any "easy" mtbing in UK? or does it all *have* to be technical

“Off road roadie” I like that. Actually, after 6 months of riding off road (following far more years than I care to mention of road riding) I still can’t work out whether I am (or want to be) a mountain biker or whether I’ll always be an off road roadie. I don’t like man made trails, dont much like falling off and really hate the relentless use of MTFU in response to any question. Why is everybody so keen to turn my leisure activity into a test of manhood?

On the other hand I do get a kick out of getting down (or up) a section of the trail that I couldn’t manage the week before and my motivation is actually pretty similar to that of the guys who first started the sport ie I just want to ride my bike up and down some proper mountains.

At the end of the day, while there may not be many Internet forums or magazines catering for the type of riding that the OP is after, I’d wager that it’s actually a lot closer to the sort of riding done by the majority of people who own a “mountain bike”.

Cheers

Andy

Why class yourself as a ‘mountain biker’ ?

I’m a cyclist who rides: A DH bike, a BMX, a road bike, and XC/AM bike.

Why not visit part of the UK which never gets a mention, no mag ever writes about or publishes routes for. A place of short but well surfaced drove roads and BWs which you can link up at leisure. Not too technical but still interesting.

The Hartland Peninsula in North Devon.

Must admit I dont mind a bit of technical riding but seeing that I do most of my riding on my tod I tend to pick routes that flow and are well within my capabilities and no worries of offs. Sundays route was a good example not to much height gain but plenty of miles, ok some on the roads but its great passing all the stationary traffic in the Lakes.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/215309716

Just go to cannock chase.

To follow on, have you tried “The Good Mountain Biking Guide”? Loads of ideas all around the country of different levels (but nothing that gnarrly). Sorry to disagree with grum (again 😉 ) but there is plenty of stuff in the Lakes. I have taken young children for several days there without having technical problems. Some steep-hill induced moans occassionally but nothing too scary or technical. This book has plenty of ideas.

Sounds like you need a 29er

What you need is C_G old skool XC riding! One or two folk from here have enjoyed it, they’ve been shown places they didn’t know existed, they didn’t get frightened, nobody got hurt but everybody still got a good work-out in some lovely countryside. 8)

Sorry to disagree with grum (again ) but there is plenty of stuff in the Lakes.

I guess there’s lots of forest gravel roads in Grizedale and Whinlatter and the blue at Whinlatter – can’t think of that much else apart from the (lovely) old train track out to Threlkeld from Keswick. Loughrigg Fell/Terrace isn’t too tricky but has some stiff climbs and a few steepish rocky bits here and there. There’s a pleasant BW along the shore of Windermere underneath Claife Heights, and the BW across the top is easy as well. Those are all I can think of though.

I guess you could be right to some extent because I don’t usually go looking for that kind of thing – but having had some fairly severe health issues a few years ago, I looked for easy routes in the Lakes (ie ones that don’t require that much physical exertion) and couldn’t really find much. It’s generally pretty hilly, and often it’s only roads that follow the valley bottoms.

Having read it again though maybe that’s not what the OP was talking about.

The enjoyment pretty much solely comes from exercise, being out in the countryside, and whizzing along quite fast.

Exactly that has kept me very happy for 26 years.

This. I don’t think he was looking for non-strenuous routes, just non-technical. For experienced mountain bikers, I think it’s common to conflate the two.

bigyinn – Member
What you’ve described in the opening post is not mountain biking that many riders would recognise as being.

I disagree – and it would seem there are many others on this thread who think likewise.

+1 for the Dales. Stacks of routes there or thereabouts which have little or no ‘technical’ flavour to them, just miles of good doubletrack on BWs. The price you pay is the occasional flog through marshy stuff, but nothing comes free.

