FLS respond to Megatrack

For context, if you haven't see it, this trail isn't a small project knocked out by some mates in a weekend, its a major build. The problem is, FLS can shut down the Golfie any time they want. They don't because they have an innovative agreement with TVTA for trail management. Non sanctioned trails risk this agreement and therefore risk continued trail building at the whole site.

The trail builder(s) of Mega Track have clearly got time, resource and talent. This would be much better directed at TVTA rather than going ghetto and risking everything else. The builder also knows this and knows better.

I think the combined press release is balanced, fair and explains the position really well. I'm impressed FLS are actually assessing the trail rather than flattening it, I just hope people don't see this as a mandate for more ghetto building in the future. 

I’ve never ridden Golfie, but it’s always been on my radar. I saw the video below and presumed it was all legit. Amazed it isn’t! 

I rode it at the weekend. It's a bit odd, not helped by some properly wet and rooty parts. It is a massive project and you'd think not possible without fls sanctioning it. A lot of ground moved to make those big berms. 

I'm glad it's a balanced response because some of the trails at inners cross a lot of different official trails, paths and push ups. At least megatracks meeting at the footpath has a big berm to avoid collision unless your the dozens who seem to pile down the footpath to it 

It was never going to a perfect solution. There were always going to be some builders that wouldn't follow the rules but this seems like a measured response. On the one hand, hopefully this can be assessed, altered where needed then adopted, on the other does that encourage them?

I had no idea until yesterday that it wasn't official. Is it possible that no-one noticed them building something this big?

Very sensible response and hopefully the trail stays - not ridden it yet but it looks incredible although that said, I'm not quite sure about the massive hype around it given how good all the other trails at Golfie are. 

At least it sounds like there'll be sensible engagement. Forestry Commission in England wouldn't even stop to ask questions, just get in there and bulldoze it.

It's made it onto the front page of the Herald. Can't see how it's the fault of the SNP as that is normally the stuff that they print

The builder also knows this and knows better.

Maybe the builder doesn't want to get involved with TVTA, the self appointed mountain bike police of the Tweed Valley? I'm never going to be the sort of guy that builds or maintains trails, it doesn't interest me at all, but it baffles me that DMBinS and the trail associations across Scotland have decided that they now speak for and represent all mountain biking. They certainly don't represent me, I didn't choose them.

Given the Golfie was pretty much all trails built by enthusiasts, and FLS have always put up with it before, and they've never yet followed through on any of their threats to close a trail, I don't really see what TVTA and DMBinS bring to the situation other than piousness and an over inflated sense of self importance.

Whilst I do think that TVTA & DMBINs have their heart in the right place fundamentally (ie. trying to stop FLS from spitting the dummy and closing down everything), I do also think their tone-of-voice... needs work, shall we say.

Given there is very little alternative for landowners to discuss things with a group rather than individuals, then dmbins and trail associations seem to have that sorted.

For those not involved with them, they aren't too bothered so won't be engaged.

If these groups aren't doing what you want or need, you'd need to get involved and help shape them.

Landowners don't really care who they speak to but they tend to want 1 contact...and assume they represent everyone.

It's the trail builder in question that's the issue here from what I understand. He's built stuff elsewhere in the valley that's been met with the ire of FLS. There are plenty more trails that have been built secretly without approval since TVTA came along or DMBINS started sticking their oar in to justify their existence. None of that has had this response.

Probably because the other trails haven’t had the coverage on social media that this track has? Find it hard to believe they didn’t know it was being built! 

Is it any good? Video makes it look like a pretty much straight line to berm to straight line to berm repeated.

It's very Insta friendly.  I'm not a fan because at the moment the surface is very sticky and the berms look amazing but I think they're too steep and tight for most riders and I don't think they'll hold up well to sustained traffic.  I've enjoyed riding flat white more at the moment, it's quieter for one.

TVTA and FLS have known about this for a long time, so the idea that this is a surprise is nonsense.

And I'm fairly sure the trailbuilder was part of TVTA at one point. 

I have to say I'm sick of the officialdom nowadays, and the massive wastage of public funding for vanity projects that achieve little, like the UCI Worlds at GT and the Innovation Centre. DMBinS needs to be dismantled and rethought, they just seem to grab at anything that gets their salaries paid... 

TBH the FC response reads well to me- mega track has some specific problems, especially that it's accessed via a walker's path (which everyone rides down from above, and which is now churned to ****) but it's all fixable I reckon. So they can't just go "yeah this is fine" but equally it'd be terrible to close it, it's too well done even though there's some wee challenges to it. So it's a balancing act. 

Valley Politics are inevitable of course. 

There's also the issue that all the self appointed runners of stuff and get involveders in that end of the valley seems to have fallen out with each other. Leading to what sounds like some childish dummy spitting.

I've never known that crowd not fall out and bitch about one another.

Old names, new names. Same old shit stabbing.

Here's to another 35 years of it 🥂