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I'm probalby one of the people you saw yesterday, Max - we arrived late, as we'd had car trouble when my companion's car wouldn't start, struggled to find parking, got the bikes out as it started to rain, faffed and fettled while the girls got a head start, then struggled up hill into the fiercest headwind I've seen in yonks. I remember seeing the box and saying to my companion "we'll catch the girls up now, we can put some in there when we finish"
Of course it was a terrible day weather wise and we were very glad to finish and get in a nice warm dry car, then drive off competely forgetting to pay. I do feel guilty as I'd slipped a load of change in specially to put in the box, but I forgot to get it ready to put in at the start (it was in my wallet in a waterproof bag at thebottom of my rucsack) then given the conditions completely forgot to do it afterwards.
One piece of feedback I'll give is that the location is not the best. the honesty box is halfway up the hill - great if it's a nice quiet day, but if like yesterday it's packed and you;re at the bottom, well it wouldn't surprise me to find that people simply don't see it. Maybe there needs to be better signage?
In answer to your original question, I've been both A and B in the past, but yesterday was C
Anyone know if ABM have a paypal account where I can drop a fiver in lieu of the honesty box?
and for those who haven't seen it - about halfway up the first hill is a gate barring vehicular access (although it was open yesterday), with a noticeboard on the right hand side. The box is next to the noticeboard
Yeah - people say good things.
Is there one trail or are there two now? Is there a best route?
A- every time I ride there.
But, when you read the local community website, it seems to suggest that the majority of locals in the village strongly oppose any development work, i.e. cafe or bigger carpark.They seem to suggest that Mountainbikers are a hindrence not an asset. Bikers don't mind spending money in the commumity, but the locals don't see it that way. A bit sad really when you see how dead the village appears to be.
linky to said community website please??
>Is there one trail or are there two now? Is there a best route?
One trail, loop 2 was built off the back of Loop 1. Google image search will throw up a map
NBT I could not possibly blight your reputation probably not, if you struggled to find parking. I was not tryingto single any person out but there was one party where 3 cars and one white van took up the parking spaces in a bay capable of taking 6 vehicles... was not sure who they were they seem to have left enough space to get wheelchair users in and out.
Ponti.... That is very obvious and worries me too, I would doubt the local community wanted the trail at all and will not until it starts making a visible difference to better the economy as painful as that makes it spending both by donating in the tin and in the villagers own hands is necessary. Penmachno has always been isolated and set in its way and Cwm Penmachno is worse, you will note the 'drive slowly' in English on the village road sign has been covered over presumably because they dont mind english only speakers speeding through, rather than stopping and diluting the language. Speeding Cars with bikes on however are considered an important part of the blight some think the trail centre brings to their culture. The businesses that are often economically active migrant english who move in and that only makes matters worse.
www.penmachno.net
Go to "General Discussion" then scroll down to "Public Metting"
Sorry, you will have to go into "Local Community" first.
Wrong again, "Community Forum".
Got there in the end.
The trail doesn't need facilities because there is a village down the road. Why a local hasn't opened a bloody cafe and bike wash there I don't know. Oh yes I do: they hate foreigners.
A
Always put money in from my first visit - one of my favourite trails
Plum
Rode there for the first time yesterday, spotted the honesty box at the start of the ride and intended to put some cash in before we left. Completely and genuinely forgot about it by the time we'd finished riding.
My experience is that I feel quite disinclined to stop in Penmachno village on the way through. There are three reasons for this - they may be linked:
1) there doesn't appear to be much to stop for
2) there doesn't appear to be anywhere to stop
3) I feel an almost tangible hostility as I drive through (in a way I haven't elsewhere in Wales (or anywhere in Scotland for that matter))
I could be wrong about (3), in fact I hope I am. If I did stop maybe I'd feel differently.
Things I [b]would[/b] stop for would be mainly food and drink - either coffee, snacks, fruit juices etc before or after a ride or 'proper' farm food, meat & veg to take away with me.
A - great trail
A or B - but not everytime though... I'll put in some folding every couple of trips.
Rates as one of my favourite trial centre rides.
But I can't see how it benefits the local community too much?
Only the Eagles seems to market itself at MTB'ers... Usually I'll combine Penmachno with the Marin with breakfast or lunch in Betws y Coed or maybe The Ship in Trefriw. I have stayed in accommodation in and around Llanwrst and spent in the shops / pubs / curry house etc but nothing directly in Penmachno. As far as I can see there really is nothing to stop for.
If I were a resident of Penmachno then MTB'ers would just be those people with bikes on cars speeding into their village....
... but can someone please explain what the hell that Raccoon is all about??
Not fussed about the village itself; if they're anti-English that's up to them - you don't have to stop there.
When we drove through this time last week, there didn't appear to be anywhere obvious to park but I saw The Eagles pub/bunk house which advertises in MBR for Mtber's. What's that place like? We enjoyed the trail so much that we considered using that as a base next time, but won't if the pub hospitality is more akin to The Slaughtered Lamb!
As it turned out, we were doing the Marin Trail in the afternoon we stopped at Betws-y-Coed on the way for lunch. We did put some cash into the box though, so at least paid for our stay in the car park!
