Spent a week in the Borders last week.

GT has had an enormous amount of traffic through, and not the same level of maintenance in the last year or so.

It was incredibly dry, and I noticed lots of loose rock chips being chucked down to alleviate wear. These weren’t compacted, just thrown down and left loose unusually. Pyramids of loose rock chips dotted all over the place too, ready for distribution.

With the introduction of the PEEL centre and it’s costs, I wonder if the trail investment will suffer ?

Just my thoughts.

Innerleithen on the other hand with reduced traffic is still simply sublime. less erosion, and a great XC route 🙂

cue massive thread….

I actually think its had more maintenance in the last year than I’ve seen for years before that, entire sections have been resurfaced.

Some of the wooded sections are getting quite damaged but then you can only expect that given the popularity of the place. I don’t like the new surfaced sections but they’ll bed in and narrow down with time.

I think on the site it says the dryness of recent months makes trail repairs problematic and please don’t skid etc.

Inners is great, amazed how few people drive ten minutes further.

No. If your referring to the loose stuff on spooky woods, that whole section was redone at some expense. I’d say its a discredit to those who maintain the trails to say that stuff is just being chucked down.

fair enough balfa.

the braking ruts are worse, the gravel is loose and the place is much more BUSY !

will the PEEL centre not rob GT of trail development funds ?

Was at GT about a month ago and have to say I thought it was in great condition? Resurfaced Spooky Woods seemed spot on and in general yes it was busy but in good condition?

Must do Inners though – never been yet!

I don’t like trail centres, mainly because the hard wearing surface is crap to cycle on. The only exception for me is Drumlanrig.

In a country with the natural trails that Scotland has, it’s a crime that people flock to places like this. A symptom of society for me, it’s learnt behaviour to drive to Tescos out of town, so by natural extension you drive to a big car park to do your mountain biking. But there are so many natural trails out there.

The only good thing I have left to say about trail centres is that they mean I get more peace on the hill. Plus I can’t begrudge people what they want, or easy entry to the sport.

Have to say last weekend Spooky Wood was riding better than ever.
Don’t really like Inners XC that much.

I only ever ride certified deer tracks on my 1894 boneshaker.

These Tesco Trail Centres are nothing but trouble and are ruining our sport. I even read that hoodies congregate in the car parks.

Aye, they let women ride there too, whats the world coming to ! When I were a young ‘un we used to put wheels on a cardboard box etc etc

It’s making my blood boil just thinking about it! Women you say?

Stone them !

Have to say last weekend Spooky Wood was riding better than ever.

it hasn’t ridden as well since the trees across the top had to be felled after a storm started toppling them over on winter quite a few years ago.
unless worn out lips is “better” of course.

In a country with the natural trails that Scotland has, it’s a crime that people flock to places like this. A symptom of society for me, it’s learnt behaviour to drive to Tescos out of town, so by natural extension you drive to a big car park to do your mountain biking. But there are so many natural trails out there

There are NO NATURAL TRAILS anywhere. Glentress is the one and only true riding location. Do not deviate from the path! Keep my trails pristine and traffic free Keep enjoying your Sustransed mountain-bike goodness.

You can keep your ‘natural routes’ I was following a path carved out by foxes & badgers the other day. Nearly got taken out by a bus as the route crossed Princes Street.

Maybe the St. Andrews MTB club repaired the wrong trail?! 😀

Sure you know best (as usual) GW

I read in the Daily Mail that trail centre riding gives you cancer 😯

Surely If It encourages people who wouldn’t otherwise have got on there bike to get Into the sport Its a good thing. As for the old ‘I dont ride trail centres ,Only natural Hills’ attitude who really gives a **** . Do what you want to do and ride where you want to ride , at the end of the day Its all good for local B & b’s , pubs , retsaraunts , bike shops etc etc .

will the PEEL centre take trail development funds away ?

Maybe the St. Andrews MTB club repaired the wrong trail?!

Laughs out loud.

the_lecht_rocks – Member

I noticed lots of loose rock chips being chucked down to alleviate wear.

