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I was out on the gravel bike doing a road/path ride this morning, and swung by Haldon to say hello to some friends who I knew would be meeting there.
Dear ****ing lord....it was insanely busy! Busier than I've ever seen it, even in the middle of the summer holidays.
Given that it's a drizzly, cold Sunday in November, I was amazed.
Car park rammed, and drivers parking everywhere on verges.
There was a massive traffic jam outside the entrance due to people parking on the verge and blocking the road.
Cars had tried to go past going in both directions and then met in the middle, there were about 10 vehicles in each of the opposing queues! People were getting sweary. Oh how I laughed as I passed on my bike 😂
What are other centres like at the mo? Just as rammed?
I haven't checked, but judging by the hordes descending on our local hill I reckon it's a pretty safe bet.
Was thinking of popping over to Gisburn but certainly wouldn't bother on the weekend.
Not a trail centre but ladybower area was car chaos. Not been since summer and forgot how bad it was getting.
Includes Wales - Cwmcarn was packed thus morning...
It’s not just trail centres - my local hill was absolutely hoaching with people yesterday. I was up again this morning and it was showing all the signs of being even worse today when I left at 10.30.
My other (slightly less local) favourite riding spot (forestry commission) has posted on their FB page every weekend recently that the car park is full and urging people not to bother.
Cannock Chase also packed. People have nowhere else to go. No shops, pubs, restaurants or gyms and can't go on holiday.
Even my most remote bridleways had people on them today - the bastards!
Not just trail centres, anywhere that’s vaguely ‘outdoors’ is the same here in Scotland.
Kjcc25 has it, people have nowhere else to go.
People have nowhere else to go. No shops, pubs, restaurants or gyms and can’t go on holiday
Yep, that's understandable. I've got no issue with people being outdoors, the more the merrier.
I do find the fact that everyone is driving to certain locations and ranming them a bit weird. Lack of imagination?
We've been taking the girls to our local woods. Quiet as anything, and just as nice - actually nicer, as there's not a ****-ton if other people there.
QECP is packed from the pics Ive seen
Massive queues for the pay machine, all those people touching the pay machine makes me glad Ive got a season ticket for parking
FoD was crazy busy for cars but not too many bikes out. Unfortunately, those that were out were in huge groups, 10 or more in one!
Its been pretty bloody busy in glentress the last few weekends. A good few law breakers I'd wager.
Trail centres do get busy in the wet muddy months anyway. When normal off-roading can be a muddy mess trail centres offer a good ridable alternative.
But I do agree, with the shops shut a lot of people have gone outside and to many of them, a trail centre is where you ride a mountain bike.
A large proportion of the younger population have never read a map (cant read a map), need an app to tell them what to do and how to do it, so trail centres are perfect for them.
Leaves the off piste stuff for the rest of us, so its great for everyone.
Hamsterley had to close today as every car park spot was taken. Guisborough Forest was rammed with walkers, families, kids, dogs. Ive never seen it as busy even in the summer months.
Mam tor/Castleton was chaos earlier today.
Can't moan though, because that would be hypocritical
Aaaaaaargh.
GET THE SHOPS AND PUBS OPEN NOW!!!
I think it is worth letting covid rip through the population just to get all the Johnny Come Latelys back indoors again.
A price worth paying.
I went to Leeds Bike Park on Wednesday and there was about 10 of us on the trails, had a great time.
One of the things I really noticed were how good the blue and red flow trails near the car park are. When it's not rammed you really get a chance to ride them properly. Thought they were a bit dull before.
So yeah if you want to go and have some holiday left, avoid the weekend.
Peaslake was the busiest I’ve ever seen it today, usually some of the car parks can be full but the trails area bit quiet, today all the cps were rammed and it was noticeably busy on the trails. Obviously no heed being paid to not being in big groups.
It's carnage out in the Dales. Rode through Malham this morning and it was like Bank Holiday, cars queuing into the overflow field parking, morons doing dodgy overtakes on the lanes on the way in.
Judging by how saturated the fields are at the moment, some of them might find things 'interesting' when they try to get out this afternoon. There was some bloke in a campervan finding the limits of his off-road grip near Malham Tarn.
