They really really do have such an eclectic mix of people, admittedly we were at Cannock today so loads of other stuff going on, gruffalo trail, go ape etc, but it amazes me how on a rainy Saturday morning so many people can turn up so ill prepared. Me and laddo eating sausage rolls and drinking tea after a ride witnessed people moaning about the mud on go ape whilst in their best trainers, people with little kids in not even a coat moaning about the rain and as for the lads on bikes, long white socks and white shorts is always going to be a winner with the wife after a loop of follow ya dad in the rain.
Great to see folk out there enjoying it tho, we did.

Great to see folk out there enjoying it tho

Yeah I went to Swinley last year and was really pleased to see so many clueless newbies just getting stuck in.

😀

Cannock seems the worst for that, not that I’ve been everywhere of course.

Worst noob dress I’ve ever seen though was a guy pushing his bike down Penhydd all but cupping his nuts because he’d come off and almost completely ripped off his football shorts.

Well I didn’t want to be so harsh as to say that. Cannock really has it’s “characters,” such as the young lad in jeans and t and no lid on a full blown v10 Santa Cruz bezzing about outside the cafe pulling wheelies today, just seemed odd. But then there were some adult types with him who also seemed to lack helmets or common sense.
Sausage rolls were good tho!

Cannock does seem to get it’s more than fair share of types, maybe because of it’s proximity to several small towns, which is unlike most other trail centres.
Big groups of large ladies on hired bikes. Skinny chavs on carreras without helmets and my favourite…. ‘the couple.’ Typically found pushing up Cardiac while the bloke cycles slowly alongside. As you pass you might hear a grumpy female voice ‘well how far is it?’ or ‘you never said it’d be this far’ 😆

I’ve been to uplift days where the cool kids didn’t have anything more weather resistant than a hoodie.

As long as they don’t get hypothermia and are having fun.

he’d come off and almost completely ripped off his football shorts.

Sorry about that, the last descent was too exciting for me.

I worked at a well known North Walian trail centre for a few years…….the sh@t I’ve seen would turn you white.

I’m convinced that Llandegla has someone in the bushes armed with a spaniel cannon.

I worked at a well known North Walian trail centre for a few years…….the sh@t I’ve seen would turn you white.

Dogs and cats, living together. Mass hysteria.

I remember meeting a friend of a friend at Glentress.

We were in full XC jeyboy mode with hardtails, Lycra, clipless pedals and camelbacks.

He was a trials rider, jeans, hoody and a pack of Hula Hoops and a bottle of Fanta in his pockets for nutrition.

Went round the Black…

…and he absolutely destroyed us without breaking a sweat! 😳

Hat,can’t believe anyone got that!!

I’m not one to let a good pop culture reference go to waste (even if it was misquoted IIRC, “I’ve seen shit that’d turn you white”)… (-:

Saw two ebike noobs last weekend at Swinley
Brand new matching jackets and bikes

Judgmental all the gear so blinkered they’re too scared to ride to the corner shop without a helmet types are commonplace at trail centres. Despite their strong narrowminded views not one of ’em has ever had the balls to actually pass comment on my attire or lack of helmet. Despite all that gear most can’t even hold a wheelie nevermind smoke while doing so.

Despite their strong narrowminded views not one of ’em has ever had the balls to actually pass comment on my attire or lack of helmet. Despite all that gear most can’t even hold a wheelie nevermind smoke while doing so.

Swoon….

Hey, my lad rode in a pair of skinny cut off jeans today. Totally unacceptable but he didn’t care, if I could carry off the shredder look it’d be a lot cheaper than paying 60 quid for some padded shorts, however he did have a coat and a lid, and I was carrying everything else. What did make me smile today though was, three young 14 ish year olds on various bso’s coming down lower cliff, cracking young lads not sat at home on the x box but out peddling in the rain and all wearing helmets and a smile.

When i worked in MotorWorld in Aberystwyth in the early noughties, i took my bike to NyA on my lunch break. Had picked up some new wheels from Summit Cycles the day before and fitted them to my bike.

Completely unplanned trip, spur of the moment decision as it was pretty quiet that day.

