[Closed] Trail Centres

You don't need to think about riding them. Makes a days riding when you can't be arsed...achievable.

Best thing about trailcentres, you can go there with mates, have a laugh and finish off with a hot coffee at the end of it with somewhere dry right in the carpark.

If you want to have a good ride, that's more tech, then go to the trails that aren't 'trailcentres'.

Trailcentres also cater for all kinds of riders, other places with single trails aren't so.

It's the same difference between real free climbing and indoor walls in my view. Trail centres have their place , but for Me I like open trails , each to their own though.

Well for one thing you can usually go as fast as you like without bumping into walkers/horses/dogs.....usually.

yeah. trail centres are a bit motorway IMO, but, if you're going to drive a long way, with a mixed ability group, it sucks when weather kills a ride, while trail centres are usually all weather, also no risk of getting lost, less risk of good downhills ruined by people coming up singletrack.

The warm smug glow that only comes from passing people on 'big' bikes on ss/cx/road/pennyfarthing/unicycle (delete as appropriate).

The warm smug glow that only comes from passing people on 'big' bikes on ss/cx/road/pennyfarthing/unicycle (delete as appropriate).

😆 Ah come on! No trolling!!!

One thing you have missed - they are good FUN!

They have changed a lot, its all berms and tabletops, where as it used to be about Singletrack. This was OK when the likes of Mabie and AE were the only ones in the country, but now every centre seems to be going that way and its just dull. Also I am getting old and lost all my skills... 🙁

Ah come on! No trolling!!!

He's not trolling. Just telling it like it is. 🙂

I think trail centres have there place. As said, to go with a group of mates & have a nice ride then food & drinks.
They're prescribed fun, go here & have x amount of fun etc.
They're a bit like out of town shopping malls, not much soul but offer something for most people.
I'll do one every 2-3 months, much prefer natural stuff.

There's no gates to constantly have to open and close, no requirement for map/compass/guidebook, good as a bad weather option. I can't understand people who only ride trail centres tho.

I quite like a couple of camping trips a year to afan or cyb with "the lads". Bike, beer and camp fires, what's not to like. As said they have their place.

I do not troll 😕
Actually I've ridden the same trail centre 5 days on the trot this week (no car)....admittedly the riding to and from there was the best bit and I did'nt actually ride much of the built trails in the order or direction they were intended but thats not the point.

Trail centres are great, as is riding natural terrain, feel a little sorry for anyone who cannot appreciate them to the extent they avoid them.

Rorschach - Member
The warm smug glow that only comes from passing people on 'big' bikes on ss/cx/road/pennyfarthing/unicycle (delete as appropriate).

Rorschach - Member
and I did'nt actually ride much of the built trails in the direction they were intended but thats not the point.

Trail centres are great, as is riding natural terrain, feel a little sorry for anyone who cannot appreciate them to the extent they avoid them.

I don't avoid them completely, I am off to the monkey trail on Weds. But I don't solely ride them I much prefer natural riding. I just don't get riding trail centres all the time.

They have their place but can in my opinion be a bit monotonous. They are only boring if you make them boring-ride them as fast as you and your bike can and I am sure you would still get an adrenaline rush. pootle and there is no reward.
For me I too would rather ride natural trails- preferably that I have not ridden before so you dont know whats coming. Having said that one of my favorite 'trail centre' rides is Llandegla's best bits with The Masts Loop thrown in, ridden with mates and some back wheel buzzing.

They tend to be in good places to ride overall - in most cases they've grown out of spots that were popular for mountain biking going back years. So going there and just sticking to a red route or something wouldn't be my cup of tea, but if you mix up a selection of trails, probably including stuff that's not waymarked, you're normally looking at a good ride. They're also great if it's lashing down with rain all day.

It's not so much that they lack challenge - you can usually find that if you want to go looking for it off the marked trails a wee bit, it's the feeling of wildness / remoteness you get out in the hills proper that you'll never replicate at a centre. That's just the way it is.

