+1 for Cannock only entertaining on a rigid SS @ night with a set of Smart lights 🙄
Rutland Water, the only purpose for it being somewhere outdoors to train
The only propper boring ride i've ever had has been on a turbo trainer....
Had plenty of not that good rides but apart from the turbo shit it's all better than sitting there doing nothing.
Thetford - its the middle of bloody nowhere & its as flat as a pancake..
" maybe they are getting the better workout if they have 35lb of bike to pedal round"
Reminds me so much of a local roadie who, when he doesn't win a road race, insists he has had the best work out.
95% of Llandegla! Albeit I was on my own and had ridden Penmachno earlier which I loved.
Anyway - its about who you are with and having a laugh.
I'm going to put a word in for Swinley here.
juan, dirtbiker100, teef and allyharp; you're all ether attention seeking or have no idea what you're talking about.
Beautiful singletrack that flows if you know and knackeres you with perfect undulation and fantastic grip.
I could orbit those trails all day.
I now live in one of Europe's mountain bike nirvanas and still miss my weekday rides there.
flamejob - if you like Swinley you don't what you're talking about. I don't believe you are a mountain biker.
teef - Memberflamejob - if you like Swinley you don't what you're talking about.
I'll agree with that seen as how he thought he was in the Brecon Beacons while doing the Rough Ride. If you were in the Beacons i think you might have been a little off route....
Llandegla isnt that bad. Its one of those places that the faster you go the better it gets so manages to suit new and experienced. It doesnt promise to be better than it is.
North of Scotland. It's pants. Go to Wrexham.
I still say the top of the Glentress red for good.
Thetford. ugh.
flamejob - Member
I'm going to put a word in for Swinley here.juan, dirtbiker100, teef and allyharp; you're all ether attention seeking or have no idea what you're talking about.
Beautiful singletrack that flows if you know and knackeres you with perfect undulation and fantastic grip.
I could orbit those trails all day.
I said the riding in Swinley was good!
My criticism was that the [b]surroundings[/b] were dull. Which they are. It's in the middle of a forest with next to nothing to look at.
I've only been once but I was impressed with the range of riding on offer. North Downs suit me better though as the surroundings are a bit more pleasant. And the day I was at Swinley it was choked with people - I don't think there was a period of more than 60 seconds where I couldn't see another person.
The Marin Trail.
So over-rated.
Penmachno in the morning (fantastic!)
Marin in the afternoon (zzzzzzz!)
(I've just seen Bushwacked post - the moral being don't ride anthing on the same day as Penmachno!)
Llandegla's ace - and that's coming from someone who's doorstep riding is the Peaks.
Just different innit?
grum - Member
In terms of the riding on offer pretty much any countryside bridleway network will be far far less exciting than Swinley or the North Downs
Never been to the Lake District then?
That is correct - I've only been biking in England for about 4 weeks so the only bridleways I've ever come across have been Swinley and the Nort Downs!
Bridleways there are mostly all flat, wide paths. It's good to hear that they're not all like that!
I like the Marin 😐 - the rocky 'Dragons Back' bit on the top and the last couple of descents are great fun on a short travel hardtail.
The climbs are a bit boring but you can't have everything - look on it as riding a piece of history.
Definitely ride it [b]before[/b] riding Penmachno though........
All riding is good, but I found Hamsterley Red a bit of a disappointing trail. Views and company made up for it though.
The Marin trail isnt that bad. Its one of those places that the faster you go the better it gets so manages to suit new and experienced. It doesnt promise to be better than it is
It doesn't need to be fully feature packed to be good. It is only a red route after all?(though it does have some [u][url= 
]fun[/url][/u] [u][url= 
]jumps[/url][/u], some [u][url= 
]rocky[/url][/u] [u][url= 
]bits[/url][/u], but mostly it comes alive and actually [u][url= 
]flows[/url][/u] quite well (IMO) when you really try* and go fast (rather than relying on it to make you go fast)
*a half decent pedalling bike always helps
+ 1 for Lincolnshire. Truly dreadful.
thetford? there's some great pumpy singletrack there, it's nothing epic but it's not dull if you find the good stuff (and don't expect too much from the 'black' run!).
