Is it because the clubs take a responsible stance in the viability and future of the trails?
They have a stance with regards to running rides there on a year-round basis.
Perhaps the clubs are all mincers who can't handle a steep kerb
Sorry, you've lost me there, where did this come into the thread? Are you ranting about things I didn't say again?
You really do keep digging don't you?
Again, you've lost me. I thought I was discussing.
This thread has given me untold amusement
I'm sure it's going to get even more amusing with you involved.
It is perfectly possible to build a trail that is sustainable in all weathers and still has technical interest.
But the whole point is that it's going to be less interesting than it is at the moment.
You're north of the border aren't you? Have you been to Ashton Court much?
Longwayhome, who told you the new trails will be less interesting than they are at the moment???
Have some faith. It's going to be an awesome set of trails once it's finished.
Really? You never know with interested people on side and funding in place you might get something really good.But the whole point is that it's going to be less interesting than it is at the moment.
Flat, smooth paths can be entertaining too. I refer to the trail known as Hawthornes. Once that had bedded down a bit and ridden in the downhill direction, it was (maybe still is) an absolute hoot. Twisty, fast, loose under wheel and with the trees in very close proximity. No mud, no roots - some more like that would be cool.
I'm happy with the thought of being able to ride all year around without doing damage. I don't help maintain, so I do try and avoid shagged trails. And I'm hoping it'll remain interesting. I'm an optimist and what ever happens it is fab to be able to ride 20 minutes from my house, (pretty well in the middle of a city) and ride off road.
Too Tall, have you banged your head on a door frame or something...
longwayhome - Member
But the whole point is that it's going to be less interesting than it is at the moment.
Really? And you know this how?
TandemJeremy - Member
It is perfectly possible to build a trail that is sustainable in all weathers and still has technical interest.
Quite.
I did a mimble round the trails today with the designers, the project manager and some journos who are running a feature on the project next month. Some interesting points came out of this:
1. As I suspected, there's going to be substantially more singletrack in the new trail than the old one. All the old muddy hacks along the edges of fields will go.
2. The trail corridor includes some bits of the estate that were previously off limits.
3. Contrary to what I posted above, the bashy downhill by the side of New Barn Wood is going to make its way into the trail - the new downhill section is being built before it and will feed into it.
4. Tedious internet debates suck logs
(I made the last one up, but it's undeniably true)
Sounds good Ant 🙂
Where's New Barn Wood?
Sounds good..........
bit between the end of upper quarry and the arena.
So, when did Bristol Mountain Bike Club last head out to AC/LW/FAW?
was in ac and faw,wraxle,plantation last and most sundays usualy lw on tuesdays
Wraxle? Where the flip is Wraxle?
wraxle pist just on the edge of cleavdon rd that runs up back of ac at the lights junction pass it on way to plantation(ashton hill) from faw-ac top entrances
edit - woodland on junction of beggerbush lane and b3128 cleavdon rd there is a small entrance on the right coming from ac with a small sign and wooden gate/blockage thing
Perhaps Wraxall?
yeah may have the spelling slightley out lol
thanks tootall.
Wraxall peice in Failand on the corner of Beggar bush lane and clevedon road. 😉
indeed 
just watch the rabbit/badger holes 😆
I think you'll agree with me that MrAgreeable and others have made it abundantly clear that the Bristol Trails Group are fed up with continually fixing the existing trails and for this reason would like professionally built, all weather trails. They'd like technical interest but would really, really like not to have to mend them all the time.
Well, the other option we had was to stop mending them ourselves and start looking for some money to build a handmade technical trail. But I doubt anyone would be willing to fund the creation of a "red" grade trail in a busy country park, on mostly flat terrain, with all sorts of users including complete beginners. The rationale for the new trails is to increase the number of riders, not let the existing ones ride more. I doubt you'd be able to find a contractor willing to build it either - all of them use machinery extensively to get the trails made in a cost and time effective way.
What you'd get then is a rapidly deteriorating trail with mud and slop persisting well into the summer, as was the situation a few years ago, before regular trail maintenance began.
A few people might enjoy these conditions but most would probably give up on the trails and go and find new places to ride, become roadies or take up golf. Events like Bristol Bike Fest would become a thing of the past, the number of cyclists in Bristol would dwindle. It's not unlikely that the trails would end up being closed due to environmental concerns - it's already 15 feet wide in places due to the number of new lines spring up to avoid the mud, rocks and ruts.
...but what about the cafe?
Why are they pulling down technical cafe we already have and replacing it with a sanitized one?
Longwayhome - how long have you been in Bristol? If you're newish then you have a very rose tinted view of the local trails as this last year or so has been great due to the frost and the very long dry spell. If you were around in 2008 /9 then you will have seen the trails at their worst :-(.
If you were here then and still claim to be 'in the dark' around the moves being suggested then shame on you for not getting actively involved and then criticising those that could be bothered to get actively involved
For what it is worth we rode locally at the w/e and every one of my riding buddies welcomes the proposals and believes that a weather proof AC is worth some trade offs (and frankly we don't know what those are yet!!!). In crappy weather we will have something decent to ride and in good we can go and scare ourselves down the gorge runs.
Ant - top work, as always, just remember to personally talk to Longwayhome in the future and to then actively work his proposals for him.
@tandaylor...
When I am not riding round Ashton Court, I am walking round it with my kids or playing golf there with my mates...
Can I say that the Cafe being kicked off site is not at all like the Glentress Hub...
The ladies who work in that cafe are miserable to walkers, golfers bikers and children. I feel like I am really imposing on them tio make me coffee. I am not the only one who gets this vibe. These ladies would surely be happier in another occupation! I say that a sanitised cafe with polite and friendly staff would be a massive improvement for AC.
