now just park in the bottom car park instead.. unless they've blockaded that too.. 😕

Motorists financial contribution to society significantly exceeds what they get out. Squeezing them further is unjustified.

Nonsense.

As for anyone out there who rolls up at an FC car park with their expensive bike and doesn't bother paying..........go have a good long look at yourself in the mirror you miserable tight fisted little gits, then sod off and find some other sport. Mountain biking doesn't want you. Seriously.

Thetford High Lodge has an hourly rate. A day there will cost £9.60 and its barrier controlled.

I pay my season pass quite happily, it's a bargain IMO .
My riding buddy on the other hand has never paid ever but that's his choice.
Karma will get these tight ****ers in the end.

Regarding Golspie - as mentioned by the OP.

It's private, not FC, which of course is irrelevant on whether you should pay or not, but if you join the local cycling club (£10), you can buy a season pass for Golspie (another £10).

Too cheap not too - I would guess many of the "locals" have this, and I would also guess that many of the cars you see parked there are "locals".

That's not to say that plenty people don't pay who should - just saying it may explain the apparent tight arse Golspie issue.

Of course there are plenty tight arses up here too - just like the rest of the country. No smiley required.

Yunki - are you talking about GT?

I went to Grizedale recently. £5.50 for a days parking, seems a total rip for such a crappy trail. I can understand why people would dodge it.

having said that one thing that really gets me is people parking in the passing bays at llandegla. parking is reasonable there especially considering how much work they put in and making it impossible to drive up the road seems really tight

I've got a season pass for Hamsterley as I use the place a fair bit - it means my tight mates always want to cadge a lift when we go.

Got another mate who always parked outside the forest at Bedburn and rode in to avoid paying the £3 - we'd then have to wait for him. After lots of comments he does now park with us and pay. Him and his wife have a household income of getting on for £100k!! Incredible.

Yunki - are you talking about GT?

Haldon

At moors valley near ring wood, I would park a mile away and ride into the Forrest with the kids. It's actually less trouble, you are there to ride bikes anyway, and i saved a fiver, which got spent on ice creams at the visitors centre.

But a fiver for a great ride is a bargain. How far would that go at a fun fair?

£4,000 bike, £400 clothes, £40,000 car, £4 parking.

Do people skip the parking fees because is easy to avoid? Would you walk out the LBS without paying for an inner tube if you thought no one was looking?

FC charging for car parking is on a shoogley peg.

Despite the fact there is no legal requirement to pay the charge they insist on pressing on with it. When the land was taken for the construction of these forest, free public access and use was part of their founding principles.

Instead of being at loggerheads with people using this as a funding model, effort would be better directed at alternative added value ways of making money - e.g high quality maps, guided runs, showers etc.

Lets remember, a significant proportion of EU funding was acquired for this on the basis of improving health and tourism in these areas. I know they require constant upkeep too but this model of funding is unsustainable.

I've always thought a good idea would be a "friends of the 7stanes" membership, with some goodies, news/maps and some special offers being available to members as FC would likely get a better return.

Don't get me started on this. People drive their £20k Audi 150 miles to ride their £3k bike then buy a tenners worth of cake and Monster, but park on the verge just outside the gate to avoid paying the cheapest bill of the day.

Nail. Head. ****ers.

too but this model of funding is unsustainable.

Eh! I can't think of a better more sustainable way of funding the trails. It cost £3 for a days parking, seriously if people think that's too much then they need to call it a day .

All the infrastructure needs upkeep from the trails to the car park and roads, kids play parks, BBQ areas. I get a lot out of the FC and m happy to pay my way.