Swinley does have a few great sections too, i've only ridden there a few times but it wasn't dull when i followed someone who knew the place. local knowledge is usually the difference between good and dull days in an area.
Good Lord. What a load of old crap is being spouted on this thread. Personally, I'm with Jedi on this. I don't think I can ever remember having a boring time on a bike, any bike, ever. If you're bored, it's YOU that's doing something wrong I think.
blimey there are some very narrow minded people on here, maybe it's the PS3 generation wanting everything to be perfect and laid on a plate for them, must be why trail centres are so popular. Even a bad ride on flat terrain is a ride, that's incentive enough for me, MTBing is about being outside enjoying the fact that you can ride, not the quality of the next corner/drop off
"If you're bored, it's YOU that's doing something wrong I think."
"MTBing is about being outside enjoying the fact that you can ride"
Aye, couldn't agree more. riding should definately be a zen thing )
lolI don't believe you are a mountain biker.
rotfl
*wipes tears of laughter
For the record... the terrain of the Beacons and the Rough Ride are pretty similar, probably because save for about three or four miles it is pretty much the same place.
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I suppose rOcKeTdOg has a point and most of us are lucky to have the choice of nice riding within a drive of our homes.
Rutland Water.
Cripes. Almost all the riding I have ever done is in this list. Several times.
but did you enjoy it? if you did, then you trulay are a zen rider )
Good Lord. What a load of old crap is being spouted on this thread. Personally, I'm with Jedi on this. I don't think I can ever remember having a boring time on a bike, any bike, ever. If you're bored, it's YOU that's doing something wrong I think.
I see exactly where you are coming from. When I was a kid any moment on the bike just felt right. Time is tight now though- too tight. So its almost like a snapshot, a window of opportunity in the week that I managed to get out. So expectations are sometimes too high 🙁
I see folks rolling up week after week with big 6" full susers and it makes me smile. Some of the off piste stuff is great. FTD is good for a night ride or a blast after work. Then downhill run is great on a HT.
Good Lord. What a load of old crap is being spouted on this thread. Personally, I'm with Jedi on this. I don't think I can ever remember having a boring time on a bike, any bike, ever. If you're bored, it's YOU that's doing something wrong I think.
I agree, and i actually think Cannock is OK. For some reason it really winds me up when people bash others for being on 6" travel bikes and wearing body armour, so what?
I was going to say the Downs Link, but it got nailed 4 posts in.
Second most boring would have to be the South Downs from Winchester to Chanctonbury Ring. Pretty good from there to Eastbourne though, with big skies, challenging climbs, fast downhills and that.
flamejob - if those 2 photos are typical of the riding you do no wonder you think Swinley is exciting
If Cannock was on my doorstep I'd actually like it. I karted my bike around though into someones flat in Brum the Sat night then to Cannock the next day. For that I found it to be not worth the trip/hassle.
Are you saying you ride Cannock's Red Route with a 6inch travel bike (slight over kill, but if that's all you have, so be it) and full body armour (that really would be over kill!)?
I love the naive sentiment that simply being outdoors and on a bike is all it takes to keep you interested; although it's a rather sweet, charming sentiment; I bet your baby sitters love you!
If you're ever been cycling in the Boston region, I'd defy you to find something of interest! It's so interesting, the whole of that region east of the A1m has no motorways - no one wants to go there!
As has been illustrated, sometimes it's what preceeded the ride that impacts on your opinion of a place. I'm sure the Marin Trail is great, with the right weather, some decent company and less rain (the time I rode it), but it was a time & a place and as such, it felt like I was wasting time not being with my family. Next day, Snowdon was more interesting though!