Yes Grum, I now what you mean!! The routes that you mentioned immediately sprung to mind and others in Southern Lakes mentioned in the book. But yes, the hills can still get you – the one up from Arnside to Iron Keld is a case in point for me. The guide books don’t even claim that this is steep. Admittedly, I rode it last on a wet day, with tyres slipping all over the place on the grass, but definitely got the HR up right from the start.

Why not visit part of the UK which never gets a mention, no mag ever writes about or publishes routes for

Calderdale was like that before I moved there…

dont much like falling off and really hate the relentless use of MTFU in response to any question.

I HATE falling off. Despite that I revel in riding more and more gnarly stuff and getting more air time – they’re not mutually exclusive! I do wonder if too many riders think feeling out of ther depth is normal and try to progress too fast?

About 99.9% of the trails in the scottish borders fit into what you describe.

If only there was a handy railway station 😉

when a man is tired of seeing his mates crash, he is tired of life itself

I concur.

The perfect fast, flowing track without any lumps or bumps is called, drumroll please, a

I suggest a road bike to match.

My favourite riding is when I’m on my fixed Karate Monkey (or Pugsley). Fire Roads, tow paths and long distance trails. And sod the South, it’s France you want…………..

which is why hardly any trail centres have that

People on here are constantly moaning about trail centres being only that.

Brechfa, Llandegla etc. Also much of the South East.

Choose your routes for what you like. It’s not complicated.

Someone on here coined the phrase “off road roadie”.

I my mind this is what MTBing was really when I started.

I just liked to go places on my bike preferably away from traffic. I also did like the skills and stuff but seeing the sights and fitness were just as important.

It was a while before I realised some people do just like the fitness/competition/skills/achievements and where they are and what the view is like isnt that important.

To be honest I dont think the OP is describing a trail centre even an easy one.

He should try doing something like the southdowns way or ridgeway on a sunny day.

Although i am primarily a dh/jumps/bmx rider, if I’m doing a mtb ride where I’ll be getting some miles in then i also prefer the smoother and faster/flowier stuff to techier “trail centre black” type stuff. Even at trail centres like cannock and llandegla i find i don’t really enjoy the rougher bits as it just seems to slow you down especially on flatter sections. A good example is the rollers at the end of the monkey.. used to be a fun fast section but they’ve covered them with rocks and its just not as good. Suppose it stops people hurting themselves on that bit though. Don’t mind a techy climb though, quite rewarding!

Also, things like the start of the mbr etc at cyb, can’t help but feel it’d be better without the rocks that again slow you down. Maybe i just need to mtfu though 😆

The Verderers trail in the Forest of Dean would be RIGHT up your street. Off road, but fast, swoopy, no jumps, no claggy mud and really good fun. For what it’s worth I feel pretty much the same as you about mtbing.

mbr etc at cyb, can’t help but feel it’d be better without the rocks

I imagine these are just to weed out the riders who arent really up for it right at the start.

Mind if your not warmed up or in the right frame of mind they can be difficult for a good rider.

I imagine these are just to weed out the riders who arent really up for it right at the start.

Dunno cos the rest of the trail (not really sure which one we did, think there were bits of Dragons Back, The Beast and MBR) had a lot of sections that flowed much better, things like Hermons etc were really fun. Guess I just don’t like rocks on the flat, they’re fine either up or down. Sort of seems like they put them there to “spice up” the flat bits but I’d rather just get some speed up through a bit of normal singletrack!

It;s all in where you look dude 😉

Dunno cos the rest of the trail (not really sure which one we did, think there were bits of Dragons Back, The Beast and MBR) had a lot of sections that flowed much better, things like Hermons etc were really fun. Guess I just don’t like rocks on the flat, they’re fine either up or down. Sort of seems like they put them there to “spice up” the flat bits but I’d rather just get some speed up through a bit of normal singletrack!

Thats the whole point riding over the rocks is actually more difficult that most of rest of the trail. So anyone who isnt comfortable ends up injuring them selves right at the start not in the middle miles from anywhere.