Police 4x4 was doing a lap of Mastiles Lane, presumably the One Life, Live it idiots have been playing up.
Everywhere is rammed it seems. Our local woods are busy with walkers and riders and the local 'top spot' for gravity riding has has a crack down on riding due to too many riders.
The out of the way spots are getting busy too with a nice local trail getting the stickman treatment on Friday.
Aye, all the local spots are rammed...
Includes Wales – Cwmcarn was packed thus morning…
I haven't gone to any of the trail centres on the weekends since restrictions lifted, much safer mid-week. Even on Tuesday Cwmcarn was busy at 10am, including a few people from England. Might switch to night riding just to avoid the crowds.
Not a trail centre but ladybower area was car chaos. Not been since summer and forgot how bad it was getting.
Ditto... Went for night ride around Ladybower yesterday and even at 9PM there were still quite a few cars, vans, caravans and stealth-caravans parked in usual locations (Stanage Edge, Hollin Bank, Ladybower and around). So I dread to think what was it this mid-morning...
Cheers!
I.
Hamsterley was neither closed nor busy at 7:30 this morning 😉
Hamsterley was neither closed nor busy at 7:30 this morning 😉
But by 0800 it was busier than I've ever known at that time! The back end of the forest was queit enough but trying to find an uninterrupted run down the more popular trails was tough going.
Absolutely dead here in Glencoe.
I'll give you it was busier than Ive seen it by nine o clock. Was rammed when I went back with the kids this avo.
Hamsterley car parks were busy yesterday, of the official trails I rode I'd say it was no busier than a normal weekend at this time of year
Not a trail centre, but loads of roadies out this morning. At the coffee shop it was rammed, I said to my 6 riding buddies it was like an illegal rave....
(I rode solo, but it was rammed with roadies).
By Tom’s Hill in the Chilterns there was cars everywhere. I can normally ride and not see any cars, but was constantly having to move into the passing section to stop impatient drivers running me over. The roadside chaos was actually really amusing, pretty obvious a lot
Of the drivers were not used to the countryside. No complaints from me, great to see lots of people enjoying the countryside. As long as social distance is going on and rules are being followed then I’m happy.
Went to Langsett as I had a hunch Fairholmes would be crazy and even at 10am the last of the spaces were being filled with the queue around the CP and out onto the road. Guess with all the shops closed, folk are looking for other distractions. It'll soon ease up again.
@dannyh... Deep breath mate, it'll be all over soon.. You're lucky enough to live on the edge of the countryside. Spare a thought for us city bound folk.
Was up at ladybower 4-5 weeks ago. It was rammed then, we had an encounter with a mad driver or two, shouting at us out of their windows as they struggled to get by us.
I think its great to see lots of people enjoying the outside and getting fresh air and exercise. Long may it continue I say.
Hopefully the parking stuations will be improved as using verges and blocking roads is not on, but I suppose its a start.
I know it makes me a bad person but dear lord please reopen the shopping centres soon. Did my usual sunday mtb with the boy round Greenham. **** me it was like a city centre on the main tracks, we soon left them and had a great ride, but all these tubby families waddling about in white trainers looking like they were hating every moment didnt lift my mood. Not to mention all the ****s clutching their hot milky coffee substitutes and then dropping litter make me want to commit murder.
Wharncliffe was the busiest I've seen it with mtbers today. Big groups and zero social distancing.
We were out the door 8am today and local trails were already busy but manageable. One the way back people were double parked at the honey pots and police issuing tickets. It's busy but understandable given everything else is shut, though if you get out early you can avoid the worst. Come the afternoon though forgettaboutit!
busier than usual on the drier trails, still didn't see anyone else out in the splurge/drive train grinder.
FWIW. I don't have a problem with more people being out and about per se.
But half of them are too busy rabbiting on their phones, posting on social media about how great the outdoors is and generally wandering around like tits in a trance, to consider that anybody else might be there too.
And they've pushed the antsy dogwalkers out earlier, and I get out early to avoid them!
It has also prompted stickman to reappear.
FWIW. I don’t have a problem with more people being out and about per se.
you'd have a nice conversation with chap that wished me dead, cos his mate had to move over to let me past. 😀
Went to Dalby today. Very busy. Lots of people but also more cars as current restrictions don't let you car share. Adds to the chaos.
