Advice for a Llandegla virgin please.

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Advice for a Llandegla virgin please.

35 posts & 24 voices | Started 2 years ago by Jenga | Latest reply from MrOvershoot

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Jenga - Member

Tomorrow was pencilled in for Cross Fell, don't laugh. Now the thought is to go and have a look at what all this trail centre riding is about. So Llandegla it is. Just a few numpty questions:-

1) There are reports of a car park barrier. If true, what time does it open?

2) I presume it is a pay car park. If so how much? Don't want to be short of change and get a massive ticket for want of a few pence.

3) How easy is it to find the way round? Is it signed well? Probably the red route for a first visit.

4) Usual Saturday rides are XC anywhere from 25 - 35 miles. Llandegla appears to be only about 10 miles. Is it sensible to think of going round twice, just to make the journey worthwile?

Posted 2 years ago #
james - Member

Where are you based? It may be that whinlatter/lee quarry etc .. are nearer to you if you say trail centr riding is new to you

"Probably the red route for a first visit"
Do the 'black' options, they not difficult just that if you don't keep an eye on your speed you could end up in a tree. I found the 'red' bits pretty dull

Posted 2 years ago #
orange - Member

'bout 8:30am-ish

£2.50 or £4 depending on duration

yes - signed well

do two laps - blue first lap then then red with all the black options second, this should come to about 20 miles (the black sections are not that bad)

Posted 2 years ago #
mccett - Member

1) Open early morning, ive been there before 9 before and its open.
2) £2.50 for half day - £4.00 all day.
3) Well signposted from car park. Do the black, its longer but no harder to ride.
4) Go round twice is fine, tea stop at the cafe before second lap and then you know what to expect on lap 2 with the jumps and whatnot. Alternatively, head out over the moors and add some extra mileage in then come back into the forest and complete rest of the route.

Have fun. Cue 20 replies about how crap Llandegla is as per normal.

Posted 2 years ago #
Jenga - Member

Thanks guys, that's all useful. Did think about going to the masts, but might just stick with the standard routes for a first visit. Think skill levels are above blue - should be by now!!!

Posted 2 years ago #
grumm - Member

Complete beginners would be fine with the majority of the black bits - and they are the best bits so def do them! You can also 'session' at least one of them - ride back up the fire-road and do it again, obvious on the map.

By the way anyone know when the freeride area/skills loop thingy opens?

Posted 2 years ago #
jedi - Member

im there monday til wednesday on a skills instructors course.never been before

Posted 2 years ago #
Coyote - Member

Good luck with that Jedi. It's not as extreme as the stuff you are comfortable with but I get a sneaky feeling you'll enjoy it.

Oh, and to answer the OP, it's a blast. It's definitely what you make of it. Go with a positive mental attitude and you'll have a great time. Which reminds me, I need to get there again soon.

Posted 2 years ago #
jedi - Member

mate, i love riding any bike anywhere

Posted 2 years ago #
xherbivorex - Member

i was there today; took a mate who's never been before and hasn't really even done a whole lot of riding at all, and he was fine with all of the red. next time, he's doing the black sections too though...

Posted 2 years ago #
Jenga - Member

Well I went and didn't kill myself.

What a load of tossers in the car park, all in company Mercs, Beemers, Audis, Volvos, Saabs etc. Guy next to me had a bike that was all carbon fibre, and then told me that I'd be better off sticking to the blue as I'd only got a hardtail.

Now the hardtail is my brand new 2010 P7, so I ignored him.

Why was everyone wearing more clothes for 10 miles in a forest in September than I wear for 30 miles on the moors in January. It wasn't cold or windy or wet. Answers on a postcard to....

Did the red and just rode at my normal pace and was back inside 1 hour 15 mins. Felt a trifle let down. It was OK, but nothing more.

Went out again and did the black. No trouble at all on the P7. Took 1 hour 43 mins. The black is a much better route than the red, but I didn't find it excessively technical. Didn't seem any different from some of my XC rides. Maybe I'm a better rider than I thought. NO, that can't be true.

When I got back to the car park, Mr Carbon Fibre had just returned form one circuit of the red. He wouldn't believe what I'd done, saying it was impossible on "that bike".

Will I go back? Think so; twice round makes a good day and I might even get down the rock wall that I missed due to reading the signs wrong.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Posted 2 years ago #
GaryLake - Member

LOL at the Audi Carbon guy - from what I remeber, you could probably do the Llandegla black on a CX bike! Good fun there though!

Posted 2 years ago #
neilsonwheels - Member

The Audi guy sounds very familiar. Blokes who turn up with 6 inches of travel front and rear to do a lap of "follow the dog" up Cannock chase on a Sunday morning and spend most of that time tw&ttin around with the suspension set up.

Bless.

I went up to Llandegla last week on the "hard tail" and it was fun. There were a few single speeds belting round the black run as well...and not a beard in sight.!

Posted 2 years ago #
rOcKeTdOg - Member

OMG you did the red and black on a HT?? sign up for a pro career at once!!

*shakes head @ Audi guy*

Llandegla is good, but i hate that board walk/log section,just can.t get that to flow for some reason and i hate it at weekends, as you say too full in the carpark

Posted 2 years ago #
ChatsworthMusters - Member

Ah, that loggy section. Totally ballsed it up first time round. Second time I got half way up it then bounced myself to a stop. I'll get it eventually.

