I supose the other thing is larger events have now been replaced by adventure races like the open series
Not exactly replaced. Adventure races like that were around in the heyday of Polaris - those of us doing AR also tended to do Polaris, TQs, MMs etc. rather than it being either/or. AR does still seem to have a better image than trailquest though.
I reckon the answer is actually that mountain bikers are less adventurous nowadays - why navigate yourself around when you can follow a train of other bikers in a marathon, why carry overnight camping stuff for Polaris when you can stay in a nice B&B at a trail centre?
There seems to be a few viewpoints here - clearly some folks aren't interested at all, there's a few enthusiasts trying to drum up support and promote events and there's a few in the middle ground who may be interested/lament a lack of events in their area/don't get the time - I'm sure that last one is common across many other MTB niches too.
Trailquesting, or whatever you want to call it, is never going to be a mass participation activity and maybe it does have an image problem. However if you are interested in giving these a try or lamenting the demise of the TrailBreak Navigators there's a few events running that I've helped with or have ridden which are worth a look. They aren't just attended by a bunch of biking druids etc - we get families along, a whole range of ages, there is generally food on offer at the event centre, some are run from or adjacent to pubs, and folks hang around afterwards for the social side. Some of the events listed below are growing so someone must enjoy them.
Midland Trailquests - a couple of events per month throughout the greater Midlands - I'm running the most Southerly of these in October from Chieveley just North of the M4 - that's South-ish.
Gorrick Trailtrax - next event in July West of Reading, other events down the M3 in August and one near Guildford in September.
Peaslake School, in the heart of the North Downs, run a couple of events a year as a fundraiser. The next one is in October ( http://www.peaslakemtbo.com/)
The concerns on the thread that these events involve significant amounts of road/fire road riding and miss out the "good bits" couldn't be further from the truth. The event areas are chosen for the quality of riding and density of tracks to maximise the amount of time riding offroad - for the last few I have ridden it must have exceeded 85% off road for most riders. The reason we try to keep event entrants away from the roads is a simple one - safety is paramount, if you're spending a minimal amount of time on the roads there's little likelihood of any issues with other road users.
The checkpoint locations are set so that riders are likely to select a route that uses the best trails on offer in the area. I've generally found these events to be a great introduction to many new areas that I have returned to ride subsequently.
Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time... there's plenty of other threads if this isn't your thing, but if this sounds remotely tempting all you have to lose is one Sunday morning....
Jeeze, I think this thread must surely win the 'longest posts per person' award! 😯
Blimey. That'll keep me occupied for a while, reading all that...
14th NPS Downhill Race at Bedgelert 1994. Unseeded smashed the course record
You were slower than 13 riders, whilst smashing the course record? How does that work? Did your big swinging dick finish 14 places ahead of you? Just wondering like....
I wouldn't ride a trailquest because I'd rather ride a bike than ponder a map.
iDave it's a shame you were unable to make your point without playground insults or I might have explained how seeding works in terms of order of racing.
Results list was to show that peoples stereotyping of riders who participate in Mountain Bike Orienteering is incorrect
Polaris this weekend in the Peak District. 12 hours of top mountain biking over 2 days. Just need to link those trails into a good high scoring route. If that does not appeal move on............and find your manners
I wouldn't ride a trailquest because I'd rather ride a bike than ponder a map.
Ooh I dunno; I like riding bikes but I like maps too. And I like a puzzle.
Maybe I should organise a London Pootlequest....
Elfinsafety. Thats how I started!!
Having seen TQ riders in action on Sunday mornings so many times over the last few years, I rode my first Trailquest yesterday from Grindleford and really enjoyed it. It's an area I know really well but the locations of the checkpoints led me down two bits of trail that I've not ridden before. Not exactly "hardcore" riding as I ended up doing a lot of road miles to link up the CPs, but it was a great morning out in the autumn sunshine. Good to be doing something with a "goal" that isn't just a flat-out race.
Really pleased to get back on time (slightly early) but will definitely spend a little longer planning which CPs to collect next time. Didn't twig straight away that some were of higher value than others...