Ooops - so my point made mostly by iPed then! 😉
B.
I've been thinking about this sort of thing for a while now, how about a Penmachno website, with an
'i think the Penmachno trail rocks, here, have a few quid' paypal account?
the site wouldn't need to be anything fancy, just a photo of the week, some singletrack p0rn, and a paypal address, maybe a totaliser updated everynow and then...
you could even use ebay, if the cost of hosting a website is too much.
just think, you could 'sell' metres of singletrack for a fiver or whatever, it might even make a nice/novel crimbo pressie for the singletrack junkie in your life.
(a bit like those websites that sell land on the moon, only this would be much, much better)
or you could just carry on with the honesty box...
Stayed in the Eagles recently. It was OK - but 'luxury' bunkhouse may be stretching the meaning of the term somewhat. People were friendly enough but they didn't do food... which seemed to be missing an obvious opportunity. Parking is hit and miss and I can relate to the perception above that it's not somewhere you'd want to stop, as there's not much to put pay to that.
The issues about the trail being community led and FCs involvement - or not - aren't obvious I suspect to many, so anything that provides a clearer view of how the trails are supported and how visitors can help to ensure that the trail is sustained/ maintained in the future would undoubtedly by welcomed - as witnessed by those who said they would have donated if they'd known.
It's a great trail and it would be shame to see the facility lost because of the issues highlighted.
a)
Great idea ahwiles, but i think the trail cost in the region of £50 a meter (may have even been £100 not 100%) to build in the first place so would be a getting a pretty good deal there. Having riden the trail with some of the guys who were responsable for builiding it it is beyond belief the effort and that has gone in to constuct some sections to ensure it is a trail that will last and ride amazingly. Would be a great shame not to see it gone because people are too tight to throw ina few quid.
ok, off-topic, how much does trailbuilding cost?
i've done a little work with singletraction, and the numbers in my head tell me the 30k of new singletrack at Dalby cost £500,000.
(Disclaimer; there are lots of things in my head, i regard most of it with suspicion, so should you)
£500,000 / 30,000 = £17/metre, and i reckon they've gone a bit over-the top, some of the berms are minor miracles of landscape engineering... (where i'd be just as happy with a cheaper sketchy flat corner)
Were there on Saturday with 3 cars and 7 people. None of us made a contribution. I had been there for the first time last year, and the notices on the board didn't seem to have changed (eg: there was one saying the second loop was now open), so I didn't bother re-reading it. I don't remember the funding and maintenance situation, as set out in this thread, being clearly explained. It does sound worrying.
It sounds to me like the trail really needs its own website. If you google for "penmachno trail" now, you'll find a fair bit of out of date info in the top hits. eg: They say it is 22 km, but it is about 30 km with the second loop, isn't it? Having a PayPal contribution mechanism would mean that they would get some of my money. It is such a good trail, and so much effort has gone into it, it deserves to be maintained and improved.
Bump! (two year's worth!)
The honesty box has now been moved further down the lane towards the road. Sad to say, I keep forgetting to pay (I live fairly near so it's a regular ride). While I chuck a small handful of gold in when I remember, an online donation pot would be handy. Anyone know of a site/PP account that can be donated to?
We put in a large donation at Easter ago after forgetting the time before, to make up for it.
Anybody going tomorrow? Myself and 3 mates will be there about 9.45. 🙂
C - ridden it once and knew about it from a thread on here.
C - ridden it once and knew about it from a thread on here.
According to their Facebook page someone used an angle grinder to get into the donations box and stole it's contents...... Truly shocking...... 😈 👿
G) Smashing open the honesty box and stealing the contents (can't help it; I'm off a Council Estate).
Only joking.
When I rode there last year, I put a pound in, and if I visit this year, I shall probbly put another pound in.
If the money goes towards maintaining the excellent trails there, then I have no problem with bunging a quid in.
According to their Facebook page someone used an angle grinder to get into the donations box and stole it's contents...... Truly shocking.....
Jeeze, I was only joking but what knob goes to all that trouble of taking an angle-grinder to nick what, a tenner or something? The grinding disc would surely cost more....
Sad that in't it. Maybe they should make a box from a lump of stone or something.
probably nicked the angle-grinder...
Maybe they should make a box from a lump of stone or something.
Or... perhaps a PP address/account. Had a look on Fb page and website, but nowt. Seems like a missed opportunity to me.
B We always donate after we have ridden. I spoke to the ranger at C y B last year (Andy I think)and he said he was still maintaining Penmachno although it was harder for him with his new job.
B - Always. Dropped six quid between two of us last weekend, depends on how much change I have but norm three quid when I ride there as thats about the going rate for car parking elsewhere
E.
assumed it was part of the Forestry commision gang and funded by the shops and subsidised by the tax man.
only been twice, and my mates dont rate it, so we dont tend to go. Remind me to hunt out the box next time i go!
(A). Its my favourite trail. Proper old skool. Pay or loose it!? Id rather have the choice of riding it then turning up to it being shut...... 😐
E
Again assumed it was Forestry Commission so didn't look for one!