The fortunate thing with MTB’ing is taht you have to go up to come down

I guarantee that more and more people will become holiday mountain bikers, spending the odd weekend at uplift centres then hitting the Alps once a year. MTB is not the new golf, it’s the new skiing.

No climbing for them

Last time I was at Llandegla (the first time I’ve been there) I did two laps, and you know? That boardwalk made such an impression on me, I’d forgotten all about it.

People were pushing in the ‘Ard Rock as 1) some of the climbs were genuinely un-ridable (the second push back up the Fremington Ridge for example) and 2) there was no real reason to kill yourself, lots of folk were deliberately taking it easy.

I think good singletrack climbs are possible – Golspie, IMHO, is good example and the best trail centre climb I’ve experienced. I reckon Llandegla could build a better climb but it may require an act of God*.

* Now that the CofE own the forest. 😀

The first climb out of Grizedale (singletrack) is pretty good lots of obstacles to keep you thinking takes the boredom away completely, maybe something like that is needed?

no, apparently nothing is needed.

it’s mountain biking, it’s not meant to be fun. Every climb should be a pure, featureless experience. Free from petty things like joy or amusement.

If someone said to me ‘lets go up here it’s three miles of fireroad climb’ my first reaction would be tell them to piss off. And I like climbing.

Tjhey could certainly make that first bit a lot more inviting – but there may be limitations on the land etc meaning that they can’t

thestabiliser – Member
If someone said to me ‘lets go up here it’s three miles of fireroad climb’ my first reaction would be tell them to piss off. And I like climbing.

I wouldn’t.
But I do actually like climbing 😛

Ooooh, and back OT yes it has some climbs but I wouldn’t say a lot – certainly not compared to other trail centres.

LOL…… Llandegla has a horrible climb at the start eh?

You clearly haven’t ridden at Rostrevor then!

if the first climb at Degla is too long/boring simply turn left halfway up and head over the moors to break it up 😉

Perhaps they should put some singletrack into it (works at Glentrees, Innerleithen, Afan(old Whites Level was one of the best TC climbs around), Cwm Carn etc) but perhaps one consideration in the planning was that area was always down for harvesting since the early days of the trail so any s/t construction in that area would have been a waste and now its harvested and re-planted the forest needs to recover a bit first, it is after all first and foremost a commercial wood farm

I reckon this is the “off piste” black drop mentioned on the previous page?

Bit daunting 1st go.

The boardwalk after this (where the red re-joins the black) ends pretty abruptly I’ve never considered it rollable – sounds like it is though!

I was here at the weekend also, I don’t mind the initial slog, I only really ride here with friends though so it is a good warm up / catch up. The end climbs do me in though.

The above drop looks really imposing stood up next to it, I ride all the other black sections but have given this bit a miss so far.

When my new bike arrives i’ll give it a go!

You know what you’re getting when you go to Llandegla, it’s a giant BMX track. It’s fun, it’s low stress and it has a great cafe. It’s not for everyone and it’s not for every ride, but once or twice a year I think it’s great. That last switch-backed climb is a bit of a one though.

how many of you are on 160mm gnar-poon bikes with big sticky tyres?

I am and I loved it, we’re going back in a few weeks (as well as Brechfa, CyB, and nanty)

Adding singletrack just ain’t going to work with how busy trail centres get.

tell that to Afan, where they relatively recently added Alpha and Elevator to the first climb of YWall. Elevator in particular is terrific, it’s singletrack which seems to suck you along uphill.

Conversely the climbs at Gisburn are some of the best trail centre climbs I’ve done

yes, Yes, YES

One advantage that the initial slog at degla is that it works really well with kids if you’re into towing them.
You can get them to the top with relatively little effort on their part leaving them to enjoy the rest of the red whilst still being relatively fresh.
We tend to just ride out the end of the carpark and up the fire road. It’s a fair bit shorter than the proper climb and not that much less technical to be honest 👿

It’s probably a good alternative for those who don’t enjoy the speed/ fitness aspect of the proper climb.

I really like the red/black climbs. The red ones are brilliant for lung busting efforts, Julia’s trail has some steep good climbs on and the last descent makes it worthwhile any way. The black zig zag climb is a bit grindy I agree but it needs the switchbacks and it’s probably too steep to put much in the way of features on for your average rider.

What goes up must come down and I think degla does a great job with what it’s got, I think both the ups and downs get better the faster you’re going though!

I get the comparative argument, and of course it’s valid to discuss relative merits. But a fireroad slog isn’t that bad. For all the hype the Golfy at Innerleithen gets, it’s a pretty dull grind most of the way to the top, which you then pretty much repeat ad infinitum. And every time you’re at the bottom in less than 10 mins unless you stretch it out. Obviously the sheer awesomeness of the trails completely makes up for it, but it’s still very much a winch and
plummet.

Is the problem here (like OP suggests) not necessarily the climb but just the relative lack of reward? Haven’t ridden it so can’t comment, but sounds a bit like the red at Ae.

Llandegla is my local so for the past two years since I started MTBing it’s been my training ground and I can do 17 minutes to the top on a 160mm bike which by the sounds of things on here suggests I hate climbing so much I want to get them over and done with fast 😉 Seriously though, Strava tells me I’ve done it 66 times and I started off in September 2013 with a time of 43 minutes and nearly died doing it. LOL. Must have enjoyed the downs a lot to stick at it.

I also love Penmachno and other’s hate that – it was singletrack heaven when I did both loops solo in June. I’m racing Enduro there in 2 weeks. The fitter you are the better all trails get. Penmachno is a belter though. The Marin is over too quickly but easy to session the awesome final down after a full loop.

I agree Llandegla’s climb is pretty boring but it’s all done with then. The rest of the little climbs are on single track even if some of them are sharp steep ones. Some places like CyB make you go up and DOWN on fire roads which does my nut in (until you find the short cuts). Llandegla doesn’t do that which I really appreciate.

I’ve just come back from Bikepark Wales at the weekend and WOW they know how to do a climb and it isn’t the in the really slow uplift bus. They have a climb called the Beast of Burden that goes up through the woods and it’s the most fun climb I’ve ever done. We rode up on Saturday afternoon (we’d got uplift booked all day Sunday). Two of us did the woods climb and the other three went on the bus… do you know who got to the top first? Not the bus.

The climb is a master of deception. It goes down a bit, up a bit more, down a bit, up a bit more, jump a root, around a few trees, down a bit, up a bit more, jump a root, down a bit, up a bit more. You’re having so much fun you don’t even realise you’re climbing. It was awesome. You could ride it all day and not get tired because you didn’t have to pedal a lot to gain a lot of height. Power of the pump. Other places need to copy that. I guess other places don’t have £M’s to spend on tracks, though. It does show that climbs don’t have to be boring.

You’re having so much fun you don’t even realise you’re climbing … climbs don’t have to be boring.

what he said.