If you lived here, in Watford, on a one-off visit you too might well find things a little mundane if you lived in the Peaks. However, you make the area you ride enjoyable with what you have. Still say you'd end up insane, in the pub or becoming a roadie if you moved to Boston.
Can't say I've ever been bored riding off road and only on road when I was regularly commuting past a very chavvy area of Southampton.
Gotta defend the New Forest and Thetford, partly because I know where the good bits are and partly because I like pushing my luck in corners and can do that far more happily knowing that if I get it wrong I'm not going to fall 100ft on to pointy rocks. Also, in the New Forest you're never more than 3 miles from a pub.
Sure, there's far better riding that Swinley round here, and I'm not that keen on the place anymore, the trails are mostly ruined. But the last time we went I had a great time in some horrific weather because of some great company.... 🙂
It not what you ride, it's how you ride it. 🙂
Llandegla
It not what you ride, it's how you ride it.
plus 1
(at the risk of sounding naive, sweet and sentimental)
The trans-pennine trail on the Hull side is pretty grim. It's pleasant enough right on the coast but from Hull to the foot of the pennines it's dull, dull, dull. Again though, it's riding bikes and that's all good in my book.
teef- I'm not even going to go there. Email me if you want a challenge - I invite you to come ride my local trails 😉
Hora must be getting sensible in his old age; when time is limited and you need some concentrated good riding you need more than a plank on bricks at the end of your cul-de-sac to keep you entertained for a day, hence the name of this virtual tent we all sit under. What is life without Singletrack?
Deffo Cannock Chase off piste, just don't bother.
the marin is positively mind boggling when compared to the murray monster trails.
my god they're awful.
shite surface, shite design, shite jumps, shite off camber corners straight after the shite jumps so that if you want to enjoy the jump (if you actually manage to find a lip off the jump) you have to brake as hard as you can just before the corner cos there is no way to get round them at any speed.
its just shite.
i also find any kenny wilson induced push through a bog dull (despite what all his fan boys say)
What a bunch of miserable ****'s!!
Riding is riding, enough said.
I lived for a number of years in essex for my sins, thought the mountain biking was sh*te, but then i actually got an OS map out and found that i could cover probably 4 times the normal distance due to there being no hills and with some careful planning put in a ride which took in woodland, farmland, coastal paths and some great little pubs if the mood took me.
Biking is what YOU make of it.
Similar with the likes of Cannock, you don't go there expecting sweet alpine singletrack, but step it up a a gear and a couple of fast laps with a Tea and cake stop in the middle makes a great fun late afternoon ride.
Personally, I like Cannock's Red Route.
There's more to come soon with Phase 2 being opened soon.
Just avoid the busy times of the day and seasons for a less congested ride. Love the swoopy section above the lakes!
Plop pants last time I used my Garmin at Thetford on the black I recorded about 300m of climbing for the loop, which isn't too shonky for a flat as a pancake short loop. By comparison the red at Glentress came in at about 700m (not too sure of the exact figures as I lost the records when the laptop HD was changed).
As many others have said above it's all good even a couple of miles into town for coffee can be fun.
All these flat forests aren't necessariyl dull, you just have to know where the best riding is and be going quickly to enjoy them.
eg. I liked the crouse for the Gorrick 100 but when I went back by myself I couldn't find anywhere near as much good stuff.
Labyrinth at swinley is quite fun, best thing is that it is not too far from home - rest is a bit tamer, but still a nice place to go for a ride especially off peak or to pop across from other spots near tunnel hill etc
Hora must be getting sensible in his old age
I am going to be a Dad soon afteral.
"flamejob - if those 2 photos are typical of the riding you do no wonder you think Swinley is exciting "
But do you know what's on the other side of the climb on the lower picture...? fast, rocky and a lot of fun. the climb's nice too, pic just doesn't show it well.