I wrote to the guys running this operation and here is some of the response...
"I'll forward on your suggestions to the project manager of the cafe - Alberto Palmerio. I'd love to see something like Afan Argoed's cafe (the trail centre near Port Talbot) and I do hope that the MTB community come forwards with more feedback like this."
He also confirmed that bike washing facilities might be available for the site!
Flat, smooth paths can be entertaining too. I refer to the trail known as Hawthornes. Once that had bedded down a bit and ridden in the downhill direction, it was (maybe still is) an absolute hoot. Twisty, fast, loose under wheel and with the trees in very close proximity. No mud, no roots - some more like that would be cool.
Whoo! somone else agrees with me re: Hawthorns.
Re Bristol cycling clubs: it is wrong to say that those consulted were all unequivocally keen on the new trail developments - a great many had exactly the same reservations expressed here regards 'sanitisation' and 'losing old trails', and were either won around, or have come to the understanding that the trails as they are have had their day.
Can someone tell me where this Hawthornes trail is... I wanna go on it!
Basically the Beggar Bush lane section of the TT. You've almost certainly ridden it already.
@charliebigpotato
The existing golf hut cafe women have always been alright to me, ok not to the standard of Glycorrwg but way above the terrible food and service of the original Afan site or Cwmcarn.
The Hawthorns section is the twisty bit through the lower bush like trees (hawthorns). There are clearings in in when you come out into the open with the golf course to one side and Beggar Bush Lane to the other. It's fast twisty fun but suffers more than the rest of the trail from meeting riders coming in the other direction so I often choose the wall trail instead.
Ant and all,
I've read this with interest, I hope the development is a success, I'm sure it will be. Bristol has some great trails, if a few more people had come out to repair them then a state of, eroded but fun rooty stuff might have been possible. Unfortunately from bitter experience winter trail biulding sessions month in and month out were usually Ant and about 4 or 6 others on average, maybe less. Simply not enough. The trals have got wider and wider, straighter and straighter, muddier, rutted, wet in th winter (and summer too often), the tree roots get too exposed and become damaged, the trees suffer. It can't go on. Rowan Sorrel is a respected trail biulder. Personally I enjoy some of his stuff, but actually enjoy 'natural' feeling stuff more than a lot of Rowan's work, but the current trail construction in Bristol can't continue.
Good news Ant. I'm jealous. Wish we had trails and development like this in South London!
Oh - yeah - I know it (thanks for clarifying)... And agree with other comments, it is a nice fast section that contrasts the more - er - technical offerings that AC has to offer. I would say that the whole course runs better in reverse and this Hawthorne section becomes very fast (as per BikeFest race). As for the cafe... well, I've had friendlier service and better food, but can't contrast to many other trail sites... I just think that Bristol can do better than that!
Spot on there Neil. It's very demoralising when you have to fix the same bits of trail over and over again. We do get a lot of people saying lovely things about us, but there comes a point where I'd rather be riding a bike than pushing a barrow.
Rowan Sorrel is a respected trail biulder. Personally I enjoy some of his stuff, but actually enjoy 'natural' feeling stuff more than a lot of Rowan's work
The trail build contract hasn't been awarded yet, but the design and consultation work was actually carried out by Phil Saxena's company [url= http://www.architrail.co.uk/ ]Architrail.[/url] Different chap entirely!
I think that whoever ends up building it, it's going to be a hoot to ride. There are good sections in the current trail but it's such a variable experience (it's going to be poop on a stick at the moment) and as a whole it's a bit lacking.
Phil Saxena, ah I've heard of him. Wonder why I thought it was Rowan, must have got confused. Anyway, I'm sure it will be fun to ride. Keep up the good work Ant.
As promised, we've set up an evening meeting in a city centre pub to discuss the new trails and more.
I've already posted on the forum about it, but in case any subscribers on this thread want to attend, here are the details:
http://www.bristoltrailsgroup.com/events/162-2011trailsmeeting
Did anyone go to this meeting? What was the general feeling on it?
People were there. My man on the ground tells me good things - but not sure whether our 'excluded and unconsulted' cyclist was there. I'll leave Mr A to say how he thought it went.
It's a bit boggy out there, hope the new trails are nice. Hi everyone.
Meeting was fairly low in numbers, but high on ideas - lots of good suggestions for ways to get riders involved with their trails,keep people informed, raise funds and generally keep the good work going.
Phil and Duncan from Architrail came all the way down from Leeds to talk about their plan for Ashton Court, despite having to be in Belfast for 7.00 am the next day, so it's a shame that more people couldn't make it.
Full write-up coming to the site at www.bristoltrailsgroup.com very soon.
Anthony,
can you email stuff like that to me for our club in the future; I don't go on Bristol Trails website anymore.
Cheers.
Mark, send me your current addy and I'll pop you on the mailing list.
Email in profile mate.
You're signed up. Ain't technology great!
Write-up of the meeting here:
http://www.bristoltrailsgroup.com/news/164-bristol-trails-group-2011-non-agm
BUT WAS LONGWAYHOME THERE? Were his views elicited and included? I hope so.
Don't be silly, the meeting wasn't being held in longwayhome's front room.
Well perhaps it should have been. WAS HE NOT CONSULTED ON THE LOCATION OF THE MEETING AS WELL?!?
Sheesh - no wonder he reacts the way he does 🙄 Talk about being out of the pie!
Questions from the thick seats:
1. Are you chaps using irony again?
2. Can you use an " irony emoticon " for thick people?
I dunno about irony, I [i]was[/i] being facetious, I know that much.
Facetious? ( this Lidl dictionary is sh1te )
