If like me you dont like busy crowds queues people the prospect of a sunny bank holiday weekend isnt great.

Last week we had the thread about riding snowdon and walkers….

I already know that i wont be travelling anywhere that might involve any bank holiday traffic.

I also know that I will steer clear of certain local trails over the weekend due to the number of other users. Ive yet to visit the new swinley trails, but this weekend would be daft.

So – on that basis, which is the worst trail centre? Where have you been where you couldnt park, couldnt ride (sensibly) without interuption, couldnt get a drink/food where you expected, got over-run by zombiesramblers?

I was considering riding Llandegla on Sunday. Not sure if that’s just silly though..

Pedalabikeaway in FoD will be absolutely rammed all weekend. It gets crazy busy there, even in winter. There’s loads of other local picnic sites around though that are not only free to park, but a stones throw from the trails. Not that I’m begrudging the Forestry Commission their £3.50, but if there’s simply nowhere to park, and people sat everywhere in cars waiting for spaces to appear, what can you do!?

I avoid FOD like the plague nowadays. The amount of people there is quite ridiculous.

I always thought riding single track centres when it’s busy would be fine, you just wait a bit then go eh? I did degla last sunday and it was heaving, I waited before following someone but was nearly always up someones arse or someone was up my arse, and having someone up your arse whilst on a bike is not a good thing, let me tell you.

I’m torn this bank holiday the weather is supposed to be pretty good but cba with crowds. Degla will be carnage

Buy an OS landranger map for an interesting area nearby and go exploring.

Cannock and Llandegla seemed bad for getting busy – think plague of locusts.

Glentress can be rammed in the car park, but because it’s bigger and relatively few people take the black climb going out, it never feels too bad.

Good thing about FoD wrecker is the moment you go off-piste, it’s quiet as hell and you might as well be in a different forest to everyone else

The UK has a well established natural trail centre. Sorted.

The Lake District… all of it… not just the trail centres.

It will be Armageddon this weekend!

Good thing about FoD wrecker is the moment you go off-piste, it’s quiet as hell and you might as well be in a different forest to everyone else

Cannock’s no different ………….

Swinley since Easter. Parking is a nightmare now. Though it still doesn’t seem that bad once you’re on the trail- everyone seems to disappear quite nicely.

Just get up there early and avoid driving through Ambleside, Grassmere and Windermere and you’ll be fine.

Given that everyone should have headed out of London. I’ll be heading in to work at Spin LDN tomorrow. Might go for a ride Sunday though, but probably just in the cross bike. No hills for miles and too lazy to travel 🙂

FoD reports are a bit of a surprise, noted.
Llandegla is no surprise, that is already on my “midweek, non-school holiday” list of places to ride.

My folks gave up walking the lakes a few years back, compared to munro-bagging they hated the crowds, even outside peak times.

The UK has a well established natural trail centre. Sorted.

Yeah, Like the Lakes will be quiet on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend 😀

you just wait a bit then go eh?

Or exhibit your superior turn of speed on the approach then ask kindly if you can go ahead 8)

Peaslake will probably be a bit busy 😉 and I’d get to Cwmcarn early if you want a parking space

Good thing about FoD wrecker is the moment you go off-piste, it’s quiet as hell and you might as well be in a different forest to everyone else

I heard that there’s some good unofficial stuffs up there. The trouble is, as a visitor there’s a bit or a risk in just hoping to stumble upon it.

What’s penmachno like these days? Haven’t been for a couple of years, but used to be you’d be unlikely to find more than another couple of cars there, let alone see anyone else. Is it busier, certainly seems to get more mention in posts on here.

Mendips FTW!

Edit: As in they won’t be so rammed as the local trail centre-y type places

We’re off to do the Dyfi enduro. That’ll leave Calderdale empty – it’s all yours.

FOD is great, just avoid the trail center bit if you dont like busy trails. Its a massive forest, the trail center is a tiny part. Loads of tracks to explore, all of them empty.

As is the whole of the UK basically. Mountain biking does not have to be in a trail center.

Coed Trallwm. In the middle of nowhere. Never busy. Nice drive though through beautiful country.

My local trails are running beautifully, better than they have for years. Apparently even Cut Gate is dry now. I like trail centres, but if you go to one when the proper hills are all dusty for the first time in ages, I think you’re mad.

What’s penmachno like these days?

We were there two weeks ago on the way back from Snowdon, the car park bits were full (so, what, maybe 40 cars?) but we only saw a handful of people all the way round, it’s a big old wood…

Cannock last Sunday morning was terrible. Monkey trail was ok, but once we rejoined follow the dog it was a constant stream of traffic, I mean non stop.

Will probably be worse this weekend!

Peaslake will be a nightmare this weekend as British Orienteering Natl Champs being held there.

All quite in the rain in South west Scotland

The UK has a well established natural trail centre. Sorted.
Yeah, Like the Lakes will be quiet on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend

Depends whereabouts you go and at what time 😉

Went to Penmachno a few weekends ago car park was full and down to the road when we got there at 11am, as with everywhere get there early, saying that Penmachno was quiet out on the trail 😀

Northumberland will be rammed this weekend, I reckon I might see nearly into double figures out in the hills.

“Northumberland will be rammed this weekend, I reckon I might see nearly into double figures out in the hills.”

😀

Nevis Range- it won’t be busy but it looks like it might be underwater 🙁 Weather warning that the lifts might not run tomorrow, gutted

How do you think cwmcarn will be on sat round lunch time?

DT78, hope it’s not too busy, we’re going early doors from Bournemouth. should be there for 8…

Forecast is good over NE Scotland this weekend. I’m near Pitfichie but Speyside and Greater Cairngorm area also looks dry until Tuesday!

The scenic drive at Cwmcarn was closed yesterday afternoon as there were so many cars doing the mountain loop, someone blocked the road at carpark 3 with rubbish parking and the uplift bus couldn’t get past. 😆

It was busy indeed yesterday – I saw two other bikes on my afternoon 20 mile circuit. Absolutely glorious though in the sun, those “crowds” aside.

went for a ride in the hills around Hathersage yesterday, we were out for hours, and saw about 5 people.

awesomely chuffing awesome.