I was out on the gravel bike doing a road/path ride this morning, and swung by Haldon to say hello to some friends who I knew would be meeting there.
Dear ****ing lord....it was insanely busy! Busier than I've ever seen it, even in the middle of the summer holidays.
Given that it's a drizzly, cold Sunday in November, I was amazed.
Car park rammed, and drivers parking everywhere on verges.
There was a massive traffic jam outside the entrance due to people parking on the verge and blocking the road.
Cars had tried to go past going in both directions and then met in the middle, there were about 10 vehicles in each of the opposing queues! People were getting sweary. Oh how I laughed as I passed on my bike 😂
What are other centres like at the mo? Just as rammed?
I haven't checked, but judging by the hordes descending on our local hill I reckon it's a pretty safe bet.
Was thinking of popping over to Gisburn but certainly wouldn't bother on the weekend.
Not a trail centre but ladybower area was car chaos. Not been since summer and forgot how bad it was getting.
Includes Wales - Cwmcarn was packed thus morning...
It’s not just trail centres - my local hill was absolutely hoaching with people yesterday. I was up again this morning and it was showing all the signs of being even worse today when I left at 10.30.
My other (slightly less local) favourite riding spot (forestry commission) has posted on their FB page every weekend recently that the car park is full and urging people not to bother.
Cannock Chase also packed. People have nowhere else to go. No shops, pubs, restaurants or gyms and can't go on holiday.
Even my most remote bridleways had people on them today - the bastards!
Not just trail centres, anywhere that’s vaguely ‘outdoors’ is the same here in Scotland.
Kjcc25 has it, people have nowhere else to go.
People have nowhere else to go. No shops, pubs, restaurants or gyms and can’t go on holiday
Yep, that's understandable. I've got no issue with people being outdoors, the more the merrier.
I do find the fact that everyone is driving to certain locations and ranming them a bit weird. Lack of imagination?
We've been taking the girls to our local woods. Quiet as anything, and just as nice - actually nicer, as there's not a ****-ton if other people there.
QECP is packed from the pics Ive seen
Massive queues for the pay machine, all those people touching the pay machine makes me glad Ive got a season ticket for parking
FoD was crazy busy for cars but not too many bikes out. Unfortunately, those that were out were in huge groups, 10 or more in one!
Its been pretty bloody busy in glentress the last few weekends. A good few law breakers I'd wager.
Trail centres do get busy in the wet muddy months anyway. When normal off-roading can be a muddy mess trail centres offer a good ridable alternative.
But I do agree, with the shops shut a lot of people have gone outside and to many of them, a trail centre is where you ride a mountain bike.
A large proportion of the younger population have never read a map (cant read a map), need an app to tell them what to do and how to do it, so trail centres are perfect for them.
Leaves the off piste stuff for the rest of us, so its great for everyone.
Hamsterley had to close today as every car park spot was taken. Guisborough Forest was rammed with walkers, families, kids, dogs. Ive never seen it as busy even in the summer months.
Mam tor/Castleton was chaos earlier today.
Can't moan though, because that would be hypocritical
Aaaaaaargh.
GET THE SHOPS AND PUBS OPEN NOW!!!
I think it is worth letting covid rip through the population just to get all the Johnny Come Latelys back indoors again.
A price worth paying.
I went to Leeds Bike Park on Wednesday and there was about 10 of us on the trails, had a great time.
One of the things I really noticed were how good the blue and red flow trails near the car park are. When it's not rammed you really get a chance to ride them properly. Thought they were a bit dull before.
So yeah if you want to go and have some holiday left, avoid the weekend.
Peaslake was the busiest I’ve ever seen it today, usually some of the car parks can be full but the trails area bit quiet, today all the cps were rammed and it was noticeably busy on the trails. Obviously no heed being paid to not being in big groups.
It's carnage out in the Dales. Rode through Malham this morning and it was like Bank Holiday, cars queuing into the overflow field parking, morons doing dodgy overtakes on the lanes on the way in.
Judging by how saturated the fields are at the moment, some of them might find things 'interesting' when they try to get out this afternoon. There was some bloke in a campervan finding the limits of his off-road grip near Malham Tarn.
Police 4x4 was doing a lap of Mastiles Lane, presumably the One Life, Live it idiots have been playing up.
Everywhere is rammed it seems. Our local woods are busy with walkers and riders and the local 'top spot' for gravity riding has has a crack down on riding due to too many riders.
The out of the way spots are getting busy too with a nice local trail getting the stickman treatment on Friday.
Aye, all the local spots are rammed...
Includes Wales – Cwmcarn was packed thus morning…
I haven't gone to any of the trail centres on the weekends since restrictions lifted, much safer mid-week. Even on Tuesday Cwmcarn was busy at 10am, including a few people from England. Might switch to night riding just to avoid the crowds.
Not a trail centre but ladybower area was car chaos. Not been since summer and forgot how bad it was getting.
Ditto... Went for night ride around Ladybower yesterday and even at 9PM there were still quite a few cars, vans, caravans and stealth-caravans parked in usual locations (Stanage Edge, Hollin Bank, Ladybower and around). So I dread to think what was it this mid-morning...