I was thinking the other day when I was out riding that I was, in essence, a road rider riding off-road. Now it seems I’m not alone.

Soft-roading

Even at trail centres like cannock and llandegla i find i don’t really enjoy the rougher bits as it just seems to slow you down especially on flatter sections.

There’s really very little that’s at all rough at Llandegla.

And sod the South, it’s France you want…………..

Yup – the area I was in this summer (Limousin) seemed to have masses of lovely off-road tracks on non-technical terrain – we just made up routes from an IGN mapping app as we went along. Great stuff.

druidh – Member

bigyinn – Member
What you’ve described in the opening post is not mountain biking that many riders would recognise as being.

I disagree – and it would seem there are many others on this thread who think likewise.
Well done you. *slow claps*

Different people, different opinions. Neither way is right or wrong.

Hmmmm. So you tell someone they’re wrong to think of their riding as mountain biking, then defend that by saying “Different people, different opinions, neither way is right or wrong?”

OK.

That was rather my point. Mountain biking covers ALL of the variations, not just some narrow definition as decided by you.

Hmmmm. So you tell someone they’re wrong to think of their riding as mountain biking, then defend that by saying “Different people, different opinions, neither way is right or wrong?”

TBF, I don’t think he said they were wrong to think of their riding as mountain biking, (or that there was anything wrong with that type of riding) just that many people wouldn’t recognise it as mountain biking. Subtle but crucial difference IMO.

If you like the gentler side of things, & the possibility of a road sportif take a look at the Evans Cycles “Ride It” events, very friendly, non technical organised rides of about 30miles max with shorter options available, I’ve ridden in a few and had a very enjoyable & social Saturday morning, followed by a Sunday sportif from the same venue.(usually various options from 30-90 miles). There seems to be something on every couple of weeks, Venues range from the usual MTB areas to Milton Keynes & Dorking (I rode both and was pleasantly surprised).

+1 for Evans Ride It. I did the Callander one this year. Great experience.

Are you really telling me that you could watch one of your mates disappear into a bush, at speed, and not nearly fall off yourself as you’re laughing that hard?

well, ok – true.

Think you need to either rethink what your chosen sport is or perhaps learn to read OS maps.
What you’ve described in the opening post is not mountain biking that many riders would recognise as being. Sounds to me like you’d be happier pottering round forestry roads or canal towpaths.

Or just MTFU

my ‘chosen’ “sport” (if you can call it that) is road riding. I’ve just got a mtb sitting in the garage so I might as well either find a reason to use it once in a while or admit that I’m not going to and sell the bloody thing.

Someone on here coined the phrase “off road roadie”.
That’s the sort of rider I am. I haven’t got much interest in technical stuff, I’d rather actually go somewhere on my bike.
As others have said, Sustrans and tow paths are probably what you’re looking for.

yes, I totally agree with that…

To be honest although a bit of tow path is ok, it’s not really my cup of tea for a whole ride to be based on it, as it’s a bit straight and flat.
I do like some of the elements of ‘stereotypical’ mtbing – bends, hills, etc, it’s just the excessive rock gardens, jumps and sheer drops I can’t stand.

This. I don’t think he was looking for non-strenuous routes, just non-technical. For experienced mountain bikers, I think it’s common to conflate the two.

Correct, I’d prefer routes that ARE strenuous!

The Verderers trail in the Forest of Dean would be RIGHT up your street. Off road, but fast, swoopy, no jumps, no claggy mud and really good fun. For what it’s worth I feel pretty much the same as you about mtbing.

From what i saw of it on youtube – YES. Would be absolutely perfect if it were about 5 – 10 times as long. Could do laps of it i suppose…

Thanks for all the replies so far, I’ll probably have a look into what there is in yorkshire dales and scotland a bit as quite a few people have mentioned those. AS well as probably some of the other places others have mentioned.

Cotswolds is full of what you’d love. Just needs to be not to wet…