Xyeti.
Again another one who I hope lives as far away from here as possible! It’s causing problems with the land owners because of the attitudes of people just like yourself.
Yes artist that’s the place.

Straightening has been an issue for decades. In an attempt to go faster, people avoid the actual trail. The less skilled riders take the straight line as it is easier and allows them to keep up (or they follow someone).
The trails widen and get easier…more riders use it, they then widen it more (some removing trees and features to make it even easier).
I’ve seen it in every area I’ve ridden…it isn’t Strava, it is people with too little skill taking an easier line to try to be fast.
Most obvious on natural trails but happens a lot at man-made trail centres as well…I don’t understand it myself but it is far too common.

Wrightyson, i ride there quite often, I rode in those woods 30 years ago and continue to do so, I’ve not ridden there since October, not because I think the trails belong to me and I’m doing my bit to preserve them or that I give two hoots about the land owner, by the way land owners are never happy.

So just for your narrow minded self I’d just like to point out that my attitude bares no relevance to the land owners problems, And instead of cosying up to the land owner helping them burden the problem and blaming cyclists why don’t you do something constructive if it’s grating your balls that much, hold a meeting “Locally” because it sounds like you only want locals riding there, get a team of riders there who share your sentiment and tape off the trails and let them recover, Police this top and bottom tape it off and make sure your Mate,s who own the land get in contact with STRAVA and have the routes removed so that NO ONE with an adventurous nature can take advantage of some software highlighting such places to ride.

And to think you probably call yourself a Cyclist, and I wished I lived as far away from you as possible.

These are my local trails, and the woods above the canal are my ride to work. All the trails are knackered until you get to the dark peak and strava has nothing to do with it- you can’t get a good time on any of the trails now.

The problem is the weather. Every trail is on poorly drained clay soil, every trail is saturated and any traffic, foot or wheels, will cut it up. There isn’t a local dry alternative so people who want to use a trail have to use the wet, saturated routes and they get cut up.

A nice flowy trail by my house has been trashed by horses and is now unrideable, one I take to the canal has been ripped up by walkers and the trails that link them up have been trashed by cyclists. But ultimately it’s the weather and our restrictive access laws that strap people to certain routes with no alternatives that are the problem.

Thankfull Xyeti isn’t a local round here, as we have plenty of corner cutters and trail straighteners to deal with.

Xyeti I don’t know the land owners but there is rumblings of police being involved up at shining cliff due to people taking the piss. I’m glad you were up there 30 years ago. It’s only been 25 for me as I’m a wirksworth lad and it’s where I cut my teeth. And you’re right I’m not a cyclist, I’m a mountain biker with a tad more care for what we’ve luckily got on our door step than you.

Was riding Black Rocks yesterday that stuff had been absolutely hammered this winter. But I guess that’s a fact of life. Looks like the area is been used more and more.

Xyeti.
Let me paraphrase to save a longer debate.
wrightyson: I wish people could be considerate, reasonable and sensible in the way they ride, so that everyone benefits.
you: why should I ? I’m a t**t

less people use strava than you think TBH.

It’s probably just idiots

…. Who use strava, I pressume (smirk)

Yes, thats a great idea, get the police involved, People Taking the piss is always a good use of resources.

Wrightyson, Its great that your a Mountain biker with a tad more care for what you have on your door step than me, You still wont be able to stop Erosion or the Water course which will always follow the path of least resistance and give no regards to your swoopy flowy trail, The ground is holding water more now than it has all winter because its at saturation point, But i like your thought, Build un natural stuff in a woods, alter the Natural terrain disrupt the water run off and then blame folk for riding it wrong. Top job. Well Done. Lets call it…………… STRAVA Damage.

Your right get the Police involved.

imnotverygood, Thanks for your input and your little prologue that is playing out in your head, T**T.

Interestingly I was looking at my Strava tomes from runs around the area OP is chatting about and they have been fairly consistent over the winter and only a few seconds shy of summer times. So I guess while it looks very hammered you can still go fast and have plenty of fun!

EDIT

Do think people have clocked on to how good an area it is to ride. People had come from 4 or 5 counties in a recent ride.

Wrightyson – I really don’t think it’s done that badly given how wet it’s been since mid-Oct and how many people are using it on strava. I have noticed some of the corners getting straighter on the middle climb up to trig point last summer. Not sure where else you could mean. It’s not exactly smooth and flowing up there in perfectly dry conditions, and the difficult terrain attracts some of the finest riders in the country.

It’s nothing to do with Strava, this happens every winter where I ride and has done since I can remember, its generally just people avoiding the worst mud or fallen branches and then creating more muddy lines in the process. It usually sorts itself out come summer when the singletrack lines are clear again (and sometimes different from the year before which isn’t always a bad thing as trails evolve and new features develop).

I tried using my phone to damage the trails, not much happened. Idiots will be idiots and people will still ride in stupid conditions.

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you mean the trail that lies just the other side of a little gate, where there has been some felling in recent years? as well as earlier this winter?

You didn’t exactly hang about given the conditions. Congrats on your 6th place out of 19 this year.

I’m riding Ambergate on Thursday, is it dry enough to make the swoopy bits or am I going to have to straight line it again?

Not done much there this year so hoping to make at least a few 2016 KOMs.