Over the last month, I've had to cycle behind (and dodge) dogs being 'walked' by their mountain bike-riding owners on the actual trail (Glentress on this occasion). Without wanting to be too judgemental, it did rather break the flow of my ride…

So, what's the general feeling about this? Hm?

Their choice / responsibility???

Been taking mine to Brechfa for years, no problems from this end.

would knowing the general feeling on this forum help your flow?

I keep taking my dog out for walks an some **** cyclists keep spoiling the tranquil karma of the rural footpath network 👿

My dog is more trail trained than most mtb'ers I come across at trail centers, he also rails the berms better than most 😉

On syaing that he only attends trail centers at quiet times when he's less likely to out ride other riders 😉

It's a nuisance. Dogs and bikes are a dubious mix at the best of times. Dogs and trail centres is just a plain silly combination. High cyclist densities, high speeds and loopy canines just don't mix.

Yes, I have dogs. No, I don't ride with them.

I keep taking my dog out for walks an some **** cyclists keep spoiling the tranquil karma of the rural footpath network

😆

Well trained dog and owner at a quiet trail, no issues. You'd have to be a bit daft to take one to Cwmcarn on a Saturday

What tyres for dog-poo?

A couple of months ago i tagged along with a chap at Cannock who had his young black lab with him. we had an awsome ride at full tilt and the dog outstripped us on all but the fast downhill sections….the thing was unstoppable and he still wanted to play in the car park even after a lap round both trails. He never once got in the way and we only had to stop to give him a drink and cool him down a bit. If your in the area look out for Si (on a SS) and marly (the lab) as they will no doubt be pressing to get past you. 😆

See loads at Swinley, I think its a good thing, and to be honest I'd rather people were having fun with their dogs than worying about some percieved 'flow' in my head because at the end of the day if you let something as fun as dogs and bikes worry you what are you going to be like in the future when really important things go wrong like;

*You run out of milk just as you really want a cup of tea.
*You can't find your lucky pants before a night out.
*You'r valves and logos slip out of alignment under heavy braking.

It's a nuisance. Dogs and bikes are a dubious mix at the best of times. Dogs and trail centres is just a plain silly combination. High cyclist densities, high speeds and loopy canines just don't mix.

This – I've had a few near misses. Some people are just selfish/inconsiderate.

Did the dog at Glentress have a full facer, pressure suit and loads of pads on for Spooky Wood?

My dog is more trail trained than most mtb'ers I come across at trail centers, he also rails the berms better than most

I know what you mean! I've yet to encounter a dog that decides to take a rest in the centre of the trail on a corner of a downhill bend. Amazing how often that happens…

Used to take ours with us. Mostly mid week stuff though. Having said that, not many people passed us while we were actually riding and I've never met anyone faster than my dog (was, he's getting on a bit now).

I can see how some might object but I never let him dump on the track, always bag it up and put the bag in an old tupperware box don't want to crash and split a bag). I'm patient with slower riders when I meet them, I think it only reasonable that people show me the same consideration if ever then did catch me. The dog has a good trail head and doesn't chase other bikers or bite tyres.

Deffinite no from me at trail centres , and I'm a dog owner to. Maybe ok during quite midweek times but not at w/ends. There's thousands of miles of natural trails you can ride with your dog on, how about keeping just a few bits of trail ( as much as possible ) for bikes only.

I take mine over to the Surrey hills all the time and have taken her to Swinley midweek too. She rides to heel and does not get in the wayy so I think it's fine (although she does steal food if you're not vigilant at Peaslake store)

and to be honest I'd rather people were having fun with their dogs than worying about some percieved 'flow' in my head because a at the end of the day if you let somethign as fun as dogs and bikes worry you what are you going to be like in the future

Why you…hm, actually, I'd better check the milk situation because it IS nearly tea time.

I was riding glentress the other week and had to stop my awsomeflow as some numpty had brought their kids to a trail centre!! One of them was not even old enough to ride a bike and was being dragged round in a trailer (which filled the whole track meaning I could not rip past them).

The other kid had stopped, was off his bike and wandering around the trail – he was not under control at all.

I don't know how families have the nerve to ruin my ride. 🙄

I'm looking forwards to taking my dog round whinlatter on early weekday mornings, I'm also looking forwards to taking my one year old son out round the blue in his weeride. The dog may even come with us!!