Best bits tbh, are the trail centres that you find extra additions that are natural that go outside of the trail centre.

Good example is the masts loop at llandegla, gives you a good mix of trail centre riding, and techy/more natural riding

Usually find people who are pretty cack at riding avoid them,ime anyway....

Oh & this post pops up about every 3-4 months or so & has done for the past 10 years that I know to..........

emac65 +1.

They are what they are, great fun and if you have a few hours to spare, you are guaranteed a decent ride.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Most riding looks a bit shite on helmetcam

The thing is they looked, well, errrrr dull. It was just featureless, smooth singletrack apart from inners which looked rocky and fun.
What's the appeal with them to "seasoned" mountain bikers?? Surely the rocks of the peaks etc are more of a challenge??

Here's a crazy idea, why not try actually riding a few and decide for yourself? Videos tend to flatten/smooth stuff out - sometimes they are actually dull, but then so are bridleways.

As above - I generally go to them when I'm with a mixed ability group, sometimes people need to hire bikes, and it's good for people to be able to hang around and get a coffee etc.

That said, I'd ride the last bit of the Climachx trail over most bridleways.

B.A Nana.....I see what you did there 😆
Obviously those two statements should be taken in isolation 😳
I do actually quite like hammering around 'after hours' knowing I'm the only one in the forest....being 'naughty'.

Most riding looks a bit shite on helmetcam

So true..

For example, Fort William WC DH track which looks fairly tame in this vid..

Rode it last weekend and it takes some balls to ride some of those rock gardens. And also there are plenty of suprise 4/5ft drops to flat. Looks LOTS more calm and sedate on film than it does when you're the rider.

since kimbers jr came along ive realised how great trail centres are;
my opportunities to ride are few and far between i need something i can ride whatever the weather, i know exactly how long itll take me
and to liven them up just pedal faster
i also like the fact that at places like landegla there is a freeride area a pump track as well as trails
trail centres go through cycles after a surfacing they are bmx track bermtastic a few years and braking bumps and erosion make them more technical and demanding

Usually find people who are pretty cack at riding avoid them

I usualy find a lot of people who ride them are pretty cack at riding. 😉

Some people are desperate to somehow 'define' the riding they do....others just ride what they like, when they like.

I find it hard to believe that the haters out there have finished a lap of a trail centre and don't recall smiling or enjoying it once along the way!

I usualy find a lot of people who ride them are pretty cack at riding.

I usually find people who like to brag on the internet about their superiority are pretty cack at riding.

I can't see any bragging myself.

Just observations from a few people.

I usualy find people that don't ride much are pretty cack at riding and lacking in humour though. 😀

I usually find people who argue on the internet over semantics are pretty dull.
sstu's got a point tho.

"Just obserations."

I find people who brag about riding on the Internet are pretty rubbish at writing.

😆

Tj's gonna be along in a minute so make hay before he pwns the lot of us.

I like trail centres (well I've only ever done Cannock cus Sherwood doesn't really count!), you get a few hours of riding, without faffing trying to find trails, and I'm not that good a rider, so I still find it a challenge to do all the "obstacles" especially at speed.

But each to their own.

I usualy find that people who don't argue on the internet are pretty cack at pointless internet arguing. 🙂

Usually find people who are pretty cack at riding avoid them,ime anyway....

Really?? That's an interesting point. How do you come to that conclusion??

I really like Kirroughtree and Dalbeattie. There's loads more rock and shit than on a lot of natural trails and even the likes of Glentress are great fun for the occasional spin.

You're thinking-empirical evidence+sound reasoning=logical conclusion.....FAIL.This is the interweb!!

There was'nt too much shit on the trails when I was there.Certainly not as much sheep poo as there usually is on my local trails.

There's loads more rock and shit than on a lot of natural trails

Maybe that's what trail centres need.