Police have started issuing parking tickets at my local hill. It’s great when I’m up there at 8 am in the week, but going out of my way to avoid it at the weekend. Everywhere else was busy but not crazy so but I went out later - but I was annoyed when I came round a corner on the moors to find 25-30 people in down jackets stood around in a group sharing cake and drinks...they’d only walked 5 mins from the road!
you’d have a nice conversation with chap that wished me dead, cos his mate had to move over to let me past.
Or the lovely bloke who saw me coming, moved over and then blew a mahoosive cloud of vape smoke directly in my path.
Mmmm, strawberry flavour.
Maybe now is the time to open up the footpaths for cyclists to ride them to make more space!
Didn’t see the car parks but Grizedale /Claife Heights was pretty quiet today. Went up Iron Keld last week though and that was busy. Luck of the draw I guess 🤷♂️
My local route is wet and muddy. This time of year I hardly see anyone.
Today in the rain there were loads of people out but they were all on ebikes, I only saw two other people on a bike without a motor and one was a road bike.
Some of them were outside their comfort zone and they were falling off their bikes going up the hill on a techy section. But they looked like they were enjoying themselves.
I think it's great that more people are riding and getting out doors and keeping fit. I just hope they keep it up once the threat of covid has gone and the need to lose some weight and gain some fitness isn't as impending.
Maybe now is the time to open up the footpaths for cyclists to ride them to make more space!
Posted 32 minutes ago
Totally agree. OpenMTB did make the same argument, but there wasn't much interest from our representative bodies or the wider public.
Personally I went for a local road ride today, the West Lancs hills were way quieter than normal for motor traffic but busy with cyclists. It was almost like lockdown 1.0 with the sun out as well.
Maybe now is the time to open up the footpaths for cyclists to ride them to make more space!
Good idea, our local footpaths are underused save for the odd nimby and the psychopath dog walker. They are still overgrown from the summer.
Don't tell anyone, I ride my bike on them and most people I encounter are as polite as I am.
Peaslake was the busiest I’ve ever seen it today, usually some of the car parks can be full but the trails area bit quiet, today all the cps were rammed and it was noticeably busy on the trails. Obviously no heed being paid to not being in big groups.
The car parks looked much the same today as they did 2 weekends ago, but I’ve never seen the area around the shop and hotel so busy. Lots of big groups, and not much room to distance for anyone that wanted to. I immediately regretted driving into Walking Bottom, only to waste time trying to ease my way round to get back out again. Felt lucky to get a space in the 2nd car park I tried.
Less consumerism, more outdoors...erism.
All good.
I ventured out on the CX at about 3pm knowing that I'd be finishing the ride in darkness which was fine. Up through Goyt Valley though, I seemed to get the rush hour of people leaving. All the car parks were full, lots of parking on verges. Once it got dark though it was fine. I rode back along Monsal Trail - on a sunny Sunday I can imagine it was rammed but I saw a couple of joggers and one group of MTBers.
So yeah, night riding is the way to avoid the hordes.
Ladybower / Fairholmes and Mam Tor / Winnats have all been absolutely chaotic every time the sun has come out. Was up Mam Tor yesterday (in the wind and rain) and it was still busy-ish. Glad I wasn't there today, bet it would have been heaving.
It's great
Maybe aftter lockdown is over people will realise they don't have to sirens Saturday trudging round a mall to but stuff they don't need
Local woods at Woburn very busy,On weds I got told off by an old guy fir cycling where I shouldn't, he then told me I was out of order after I told him he was on the blue tail!
Less consumerism, more outdoors…erism.
All good.
PMSL at that one. Singletrackworld, the home of consumerism.
It’s carnage out in the Dales. Rode through Malham this morning and it was like Bank Holiday
Malham, Sunday morning, situation normal. I'm camped at 650m elsewhere in the Dales now, signal coming in from somewhere, having encountered four people all day. You can't really go to honeypots then complain about all the other people there lacking imagination.
swung by Haldon
Thank goodness it started p***ing with rain in South Devon midday then, was planning to go to Haldon for a few hours this afternoon but didn’t fancy another soaking after being up on Dartmoor yesterday. We could do with Haldon trails being extended further along and down the ridge and another car park for bikers and walkers away from the main area IMHO.
