[Closed] Worst Trail Centre - Bank Holiday

I was considering riding Llandegla on Sunday. Not sure if that's just silly though..

Pedalabikeaway in FoD will be absolutely rammed all weekend. It gets crazy busy there, even in winter. There's loads of other local picnic sites around though that are not only free to park, but a stones throw from the trails. Not that I'm begrudging the Forestry Commission their £3.50, but if there's simply nowhere to park, and people sat everywhere in cars waiting for spaces to appear, what can you do!?

I avoid FOD like the plague nowadays. The amount of people there is quite ridiculous.

I always thought riding single track centres when it's busy would be fine, you just wait a bit then go eh? I did degla last sunday and it was heaving, I waited before following someone but was nearly always up someones arse or someone was up my arse, and having someone up your arse whilst on a bike is not a good thing, let me tell you.

I'm torn this bank holiday the weather is supposed to be pretty good but cba with crowds. Degla will be carnage

Buy an OS landranger map for an interesting area nearby and go exploring.

Cannock and Llandegla seemed bad for getting busy - think plague of locusts.

Glentress can be rammed in the car park, but because it's bigger and relatively few people take the black climb going out, it never feels too bad.

Good thing about FoD wrecker is the moment you go off-piste, it's quiet as hell and you might as well be in a different forest to everyone else

The UK has a well established natural trail centre. Sorted.

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The Lake District... all of it... not just the trail centres.

It will be Armageddon this weekend!

Good thing about FoD wrecker is the moment you go off-piste, it's quiet as hell and you might as well be in a different forest to everyone else

Cannock's no different .............

Swinley since Easter. Parking is a nightmare now. Though it still doesn't seem that bad once you're on the trail- everyone seems to disappear quite nicely.

Just get up there early and avoid driving through Ambleside, Grassmere and Windermere and you'll be fine.

Given that everyone should have headed out of London. I'll be heading in to work at Spin LDN tomorrow. Might go for a ride Sunday though, but probably just in the cross bike. No hills for miles and too lazy to travel 🙂

FoD reports are a bit of a surprise, noted.
Llandegla is no surprise, that is already on my "midweek, non-school holiday" list of places to ride.

My folks gave up walking the lakes a few years back, compared to munro-bagging they hated the crowds, even outside peak times.

The UK has a well established natural trail centre. Sorted.

Yeah, Like the Lakes will be quiet on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend 😀

you just wait a bit then go eh?

Or exhibit your superior turn of speed on the approach then ask kindly if you can go ahead 8)

Peaslake will probably be a bit busy 😉 and I'd get to Cwmcarn early if you want a parking space

Good thing about FoD wrecker is the moment you go off-piste, it's quiet as hell and you might as well be in a different forest to everyone else

I heard that there's some good unofficial stuffs up there. The trouble is, as a visitor there's a bit or a risk in just hoping to stumble upon it.

What's penmachno like these days? Haven't been for a couple of years, but used to be you'd be unlikely to find more than another couple of cars there, let alone see anyone else. Is it busier, certainly seems to get more mention in posts on here.

Mendips FTW!

Edit: As in they won't be so rammed as the local trail centre-y type places

We're off to do the Dyfi enduro. That'll leave Calderdale empty - it's all yours.

FOD is great, just avoid the trail center bit if you dont like busy trails. Its a massive forest, the trail center is a tiny part. Loads of tracks to explore, all of them empty.

As is the whole of the UK basically. Mountain biking does not have to be in a trail center.

Coed Trallwm. In the middle of nowhere. Never busy. Nice drive though through beautiful country.

My local trails are running beautifully, better than they have for years. Apparently even Cut Gate is dry now. I like trail centres, but if you go to one when the proper hills are all dusty for the first time in ages, I think you're mad.

What's penmachno like these days?

We were there two weeks ago on the way back from Snowdon, the car park bits were full (so, what, maybe 40 cars?) but we only saw a handful of people all the way round, it's a big old wood...

Cannock last Sunday morning was terrible. Monkey trail was ok, but once we rejoined follow the dog it was a constant stream of traffic, I mean non stop.

Will probably be worse this weekend!

Peaslake will be a nightmare this weekend as British Orienteering Natl Champs being held there.