Grizedale is probably the worst trail centre I've been to.
I always laugh when Grizedale gets slagged off, as it's stuffed with excellent tracks - you just have to ignore any of the markers 🙂
simonfbarnes - Member
I always laugh when Grizedale gets slagged off, as it's stuffed with excellent tracks - you just have to ignore any of the markers
Agree its great for linking other stuff up and if you finish back at the VC you have some facility.
Riding is riding, enough said.
Bullshit.
Did a loop round Peebles a couple of years back - I'd rather have been at my Nan's bingo club. Granted being out on the bike in nice weather always has a plus side, but that was just gratuitous amounts of boredom.
I thought Swinley was massivley over rated when I first went, I then went with a friend who grew up round there and knew it like the back of his hand and got say I was impressed plenty of flowy single track Ok it's not Whistler but it's 20 miles from me and I always come back content!
Bullshit.
Its what you make of it i guess. If you're not willing to make the most of it then you will always be miserable.
Jimmy, I'll raise you the utter tedium known as the Jedburgh Justice trails.
I may have missed it but..
I'm shocked Mach 1, 2 + 3 hasnt been put on here. Hours of riding (up)through grassy fields to be followed by a 5 min gravel path down billed as 'extreme'. Then a huge decent on a road.
Total dissapointment.
p.s. The Climax is fantastic
CUT GATE
Hora must be getting sensible in his old age; when time is limited and you need some concentrated good riding you need more than a plank on bricks at the end of your cul-de-sac to keep you entertained for a day, hence the name of this virtual tent we all sit under. What is life without Singletrack?
Funnily enough I am thinking of exactly that, some bricks and a plank near my house I can learn to jump my bike on. Good times!!
It's weird cos I love riding any bike anywhere. I did Mach 1 with my wife, PP and Mrs PP and I enjoyed it as a nice loop we could all enjoy in nice scenery. My wife didn't have to panic about any crazy technical bits and it was an ace day out. PP managed to crash into a ditch which was amusing too.
Me and Mrs Robdob went to Norfolk and did 2 rides of 25 and 16 miles on the road. Fantastic scenery, nice and relaxing on empty roads and a grand day out.
It's all good!!
And to whoever said bridleways were boring really hasn't travelled much. Some we went on at the weekend in the Yorkshire Dales were compared to the Alps in their type of riding!! Woo-hoo!!!
compositepro - Member
CUT GATE
POSTED 16 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
Eh?
Even the ride to get to Cut Gate is good, never mind the awesomeness that is the path itself. 😀
Another -1 for Grizedale.
Don't think I've ridden anywhere that I've considered dull.
The worst ride was when a mate and I attempted the Mary Townley loop and Mother Nature decided to teach us a lesson with gale force winds, rain, sleet, hail. Physically I felt fine. Mentally I was destroyed. I will never ride there again. Plus there are a lot of frickin' gates!!
Cut Gate? Really? Last year, in September after a prolonged dry period it was the best ride of the year. Fast dusty singletrack all the way down to Langsett, round the res and back again. Superb!
Another -1 for Grizedale.
it's your loss 🙂
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Dullness is all in the mind...
I feel sorry for the people who have suggested that the South Downs are dull .....jeez you haven't ridden it enough then!
I may have missed it but..I'm shocked Mach 1, 2 + 3 hasnt been put on here. Hours of riding (up)through grassy fields to be followed by a 5 min gravel path down billed as 'extreme'. Then a huge decent on a road.
Total dissapointment.
Ha - did this last year but lost the trail and descended the road. Maybe I was actually on trail?!
+1 for Lincolnshire on the dullness stakes. Although I go along with two wheels being better than none - there really is little of interest there.
