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Just been to smash out two early laps around Llandegla and more than ever was shocked by some of the people riding there and their attitude towards clothing and suits of armour.
Now please I am not having a go here, we all started somewhere and I think its mint that so many people are getting out and riding their bikes, however where do they obtain the info that using a full face for the first climb is a good idea? As far as I'm aware its not the sort of thing that MBUK, Dirt etc promote in pictures so why does Llandegla seem to have its own Bermuda Triangle of crazyness?
3 examples of today, a fella comes flying past us, one of those MET XC helmet things with the downhill chin guard, pads everywhere, headphones and his seat way too low, almost foaming at the mouth, five minutes later he had blew up and was in a bad way at the side of the trail as we pass him and others who look like they are going into battle.
Another guy was suited like brave heart and when he got to every switchback decided to get off and drag his bike through the bushes to the next turn as he was so chin strapped!
The third being a bloke who had headphones on doing the final descent of the red and obviously couldn't hear his tyre noise and kept going too fast and skidding up and over the berms and jumps into the bushes.
Is it me guys or am I just getting old.....
😉
All the best,
Lee.
Hi Lee.
Totally agree, I ride Llandegla/Gisburn a lot and you'd think people are gong into battle with their kit, if it makes them more confident and feel safe, I spoke to one guy the other day who said he couldn't do Parallel Universe without a big DH bike...I had just done it on my little Blue Pig and all was well. C'est la vie.
On the note of skipping the trial, that really bugs me, I do trail building at Gisburn and it takes a long time to make, so should be ridden, not to mention ruining the sides of the trial and gradually widening it.
Maybe I'm getting old too...
Full suits of Armour. Concerned wives make them wear it. Lack of riding peer group to set them straight. I can get away with soft knee pads in our club. That's the limit!
People wear what kit they want and ride what bike they what they want - simples!
Your (sic) the boss of meeeee...........
Whatever makes people confident and happy..?
I had a week in the Lake district with Troutie in 2011 & wanted to break up the journey back to Devon, so I thought I'd do a lap of Llandegla & Cwm carn - when I got to the former I was really surprised at the stormtroopers, never seen so much armour!
Maybe they have seen how often the ambulance is there at a weekend 😉
Playing devils advocate here, one could argue that if you have the time to ponder what kit other folk are wearing, then you are probably not smashing out the laps as much as you could be... 😉
😯
Threads like this grip my gonads! Who died and made you the decider of who wears what?!
You get up out of bed on the wrong side this morning Andypandy? Or are you a secret storm trooper??
😉
Calm yourself down squire, threads like this keep singletrack ticking over. As you can see with the amount of people who agree and disagree is pretty even, so the thread is viable and allows people to discuss.
The thing here is, people can wear whatever they want, if you had of read my post you would have seen I actually said its mint that everyone is getting out. All I asked was what is the reasoning? Especially when hauling that amount of stuff was visably causing these fellas issues for the 20 min climb while knackering them out before they get the chance to exploit the benefits of the jousting kit on the way down.
If threads like this wind you up mate then read others, freedom of speech same as your comment fella. Now how about you go and put your dummies back in you handlebar basket......
buzz-lightyear - MemberI can get away with soft knee pads in our club. That's the limit!
They sound nice.
**** me. Hate seeing threads like this tbh. Or have you started this thread because your bored.. ot everyone is as cool/rad/gnarly/girly as you.
Love trail centres now, you get a right mix of people from all walks of life & if you'd spend some time talking to them you might find that they its their first time & they are nervous/scared etc, some features are gonna be pretty scary to non-trail gods
If you were really smashing it you wouldn't of been overtaken by someone in a met parachute helmet.
I hate when people do stuff
Not sure I understand the bit about why someone would wear a full face helmet for the first climb at Llandegla: surely folks don't take 2 different helmets on a ride, one for climbs and the other for descents?
Went to CYB thinking I was the bees knees in all my kit. I was talking to a bloke in wellies and jeans. I smugly thought I'd thrash him on the loop as I was wearing the right gear. How wrong was I, he as back and putting his bike on his car... ive ever bothered what people wear to ride their bike since.
Similar here. Did the little Macc loop today. Destroyed up & down by two kids 7 years younger than me & they were on 80mm hts.
No Vicky, they are using the full face for the whole 1 hour loop, including the climb.
All the best,
Lee.
smash out two early laps
Swoon 😉
I find the opposite - not that I visit trail centres much, but when I do I get funny looks from the wannabe Stormtroopers with the 12" travel bikes.
Just because I like riding my old MTB in jeans and no helmet...