All quite in the rain in South west Scotland

The UK has a well established natural trail centre. Sorted.
Yeah, Like the Lakes will be quiet on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend

Depends whereabouts you go and at what time 😉

Went to Penmachno a few weekends ago car park was full and down to the road when we got there at 11am, as with everywhere get there early, saying that Penmachno was quiet out on the trail 😀

Northumberland will be rammed this weekend, I reckon I might see nearly into double figures out in the hills.

"Northumberland will be rammed this weekend, I reckon I might see nearly into double figures out in the hills."

😀

Nevis Range- it won't be busy but it looks like it might be underwater 🙁 Weather warning that the lifts might not run tomorrow, gutted

How do you think cwmcarn will be on sat round lunch time?

DT78, hope it's not too busy, we're going early doors from Bournemouth. should be there for 8...

Forecast is good over NE Scotland this weekend. I'm near Pitfichie but Speyside and Greater Cairngorm area also looks dry until Tuesday!

The scenic drive at Cwmcarn was closed yesterday afternoon as there were so many cars doing the mountain loop, someone blocked the road at carpark 3 with rubbish parking and the uplift bus couldn't get past. 😆

It was busy indeed yesterday - I saw two other bikes on my afternoon 20 mile circuit. Absolutely glorious though in the sun, those "crowds" aside.

went for a ride in the hills around Hathersage yesterday, we were out for hours, and saw about 5 people.

awesomely chuffing awesome.

No holiday here 🙂 trails were quiet. When I lived in the lakes we used to head out in the dead end valleys out west (after the lakes ends here sign at Keswick) Used to find the natural was a bit too busy with once a year ramblers. Get a few in and a couple of box sets 😉
When I used to climb I found the same number of people went to each venue as left another so it all evened out.

Just hooped on at the 'Freeride' area as the end of my loops and rode the rest of the trail, the new bit after the small climb by carpark 3 befgore the concrete slope is going to be interesting when it roughs up a bit 😉

I avoided all of my local spots thinking that they would be evil, although I rode Cannock on Saturday but the weather was a bit poop so it was quite quiet. I've always found Cannock to be a bit better later in the day once most people have got their early morning loop out of the way. The monkey always seems quite quiet.

I opted for the road bike instead yesterday.

Cannock was fabulous yesterday afternoon. Started off through Brocton & Strawberry Hill and hit the official trails when most people were pushing off home.

Quiet on Monkey there were people about but hey it was Cannock on a sunny Bank Holiday. Rejoined the North Side and back home.

All good as they say

WHY would any right-minded rider consider going to any trail centre on a sunny bank holiday? 😯

That'll leave Calderdale empty - it's all yours.

We only saw two other riders all day (and both of those were on Midgely Moor). All the classic descents were desserted, not a bike to be seen and no more than a handful of walkers either. Best day out so far this year 8)

The preceeding 3 hours of the ride was pretty much deserted wood and moor land 😉 Nice to finish with a coffee at the cafe too, followed by falling on my arse in the cafe carpark as I forgot about the new tigher spd cleats and pedals 😆 😳

I've never know any of the Scottish trail centres to be too busy.

Glentress always seems to have more people using the cafe or carpark than actually on the trails.

Unless there is a race on then at all the other trail centres you would be lucky to see more than a dozen other riders.

Population Density

vinnyeh - Member

What's penmachno like these days? Haven't been for a couple of years, but used to be you'd be unlikely to find more than another couple of cars there, let alone see anyone else. Is it busier, certainly seems to get more mention in posts on here.

Busier than it was, certainly.
It's nice to see the place getting used.

Been half a dozen times in total - have met fellow STW'ers on three occaisions 😀

Mind you, saying that we've met two lots of STW'ers on Snowdon.
You go away for a bloody holiday...........

Confirmation that FoD was rammed yesterday. Unbelievably so. Luckily off-piste was as quiet as ever, and the trails over in Staunton woods were fan-bl88dy-tastic. Best ride in months

I would expect the ones close to major centres of populations with not that much in the way of trail length but sensible cafe facilities to be the very worst so:

Cannock, Swinley - would be challenging.
Llandegla would be pretty horrific.
Cwm carn, Afan, Glentress, Kirroughtree, Mabie would be full

Everything else just very busy!!

Went along to FoD on Saturday for the first time in years - my god it was packed.

Parked up the fire-road away from the VC, Mrs was happy to look at the view, have a kip, walk the dogs around a bit.

I got to have a blast on the Verderers' trail for the first time, would have preferred off-piste but time was limited, not too bad a trail. A couple of times got stuck behind families blocking the whole trail but nothing to get too upset about - pretty sure I get in the way of faster riders too.

