I don't know about everyone else, but I'm starting to tire of the whole manufactured Trail Centre thing.
Sure, for a quick blast around without thinking about it too much then they still serve a purpose, but for me there's no real challenge there anymore. It's all starting to feel a bit fake. They are all pretty similar at the end of the day however much 'north shore' you sex it up with.
I've done a lot of these centres too. Most of the centres in Wales, several in Scotland and plenty of places in England from Thetford to Whinlatter. Several mates have only ever ridden at trail centres and maybe they think that this is what mountain biking is all about?
So I have been doing much more natural riding this year and it's totally different kettle of fish. Off road routes in the Peaks and Lake District are far more of a challenge. We did Snowdon at the start of the year (just before the ban takes hold) and this was great - proper riding over real testing terrain.
So for the rest of this year I will be mostly steering clear of trail centres and instead will be picking natural lines down big mountains.
Surely proper mountain biking is not trail centres, but getting out there into the wild? Does anyone else feel the same thing?