Posted 2 years ago #
jackal - Member

When I got back to the car park, Mr Carbon Fibre had just returned form one circuit of the red. He wouldn't believe what I'd done, saying it was impossible on "that bike".

Ha ha, makes you wonder where these people ride. The black run is extremely easy, did it twice on the cotic with the forks wound down to 100mm for most of it.

Still good fun tho, jedi said it perfectly;

mate, i love riding any bike anywhere

Posted 2 years ago #
xherbivorex - Member

i've ridden there on a hardtail and also a 6" travel 'freeride' bike... both are fun in their own way, but overall it's easier on the HT for sure.
and yeah, the log section is a pain. not that difficult though, but not a lot of fun either.

Posted 2 years ago #
ChatsworthMusters - Member

Sorry mispost

Posted 2 years ago #
Jenga - Member

I thought it was easier on the HT than it would have been on the susser. Just seemed to be more "flickable".

When I said Llandegla virgin, I really meant trail centre virgin. I enjoyed the black and there was nothing in there to frighten me. But...how does that compare to other trail centres? I'm thinking of Marin, Penmachno, Gisburn, Whinlatter all of which are reachable from home. I'm sort of planning a winter's campaign in the forests.

Posted 2 years ago #
pantsonfire - Member

Yes that bumpy bit of boardwalk is a pest the rest of the place is smooth and flat out then you come to that and your always behind someone who grinds to a halt and cant get going again and your stuck whilst they walk it.

Its neither one thing or another.

Either raise it up and make it a proper black North shore or flatten it out and make it super fast with a wall ride and a drop.

Posted 2 years ago #
rOcKeTdOg - Member

marin is very fireroady, penmachno is much better , can't speak for the other 2, not been yet

Posted 2 years ago #
jackal - Member

I'm not just a Llandegla virgin, I've no trail centre experience at all. How does the black here compare to other centres?

Well i was a trail centre virgin until this year too, after about 14 years of riding mtb's!
In a 3 day extended weekend away we rode brechfa black then red in one day then afan/glyncorrwg over the next two.
None of it that hard at all really on the cotic, i enjoyed the final descent on the red at brechfa and the final descent on the wall or skyline (hmm can't remember what it was called?) that finishes at the drop off cafe, would it be called jet lag or something like that, can't remember..

We then did llandegla the week after which was the easiest of the lot.

I can understand why people don't like them, but hey i enjoyed it...

Posted 2 years ago #
philsimm - Member

I fell off that loggy thing at Llandegla today

Posted 2 years ago #
gazman - Member
jenga, glad you enjoyed it at llandegla, penmachno is my favourite of the 2 but i
m gonna go again in next few weeks tho.
Posted 2 years ago #
tops 5 - Member

I never have a problem with it despite driving an Audi

Posted 2 years ago #
gus - Member

'What a load of tossers in the car park'
You always find this at popular riding spots, but you never see them out on the trail!
I can understand why people knock trail centres, most are not that hard, but their spot on for a easy fix!
Can't think of one that I haven't enjoyed

Having the trail centres in Scotland are more tech than those in England and Wales. I would say a lot of riders would struggle with Laggan wolf track black.

Posted 2 years ago #
fivespot - Member

jenga....It may not be technical at 1 hr 15 for the red and 1hr 43 for the black. Try doing the red in under an hour, or the black under 1hr 20, then you start to realy enjoy it!!

Posted 2 years ago #
Pembo - Member

Saw a P7 parked up when we were leaving at 5:30, nice bike. Hope you were keeping a close eye on it, bikes have gone missing from the decking on more than one occasion. More grin factor riding it on a HT than a FS IMHO. Logs are OK now they have recovered the chicken wire, you just need to power up the first section. Started at 3 and only saw about 6 other riders after the climb.

Posted 2 years ago #
Jenga - Member

Yes, I thought that the target times might be in those sort of areas. Beyond me, mentally or physically I'm afraid. Having said that I did notice that I was covering the bits of red faster on the second run. Familiarity and all that!

Pembo, wasn't mine. I had a pint in my hand by then. And don't worry, it never leaves my sight unless it's well locked up. I was amazed at all the bikes just lying about. I hope their owners were very near.

Posted 2 years ago #
MrOvershoot - Member

I'm absolutely shite on a bike but have done the "Red+black" on a rigid SS with little problem.

Still like Llandegla though

Posted 2 years ago #
Young Dave riley - Member

Penmachno is the best trail centre that I have visited.It's got a nice natural feel to it and it's nowhere near as busy as llandegla

Posted 2 years ago #
grantmitchell - Member

I'm absolutely shite on a bike but have done the "Red+black" on a rigid SS with little problem.

aye, it's the wirral way lanes you keep crashing on ;-p

Posted 2 years ago #
Rorschach - Member

"you could probably do the Llandegla black on a CX bike".You can.

Posted 2 years ago #
jedi - Member

im looking forward to some hummertime there tomorrow

Posted 2 years ago #
MrOvershoot - Member

jedi - Member

im looking forward to some hummertime there tomorrow

Looks like the weather will be OK for you as well

Posted 2 years ago #

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