[Closed] Trail centres - irrational dislike of.....

[i]'If they haven't been riding for more than 20 years on natural trails how the hell can they understand[/i]

This.

It's a statement disparaging people who don't ride bikes in the same way the he does.

I'm a 30 year+ rider and my badge is bigger than yours! SFU! 😀 ... Truthfully? Trail centre's are convenient! And as long as I'm with my mates I couldn't give a ****! ... I just find it all a bit safe,sanitized and not in the spirit of what I remember and recognise!

I know it's never going to change back... But it won't be blimmin long before that'll be the only place we can ride!....

I just look at some of these guys (not you of course, you've got a badge) and just think " You just don't get it do you"... But as I said? I am that judgmental! ... It's probably down to me being more worried about them thinking " whose the old tramp with the old filthy bike and why does he keep staring"...

We used to do a really bizarre thing "back in the day"... we used to just go up to complete strangers and talk to them and say Hi! maybe I should start doing that again?... then again! I hate disappointment! and people thinking your after summut!

There's a lot of inflated ego's in them trail centre car parks! Mainly from spending an inordinate amounts of money! Yet all I'm really frustrated about is I want them to understand all of it (mountain biking) not just the Trail centre bit! And the more candid bit about that! is that it will keep what I know, love and understand relevant and not make me feel so dated! God forbid we lose sight of where and why it all started! But if it is what gets them out on their bikes? it's good!

8)

I quite like riding slowly.

And I quite like deep mud, it’s just another trail obstacle.

I also much prefer riding uphill to down.

Some people "mountain bike" in order to ramble but go further, a trail center has nothing to offer them. Proper, err, I mean other mountain bikers are looking for an exercise in machine control. This can be found in natural terrain, and in trail centers. I'd like a trail center made entirely of combes, I love combes.

[i]Some people "mountain bike" in order to ramble but go further, a trail center has nothing to offer them.[/i]

Hi there.

[i]Proper, err, I mean other mountain bikers[/i]

Easy there hotshot, don't make me strangle you with my map case 😉

[i]There's a lot of inflated ego's in them trail centre car parks! [/i]

One of them appears to be yours...

I love 'natural' trail riding for the navigational challenge. A trail centre can never emulate the kind of self sufficiency you need to ride Mastiled Lane, Gatesgarth or Doctor's Gate.

There's a lot of inflated ego's in them trail centre car parks![b] Mainly from spending an inordinate amounts of money![/b]

The bit in bold should read......

"Mainly from people who think [b]their[/b] opinion of what mountain biking should be is better than everyone else's"

Im a chatty sort of person, plus I'm always ready to roll at least 15 mins before my other half, so I always end up chatting to people at trail centres, from families to bunches of mates and old buffers on 25 year old bikes wearing ron hills and brasher boots, and always find people perfectly agreeable and nice.

I've certainly never come across anyone like you describe.

[i]There's a lot of inflated ego's in them trail centre car parks![/i]

First thing i do when i roll up, even before im changed or got pads on, i grab my 5k bike, manual the length of the car park, whilst looking everyone i see square in the eyes, turn around, head back to the car whilst bunny hopping every obstacle i see, making sure it's a sufficiently skillful display, all just to demonstrate i am THE dominant male. If anyone attempts to say hello, i blank them.

That's how you win at MTBing, right?

There's a certain sort of old skool rider who's never happy with the idea of a sport that's open, accessible and welcoming.

With respect, Mr A, I think you're conflating a couple of things here. Leigh Woods is a classic example: when I see kids rolling down what [i]used[/i] to be a techy bit of singletrack, I am [b]genuinely & utterly delighted[/b], both for them and the future of the sport. The veritable explosion in numbers (including entire families) out & about in LW & AC is one of the best things that's happened to Brizzle biking in recent years. And the construction of an artificial network was a necessary development if mountain biking was to continue in both areas on a sustainable basis. But not for a moment am I going to p r e t e n d that I enjoy that [i]particular[/i] section (to be specific, the bit of the old Rim Trail that runs along the bluff*) in the way that I used to. Especially now that I can't climb up it. 😉

It's got nowt to do with my attitude to other riders, be they newbies or not - all are welcome & the more the merrier. It's about personal taste. I like ba'stard roots & awkward stuff, much in the way that I like Earl Grey tea and steel frames - AFAIK, this is not a thought crime.

