I was out riding in the Surrey Hills on sunday, and how many people at Peaselake?
Anyway, there seems to be a virus spreading amongst the trail users, and the symptoms are simple, don't turn the bars when a corner rears its head. Seriously, will those riders that don't want to ride the trails as they are set out, and cut corners please think about what you are doing?
1. The maintenance of the trails is easier if people don't keep trying to make new ones
2. It ruins the trail for others, as over time the trail becomes a straight line rather than a twisty one.
Honestly, railing corners is more fun than a bumpy straight line
Getting a similar problem down here, only it's all natural and looks bad on our part.
We comment about this at every trail centre we visit. Some people will ride for 20mls but will cut a corner to save 0.5yrds and FOR WHAT????
There is a bit at whinlatter on the South loop. The big descent ends with a pretty uninspiring little switch back end down to a fire road. Anyhow, people are cutting off the last switchback (Downhill so no excuses) and running off the side onto the fireroad. It hasnt been cut and it deffor has only appeared lately.
I just cant get some peoples thinking on purpose built trails
Straightlines are a massive problem on all the trails in the Surrey Hills I help look after. Generally it seems to be down to people lacking skill and having a skill compensator of a bike instead. It's frustrating. Someone continually straightlines the S bend berms on BKB, and carefully removes the brash we use to block it. If you want to go in straight lines and hate berms, buy a road bike.
I noticed a lot on Xmas pud too, and T2.
Could you place some stingers on the hotspots?
eh? if these un-skilled/overbiked riders are missing them out then aren't your beloved corners remaining all nice for all you trail gods? (with presumably less braking bumps before them too)
😕
Top Tip.
Most trail centres have circular routes. Save the effort of following a 10 mile twisty route that doesn't actually go anywhere by simply turning around. You will be at the end in no time.
you have a point, but it seems once one sheep has used the shortcut, all the rest follow, ruining berms and contoured corners, plus the brush that some people have put in the way ends up on the the true trail.
I'm not saying gerrooof my trail!!! I'm asking everyone to ride them as they are, they'll learn more and enjoy the riding more once they conquer the corners. Plus some of the corners are there to slow people down before a busy bridleway, where people regularly ride up to climb back up the hill.
unless it's actually badgers! Or part of the kamikaze squirrel squadron that regularly through pine comes at passers by!
Crikey corners are fun!!!! lest they are now i've thrown on a telonix up front i can push all i want and it's just damned immense fun.
These people should be shot for being so slack.
Put something "fun" for them to find in the bracken you build up then. Either logs or dog eggs. Or logs with dog eggs on them.
"eh? if these un-skilled/overbiked riders are missing them out then aren't your beloved corners remaining all nice for all you trail gods? (with presumably less braking bumps before them too)"
Shortcutting damages the trail surface where you enter and leave the armoured trail, and also drags water and mud onto it... It can create drainage problems as well.
It's nothing to do with being unskilled or overbiked, just about laziness. Though to be fair, most people who do daft stuff that damages the trails- skidding, shortcutting, riding unfinished surfaces- don't do it out of any malice or lack of consideration, it's just that they don't know they're causing harm. Til I started volunteering I had no idea at all what goes into a fully armoured trail, and neither I think do most other riders.
Ride there often and seen a lot of that On Barry Knows Best
and some parts of Summer Lightening.
Saying that seen two small jumps put in on Barry Knows Best
Probably best to put logs around top of berms
To be honest could be just an influx of more people riding there now
Or people riding it faster and not making the berm and skid out.
Must say Peaslake seems to be a place to avoid to many people
Logs on top of the berms cause other problems, sadly. And seem to be moved out of the way, in some cases.