More shitgarden sections.

i like to ride my bike. i occasionally go to trail centres. i like riding it there too. I dont really get too hooked up on where im riding, where others are riding, or whether its natural or man made. If its fast and grin inducing, then its job done in my book.

Usually find people who are pretty cack at riding avoid them,ime anyway....

Really?? That's an interesting point. How do you come to that conclusion??

Easy, I think what can I write to stir things up a bit & hey presto there it is.........

FWIW,I like all riding....

 

Man, I like this site but some of you need to get laid!!

Its like asking what is best white bread or brown, some will be all for one whilst some all for the other, some will eat both.

As long as your out there who cares?

Easy, I think what can I write to stir things up a bit & hey presto there it is.........

Knew it [img] [/img]

As long as your out there who cares?

You clearly.

gixerator

There is no place for rational posts on here!

Begone, heathen!

Aslong as your out there who cares?

That's all well and good but it's hard to argue if we all agree.

you're....I care 👿

You get out, what you put in!

If it's not exciting enough, then simply go faster! ❗

I find that when you're actually working on developing your skills and riding ability, everything is fun!

On the other hand when you spend your time [s]moaning about[/s] contemplating how shite something is, guess what! how could it not be shite ❓

On the other hand when you spend your time moaning about contemplating how shite something is, guess what! how could it not be shite

I like to cuddle puppies. In fact here's a photo [img] [/img]

Llandegla is my favourite.

Trying to revive the thread a bit there GG. 🙂

I like mixing it up with local trails and then pass through the trail center, have a brew then home, missed you Rorschach today , your rock placement on the dyke was very neat, I was going to do a bit myself but it was hooning with rain, we need to try and get it back down to a single path and not a 6 foot swathe.. 😀

fun when I go but jut not rocky enough for my tastes TBH
Each to their own

There's no gates to constantly have to open and close

No, just anti-mx barriers to negotiate! 🙂

Great in Winter as they are built forvall weathers.

Aye Mr M.Day off today.....five 60km days on the trot and my legs are a bit achey!Squished my foot with one of the bigguns and had an out of body shouty experience.Some more bits to do but will require some extra oomph.

surely there's some middle ground here?

😯

I love trailcentres, not for the riding though*, I have a thing about VW Transporters and low end Audi estates.

* Actually the riding too, I used to be one of those nauseating ****ers who "couldn't understand" trailcentres, but then i rode places like Afan, Cwmcarn, Inners, Glentress, etc and you know what, they were mostly great and I could have a shower and a cup of tea afterwards.

What's not to love? I suppose they don't fit in with my macho wild hardman image and there are loads of poors on their crapbox bikes getting in my way, and the trails are too sanitised for my rad gnarskillz. There are also ****ers on their overbuilt skills compensators (everyone who has a better bike than me) so I'm sure you can understand my inner turmoil. Oh wait I'm actually a middle aged overweight IT consultant from Reading like everyone else so I'll just 'sperg my impotent rage all over the internet instead

This is what its come to RJ......arguing with yourself,tsk. 😉

😀

RJ - spot on mate: irony, sarcasm, humour, self-depreciation, taking the piss out of others to compensate for your own lack of self-esteem, stereotyping, niche-mongering, pointless electronic arguing..all the bases covered in one post. Top stuff Sir I salute you! With a bit of luck it will really twist the knickers of some who think it's important to stick a label on people..

They are all weather

I find it important to label myself.
Labels are all weather?
[img] [/img]

I was at LLandegla yesterday and there was a great big black Sprinter (not Linford Christie or Usain Bolt) with ST logos all over it in the carpark.
So the guys at the mag are obviously happy to ride them.

In complete contrast, I went filming today in South Wales on DH tracks with one our Lodge Cycles team riders on his brand new Nukeproof Scalp.
It's one of the 1st in the country other than the team bikes, and Lloydy was flying on it.
I rode the track on a demo trail bike (Transition covert) and I had just as much fun riding the Trail Centre yesterday on the Tranny and my Orange 5 with a couple of friends as I did today on the more technical high speed stuff.

