[Closed] NEW Penmachno Video

Deluded, you're the one slagging off a trail based on a promo video.
If you think adding in new sections and promoting a trail to new users is a bad thing then I wish you luck.
For what it's worth, the last new section at least can be bypassed by the old fire road route if it makes you happy.

bullandbladder,

This is a forum - threads solicit opinion. I'm not keen on what I've seen, whether it's being promoted or otherwise.

I'm not detracting from the hard work and application that's gone into building what's been done - it's just not to my taste and is part of a continuing movement in trail building that I find dis-heartening.

I honestly would prefer the fire roads.

Melodramatic or not, we seem to be in an age where everything has to be adulterated and traipsed upon – and for me these additions have a lessening effect. Penmachno always represented something a little more organic and untouched.

Perhaps I'm being small minded because I don't have the ability to ride it like the lads in the vid. 😀

I rode the new sections on Saturday. Thought they were fun.
I enjoyed the contrast going from the original trail to the new whoopy rollered stuff and then blasting back onto the original stuff.

These new sections are not a reason to avoid Penmachno.
Go, Have fun, whether on the new sections or, if it's not your cup of tea, just ride round on the original fireroad links.

I have ridden it (and have ridden Penmachno since it's inception and helped on trail maintenance days).
Yes of course it is better than fire road (not by much mind you) and I know the reasons for why it has been built in that style (need to attract new users,use of Conwy CC preferred contractor,time deadlines,lack of experienced trail management).
Does'nt really stop it being a huge disappointment though.
It just makes me sad
(And blowing £5k on an 'raaad 'duro edit').

LOL at comparing that with A-line. Fantastic.

£5k for a rad duro edit I think arielview saw them coming from a great height 🙂

Just guessing 🙂

[quote=deluded]I honestly would prefer the fire roads.

That would be great. Means everyone enjoying the trails don't have to see how miserable you are.

WTF is up with modern trails all being built like French Autoroutes? Utter shite!!!

Miserable old ****s like me have absoltely no interest in going fast and getting 'airborne', but love slow, techy stuff where if you don't get the right line you might go over the bars.

Why is no one building these type of trails anymore....

I love Penmachno, this new stuff makes me weep!

Delete.

Penmachno is my favorite trail, if the new bits have only replaced fire roads and create an even greater contrast to the 'proper' singletrack then I expect it'll be fine.

Seems a strange thing to spend the cash on though, and a little bit of groomed trail isn't going to drag the masses in is it?

Please tell me that the vid didn't really cost 5k though 😯

[quote=postierich ]£5k for a rad duro edit I think arielview saw them coming from a great height
Just guessing

http://www.aerialvue.co.uk/projects/penmachno-forest-mtb-trails

Looks like a fun blasty trail that lets you relax a little in between the tight stuff. Looks like it would be a great laugh.
As nothing was removed to build it I have no idea how it could ruin the trail for me. Reminds me a bit of the blue at Glentress where you can just let rip and hammer it down the trail jumping and flowing and smiling all the way.

It's also nice to know that the grumpy gits will be avoiding it, it always ruins my day when you find miserable people out on the trails.

Well, to strike a middle path with Rorschach, yes of course it's better than fire road but for 50k (+5 for video) but it seems like a missed opportunity. I wonder how the original Penmachno builders feel about having to work with contractors not versed in trail building? Lots of compromises. Still, I can't say this is foremost on my mind when enjoying the new sections.

moaning bitches!

its replaced the fireroad, how can you moan at that?! bit different if it had replaced all the best bits, but come on, anything for a good old whinge on STW

give that trail 12 months and it won't look anything like it does now anyways, I think some of that 50k should have been spent on drainage of the existing route tho, Imo of course 😉
Love Love Love Penmachno me 8)

Oh the hilarity of people saying things like 'RIP Penmachno'

It really is quite absurd for people to be declaring the death of a trail center based on the fact that non of the original trails have been touched and all remain as they were prior to this work being carried out.

Absolute bed-wetters.

If they are linking sections then rock on.

Wouldn't mind riding my skateboard down some of those bits.

Typical internet. Moan moan moan.

If I go to a restaurant and there's dishes on the menu I don't like, I don't sit there complaining about them to anyone within earshot. I just order something I do like.

FFS.

Miserable old **** like me have absoltely no interest in going fast and getting 'airborne', but love slow, techy stuff where if you don't get the right line you might go over the bars.

Why is no one building these type of trails anymore....

No-one ever built trails like that at trail centres. However your local woods are probably still full of them.

In retrospect the RIP comment was OTT - apologies. But I do hope that's the last we see of that sort of trail at Pen.

Am I the only one that thinks 50k sounds cheap for all that trail?
(unless all that footage was the same bits repeated)

It's 2-3km ish I think,just feels interminably long.

Ridden them twice in the last month, and at the weekend at the enduro they held there.

They are very different to the rest of the trails there, that's for sure, but in total they are about 2-3mins worth of saving you riding a fire road which is no bad thing.

The second section is better than the first, thanks to a couple of step downs and decent opportunities to get your wheels off the ground.

The key is hitting them flat out - try riding flat out from the top of Craig Wen, hitting the 1st new section flat out, and then carrying on through Hafod Ffraith (S2 of the enduro). You'll be feeling that at the end and glad of the respite that the new section gives.

Hit the second new section flat out too - and there is a little uphill pedal before the big berms - and blast through the last berm, across the fire road and hit Allt Pen y Bont at full tilt and see what you think then.

In isolation they aren't going to set your world alight, but add them into the mix of what is basically the last couple of downhill blasts and you'll enjoy them.