So i went and did the Summit trail on my bike with new wheels in my shirt, tie, trousers and shoes. Bloody good ride that was, helped a lot that it was a nice day. I got a few strange looks and gave others a bit of a giggle.

Out in the pouring rain on top of the Ridgeway behind Cardiff, saw a couple of hardy dog walkers and a group of six approx 14 year olds. No idea what they were doing, looked like out for a walk. No shifty response to my riding past, not near any opportunity for mischief. And they were wearing waterproof jackets.

Trail centre car parks are where it’s at. I love joining in the “how long can I faff about before I’m ready to ride” competition.

group of six approx 14 year olds

Sounds like they were on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Ask ‘D of E?’ they’ll probably nod.

Watching others enjoy themselves seems to be a popular pastime at Cannock 😯

That can’t be right……no one enjoys themselves riding round cannock chase.

They weren’t riding “round” it I suspect.

I remember the first time I went to Glentress having bought a rockhopper and not sat on a bike for best part of 20 years. Chose to ride the red run as I remembered being ok on a bike…. in 1993

Struggled up the first hill, fell off on first downhill section .. been hooked ever since

My first thoughts of taking up biking again and looking for a bike was how ridiculously expensive they were…who the hell spends 3k on a bike..then went to GT..the carpark was full of them

Upgraded the the rockhopper to a 3k santa cruz a month later

Skinny cut-off jeans FTW! Never ride in anything else . . . well, actually I usually wear a top too 😳

and a padded thong?

Spoilsport

OOSH! On reading this I feel in need to ask for some autographs! So many great riders/writers.

Sounds like they were on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Ask ‘D of E?’ they’ll probably nod.

No gigantic rucksacks.

😆 😆 😆

I thunk it’s brilliant how many folk ride bikes these days. I remember when Coedy Brenin was all just forest and a track with layby that saw six people a day ride there….

matt_outandabout – Member
I thunk it’s brilliant how many folk ride bikes these days. I remember when Coedy Brenin was all just forest and a track with layby that saw six people a day ride there….

Got to agree with this. Trail centres do massively well attracting a broad spectrum of riders.

We’ve all got to learn somehow. I distinctly remember being about 14 and on holiday, convincing my mum to drop me off at Glentress to hire a bike for the day.

I was wearing baggy jeans and a hoodie, as was the fashion at the time. It absolutely chucked it down for the whole time I was there, my clothes quadrupled in weight, my Diskman got soaked and stopped working for 3 days, I suffered so much arse chafing that we had stop for Sudacrem on the way back to the campsite. Had a brilliant time though and I’m still knocking about on bikes so it obviously didn’t put me off 8)

When I was first really learning to ride in the Lakes about a decade ago, we went out in cotton tshirts, hoodies and swimming shorts (with padded shorts underneath, we weren’t masochists). So under equipped compared to what we wear and take with us today, but loved it so much.

I guess luckily for us we weren’t parading ourselves at trail centre carparks at the weekend, but random Lake District lay-bys and small car parks in the middle of the week.

We still thought we were totally awesome mind.

Whilst trail building at Gisburn I’ve noticed the clientele vary through the day. Early on (pre 10am) it’s full on lycra racing snakes, usually riding alone on hardtails. They’re followed by people on full suss fully kitted out, in groups. Often get families or dad and lad combos close behind them. Move into early afternoon and it’s stormtroopers with helmets hanging from their bars pushing up the fire roads close to a heart attack. Occasionally get the middle aged couple on bikes with shopping baskets at this point. Last in the day is the JD sports brigade, trainers, white socks, football shorts, JD sports draw string bag worn as a rucksack, no helmet, no waterproof, often covered in mud or sodden.

They all seem to enjoy the trails though and the accidents seem to be spread across the demographics. Just nice to see our work being used.

martinhutch – Member
he’d come off and almost completely ripped off his football shorts……

Sorry about that, the last descent was too exciting for me

excellent stuff thanks

I remember going to Llandegla one very cold winter’s day when it was snowing and riding behind a lad whose shorts had dropped down so far as to reveal about half his buttocks which looked very cold and red!

Well really!

Nico +1