(*FWIW, this was the [i]only[/i] bit of the LW new-build that upset me - although not asmuch as BRT2, obviously.)

I'd get bored rigid riding the same trails week in week out

Me too. Not sure what this has got to do with trail centres though.

navigational challenge

Doctor's Gate? Mastilles Lane? If you think they're navigational challenges you've spent too long riding those pesky sanitised trail centres 😉

I'm talking about the blanket dismissal of "trail centres" that floats up on here from time to time, accompanied by the STW Trail Centre Thread Bingo of "sanitised", "not proper mountain biking", "posers in car parks", "they're for people who can't read maps" and the like. If a particular bit of trail isn't to your tastes, fair enough.

As an aside, in my few years of maintaining trails I've had people moan when trails are in a bad state, moan when volunteers repair them, then moan when they wore out again, then moan even louder when properly built trails replaced them. The conclusion that I've formed is that people like to have a moan. 😉

I'm talking about the blanket dismissal of "trail centres"

Oh, I agree. IMO, even "posers in carparks" should be a cause for celebration - anything that has people spending money on bike stuff is a clear win. It's one of the few occasions when I believe in trickle-down economics. As for trail centres: if you don't like 'em, don't go there!

(I should apologise for latching straight on to your post - much like the Vietnam War, some of us are still fighting the great LW trails debate in our... [i]minds[/i]. 😀 )

The conclusion that I've formed is that people like to have a moan.

There's no pleasing 'em, to be sure (and let's face it, moaning about stuff is the very lifeblood of STW). On the subject of repairs, work has prevented me attending the BTG dig days, but I'll try and remedy that.

ride the trails you like riding, have fun, enjoy yourself?

ride the trails you like riding, have fun, enjoy yourself?

How dare you suggest it.

sorry, my bad 😉

No no fuzzhead, that's not the right attitude, you have to be dismissive of any one ( other than yourself of course) at a trail centre, as they are clearly try hard wannabies, who just don't get it, and need to go to real trails to do real mountain biking. It's no use just buying a nice bike ( that you clearly somehow don't deserve) and having fun, no you have to pay your dues first*

Ok?

* which appear to be at least 20 years of cycling before even thinking about daring to go to a trail centre

I've never been a fan of trail centres myself, I don't enjoy the way they ride or the "manufactured surface" that they have to use to cope with the masses etc, I've always preferred the feel of pine needles, roots, rocks, mud and peat etc but again its just a personal thing.

I can see the attraction of them as they're a "quick fix" for many plus its an easier way of attarcting many to MTB rather than facing the scary thought of naviagating and piecing together your own rides.

Llandegla is only a 40 min moorland ride away from the door but holds no appeal to me (although we had some cracking loops in there pre tail centre days). Locally within the Llangollen/Wrexham area there are some of the best riding to be had in Wales but again I prefer to build or search out that special bit of trail.

I've always preferred the feel of pine needles

It's the best kind of magic carpet.

I've never been a fan of trail centres myself...........I've always preferred the feel of pine needles

You've been visiting the wrong trail centres then 😉

I've always preferred the feel of pine needles, roots, rocks, mud and peat

It's true. Trail centre trails are made out of plastic, silicon chips and broken WKD bottles. Then they paint them brown and green.

[img] [/img]

I have to say, if trail centres existed 25-odd years ago when i was "paying my dues", i'd have been first in line 🙂

^ best post of the thread 🙂

I'll ride anywhere. Au naturel and trail centres. It's all riding to me.