As someone said earlier, it's just about having fun on a bike in good company.

meehaja - Member

yeah. trail centres are a bit motorway IMO

You've been riding the wrong trail centres...

They normaly have a bit of everything in them, also graded for ridding ability, so for instatnce you aint going to find kids on routes were you find downhill rigs, ect ect, nor do you have to keep stopping to check the bloody map, just follow the coloured marker, Also 99% of the trails are man made so no real danger of flying down singletrack and coming to a 10ft rock ledge or something thats going to hurt you..... Unless its a black double diamond route. great fun, i use the 7stanes more than i use the Welsh trails.
Probably the best trail i have ever ridden would have to be Golspie Wildcat trail.
The only trail centre in Scotland thats a little moterway..ish is Glentress, but dont get there at the same time as everyone else, if you want it quit get there at 6am or early afternoon, simple. many atime i have turned up at a trail centre at 6pm in the summer, you dont meet a single person, the trails can be all yours if you plan it right.

Monkeyschild, what kind of bikes do monkeys ride ❓

Hmmmm I wonder if the guys from ST were at Llandegla to test ride the new 10km of Red route that due to open soon......

They are often (but not always) boring if you ride them slowly. They only get really fun when you go really fast. I ride Cwmcarn a lot and I always try to beat my time. I know it really well now which leads to silly speeds and major grin factor.

If you find them dull, get a move on!

This applies to ups and downs. The first climb at Afan can be boring but it makes a good personal time trial if you focus on doing it as fast as possible.

I don't normally say this but +1 kaesae 🙂

My local 'natural' loops are in and out the woods, my local trail centre goes erm.....in and out the woods, a little bit of man made boardwalk & rock feature type stuff is the only difference.

molgrips, it's good too see you on the ball and right for once 😀

Bugroff, I say the same thing every time this comes up 🙂

A likely story sunshine.
That's what they all say!

I had cause to ride afan 3 times a week for about 6 weeks a couple of summers ago. I got bored surprisingly quickly and I realised theres a lack of line choice.

I guess it depends on what you get from your riding. I'm a pretty average rider and can do trail centres at a decent speed, but even then I found I missed the act of computing my own line choices - this is clearly part of the reward for me - I knew I preferred [i]au natural[/i] trail riding, but it took a while for me to understand why.

For a long time, I've found the actual trail surfaces pretty dull too, although, a trip to Afan earlier this year showed me that they've started to wear in pretty nicely, and the technical climb at Cwmcarn was brilliant!

I'm quite happy to go to trail centres a few times a year - I have a soft sport for CyB especially, but sessioning the same man made trail week after week is not for me - theres simply not enough variety.

It's about perspective isn't it?
If you live in the wilds of scotland, the lakes or snowdon you're not going to appreciate TCs as much as those who live in a major city in england.
The man made argument is a bit daft though, trail builders can make some brilliant stuff be it in your local woods or a forest (most of the trails I rode in BC were man made). My most disappointing rides have all been exploration rides which have consisted of flat bridleways running through fields and/or including lots of road sections.
There was a great article in Dirt a month or so back which pretty much summed up trail centres, written by a brit who had lived in BC for a few years.

There is so much to learn about riding, extra g braking or cornering , the apex of a corner and different techniques for dealing with them. Or even cutties.

Then you have braking, peddle stroke, cock pitt familiarity and manipulations, there are so many techniques to learn and if you can master.

I doubt that I will ever get bored even just riding my local bing is a great oppertunity for me, there is always more to learn and more skills to be developed, if all your doing is the same stuff over and over, yes it will get dull.

It all comes down to attitude and getting the most out of your saddle time!!!

I don't do trail centres because I won't let the man tell me where to go with his little arrows. You can't tame me. I'm a rebel.

I got bored surprisingly quickly and I realised theres a lack of line choice.

not much different to singletrack then..