No you didn’t. What you’re seeing is stuff coming loose from the trails which is just a result of winter being followed by spring.

Have to say Spooky’s a mess just now, the big rebuild didn’t get ideal weather and the surface has really shrunk back, causing all that loose kitty litter. Course, the most ridden lines are clear but this is glentress we’re talking about, the most ridden line on every berm is at the bottom.

Having said that, it’s quite funny watching people expecting GW’s worn-out lips finding the new ones and getting fired into the sun. Won’t last though, they’re already wearing down. Can’t be bothered with it tbh, if I’m up that high I come down the other side.

the_lecht_rocks – Member

will the PEEL centre take trail development funds away ?

No, different budgets. The trail funds wouldn’t have paid for the toilets in the Peel tbh. Increased traffic should mean more parking money which goes back to the trails. If trail budgets rise and fall it’s not directly connected.

Have to say last weekend Spooky Wood was riding better than ever.
Don’t really like Inners XC that much.

Really? Innerleithen pee’s all over Spooky Wood for me, especially Caddon Bank. Different choices for different folks I guess.

Oh, and go do the Black route and ‘off piste’ stuff. See hardly anyone on those trails. A lot less body armour too…

inners wees in glentresses shoes & owns them with bombers – the bit coming off of Minch Moor is in my top 2 favourite trails.

TBH I think Innerleithen’s red is as overrated on here as Glentress is underrated, it has its good points but there’s an awful lot of nothing- lots of empty and fairly straight trail with a little jump or step every 50 metres. Think how little you actually do on the first section off minch moor frinstance. And not much variety either. It’s good fun though, and once you start adding in the downhill trails to your lap it goes up a notch.

Anyone know what the script is with building new stuff at GT? Seems like all the resource is tied up in maintaining the existing stuff? The black’s not changed in beards.

I guess if there is going to be a commitment to maintain the whole system, then maybe it can never get much bigger than it is now?

[personally be happy to see it all erode to shit and get interesting, but appreciate that’s an untenable position for such a popular spot].

I dont really get all the Inners hype either a very long climb then little downs then nothing then a good bit back to the car park.Thats it over

Garry_Lager – Member

Anyone know what the script is with building new stuff at GT? Seems like all the resource is tied up in maintaining the existing stuff? The black’s not changed in beards.

There’s ongoing new builds- A new blue section just opened a month ago, another one opened around the end of last year IIRC (Berm Baby Berm and the end of the Admiral). Not massive, but nice additions.

Other stuff’s been reroutes- the trailfairies did an extension on the black section of falla brae when the logs fell apart frinstance, likewise in Magic Mushroom to replace the shagged out bit- while we were rebuilding we sneaked in some more stuff. Hmm, think that’s it? Quite a while since Zoom or Bust got brought up to permanent spec. Tourist Trap I guess.

Future plans that I know of are the replacement Ewok Village, and I think after that there’s a major reroute/rebuild of Lombard Street, and I think Andy mentioned that the black is to get its wood features back.

But GT’s development is going to be fairly red and blue for the foreseeable future I reckon, since that’s where the traffic is. Makes sense really. Though I’d love it if they said “Righto! The old black is now a red. We’re building a proper black, it’ll be dangerous as ****”

After spending less time on STW recently, thought I’d have a look and see what was happening. Same old crap.

“not the same level of maintenance in the last year or so.”

It was under snow for most of the winter, not much work you can do on the trails then. Surprised there wasn’t more damage due to the deep freeze. And now it’s really dry it’s also very hard to do any repair work.

“lots of loose rock chips being chucked down to alleviate wear. These weren’t compacted, just thrown down and left loose”

Doesn’t happen. The guys that work there know what they’re doing, might not be to everybodies taste, but they’ll never please everybody. If only the people on here knew what they were talking about.

If only the people on here knew what they were talking about.

Come on Steven, you expect STW forum to be different from all the other forums on the net?! Opinion is the order of the day, fact has nothing to do with it. If you want fact try science or academia.

I did, I was rubbish.