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One for the Cardiff people
Seen some chatter on social media today about NRW getting sniffy about people riding there and putting up signs. anyone know the score?
Was going to go up there this weekend.
Basically NRW trying to cover their backs in case anybody spanners themselves on any of the unofficial tracks that are springing up, without putting a blanket-ban on cycling in the woods. A bit more detail on Caerphilly Mountain Biking group on Facebook.
[url= https://twitter.com/miamodeo/status/895753510033264642 ]This is how it starts [/url]
Flippin eck. That's a major issue, Kicking bikes out of Castell Coch will a) not work and b) cause a huge uproar.
EDIT seen the pic - that looks like arse covering. Funny that some of the bike only trails have been there for ooh, 25 years.
Basically NRW trying to cover their backs in case anybody spanners themselves on any of the unofficial tracks
This is my take on it. The use of the phrase "strongly discourage" rather than you must not or its "illegal" give the game away, not saying official attitudes might change in the future
I'm not sure how it's going to play out - the older trails on the 'Dogger Dodging' side of the road are 'natural' they're not of course but there's not much anyone who cares to put a finger on and say "that's been built".
The other side of the road on the other hand, someone's been very busy and done a great job but build something of a bike park, jumps, doubles, berms. Drops etc.
Similar signs have recently appeared near Trellech.Someone is covering their backside.
Yea, I only really ride the off piste stuff, like, loamworld, masts, garw, etc etc. These signs are up at all these places.
I think NRW are actually doing a good thing here. They know the trails are there but are leaving them alone, they could get rid of them fairly easily. Without social media and strava some of these spots would still be 'secret' and ridden by locals only, but now they are pretty much as open as traditional trail centers, but, with features that could possibly put NRW in a sticky situation. These signs cover there backs.
loamworld, masts, garw
Wut?
Living only half an hour away and I've still never rode castle coch.
Ok...so not banned (yet)...just "discouraged".
Similar signs have recently appeared near Trellech.Someone is covering their backside.
We've just got them as well - Hale Wood. Local opinion is that it is indeed an arse covering exercise.
Yeah saw these on Sunday and assumed as above.
One issue at Castle Coch is that there are official, signed trails that they do maintain (e.g. Taf Trail) so some people may assume the others are also 'managed'. I've not noticed signs up the other side where the trails have jumps etc.
therag - MemberLiving only half an hour away and I've still never rode castle coch.
Wait till we've had a dry week (may take a while) and give it a go - I don't want to over-sell it, it's a small wood with some shady trails, not Whistler Bike Park, but it's a great little spot.
I can understand the problem.
It's selfish people on bouncy bikes, dressed in body armour and full face helmets who treat the area as their personal domain. Who are trying to turn it into a trail park.
Wait till we've had a dry week (may take a while) and give it a go - I don't want to over-sell it, it's a small wood with some shady trails, not Whistler Bike Park, but it's a great little spot.
It's better as part of a wider loop in the area, it's linked to quite a few other trails. Where do you live? If you pop over I can show you around a bit.
Something like this has been in the pipeline for a while now. The forest is getting busier and busier with kids groups, walkers, horse riders and dog owners flooding the place. Add in the locals building features and you reach saturation point.
I only ever go up there midweek or early now as it's too common to find it full, especially in good weather. These signs will most likely increase the amount of people who tell bikers they shouldn't be there, could be the start of a ban. I hope not as it's a great place for a quick local ride and a gateway to the other areas, good fun for night rides too.
These signs will most likely increase the amount of people who tell bikers they shouldn't be there,
This will be inevitable 🙁
I was up there last night for my usual 90min local ride, and didn't notice any signs. In approx 5 years of riding there I have only once come across walkers on any of the singletrack descents which are difficult to walk anyway. If the walkers stick to the fireroads/main routes where possible and the cyclists stick to the singletrack descents and only climb the fireroads there shouldn't be a problem. I only see issues when cyclists fly down the fireroads instead of the singletracks.
The fence line now has walkers on it from time to time, now they added that extra bit of surfaced trail over the top of the first part. So they are spreading.
Can't complain though - it's their forest too.
molgrips - MemberThe fence line now has walkers on it from time to time, now they added that extra bit of surfaced trail over the top of the first part. So they are spreading.
Can't complain though - it's their forest too.
This, tollerance is the key - I'm especially sweet and lovely to anyone I meet up there (hard for me), because it only takes one complaint too many and we all suffer.
I know Bob the Ranger was trying to move the trail status from 'tollerated' to 'formalised' which isn't far off making the place a Trail Centre (that'll ruffle some featheres on here 😉 ) but that was a few years ago now.
With so many trails being destroyed and people laying traps on the other side of the mountain I supposed focus was always going to shift this way.
Whilst I admire their work, I do wish the massive expansion in trails last winter hadn't happened though, it looks like a H&S nightmare and they're very public crossing the main bridleway from Fach to the Welault.
The wife has just received a fb post stating that they are chopping down alll the trees in Castell Coch woods due to disease, with disruptions until 2020. Doesn't look like there will be a woods there in the near future so why did they bother putting up the signs?
The wife has just received a fb post stating that they are chopping down alll the trees in Castell Coch woods due to disease, with disruptions until 2020. Doesn't look like there will be a woods there in the near future so why did they bother putting up the signs?POSTED 58 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
Can you share?
Forest Fawr is all broadleaf native trees I think?
Wife had some sort of petition but it must have come from this;
Saw another one of those signs on top of the Warren today too.
Re felling, I think there are some conifers near the dogging car park? But even if they felled it there would still be ground there and I'm sure they'd let people on it. I'm also sure they'd replant it.
Well that's insult to injury.
Still nothing lasts forever.
I grew up ridden up there since 1990 (there was even a Welsh mtb series race there once). However, it isn't really the area for big trail building imo (it can cope with a little, but not a lot) . Being near town and easy to access it has always been a fairly busy area with cyclists and other trail users. The danger would be if mtbers take the p*ss or will just end badly.
IMO leave the trails more natural and as P-Jay says be nice to others.
Molgrips, I'm in the Rhondda. I'll take you up on that one day. One dry day 🙂
That NRW piece says the plan is to allow natural re-generation after the felling. There is a petition doing the rounds seeking to require some re-planting.
[url= https://www.change.org/p/natural-resources-wales-replant-and-restore-forest-fawr-after-larch-disease-cull ]https://www.change.org/p/natural-resources-wales-replant-and-restore-forest-fawr-after-larch-disease-cull
[/url]
Any arboriculturalists (if that is the word) got any views on how natural re-generation is likely to go?
I'll take you up on that one day. One dry day
Actually holds up pretty well in the wet - was just thinking about that yesterday, my ride was muddy but still all rideable and enjoyable.
That NRW piece says the plan is to allow natural re-generation after the felling. There is a petition doing the rounds seeking to require some re-planting.Any arboriculturalists (if that is the word) got any views on how natural re-generation is likely to go?
I drove though this morning trying to work out where the Larch is - I couldn't see any from the road that cuts through it, only clinging to the hill side above Taffs Well, THAT'll be tricky, it's about a million foot drop to the A470.
I'm no arboriculturalist but I would say "slowly" decades - they harvested the top of Cwmcarn when they made the freeride section about 10 years ago, it still looks largely the same now, but it depends on how they do it, if there are larch mixed in with other trees then it would just be a bit clearer and nature would reclaim it fairly quickly