We could do with Haldon trails being extended further along and down the ridge and another car park for bikers and walkers away from the main area IMHO
TBF, I imagine that the off-piste stuff was as quiet as it normally is.
Even on a extra busy day up there, the car park may be rammed, they may be nose-to-tail on the blue trails, but you'll hardly see a sole if you venture more than a km from the hub.
You can generally park quite easily over the cafe side too, and in any number of small FC car parks on the other side of the A380.
Today was just insane though due to the amount of people trying to get into the relatively small area around the hub - mostly families I suspect.
Also the car park by the Belvedere - I've seen it full, but never as today with cars on the opposite verge and on the side of the road leading down the hill.
You can’t really go to honeypots then complain about all the other people there lacking imagination.
I wasn't actually riding there, just past it on a 100km road ride. But I get your point 😉
You can’t really go to honeypots then complain about all the other people there lacking imagination.
Likewise...my route (from my door) wasn't aiming at getting to Malham, just passed through one end of it on the way to somewhere else and departed sharpish. Wasn't expecting it to be that rammed.
Malham, Sunday morning, situation normal. I’m camped at 650m elsewhere in the Dales now, signal coming in from somewhere, having encountered four people all day.
Can't be many places in the Dales over 650m, I vaguely recall it was very difficult to do anything there which qualified for MLTB training as it was (nearly) all too low....
Was thinking of popping over to Gisburn but certainly wouldn’t bother on the weekend.
Was up at grizedale mid week with the lad and wasn’t busy on a Wednesday? But looking at anywhere ’outdoorsy’ round here at the weekend and it’s rammed.
There’s a small nature reserve place not too far from me. The only parking is a lay-by, but Saturday and Sunday that’s overflowing, the road/verge both sides is chockablock for hundreds of yards. God knows why, the place ain’t that big they must be falling over themselves when in there. (Fairy glen for anyone west lancs)
Roadie’d from Oldham up and round Rivington today. I don’t know the area too well but it was mad busy in some areas. Lots of lovely quiet roads but the areas round car parks were crazy with hikers and the like.
Lots of massive groups of MTBers knocking about, I imagine all from the same household. 🙄
Went by fairy glen this morning, yes it was very busy... As always.
Car parks looked quite full everywhere, but not as nuts as it gets over Rivi at the mo.
Dunkeld was pretty quiet this morning, and it did seem to be Perth & Kinross locals. So glad we live in a big, sparsely populated region, whereas Stirling, Clacks, etc have much more people & they aren't allowed beyond local trails.
Saying that, I'll bet the croft was mobbed, like every weekend since it reopened.
The walls on Great Coum (almost) provide decent shelter from the winds beating up my little tent this morning... that's how I avoid the crowds, on foot or on the bike; careful route choice, late/early.
ibnchris
Maybe now is the time to open up the footpaths for cyclists to ride them to make more space!
they've been closed?
Our road was packed with folk parking to access the local woods, but it was great to see so many people enjoying the great outdoors
Swinley was no more busy than usual for cyclists, but was busier for walkers without doubt.
We've also been going to Slanting Hill which is fairly local to us, that was packed at times, but we've not been there much before to know if it's usually busy or quiet, but to a small unknown woods, i thought it was busy 🙂
The walls on Great Coum (almost) provide decent shelter from the winds beating up my little tent this morning… that’s how I avoid the crowds, on foot or on the bike; careful route choice, late/early.
I think you've got a fair chance of seeing no-one on Great Coum! Presumably that's just a (boggy) push from virtually the top of Kingsdale?
I live in stockport and everywhere "local" that we can drive to with the kids for a walk is absolutely packed by 10am.
I absolutely hate it and just want some peace and quiet. I just stay in and do DIY at the weeknds now.
On the flip side my local skatepark was dead quiet yesterday morning. Just me and two lads on scooters till I buggered off just gone ten after snapping my chain.
Also had a nice family walk in the woods on Saturday with a few folk out but not loads, was getting busy when we left at 11.30 though. I think that one stays quieter cos there's a a testing site taking up most of the car park!
