You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Put simply, where do you think is the best place to ride in the UK? Thanks for all your nominations. Here’s the list of finalists. Dyfi Bike Park The ...
By ben_haworth
Get the full story here:
Can't believe you didn't include "That loop of old landy track that's cut down to chunky bedrock, behind Atholl Hill in Dunkeld" on this list.
I think there's a typo in the heading of the article:
Best UK Trail Centre type Riding Destination – Singletrack World Awards 2024
North Wales roads (lanes)... When it's dry!
Parkamoor, as it used to be.
Best UK Trail Centre type Riding Destination – Singletrack World Awards 2024
I'm guessing that only Trail Centres were nominated.
2 private bike parks, one location that includes a trail centre but is not limited to it, and one that is definitely not a trail centre of any kind.
I’d say the golfie is a trail centre, it’s even got a trail marker post. Out of those 4 dyfi at the top and bpw in 5th, narrowly being pipped by doing a day long vo2 training session on zwift
I’d say the golfie is a trail centre, it’s even got a trail marker post.
I was thinking about this yesterday on the fireroad climb.
They're more a promotional aid for TVTA than anything in my view. You can scan the QR code and donate to TVTA.
They don't fit the Trail Centre model in that they are not direction posts that you follow in a circular route.
Just a post to denote the start point of a trail and most of the trails don't have them.
You can also ride many different trails from the marked starting point of some of the named trails.
My local local trails have name plates on some of them but I bet no one has ever called that a Trail Center because the trail builder has nailed a name plate to a tree.
Not ridden them all so it doesn't seem fair to comment .
ok.
Damn, tough choices this year. Only the Golfie doesn’t owe me a helmet but there’s more to the Tweed Valley, Yair for example.
FoD is my home away from home and if I couldn’t ever ride anywhere else again until I die I’d die happy. There’s something for every ability.
BPW is my bogey venue. Loved it the first few visits but not so much recently. No idea why, except possibly Dyfi is IMO much better.
Dyfi is so good, but mostly way above my pay grade. Super Swooper is sublime but I don’t have the minerals (or ability) for a lot of it.
After typing all that I’m still not sure on the final outcome but I’m casting my vote for FoD.
Back in the mists of time (90's?) I remember a tongue-in-cheek article in a (printed) MTB mag suggesting an Orwellian future where mountain bikers are herded into small pay-per-play areas to enjoy their hobby. Looking at this list - are we nearly in that future?
Seems like a short list amongst so many brilliant riding destinations . In true 80s fashion im "voting none of the above !"
Of that limited and niche list:
1. Golfie - never had a day there where I've come away anything less than knackered but absolutely buzzing
2. BPW - you sit on a bus and ride down a hill all day. Usually ace, last trip I came away thinking it was a little bit bof. Bigger queues than I remember and later starts/earlier finishes for the uplift. The biblical weather didn't help...
3. FOD - been a few times just to ride the waymarked stuff. Its good in a "normal" trail centre type of way. Given the limited height they have to play with, its everything Dalby (my local) should be but isn't with similar terrain.
4. Dyfi - not ridden it so against the rules of the internet, I'm not going to pass comment but the videos I've seen etc don't entice me to spend a day with dudez on DH bikes shouting rad and dope and whooping like that Timmy C whopper on the toob.
Nothing with repeat fireroad climbs gets my vote.
Dyfi shut due to snow when we pulled up after a 6hr drive but they wouldn't crank up that big party speaker and get the beers in as an alternative so I can't vote for them (they were stressed to be fair so I get it, I was just ready to party!).
Haven't been to FoD or BPW so I can't vote for them either lol so my protest vote goes to the Lake District!
Back in the mists of time (90’s?) I remember a tongue-in-cheek article in a (printed) MTB mag suggesting an Orwellian future where mountain bikers are herded into small pay-per-play areas to enjoy their hobby. Looking at this list – are we nearly in that future?
It was quite a frequent comment when trail centres started to appear.
I reckon there's a definite case to split this sort of thing into two categories:
-
<li style="text-align: left;">best UK trail centre - there's a lot of effort that goes into running these, often dependent on volunteers, so would be great to see that recognised.
- Best UK natural riding - for those that steer clear of trail centres and prefer to explore the wilds.
Back in the mists of time (90’s?) I remember a tongue-in-cheek article in a (printed) MTB mag suggesting an Orwellian future where mountain bikers are herded into small pay-per-play areas to enjoy their hobby. Looking at this list – are we nearly in that future?
I think it’s true. But i don’t thinks it’s a conspiracy. Sanctioned or not the strava heat map shows huge amounts of off road riding is concentrated in very small areas.
The riding across the map in increasingly propped up by gravel and bikepacking
Given all the whinging about the voting options it would be interesting to see what the nominations were.
I no longer live in the UK so won't be voting (I've also never ridden any of the 4 places ) I'm with several other posters, have a few more 'destinations' in the poll...including some natural 'get an OS map out and plot a route' sort of places.
What were the nominations?
( And indeed, from whom?)