As the op referenced Mctrail rider I just used his videos to work out the location.
Yeah I know. I'm just pointing out that you can work out the location from Mctrail riders videos despite him not wanting to say where they are.
If you have the Right to Roam in Scotland then go and roam about wherever you like and look for them.
Once someone reveals where they are (and they will, might not be you, might not be your best friend who you showed, but somewhere down the chain it’ll be revealed) they’ll be trashed.
Go out, find a nice quiet spot, spend hours/days/weeks making your own trails and then share them with the public and see how it feels to watch them die when too many people ride them, Kevin modifies it because the corner is too hard/easy, jump too small/big, skids, skids, skids.
skids, skids, skids
This. I made the mistake of showing a guy I ride/rode with some local to me stuff. He now drives an hour each way to ride it, using seemingly only his rear brake, in all weathers. I've asked him not to pull massive skids all over the place, including at the end of runs, effectively revealing them to those that want to block them with logs and worse, not to mention carving up the actual trail. This plus him never meeting a landing he couldn't case. He responds by saying it will only take a few minutes to fix. Though, not by him. ****. Does anyone have access to one of those MIB mind erasers?
Some local to me have a subtle way of showing an entrance and most have an end away from the main trail so you can't ride out of it.
After a few weeks ,if they've been spotted, the entrance will be huge and the trail cut to shreds and the exit may as well have fairy lights round it.
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onehundredthidiot
Full MemberSome local to me have a subtle way of showing an entrance and most have an end away from the main trail so you can’t ride out of it.
After a few weeks ,if they’ve been spotted, the entrance will be huge and the trail cut to shreds and the exit may as well have fairy lights round it.
This, exactly.... one trail of mine had originally had a very convoluted exit section which both slowed riders down before they hit the fireroad and also made it not so obvious.
Look at it now - all the switchbacks have been short-cut and the exit is just a straight drop down the fall line, as wide as a motorway, which loses 30 metres of height in a few seconds for bugger all satisfaction.
I just don’t get it tbh, which is probably why I don’t build much anymore.
People don't have the right skills so will shortcut as they can't ride the trickier stuff - the right skills come with practice and time-spent on the bike. Mountain biking has a much wider market and pull now and there are less people riding trails with the skills 'required', so many will shortcut the hard stuff and make things easier.
(I'm very much in that group just now (happily to admit I'm not that skilled), but if I can't ride a section, I get off an walk rather than making my own line)
There are also people who will shortcut everything to get faster times for the likes of Strava.
Basically, the amount of people riding bikes and trails nowadays means that the range of skills/abilities are now so wide that any trail that is created will be amended - either intentionally or by accident - very quickly after it has been introduced.
Personally, I'm all for getting everyone out on bikes and riding, however, I'm also one of the grumpy ones that really don't like seeing a trail getting changed because riders can't ride it the way it is. I'm very much aware trails evolve, but evolution takes time and isn't something that happens in a day or so by people who can't ride the trail - that is trail vandalism not trail evolution.
(I always forget how annoyed I get when I talk about this...sorry)
Aye, it's a definitely a consideration when building now, where to route track that doesn't have an escape route that folk can cut off a nice corner. I don't build in chicken lines any more either, if ye canny do it, either session it and learn, or walk.
guy who is/was pretty instrumental in some great trails, he was most miffed when he found an event organiser had been showing off trails to a magazine bod and was claiming them for his event
Vallejulah 15?
The reason he hasn't named these trails is because the builders have politely asked him not to, due to agreements and permission they have to build. These guys are really sound. They could have asked him not to film full stop. But that's not their style.
As a direct result of said youtuber making a vid and the massive uptake in the sport. I havnt built a new trail in well over 2 years. I spend all my time just trying to keep up the maintenance. Our trails are not hidden and we welcome all users. But the level of disrespect you get from users is soul destroying at times. This includes locals and experienced riders not just visitors and those new to the sport. Closed sections and new features continually unblocked before completion, chicken lines created. Features modified. I've eventually given in to this and now build in chicken lines or make everything rollable.
I've no problem with the youtubers making content. I enjoy watching it. BUT with the massive exposure gained through social media. I think they should always attemp to contact the trail builders in new areas they visit to ensure they aren't doing harm when posting. Some spots are delicate. Wether that be from permission issues. Or not suitable for high traffic or wet weather riding. These trails don't just take a few days to build. Some are years of graft and that should be considered. MTB is nothing without the buiders
MTB is nothing without the buiders
Playing Devil's Advocate on that, there were plenty 'natural' trails before people decided to start building stuff...wildlife and farm life helped create the natural stuff and that has always been fine. The idea that a trail needs to be properly man-made seems to be a recent requirement (of about last 6 or 7 years) and has aided in the change where natural stuff suddenly needs people building on it as it isn't really a trail until it is built on...
In a lot of cases getting people in to build has been great, but in a lot, it hasn't been...but it all adds up to the mix of MTB nowadays.
Great trails should be celebrated, but does that mean you should just be able to rock up n tear em to shreds without lifting a finger when folks have put months of sweat equity, tooling and transport costs into a trail, often without being paid (or charging) a penny?
Might be worth reflecting on just how good you have it, or better still, if you want great trails, rather than whinging on a forum, get building (and maintaining)...
It's then up to you whether or not you want to share the fruits of your labour with the wider MTB community, who are often oblivious to the amount of hard graft that has gone into every last inch of a trail
Problem with those great natural trails is that with they aren't suitable for the volume of traffic we see now. So even they need looked after
