[Closed] So, Llandegla has a few climbs, doesn't it...?

Yeah, they have these off-piste bits that, from memory, are Orange graded. Not sure the black went up to ten in the first place though?

Definitely nothing "blacker than black" at 'Degla, that drop off included tbh.

With regards to the climb here, or indeed most places, it pays to remember that these are working forests and having a lovely bit of windy singletrack to climb up isn't going to be possible all the time. That said, a few mini offshoots would help break up the monotony somewhat, and should be feasible most places including 'Degla.

they have these off-piste bits that, from memory, are Orange graded

a few mini offshoots would help break up the monotony somewhat, and should be feasible most places including 'Degla

Oy Ryan! There are people on here pushing out of the car park. Put them in front of that drop! 🙂 I think even Llandegla describe the bits as beyond their black? Not trolling - off-piste to me just means off the main trail. There are these little runs all over the place, signposted off the main trails. Most just funny dips or a bit of boardwalk off the main drag. Dunno. Don't really care - just waiting on a meatloaf to cook, hence wasting time on here.

I think Llandegla is great by the way. Seems to have a bit of everything for everybody.

The only drop off a boardwalk I can think of is the one at the start of the B-line. There a bit of a drop down to the trail and it does look a bit intimidating. But I've done it and I have no rad or gnarr-ness at all. It's much easier than it looks. To be fair the B-line is marked as an orange/black freeride trail and marked as a step up from the black.

Was there last week,all rollable, i think thats one of their standrds, ie everything is rollable

They do have some blacker than black within the black sections. The main drag is all rollable, but the more extreme bits are a bit heavy - [b]there's a big drop off some rock for one[/b]. I walked away from that bit. No doubt somebodies three year old did it on a push along...

It's changed since the last time I was there then. Might pop back then. 😀

taxi25, I'm with you - mountain bikers complaining about hills! Tell me it's not real?!

You've done good rides and bad rides I assume. What made the bad rides bad and the good rides good? Were some a bit muddier than others? A bit longer/shorter? Were some a bit too flat? Were some a bit tame on the descents? Or perhaps a bit risky...?

...Were some less enjoyable than others on the climbs? That. That's what I'm talking about.

Mountain bikers having an opinion on STW. Whatever next? 😉

I was there a couple of days ago and there are a couple of drop-offs that would probably end up in an over-the-bars moment if drop-offs were not your forte.

Just looked on YouTube. People seem to ride around the edge of that rock section. Always assumed people rode off the lip itself? Surely riding around it is not in the spirit of the enterprise? Anybody can do that - but down the vertical bit? Bet not many of us here would.

The trails outside of Coed Llandegla are great fun - especially the rocky trail into Llangollen, or that silly steep gully the Land Rovers have carved into. The ride back up is not so pleasant though. Worth it for a massive slice of pie at the Ponderosa. Oh man, I'm salivating now! Pie... Yum.

I spent two weeks at Llandegla last year. Rode every day, but only at Coed perhaps four times. Preferred the hills really.

And pie.

I love Llandegla, my local, but I do find the big dull climb at the start tends to discourage a second lap! Haven't found that at other trail centres that don't all share a common start, hence can be more interesting out of the car park.

Incidentally, for a beast of a starting climb, it's got to be White's Level at Afan! Was at Hopton a few weekends ago, and seemed to be going uphill the whole time there! All subjective I guess.

The 'wooden drop' is that the one on B-Line or that massive long elevated thing they've got on the main trail?

They're both rollable, the big high one is better rolled imho - it doesn't really lend itself to me dropping off it, the boardwalk on B-Line is better dropped onto and off again at the other end.

You can roll off at 1'24"?

The b-line feels like it's been made easier since it opened, I'm pretty sure that the end is rollable (but why not learn to manual!). Last time I was there a group of 4 were walking the b-line boardwalk

The initial climb at Llandegla is dull, but then it's busy and let's the quicker riders get past. It's a steady climb so I tend to ride a lap of the red with blacks, then the blue to finish (the blue really is superb fun, and often quiet). The steep climbs at the end of the red do me in, but that's because I'm fat. I don't moan about it, I just try harder each time.

Also I much prefer Llandegla on my 100mm XC hardtail. Miles easier on the climbs and more than enough on the descents.