Swinley was lovely and quiet on Sunday morning- no issues on the trail, only a few people around, so trails were clear and riding very fast. Easy parking, i don't see what the fuss is all about...

As long as you're ready to ride at 8am that is...!

Rode Whinlatter for the first time Saturday not too busy and no traffic getting there, arrived at lunch time and trails not too busy. Thought the scenery was second to non and the descent off the northern loop was much fun 🙂

chilterns trails were deserted.
the roads however were packed with lycra louts - we eventually decided it was a combination of last years TdF bringing new riders to the roads and old mountain bikers having given up following 18mths of mud.

so the official report is the chilterns is horrible - stay away.

Went to Cannock with the club on Sunday. Busy-ish but as soon as we started we veered off-piste for some very tasty and technical trails. When we got back/ended the ride (last bit of FtD) it got pretty busy and the trail centre had a lot of people about.

Brilliant ride though, and one of our chaps has become a dab hand at baking so brilliant cakes too!

Rode FtD and the Monkey at Cannock on Friday - it's a completely different experience from the weekend, much quieter, but I was still surprised how many people were out riding.

We were over there again on Sunday, only I was riding about the green with my mother in a wheelchair bike. T'husband rode FtD/Monkey though, he said that the Monkey was still pretty quiet, but FtD was absolutely rammed.

I've never found crowding on the [i]trails[/i] to be the problem, even when the car park is full, its the crowding on the roads to get there that usually puts me off.

Never mind the trails, the cafe at Llandegla is a joke, you could put your order in, go do a lap and it still wouldn't be ready when you got back!!

Was at Cannock on BH Monday. Car park and visitor's centres were really busy, but Monkey Trail was pretty empty and FtD was still quite quiet.

Ecky-Thump - Member
WHY would any right-minded rider consider going to any trail centre on a sunny bank holiday?

That'll leave Calderdale empty - it's all yours.

It did. It was.

We only saw two other riders all day (and both of those were on Midgely Moor). All the classic descents were desserted, not a bike to be seen and no more than a handful of walkers either. Best day out so far this year

I walked with a mateon Saturday on an 11 mile route that started on the bridleway from Cock Hill to the Waterfall at the top of Pecket Well, then down via Gibsons mill to the Scout camp, to Blue pig and into Hebden.
Didn't see a single bike. WTF?

Busy on Snday, and worked 'til 3 on Monday, so went out for a couple of hours Scapegoat Hill, South Calderdale, Norland, Copley, Stainland/Castle Carr, Wholestone Moor/Quarry..... again, iconic bridleways and cheeky stuff, not a single bike.

Mountain biking does not have to be in a trail center.

SSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh...

Was at a dusty and fantastic Stainburn yesterday, there were plenty of cars in the carpark, but no issues at all on the trails. Bloody marvelous it was.

Thegreat thing about llandegla though is, even on a bank holiday you just park up in Coedpoeth and take the bridleway across and join the trail at the top of the climb, bonus is, all downhill on the way home too! Mid-week/late afternoon rides are what its all about anyway. Going to do Moel Famau on thursday morning myselffor a bit of contrast.

I do ride trail centres quite often, but they are far from my favourite stuff, just rode local yesterday and saw maybe another 6 riders once out of the carpark. Nice day in the sticks and the sun, on the bikes with a couple of mates. Dusty singletrack to ourselves. Even found a "new trail". Nice.

Was out at Swinley every day for 4-5 hours from Thurs through today (I live 5 mins ride away). Was most busy yesterday I think. And with the busyness the number of fools out riding seemed to increase in equal proportion....
Most notable example being when I was sessioning the jump gully for a couple of hours, and a huge group of riders (I think from Oxford and Swindon) mostly on XC oriented setups rolled up to the top and went down there like a train, wheel to wheel. Cue a rider hitting the first jump a bit too quick, balance all wrong, seat way high, nose dive, snapped collar bone.

I sat down and had an early lunch whilst the injured rider blocked the trail for 45 minutes waiting for an ambulance.
Ambulance arrives and they get him on it, finally the trail is clear, within 5 minutes another rider (I think from the same group) stacks it - fortunately not seriously injured - though his front wheel looked like a banana.

Have seen worse injuries down there, and hope the guy in the first crash isn't too badly mashed, but just wish people would use a bit more common sense there :/