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Yeah, goats, sheep, walkers maybe??
I'd love to see you riding a goat trail or sheep trail for any distance, assuming you can find one. Most of what people refer to on here as natural trails are either bridleways, footpaths, or the remnants of motorcycle enduros or similar. Sometimes they are, like Wharncliffe where someone has raked the debris off the forest floor to form a line and its then been ridden in, but natural? Never! Pretty much like most of the woodlands in the UK too. The point being they didn't just happen. Someone did something for them to exist, Just like they do at trail centres. So your point is?
Well, I didn't
Never said you did, however, if you have a guilty conscience please feel free to knock yourself out
Took the kids round a couple of Blue routes recently, squeezing in odd bits of Red. Hamsterley Blue - why?????????? Nothing in the way of singletrack, very bland & boring & kids agreed, Gisburn slightly better (red is good), Glentress & Forest of Dean much better (all Blue routes). Routes at Machynlleth (except Cli-mach) all very dull. Big descent back into town on tarmac? Short route at Nant-y-Arian - offers nothing the Conti trail hasn't already covered. Brechfa was a mudfest when I went & in places "singletrack" sections had so many lines it made fireroads seem narrow. Brechfa red wasn't that great, black better, but not enough. Skyline - some great singletrack but too much fireroads, use one of the shortcuts and it is much better.
Personal whine - why have they detoured the Wall at Afan around the rocks in the Graaveyard section? Had to walk back up trail to ride when I realised we were passing it.
Actually really like Llandegla, very fast if you commit to corners & are prepared to get some air. If you're not that sort I'm guessing it'd be dull. Love CYB too, but then I'm a fan of rocky trails & bemoan the sanitising of some of the trails, brand new super smooth bits rather than repair the technical sections on the Beast. Flow is about how you ride a trail, not just the trail itself. Love Glentress Black & Blue routes, very different, both enjoyable.
I'd love to see you riding a goat trail or sheep trail for any distance, assuming you can find one. Most of what people refer to on here as natural trails are either bridleways, footpaths, or the remnants of motorcycle enduros or similar
I can see both sides to this point, Both sides are technicality. There are plenty of sections of single track have only been touched by man through use, Like riding/walking/herding livestock. These that have had no tools to construct them. I'd class these as natural trails.
flow - Member
Number one, without a shadow of a doubt, has to be Bedgebury.
Agreed I went there once, pretty bland as is that place Fowlmead (Betteshanger Slag heap makeover)
Bloody Bush at Kielder. Bloody pointless, more like it. Why use awful loose stones to construct impossible climbs? Maybe I missed the point, but I absolutely hated it.
Carron Valley's alright - the new freeride section makes up for some disappointing singletack. And it's close enough to Edinburgh to make a pleasant alternative to Glentress on those busy busy weekends.
It actually amazes me that there are trail builders on here slagging off others trails. WTF??
You mean constructive criticism, surely. 😉 I'd say if it's a first attempt by volunteers at building something, or you couldn't ride it that particular day, or you've never ridden it and you're formulating a rather contrived opinion after looking at some wobbly headcam footage to get some attention on an internet forum, a lot of the comments aren't very fair.
If on the other hand it's a project backed by a national body with years of experience in the field and which seeks to define best practice, built by professional contractors, and promoted as a riding destination for people outside the local area, yet turns out to be the sort of thing the local kids make over half term holidays, it's fair game for a slagging. I'm looking at you, Sherwood Pines.
Llandegla
I can't think of another two that I'd offend to say they were even remotely as bad as Llandegla.
While Cannock isn't my cuppa, they make a good job out of what they have and I admire the trail centre for that. Hamsterley wasn't great to be fair.
But Degla's great!
Definitely Ae and it's worth all three "worst" votes. Rode it today for the 1st time in about 5 years and I forgot how bad it is. Absolutely terrible trail.
Ah well - I am looking forward to doing my monster loop - my house round to Ae, up the shredder, down for a cuppa at the cafe, then back to my house! 🙂
We rode The Justice Trail in Jedburgh very shortly after it opened and that was awful. Very badly signed, just a load of trails round the edges of fields and fresh cut "singletrack". In the end after getting lost yet again we got onto the road, rode back to town, got in the car and drove up to Glentress where we spent the rest of the day.
To be fair to the place, I think it had just been "opened" too soon, I know it's not really a trail centre in the traditional sense and I'm sure it's improved a lot since then.
Cwmcarn for me
I have gotten on with most trail centres on the basis that they are simple and easy... but I would set fire to the NFT in Grizedale if given the chance. Or make every one go the opposite way.
No Trail centre should be 75% climbing with turns that ruin every good descent, unless you are a local.
Jeeze you lot dunalf [i]whinge[/i], eh?
😐
Nevis Red DH though is just graded WRONG though!
only if you're thinking along the lines of XC rather than DH
pleasant alternative to Glentress on those busy busy weekends.
not when a lap only takes half an hour and 28mins of it are rubbish