1 hour loop
Wow your really fast!
banks - Member
1 hour loop
Wow your really fast!
thats what I thought
Ive done a few lap round the red/black route in a skin suit and track mitts, if I continue will I die?
Eventually
Ride what you like
Wear what you want
Respect others
Simples!!
Was a bit like that in the cafe at Glyncorrwg today. Lots of big bikes and lads in loads of pads.
Mind you we looked a bit funny as my mate was wearing a pink helly hansen thermal and was near hypothermic. (lots of snow of top of the skyline)
Are we a club now Buzz? Or is this your other club? 😆
We are nice really.
Personally, my attitude is very much ' run what you bring'. There might be some gentle taking of the Michael, but if it makes you happy about riding stuff, then that's good. What I regards as a dead simple trails, others may not. This was brought home to me when I took my 6 year old out recently. If big armour and bikes help them, then fair enough. Even if they look a bit silly.
I think the OP needs to post their Llandegla Strava Segment times....
One of my mates has been known to come out on a ride wearing a hooded waterproof with hood up and bike helmet perched on top! He might look daft but he's way faster than me!
What Nick said
+1 what nick said.
I've also been known to wear a pea green coat with my hood up with me helmet perched on top, topped off with floral goggles
I've been known to do trail centre rides in full face and back protector to get used to fit and feel of them ahead of going out to race European Enduro events last season. Does that make me well prepared or a gaylord?
generallevi - MemberNo Vicky, they are using the full face for the whole 1 hour loop, including the climb.
They probably came on here and saw all the angst about people not wearing helmets, and were frightened into wearing it all the time.
Jokes aside, there are all sorts of reasons for it, and all sorts of people - I occasionally ride with a lad who wears a full pressure suit for xc/messing about in the woods, as he can't afford an injury with work and other sports he does. He's certainly not slow because of it. Each to their own.
Personally. if I sa a kid struggling up that lid in a full face, I'd tell him that he probably didn't need it until he got to the first descent.
Or wearing a s/h helmet
You should only wear all the kit if its brand new and on-trend and matches your stem/bar set up<ahem>
Don't use Strava chaps, bit geeky for me and not the best with tech, however I could post mountain mayhem podium results and photos.
Don't assume that someone can't ride because you don't agree with the post.....
😉
Honorable George, what a well worded response. Totally in tune with the question I asked at the start which was why do people do it? Quality answer also, I suppose it could be previous injuries, sick pay if it goes tits up, anything really.
I would have said something mate but the bloke was a bit older than me and I didn't want to seem like I was telling him what to do and I still totally respect the each to their own philosophy.
generallevi - MemberI would have said something mate but the bloke was a bit older than me and I didn't want to seem like I was telling him what to do and I still totally respect the each to their own philosophy.
Most people will take a bit of well-intentioned advice in the right spirit. If they don't, well, they're welcome to the slog.
Op do you have a flashing blue light on your bike when you ride Degla? 🙂
Llandegla is the least enjoyable place I have ever riden à bike. Seems to bave à disproportionate amount of judgementals who should really be playing golf.
Yes we do see more and more people dressed as "troopers" but if they wish to wear that stuff it's up to them ? When i'm riding with friends and we see people like that we have a quiet chuckle between ourselves 😆 each to their own
Think my favourite moment at Llandegla was on the first old black run , we'd stopped to do a bit of filming with the go pro's and were put in our place by a kid in jeans and a t-shirt riding a bmx and giving it some!
Saying that you do see a few "mincers" wearing all the gear and riding top end stuff but cannot ride ( think my favourite was a guy on a very nice looking carbon nomad and dressed as a trooper got off his bike and walked down the werewolf drop?)
I do agree with these sentiments, although i do wear knee/shin guards (white ones at that!) but then again, i tend to fall off on a semi-regular basis. Llandegla has more of a problem with people being able to carry full cartons of drink/food/stuff with them, yet throwing the light empty packets in the forest/trail side and that grinds at me more than the 'all the gear no idea' heads rolling around fearful of brain damage on the B-Line. Mind you, you don't really know if they are warming up for spending a few hours pounding the freeride run/skills area.
Llandegla has more of a problem with people being able to carry full cartons of drink/food/stuff with them, yet throwing the light empty packets in the forest/trail side
I couldn't agree more butler. How hard can it be to carry an empty bottle back to their chavmobile 😈
I've ridden Llandegla without knees pads on a 100mm HT, am I safe?
Didn't realise a 20 minute first climb could give an hour long lap time, I iz doin summit wrongz innit