Lots of trail centre trails also offer excellent family walking access to areas of countryside that are otherwise difficult to get to. Some great bilberry, raspberry and blackberry picking off some of them…

oooh, double post

I was riding glentress the other week and had to stop my awsomeflow as some numpty had brought their kids to a trail centre!!

That's another topic! A few weeks ago I ran up behind a proud father filming his..five year old son (could have been younger) as he coached him down…Spooky Woods! I had a number of thoughts about that, but the main was 'I wish my dad had been like that'.

I hate dogs so am probably not the best person to ask.

Lucas – that numpty was probably me and I'd hazard a guess the considering it was the green route and you had no kids with you that my 3yr old could outride you. :p

only witnessed it once, at cannock, the dog pissed over all the bikes! metaphorically speaking….. and probably literally given the chance! 😀

My dog is more trail trained than most mtb'ers I come across at trail centers, he also rails the berms better than most

And follows me on descents that you wont ride. 😉

Taking my dog to Kielder this weekend. Fortunately I'm not a good enough rider to have a flow to be ruined!

Have taken him to many trail centres with no problems but I tend to avoid the busy ones during busy periods.

There were 2 women walking a pair of massive Rotweilers on part of the black route at Hamsterley the other day.

My mate pooped himself and almost binned it when he rounded a blind bend at speed to be faced by 2 pairs of large toothy jaws (and that was just the owners). We then had to wait while they tried to control the dogs before passing them.

Dogs have no place on trail centre bike routes. Mainly because I've had to wash their stinking fetid poo off my bike, helmet, camelbak, clothes etc etc when they've not cleared up after them before enough times.

My post was tongue in cheek, not ridden at GT for 9 months or so. Anyway the point I was making was is there too much difference between well trained dogs (I'm not talking about the ones that bite etc) and children (I'm not talking about the ones that bite etc). I'm sure most people would not be pissed off if they had to stop to go round a kid, but if it's a dog then they get upset? Both have the same effect on the ride.

Isn't MTBing about getting out and enjoying yourself – isn't seeing someone else enjoy themselves (men, women, kids or dogs) part of the fun? I'd have thought so. As I said I have a dog and small child and would take both to a trail centre. I would of course show some consideration and not bring the dog to GT on a sunny Saturday afternoon as I know it'd piss off some of the radcoredudes.

Lucas +1 (but I'd be more concerned about XXXC riders than radcoredudes!)

When this was done before you could have re-titled the thread "Are trail centres racetracks?" – to which the answer is obviously "No".

Certainly in the Forests of Yorkshire managed by FE there are no bike specific / exclusive trails. FE's policy is not to prohibit use by walkers (and therefore their mutts) and other legitimate users (I think this excludes horses and, almost positive, MX). I suspect it's the same in Jockland.

Tough titty really. I'm prepared to share and share alike. As always there's a time and place but generally I don't care.

So long as the dog is well trained I don't see the problem.

I've seen a couple of dogs at Glentress and it was great fun to watch them betling down the singletrack. Followed an owner and a black lab once down a couple of bits of singletrack on the red route. The dog was really quick, despite its low bottom bracket and steep head angle

Tough titty really. I'm prepared to share and share alike. As always there's a time and place but generally I don't care.

🙂

I expect anything around to be around the next corner and ride accordingly.

So do we think there's room for trail centres that are biking only? Is it reasonable to expect the World Cup downhill course at Fort William to have only bikers on it? Should you have to ride that at a speed that allows you to avoid a dog/child around every corner or under every jump? Hardly making the most of the track, is it?

We're (mostly!) all getting faster and faster on our MTBs and we all like to ride singletrack. Surely there is an argument for at least some of it to be bikes only, is there not?

I cant really think of anywhere that you go into a section truly blind.

When this was done before you could have re-titled the thread "Are trail centres racetracks?" – to which the answer is obviously "No".

No – going stupidly fast is just for bridleways of course. 🙂

Dedicated downhill tracks I guess it would be sensible to expect speeds to be higher and attitudes to be more single-minded, but when it isn't a competition in progress they aren't marshalled…

Regular trail centre singletrack I think you just have to accept that expecting the unexpected is part of good riding, and if you can only go faster by leaving that element out of the equation you might be riding faster, but you ain't riding "better".

We're (mostly!) all getting faster and faster on our MTBs and we all like to ride singletrack. Surely there is an argument for at least some of it to be bikes only, is there not?

Quite, but as this thread has shown that opinion is clearly divided on that…