The key is hitting them flat out

WTF?! Is the film a spoof? Trail looks so smooth and dull.

wl - Member
WTF?! Is the film a spoof? Trail looks so smooth and dull.

It's bloody awful.Looks like far too much fun.
Whatever you do don't ride them.You might enjoy them and we can't have anybody enjoying themselves can we?
You'r best off sticking to your local trails.

Looks pretty sweet that, and a welcome alternative to fireroads.
I love Penmachno, and I can see these new sections being a lot of fun when they become weathered-in.

They do look very stark when first built these sorts of trails, but they soon blend. Brechfa would have looked similar, Bikepark Wales defo would have done, and pretty much any trail looks a bit 'alien' when first cut in. They'll soon blend and there is plenty of weather up there to help. 🙂

Taking Molly's restaurant analogy, it's not like going to a restaurant and not liking the food on the menu and then complaining. It's more like a restaurant (renowned for soup - wet but tasty) spending quite a lot of money to produce a fancy launch to some new meals on the existing menu that have cost a lot, only to find out its scrambled egg and boiled rice. It's out of keeping with the rest of the menu, misses the USP of the restaurant and leaves you feeling the money could have been better spent elsewhere. If you like egg and rice then you'll not mind but if you went just for the soup it adds nothing and removes the possibility of something more interesting coming later.

WILL PEOPLE PLEASE COMMENT AFTER BLOODY RIDING IT AND NOT BE BLOODY KEYBOARD BLOODY WARRIORS SLAGGING EVERY BLOODY THING OFF COS THEY THINK THEY'RE COOL!!!!!

Thanks for you co-operation.

iolo

Have you ridden there 😉

mrhoppy - Member

Taking Molly's restaurant analogy, it's not like going to a restaurant and not liking the food on the menu and then complaining. It's more like a restaurant (renowned for soup - wet but tasty) spending quite a lot of money to produce a fancy launch to some new meals on the existing menu that have cost a lot, only to find out its scrambled egg and boiled rice. It's out of keeping with the rest of the menu, misses the USP of the restaurant and leaves you feeling the money could have been better spent elsewhere. If you like egg and rice then you'll not mind but if you went just for the soup it adds nothing and removes the possibility of something more interesting coming later.

Totally clear. I can really understand the outrage now.

iolo

Have you ridden there

I must admit, I'm currently off the bike.
I do however know Andy, the mountain bike ranger who was in charge of the build.
This guy rides mountain bikes very well and was in charge of all new bits in Coed y Brenin in the last few years. He doesn't build bad trails.
He also builds them to a sustainable standard ensuring erosion and standing water is kept to a minimum.
The standing water is an issue the original trail builders at Penmachno did not account for any you are always guaranteed a wet arse or bloody dangerous ice rink (depending on the time of year).

Like this?

I appreciate that it's always horses for courses and that these new sections are better than fire road but personally I would have liked to have seen them being a bit more technical than that. A shame IMO but hopefully they will bed in a bit.

iolo - Member

WILL PEOPLE PLEASE COMMENT AFTER BLOODY RIDING IT AND NOT BE BLOODY KEYBOARD BLOODY WARRIORS SLAGGING EVERY BLOODY THING OFF COS THEY THINK THEY'RE COOL!!!!!

Thanks for you co-operation.
.
.
You are on Singletrack!!!! that ^^^ stuff don't work around here mate!
its ALL about Opinions and Judgment here y'know, Lmao

This guy rides mountain bikes very well and was in charge of all new bits in Coed y Brenin in the last few years. He doesn't build bad trails.

Most of the 'new' bits at CyB are also shite.

Rode both loops the other week. Have to say we were all very pleased with the new sections of trail. Made a welcome change from the puddles and stream beds which make up the rest of Penmachno!

You can't please all the people all the time but if you please most of the people most of the time you're doing an alright job.
Some like gears, some don't.
Some like suspension, Some don't.
Some like Fat Bikes, some don't.
Nobody will ever agree on wheel size - just chose.
etc, etc, etc, etc

I had an ex who used to say for years "I don't like curry". One day we were in a restaurant, I ordered a curry of some description. I asked if she wanted to try. She said "that's not very nice". Same with everything.
If , after trying you don't like it, don't bother again.
But you have to try it before commenting,

I'll be honest, it looks like a laugh to me, somewhere to test a bit of high speed skills.

You can keep your "slow trails where you can go over the bars"

I'll take that along with BPW Blues all day 🙂

Funny thread.

Those bits a singletrack look good. I haven't been to enough trail centres. Must rectify that.

Additional trail at a great trail for you should you wish to ride it?

I see no reason for complaint here, a welcome addition if you ask me.

Funny thread.

Glad you find the ruination of all mountain biking in Wales, if not the entire UK, funny. These fun, smooth fast trails must be destroyed and in their place, a fire road.

Very tempted to do the old 'new trails looks like new shocker!' but wont because everyone knows that in a few years time the edges will be overgrown, lumps and bumps will appear and it'll look like it's been there for a long time.

p.s. I hate it other people build trails for me* to ride.

* not me personally, i don't live in Wales but you get the point i hope. Ungrateful sods.

p.p.s Camera work was good in the video, as was the riding, but WTF is that terrible screamo/melody hybrid song about?

Out of interest, to those who think the money would have been better spent elsewhere - where exactly would you have spent it? Genuinely interested.

I see no reason for complaint here, a welcome addition if you ask me.

Yep, I get that bit, but do you think it as good as could be for the money? Should the builders have gone for some thing more technical, or is a smoother trail better so to encourage a greater range of riders? It's not wrong to talk about whether they've got max bang for public buck.

(And yes, I've ridden it a few times and enjoyed it!)

Having not ridden them how long are the new trails?