Cut Gate?!! 😯
Good job this isnt a thread 'dullest person that you have ever ridden with'...
the ride to cut gate for me is open house front door .....go across field ....through langsett wood up little hill.....believe me it used to be a lot lot better.....it has been ruined by being able to ride it every day but having said that a lot of the features that made that ride special have been gone for a long time
even being at the little trig point at sunrise is meaningless now
however wharncliffe used to be a lot lot better...maybe im becoming jaded in my old age
What a bunch of moaning old to$$ers. You want to try the great swathes of UK land dedicated to farming, owned by the landed and firmly surrounded by keep off signs...
As much as you can do to stitch together a few country lanes, BWs and cheeky footpaths across very large parts of the countryside.
FWIW - Anyone who thinks The Gap is boring needs to have their mtb confiscated and reallocated to a more deserving owner. The long Gap climb (pictured) might not rate highly on fun, but the route needs to be judged as a whole. It is a classic UK ride by any standards.
I've only ridden the Marin once, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Stunning views and the feel of being in the mountains. Some very entertaining sections. I suspect it is a bit like the Penhydd trail - you need to vary the pace to suit each section and your mood.
maybe im becoming jaded in my old age
no "maybe" about it - any trail may become dull (to you) if you over ride it 🙁
Actually... I've just been thinking about this thread whilst working and it's about as relevant as some emo teens arguing which bands are the most boring.
Classic STW - Keep it coming 🙂
I racked my brains for anywhere to nominate without success. I have had a few dull rides (out of ~ 1500 in total), but those were a combination of mood, weather and company, and nothing to do with where we went
Anglesey! Shame because its got some great coast line and very rugged in places if slightly flat. Shame there are no bridalways etc... Please correct me if I'm wrong folks..
What a daft thread, even by STW standards!
Downslink is a way to get from Guildford area to the sea without going on the road, its not a trail centre! Does anyone think it would be more interesting to go on the road?
Swinley, and for that matter Cannock, you have to know where to go, and even Thetford (at the right speed) is fun. Some of the by-ways and BW round by'ere are a bit "field edge" but even then I can make up a nice 45 minute loop which me and my lad are pretty much guaranteed a laugh.
Cycling is what you make it, although having spent time there, I think Norfolk and Lincolnshire would be a struggle... 🙂
compositepro - Member
the ride to cut gate for me is open house front door .....go across field ....through langsett wood up little hill.....believe me it used to be a lot lot better.....it has been ruined by being able to ride it every day but having said that a lot of the features that made that ride special have been gone for a long timeeven being at the little trig point at sunrise is meaningless now
however wharncliffe used to be a lot lot better...maybe im becoming jaded in my old age
yep totally agree with you on the Cut gate thing.
Did i say Llangdegla.
Downslink is a way to get from Guildford area to the sea without going on the road, its not a trail centre!
There's more to biking than Trail Centres.
I feel sorry for the people who have suggested that the South Downs are dull .....jeez you haven't ridden it enough then!
3 times. First half - ditchwater, as, dull.
I'm shocked Mach 1, 2 + 3 hasnt been put on here. Hours of riding (up)through grassy fields to be followed by a 5 min gravel path down billed as 'extreme'. Then a huge decent on a road.
Yep.
A-Line @ Whistler...
I worry about people sometimes.
When I started MTBing there were no trail centres, no internet forums with responses in seconds to any route query.
All the family holidays I went on in the Lakes and Scotland, first day there I'd buy a map of the area and start looking at it, seeing what was around, I'd plan a route and go out early on my own before the family was up. Couple of hours riding, back home for second breakfast and out with parents/sister for the rest of the day.
Sure I had a couple of rides where I'd be pushing up a great descent or descending a road but by and large it'd be ace. Nowadays everyone wants instant trail centre gratification, routes supplied on GPS, a cake stop half way and no need to think. 🙁
Riding is what you make of it - bimbling round a trail centre fireroad then slagging the area off cos you can't be arsed to look at a map and work out where to go isn't exactly constructive...
+ 1 for Crazy-Legs
Well said crazy legs.