What I do like about trail centres, is not bumping into self-righteous walkers.

Mr agreeable. That bit of trail is fantastic. Right on my doorstep too

I can't believe people are so fussed about what others do. If someone only wants to ride one or the other who cares?

Mucking about with a map and dragging myself through muddy fields in the vain hope that there might be a good trail has never appealed to me even when I was paying my dues on a rigid Kona Koa with cantis. But I would never tell someone that their idea of fun is rubbish and not proper mountain biking (not that we have many actual mountains in this country).

I'm quite happy blasting around a trail centre chatting to people, but I'm also happy taking in the view at the top of Stanage early doors on my todd on a crisp cold winters morning. They're both fun.

As for the bike thing, who cares if someone has a nicer bike than you? What they spend their money on is up to them. It's no different to mountain bikers turning up at a BMX track on their custom built 4x bike and getting rinsed by a kid on a knackered Halfords special. Again, who cares aslo g as they're having fun.

It's the same as boarding / skiing. Therrs those who spend more time in the cafes than on the slopes, those that hammer out runs on the slopes all day and others who want to brave it off piste. It doesn't affect anyone.

@nic C... Have you read what I put properly? 🙄 I'm passed the ego bit, it fizzles out with age... I'd have to care what people thought of me a lot more than I do for it to be problem! I just state my opinion based on what I know and have experienced! as I'm sure do many others on here!

But then again I know a **** when I see one...

I think people who only frequent trail centre's and enjoy them selves is great! I just think they could enjoy them selves even more by trying to be a bit more adventuress! I want them to do more , I think they are missing out! I want them to enjoy the selves even more!

Trail centres can limit imagination ... and the other side of the coin is that they get people started!

Just my 2p... 😉

Fuzzhead - I agree, it would have been ace if there were such things when I started riding, certainly better thanmucking aabout in the local woods in the Beaconsfield area. I remember the excitement when Aston Hill first opened its official trails.

timax - Member

I think people who [s]only[/s] don't frequent trail centre's [s]and enjoy them selves is great! I just think they[/s] could enjoy them selves even more by trying to be a bit more adventuress! I want them to do more , I think they are missing out! I want them to enjoy the selves even more!

[s]Trail centres[/s] arrow-straight, featureless tracks across endless, windswept, barren, boggy moorland can limit imagination ... and the other side of the coin is that they get people started!

Just my 2p...

i completely agree!

🙂

my girlfriend and i are leaving the peak district on friday. We're driving to Whinlatter, where we will ride the blue loop at the trail centre. i expect to have a lot of fun, and i won't apologise for it when i do.

(and we'll even go to the cafe for a [s]bit[/s] lot of cake)

just to confuse the haters - i regular stitch together both trail centre trails and "natural" (for want of a better word) in the same ride. And I love it 🙂

I like riding trails centres every now and again but can quickly get bored. I prefer going taking a few wrong turns then looking at an old OS map with tears along the folds and try to work out how to get myself to the next point

I can get bored on any trail, no more so at trail centres than "old skool" trails. Sometimes the mojo just isn't there 🙂

Doctor's Gate? Mastilles Lane? If you think they're navigational challenges you've spent too long riding those pesky sanitised trail centres

Are you being ironic? I can't tell. I may have missed your point completely or you missed mine. Never mind, bigger problems in the world and all that

I like towpaths.

I like people thinking they are navigating the great outdoors,in the UK.........

TBH all trails have been "built" by someone, I'd rather mine were built by someone who has me in mind.

It's all riding bikes so therefore it's good.

However...to be honest I find some of the more popular and compact trail centres a bit over crowded to be honest. I'm looking at you Cannock. I guess Cannock is a victim of it's location/success.

I've ridden most of the Welsh Trail Centres, Sherwood Pines, Cannock, couple of the Scottish Centres plus Whistler and lots of Euro Bikeparks and love them to be honest. (I think you can can lump Bikeparks in with trail centres).

