I'm just wondering where everyone goes to find out about new and exciting MTB routes? Is it word of mouth? Local knowledge? A book? A website full of routes? I don't mean trail centers I just mean the natural(ish) XC trails UK wide England, Wales and Scotland.
I'm just curious!
a mixture of knowledge, books, internet & looking at a map
Map and explore or explore without a map(fun)local knowledge, riding with others.
At the moment, mostly from a mate I call "Satnav" - he just know everywhere to go and gets there fast. I just try and keep up!
a mixture of knowledge, books, internet & looking at a map
This and from riding with others.
I get really frustrated looking for something online on a friday afternoon -for a weekend ride. I love to find new places and rarely do the same ride twice. There are routes out there on line but I find the info generally of poor quality -a bit more research is needed usually. Am I right?
I agree and thats why I built my own route sharing website. Most of the routes on it have either been ridden or translated from books/mags so they are good quality. I suppose it just depends where you want to ride. Have a look and see if there's anything on there..
http://www.justgoride.co.uk/Content/Routes/Routes.aspx
maps, word of mouth and following my nose. Hadn't done any exploring for a while and found some useful bits of trail this year, whilst not especially interesting on their own, they should help link up some other bits nicely.
Have found one bit that leads absolutely nowhere, but has to be done as its such a hoot!
Going out with different people helps a lot. Otherwise maps and just riding any track you spot to see where it goes.
I agree and thats why I built my own route sharing website
Thats a fantastic website!
Its a mix of follow my nose, look at maps,google and be shown routes by folk
Daydreaming over maps, spotting dotted lines and going out to find them.
I usually plan trips around places/things I want to see, and then trying to find trails to link them together. Quite often results in lots of hike-a-bike unfortunately!
OS Maps - either on floor, on Bing or on Memory Map
Mates (people, not the condoms)
Garmin Connect
"I wonder where that goes" when out riding and I see a trail heading off somewhere.
Mixture, knitted together:
RoWs and other trail clues from OS maps
Google Earth
Solo exploring
Events
Local riders sharing
Maps, books, magazines, local knowledge, riding with others, follow a random trail. Occasionally I've found venues or areas from doing races/enduros etc there - I learnt Swinley Forest largely by doing the Gorrick races there then returning a week later when I could still follow all the tyre marks and just exploring, using the race route as the guideline.
More recently (as in last 10 years or so), internet forums, Google Earth, streetmap.co.uk, mapmyride etc (cos those weren't around when I were a lad).
Home - folow my nose, join onto group rides
Away - Got a stash of MBR route cards at home, or books, or buy a map, head out the door and see what I find, sometimes it's better than a 'route' other times you follow a boring doubletrack and just loook at the scenary.
buy your local OS map - loads of detail. £16 gets you a custom map with your house in the middle if you want. Then use 'wheresthepath' and explore possibilities. I love exploring far more than following a route.
Cheeky trails are integral to new trailfinding IMO.
OS maps are brilliant for finding new stuff. Also [b][u][url= http://www.bikehike.co.uk/ ]BikeHike[/url][/u][/b]
I've been thinking of getting a Garmin or other brand GPS thingy for my bike.
I ended up doing the same route most of the summer and got a little bored with it. I downloaded a few route maps and even laminated them at work...i'm sure they don't mind - although I waited till late and after everyone had left. Trouble is I found it difficult to follow a map when I was hurtling down hills and missed a turn!
Anyone recommend a GPS device?
I buy an OS map of the area I am going to visit or live in, pore over it, I find maps fascinating anyway, mark on the bridleways and other rights of way with a highlighter pen, work out a route, plot it on mapping software, load it into garmin, go and ride.
[url]Geograph.org.uk[/URL] is excellent for finding out what a trail on the map actually looks like (or indeed even exists at all...)
I'm addicted to buying guide books. Team them up with an OS map and a little bit of knowledge and you can link routes up, mix and match different sections, and do some great rides.
[url= http://www.v-publishing.co.uk/titles/index.html ]
Vertebrate Publishing[/url] guidebooks are the best I've found.
i've downloaded a few routes off www.bikely.com straight to my GPS and tried them out that way.
If i'm on the road bike i sometimes use www.bikeroutetoaster.com to come up with a route using OSM maps.
Mostly i learn from other people though. Still finding new stuff in the Surrey Hills after years of riding there.
I started off by [i]Daydreaming over maps, spotting dotted lines and going out to find them.[/i]
Now after 21 yrs It's mostly in me head. Still LOTS more out there though.
TIP OF THE DAY! Don't always believe that whoever described the route has actually ridden it. Follow your own route & discover for yourself. It's much more gratifying.