Never done Llandegla. Are the climbs as bad as Penmachno ? I do loads of ascents (I've done the Mary Townley Loop in June and last Sunday I did a mega hilly 34 mile ride - 1300m of ascent!) but found the climbs at Penmachno particularly boring. Fireroad, slow & steep, no views at all due to the forests, and loads of flying insects chasing me a lot. I was on my own though which made them a bit boring, was also suffering from a bad back and my legs were dead because I'd previously done 2 days riding a combined 60 miles along the north wales coast cycle route, one of them into a terrible headwind. That probably didn't help. To make things even worse there was one point when I made a wrong turn and took a massive fast descent down a fireroad only to realise I'd gone wrong and had to slog back up it again.

If the climbs are bad at Llandegla I'll probably wait until I can do it with someone else because boring climbs when I'm on my own can be demotivating.

Sometimes when I'm bored on climbs I try to practice doing wheelies (not that I can ever hold them) takes away the boredom a bit but usually I don't have the energy to waste.

(but why not learn to manual!)

You can roll all of degla including the b line. I'm crap on a bike so I can't manual.

The climb; its nothing. Make it better by parking up world's end and going across the bridleway on the boards. 15 mins to the top then. And a fun descent on the way back down. Plus the parking is free.

@/captainsasquatch

Yeah, it's far smoother to give a little pop to get off, but it's easier than it looks, the gap from the bottom of the wood to the ground is pretty small, you can just roll off, but it's a bit jarring.

'The Don' of course is going faster than most people will be going, I've seen him ride at Degla, he's amazingly quick, quicker than he looks on videos.

I enjoy all the climbs at Llandegla. 🙂
That rock drop off (the one at the start of "parallel universe" where you can choose between 2 routes?) is okay. I can do it on my hardtail and I'm rubbish. It's not possible to ride down the side of it because it's got wooden fencing to stop you.

Captainsasquatch
The drop at the end of the first boardwalk on the B line as seen in the video at 1:24 has been modified since the video.
The landing has been raised making the drop rollable.
Stu

I don't think I've come across anything red/black grade at a trail centre that isn't roll able yet. The jump stuff is usually graded orange I think but I can't do any of that

How long and steep is this entry climb? Anyone got a strava link? Need to put the OP In some perspective lol

I remember seeing it on Strava and from memory it was a 3% gradient for 3 miles

stilltortoise, sorry, I didn't mean to offend, I just find it strange that people complain about having to climb in a sport with 'mountain' in it; but as you say, thats just my opinion.

Personally, I like the climbing bit (after I've done it!), almost as much as the downhill bits; but that's what makes this sport great, there's something in it for everybody. And we're both in agreement that Llandegla's a fantastic set up.

Tell you what, if I ever see you there, I'll buy you a bacon buttie - makes the whole thing worthwhile!

Llandegla, the only trail centre I've ridden where I was surprised to pop out at the finish thinking I was a lot higher than I was, expecting more descent 🙁

The first climb at Llandegla is about 3 miles long and goes up by about 500-600 feet,its not a big deal.

It takes 20 minutes if your fast, 35 minutes if your slow.

I just looked on Strava and the first 3-mile climb has an average gradient of 3%. The steepest Strava section I could find in that first climb is about 5%.

That doesn't sound a lot, when on a lot of natural trails there are long ascents with an average grade of 7 to 10%.

@rorschach, my suggestion was going along the lines of literally small obstacles much like the ones recently added over Cannock chase on the FTD. Nothing too radical, just a little something extra, and whilst I get where you're coming from, it's an obvious shortfall which could contribute towards people not returning, so I disagree it doesn't put bums on seats.
@muddyground, I think the majority have spoken. It's a pretty normal feature for the trail designation and therefore I wouldn't describe it as "gnar". I wouldn't expect anybody pushing out the car park to be attempting black routes anyhow, if they feel it's too much Llandegla has something for everyone, as you rightly point out.....a cafe in this case 😛

Do the first climb quicker just to get it out of the way?

Also, of these turning up and finding the climbing vs reward ratio poor, how many of you are on 160mm gnar-poon bikes with big sticky tyres?

3 miles 3%, doesnt sound a lot then, standard fare around the peaks to get to the top of decents, and steeper too, always find them enjoyable. Getting faster at climbing, gives fitness gains on the flat too 🙂

Aside from installing a chairlift, or building a road to take bikes up in transit, how can they make it better? Adding singletrack just ain't going to work with how busy trail centres get.