But there are less people about at most compared to say Cannock (unless you are doing laps of La Pleney/A-Line). You can feel pretty out of the way on the top of Afan, and I have ridden the old Marin trail at Betws on my own on a midweek afternoon and seen NO ONE! Also a midweek day in September is an awesome ime to ride the Whistler Bike Park, you basically have the place to yourself. (Well you have to share it with the Bears)

Given the choice of any sort of ride anywhere I would be heading out on some big mountain adventure armed with a map, a plan and plenty of snacks, however I understand some people don't like navigation and the unknown.

The only things that worry me about trail centres (apologies if this has been mentioned already) are as follows:

1) Some will think Trails Centres ARE mountain biking, they're not. They are a part of Mountain Biking.
2) Some riders who are used to ragging around trail centres hit shared use trails and suddenly make a nuisance of themselves with other trail users. (see also the Strava Racing thread) Or they get in massively over their heads coming down Jacob's ladder or something.
3) Other user groups start lobbying for reduced access for MTBers based on us having all of these "lovely" trail centres to use.

Now where to ride at the weekend?
Peaks, Cannock, FOD or Long Mynd? Hmmmmmmm

Trail centres have their uses for sure. Some people will prefer them, some people may use them from time to time.

It is also clear that some will avoid them at all costs and then mock those who frequent them.

Well just a thought, but I wonder how many of those people mocking trail centres will go on a hmmmm ski trip for instance? Where they go to a purpose build centre and use the facilities with others, rather than seeking out their own "backcountry" off lift adventures.... just a thought

Bill Oddie - Cannock can be pretty bad, especially at the weekends. I've found that its better a bt later in the day - early morning is a pain because you have a load of people out for a blast who don't want to stop (I guess kids, limited time) but mixed with big groups of slower / faffing riders. This tends to lead to some getting a bit grumpy.

Mid week in the summer is pretty good too for a cheeky couple of hours after work. Its got worse since the Monkey Trail opened because it has made it more of a worthwhile destination for those sligtly further away.

Anyway, I'm planning to visit a few more centres this summer. I've got a week booked in Peebles in July so am looking forward to that (the cycling was a second thought, we just wanted a week away somewhere and found a nice cottage there). A few of the Welsh centres are on my hit list to, especially because they are quite easy to get to from the midlands.

@ah wiles

Have a great laugh on me... 😉 Car park wheelies all round!

Enjoy!
🙂

This is worth highlighting again:

I have to say, if trail centres existed 25-odd years ago when i was "paying my dues", i'd have been first in line

Any reasonable person knows it's a false distinction. I'm all for big mountain days out, techy climbs, descents, and endless vistas, but trail centres are a blessing for the UK and let's not forget it. Anyhow, does anyone seriously prefer wading through bogs to razzing around?

A bike is a tool that helps us do things we want.

i like using my tool to help me go fast downhil, rail some berms and get some air.

others use their tools differently to me. Some like to have a big adventure in the wilderness.

I like riding Downhill, berms and jumps most of the time this will be trail center/ mad made but i will go all natural if i know it is worth the extra effort.

Some may try saying i am not a mountain biker. All i can say in my defense is i like riding my bike off road what ever you want to call it.

Is there a ski forum somewhere where people bitch about ski resorts and graded runs being 'unnatural'?

A bike is a tool that helps us do things we want.

i like using my tool to help me go fast downhil, rail some berms and get some air.

others use their tools differently to me. Some like to have a big adventure in the wilderness.

I like riding Downhill, berms and jumps most of the time this will be trail center/ mad made but i will go all natural if i know it is worth the extra effort.

Some may try saying i am not a mountain biker. All i can say in my defense is i like riding my bike off road what ever you want to call it.

^^ This +1

Some like big long natural rides to clear their head/escape a loveless marriage/job they hate etc etc

Some like fast, guaranteed adrenaline serving man made trails.

Some prefer neither and just go down the pub/watch porn/play xbox

All just different hobbies innit?