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There has been huge amounts of money spent recently on new flow ,jumpy type trails in Scotland, money wisely spent?
I speak to some riders and it just does not excite them, they look cool but are they 5 minute wonders?
Give me a Zoom or Bust little narrow single track type trails any time, but not the huge gnar, something In-between.
I.e not "too" steep but something the kids can learn skills on and still a challenge for better riders to ride fast and us less natural riders can feel like mountain bikers!
Maybe I am too old skool.
Maybe another reason gravel bikes are popular, a bit of thrill and skill without the gnar.
A bit of a mixture is what's required.
Flow does have a place and does make you smile if done right .
I agree, @aggs. I think about this a lot riding local trails (paths, not trails). They're not built, they're not flow, and they're awesome.
Similarly, why do people ride full suss - especially on smooth flow trails?
Horses for courses innit.
What trails? Hard to say without knowing what / where they are. I like both FWIW, love a bit of tech but well built flow trails are also awesome and are great for newbies if everything is rollable. The issue is maintaining them, as once they get a bit blown out they're a bit pointless. From that POV trails which only get better as they weather may be a better investment, but aren't great for getting newbies into the sport.
Young kids (the future) seem like these sorts of trails, , and unlike our generation, have no issues with jumping. and they are being built everywhere because of that Personally I like learning a new skill, and it gives the kids a laff watching me case jumps time after time and I get a kick out of cleaning a nicely built jump.
Which brings me onto why I think loads of these trails are rubbish: They're just not built well enough. It's really obvious when you've been to say Whistler, or back here Dyfi Park where - even idiots like me can after a while jump like (ahem) a pro.
The new trails built at Tarland in Aberdeenshire are just what the region needed. There is plenty of steep, natural, gnarly and technical riding in the area, as well as epic natural adventure wilderness but there was definitely a lack of all-season jumpy, flowy stuff.
What has been built at Tarland is perfect. It's fun for a relative beginner to ride or a seasoned shredder to, erm, shred. They are man made and flowy but some are still quite technical in their layout so they are still a challenge to ride fast - and great fun. The way all the trails have been plotted out is very clever too so you can loop all of them without having to repeat the same climbs repeatedly (well not too much) - its not just up/down the same road.
Similarly the trails at Glenlivet have a great range of trails for a wide range of abilities.
I think they are a great complement to all the long established natural trails and will only benefit riders in the area - especially the young uns.
Aren't they providing the thing you don't have?
I love all kinds of trails but its nice to have a choice, surely?
And as long as they are built in the right kind of way, to provide safer options, they are perfect for inspiring kids too.
We are away in Wales at the moment and have had the pleasure of whooping it up down a beautifully built, blue flow trail, designed to reward riders young and old in the Elan Valley.
We've also ridden a lovely little 6.7km trail in a woodland that must have been there for years at Cwm Rhaeader. Although I wish I'd packed a mattock in the camper as all the drains needed some love, lots of fun though.
Me and my mates drive up from Yorkshire to ride your tech trails but from a tourist pound point of view, these flow trails will mean I will visit with my family too.
We stopped at Tarland recently but didn't check the trails out (busy schedule and we like technical trails).
Watched a video on YouTube after and wish we'd given them a try (though I would have missed Master Blaster at Aboyne then). Fast bikeparky trails are one of my weak points, so it's probably good to have more high-quality ones on these shores TBH.
The old Orange at Laggan is great for a flowy trail and a great contrast to the black.
Good reading, seems I am out of touch and need to improve my skills and getting old!
Yes the younger generation have a different perspective and the sport has changed so much.
Its a huge boost to areas as well so not knocking it at all, I just look back at the history of some trail centres, which decline after the initial boom.
If they are a good design and well built not an issue!
Both styles are good. At Glentress, the new (yet to open) trails are definitely more flow, but I think that's fine as there's plenty of rougher/natural trails around the forest.
The young team love them.
We bumped into a cracking bunch of young lads in Avoriaz (one was riding chainless) and they were moaning about having to ride a rough techy transfer across to the next 'berm to send to berm to send' trail.
Us old farts thought the techy trail was the best thing we'd ridden all weekend.
Course for horses innit...