@TrekEX8 absolutely no offence taken and yes, if I see you there, I'll have a bacon buttie. I'll be the one grumbling about the climbs 😀

To be honest this thread didn't quite lead where I thought it would. Most people are commenting on the opening climb, which I thought was a really pleasant and easy way to warm up, gain height and chat to your mates with some big views. There are a lot worse trail centre climbs out there.

My grumble was with the second/half of the red/black stuff where it felt like there was far too much up for the amount of down. Julia's Trail was particularly guilty of this and as for whoever it was who said they could do it all in the big ring, you are Nino Schurter and I claim my prize.

Is this where people start perusing e-Bikes as an alternative to peddaling? I recall a post in the Ard-Rock Enduro thread where some one was moaning that they had seen folk pushing..........

I watched the short film of the Ard Rock and noticed quite a few pushing?

The fortunate thing with MTB'ing is taht you have to go up to come down, the alternative is Canal Tow path or Similar, surely the ups a Degla cant be that Meh, its not long enough for a start, I rode there a few weeks ago and counted 7 Adders on the first climb basking in the Sun. a few pleasantrys from other riders and i even stopped to take a few pics of the view.

I've ridden dego a lot over the last few years and I've heard lots of people me ton that it feels like all time us spent climbing. I think it's because the descents are pretty smooth / not really technical that they can be covered very quickly. It does then seem like you spend very little time on the descents. In comparison, I rode at macc forest the other day and did the cat and fiddle loop. The steep descent back down is literally one rock to another, mega tricky and consequently pretty slow. It seemed like it took as long to get down as it did to do the climb up ( although two of us had a lie down mid way down, which showed us up) . overall I like dego, and at the end of the day you have to go up to come down!!

cruzcampo - Member

Adding singletrack just ain't going to work with how busy trail centres get.

works at Glentress, possibly THE busiest trail centre.

That's a lovely climb, almost worth the trip alone.

The fortunate thing with MTB'ing is taht you have to go up to come down

I guarantee that more and more people will become holiday mountain bikers, spending the odd weekend at uplift centres then hitting the Alps once a year. MTB is not the new golf, it's the new skiing.

No climbing for them

Last time I was at Llandegla (the first time I've been there) I did two laps, and you know? That boardwalk made such an impression on me, I'd forgotten all about it.

People were pushing in the 'Ard Rock as 1) some of the climbs were genuinely un-ridable (the second push back up the Fremington Ridge for example) and 2) there was no real reason to kill yourself, lots of folk were deliberately taking it easy.

I think good singletrack climbs are possible - Golspie, IMHO, is good example and the best trail centre climb I've experienced. I reckon Llandegla could build a better climb but it may require an act of God*.

* Now that the CofE own the forest. 😀

The first climb out of Grizedale (singletrack) is pretty good lots of obstacles to keep you thinking takes the boredom away completely, maybe something like that is needed?

no, apparently nothing is needed.

it's mountain biking, it's not meant to be fun. Every climb should be a pure, featureless experience. Free from petty things like joy or amusement.

If someone said to me 'lets go up here it's three miles of fireroad climb' my first reaction would be tell them to piss off. And I like climbing.

Tjhey could certainly make that first bit a lot more inviting - but there may be limitations on the land etc meaning that they can't

thestabiliser - Member
If someone said to me 'lets go up here it's three miles of fireroad climb' my first reaction would be tell them to piss off. And I like climbing.

I wouldn't.
But I do [i]actually[/i] like climbing 😛

Ooooh, and back OT yes it has [i]some[/i] climbs but I wouldn't say a lot - certainly not compared to other trail centres.

LOL...... Llandegla has a horrible climb at the start eh?

You clearly haven't ridden at Rostrevor then!

if the first climb at Degla is too long/boring simply turn left halfway up and head over the moors to break it up 😉

Perhaps they should put some singletrack into it (works at Glentrees, Innerleithen, Afan(old Whites Level was one of the best TC climbs around), Cwm Carn etc) but perhaps one consideration in the planning was that area was always down for harvesting since the early days of the trail so any s/t construction in that area would have been a waste and now its harvested and re-planted the forest needs to recover a bit first, it is after all first and foremost a commercial wood farm

I reckon this is the "off piste" black drop mentioned on the previous page?

[img] [/img]

Bit daunting 1st go.

The boardwalk after this (where the red re-joins the black) ends pretty abruptly I've never considered it rollable - sounds like it is though!