One thing worth remembering is in normal times people would car share when out riding but obviously thats not happening any more so naturally more cars in car parks - I don't think this necessarily equates to more riders. Also people have no where to go currently so a walk in the woods is pretty much the best option if you want to leave the house.
Conscious I was contributing to it but I went to Dalby yesterday morning early doors. Car park was reasonably busy when I set off. Was total mayhem when I got back - glad to get outta there. Although to be fair, everyones outside, social distancing seemed to be getting adhered to etc.
QECP is packed from the pics Ive seen
We rode there - I have never seen QE so rammed with cars. No summer's day since I've been going there in the 90s have I seen the car parks overflowing down the roads, even parking on the slip road off the A3(M).
Great to see so many kids on bikes, but I dunno.. why can't people stay out of their cars? Do they really enjoy queueing to park, queueing to pay? or do they complain bitterly on their social medias about all the other people doing the same?
more outdoors…erism.
All good.
Except for the fact that they ALL have to drive there and park there ****ing cars wherever they feel like it. Essential travel only? All good, yeah
I see huge numbers of the Mtb community are having real difficulty with understanding very simple rules.
Groups of 10 everywhere is acceptable right?
Essential travel only? All good, yeah
I was riding on Saturday and coming back into town, I passed about four branches of McDonald's.
All of them had a queue stretching around the drive-thru area out onto the main road and back to the previous junction.
Traffic chaos at every one of them.
Yep, all essential travel. Morons. I think people are bored beyond belief now. Tired of interminable "lockdown", nothing to do. Imagination is limited to driving to local honeypot or driving to McDonald's.
I actually prefer staying in at the moment.
Cannock was rammed, probably busier with cars and folks walking than I've ever seen. Didn't see all that many bike riders which is unusual for a peak Sunday morning.
When I say Cannock I'm not talking about the Dog/Monkey trail, it's just depressing how busy it gets round there I actively avoid it during peak times.
No issues really with people walking etc. just ding your bell and be courteous (i.e. actually slow down instead of just bullying your way past like I've seen a lot of people on bikes do) common sense really.
I'm going to be honest and say despite my tolerance I wish a lot of them would just bugger off. Selfish attitude? Yes, but come on, I bet those folk who say 'it's great to see so many people out' secretly think the same...go on, admit it 😉
As Kimbers said, loads of walkers up Woburn yesterday but once you got off the main routes onto the singletrack it was fine.
Good to see people getting out but I can imagine the residents of Church lane are getting prett fed up of the weekly bedlam.
With Chicksands, Aston Hill etc shut the bike park was unsuprisingly poppin' as well.
Borrowdale seemed busier than usual for this time of year, not too many walkers but one of those odd days where there are quite a few riders out. Most were just riding alone or in pairs but we did spot a group of 5, maybe they all live together?
Rest of the Lakes seems busy'ish but more with road traffic than trail users, most likely due to not being able to car share like others have said.
Went to Gisburn Saturday morning, purposely chose the worst of the two weekend days weather wise hoping it would be quieter, on car park for 8am, about 5/6 cars there, saw maybe 7 other people out on the trails, car park pretty full when we left, I'd imagine Sunday would have been packed as it was a lovely day for a ride.
I do think it's great that more people are out, enjoying the countryside and fresh air. But, the flip side is definitely crowded trails (and roads), whether local or a bit further afield.
But had a glorious quiet ride yesterday morning. Out by 6.10am, had the trails to myself, then headed urban, no one around down the sets of steps through the Uni campus, or skirting around the city centre, and then just a few runners along the canal as I bimbled home.
GC is no place to be on a bike outside extreme drought or arctic conditions, but it's ok with a big rucsac containing a winter weight sleeping bag, whisky and a good cheese selection.
Was over Surrey hills Saturday and then more local Sunday. Surrey car parks were bizzy (like a summers day) but if you headed away from the centre it was fine. Think I’ve lost count of the number of families that were lost and had to ask for directions (always fun when they say they want to get back to the car park and I say which one). As much as I don’t like it being as bizzy as it is it’s the country side etiquette of new riders (ebikes not helping for the noobies ) and walkers that will lead to land access right issues. It may be a positive for the future though, who knows