Cheers!
I.
Hamsterley was neither closed nor busy at 7:30 this morning 😉
Hamsterley was neither closed nor busy at 7:30 this morning 😉
But by 0800 it was busier than I've ever known at that time! The back end of the forest was queit enough but trying to find an uninterrupted run down the more popular trails was tough going.
Absolutely dead here in Glencoe.
I'll give you it was busier than Ive seen it by nine o clock. Was rammed when I went back with the kids this avo.
Hamsterley car parks were busy yesterday, of the official trails I rode I'd say it was no busier than a normal weekend at this time of year
Not a trail centre, but loads of roadies out this morning. At the coffee shop it was rammed, I said to my 6 riding buddies it was like an illegal rave....
(I rode solo, but it was rammed with roadies).
By Tom’s Hill in the Chilterns there was cars everywhere. I can normally ride and not see any cars, but was constantly having to move into the passing section to stop impatient drivers running me over. The roadside chaos was actually really amusing, pretty obvious a lot
Of the drivers were not used to the countryside. No complaints from me, great to see lots of people enjoying the countryside. As long as social distance is going on and rules are being followed then I’m happy.
Went to Langsett as I had a hunch Fairholmes would be crazy and even at 10am the last of the spaces were being filled with the queue around the CP and out onto the road. Guess with all the shops closed, folk are looking for other distractions. It'll soon ease up again.
@dannyh... Deep breath mate, it'll be all over soon.. You're lucky enough to live on the edge of the countryside. Spare a thought for us city bound folk.
Was up at ladybower 4-5 weeks ago. It was rammed then, we had an encounter with a mad driver or two, shouting at us out of their windows as they struggled to get by us.
I think its great to see lots of people enjoying the outside and getting fresh air and exercise. Long may it continue I say.
Hopefully the parking stuations will be improved as using verges and blocking roads is not on, but I suppose its a start.
I know it makes me a bad person but dear lord please reopen the shopping centres soon. Did my usual sunday mtb with the boy round Greenham. **** me it was like a city centre on the main tracks, we soon left them and had a great ride, but all these tubby families waddling about in white trainers looking like they were hating every moment didnt lift my mood. Not to mention all the ****s clutching their hot milky coffee substitutes and then dropping litter make me want to commit murder.
Wharncliffe was the busiest I've seen it with mtbers today. Big groups and zero social distancing.
We were out the door 8am today and local trails were already busy but manageable. One the way back people were double parked at the honey pots and police issuing tickets. It's busy but understandable given everything else is shut, though if you get out early you can avoid the worst. Come the afternoon though forgettaboutit!
busier than usual on the drier trails, still didn't see anyone else out in the splurge/drive train grinder.
FWIW. I don't have a problem with more people being out and about per se.
But half of them are too busy rabbiting on their phones, posting on social media about how great the outdoors is and generally wandering around like tits in a trance, to consider that anybody else might be there too.
And they've pushed the antsy dogwalkers out earlier, and I get out early to avoid them!
It has also prompted stickman to reappear.
FWIW. I don’t have a problem with more people being out and about per se.
you'd have a nice conversation with chap that wished me dead, cos his mate had to move over to let me past. 😀
Went to Dalby today. Very busy. Lots of people but also more cars as current restrictions don't let you car share. Adds to the chaos.
Police have started issuing parking tickets at my local hill. It’s great when I’m up there at 8 am in the week, but going out of my way to avoid it at the weekend. Everywhere else was busy but not crazy so but I went out later - but I was annoyed when I came round a corner on the moors to find 25-30 people in down jackets stood around in a group sharing cake and drinks...they’d only walked 5 mins from the road!
you’d have a nice conversation with chap that wished me dead, cos his mate had to move over to let me past.
Or the lovely bloke who saw me coming, moved over and then blew a mahoosive cloud of vape smoke directly in my path.
Mmmm, strawberry flavour.
Maybe now is the time to open up the footpaths for cyclists to ride them to make more space!
Didn’t see the car parks but Grizedale /Claife Heights was pretty quiet today. Went up Iron Keld last week though and that was busy. Luck of the draw I guess 🤷♂️
My local route is wet and muddy. This time of year I hardly see anyone.
Today in the rain there were loads of people out but they were all on ebikes, I only saw two other people on a bike without a motor and one was a road bike.
Some of them were outside their comfort zone and they were falling off their bikes going up the hill on a techy section. But they looked like they were enjoying themselves.
I think it's great that more people are riding and getting out doors and keeping fit. I just hope they keep it up once the threat of covid has gone and the need to lose some weight and gain some fitness isn't as impending.
Maybe now is the time to open up the footpaths for cyclists to ride them to make more space!
Posted 32 minutes ago
Totally agree. OpenMTB did make the same argument, but there wasn't much interest from our representative bodies or the wider public.
Personally I went for a local road ride today, the West Lancs hills were way quieter than normal for motor traffic but busy with cyclists. It was almost like lockdown 1.0 with the sun out as well.
