Hyped trails that you found a bit meh

It was partly tongue in cheek as it’s not exactly crap there, but after a seasons guiding there I’m not sure I’d spend a poo load of cash to go there over going to the Alps. Whistler town centre is as inspiring as Telford! Hardly anyone I know goes to Whistler on a regular basis to ride the Valley trails, and I live in Vancouver. Squamish on the other hand is awesome. So within the context of this thread, I personally think Whistler is a bit over-hyped.

Funnily enough, after riding in Whistler for a season, I had a great time riding on the Long Mynd 😀

Nan Bield.

Penhydd at Afan. It just didnt work for me

Nan Bield.

See, I thought that first time I rode it. I was in my tod, didn’t know it and held back a bit. I’ve since ridden it a couple of times with mates, and really quite like it now.

Maybe I need to do the same with sticks pass, as I only rode it once, and again on my own.

Rode CIaran path a few times now, and even after that, it’s still distinctly average.

Hardly anyone I know goes to Whistler on a regular basis to ride the Valley trails, and I live in Vancouver. Squamish on the other hand is awesome. So within the context of this thread, I personally think Whistler is a bit over-hyped.

Makes sense. I’ve ridden in Squamish a bit, but not Vancouver yet. It makes very little sense to head up to Whistler when Squamish is closer, and the same for those of who live in Whistler.

Inners red..takes forever to ride up it for what appears to be very little in the way of downhill, other than minch moor and caddon bank.

Eh, it’s all of 40 mins to the top, and very little is fire-road.

Best way is to include some detours like Kittylitter and the one that pops out onto the fireroad after the quarry plus the likes of the Tunnel and the switchbacks afterwards.

For me, most trails got better once I got fitter (and more skilled), plus riding with folk who are far more skilled to give me something to ‘aim’ at.

In at least two cases mentioned here, it really isn’t that the trails are rubbish, it is indeed the hype:

Minton Batch has been mentioned a few times. It’s a nice ribbon of single track, like many. It’s not outstanding, but quite how it became one of the ‘top ten UK trails’ or whatever in one of the mags a few years back, Lord only knows.

Responsible journalism, for some, is still something to aspire to methinks 😉

teenrat – Member
Penhydd at Afan. It just didnt work for me

The hype there was on the original trail and perhaps more so while it was closed for years. What it is now is meh to okay, which I expected given opinions after it opened. Shame I never got to ride the original. Or maybe that was over hyped anyway 😉

Gave up half way down page 2, Jesus you would wonder why some of you ever go outside let alone own a mountain bike, everything is so crap and over-rated, give it a rest
There is no such thing as a ‘meh trail’ any riding is what you make of it, it’s about many things, the landscape, the riding, the company your with etc
Ability or speed etc shouldn’t come into it, enjoy it for what it is, doing something you love (I’m assuming you still do but doubt it from some posts)
Just go out and ride and stop over analysing things, you might find you enjoy even the crappest of trails more, be it natural or trail centre, ancient bridleway or cheeky footpath

To the very summit? Well I’ve seen the pictures of some bloke called Danny doing it, but I’m not sure I’d describe it as easy!

Penhydd is one of the few trails I’ve ever slagged before I was finished riding it. Couple of good bits. But the Blue Scar was unexpectedly good, really glad we went and did that.

mindmap3 – Member

Ae. Just dull aside from the last descent.

I don’t object to much in this thread but I do to this- since when has Ae been hyped?

(it does have a load of good offpiste and DH but that’s separate from the trail centre)

I was going to comment on this before as it seems to come up a lot on this thread. It might not be the best trail in the country, but describing it as “meh” is pretty harsh. Personally I rode it without realising what I was riding was supposed to be anything special at all, let alone having seen any hype about it being one of the UK’s best trails – I thought it was great as a trail to stumble across as part of a ride. Maybe if you’re making a special trip to ride it the expectation spoils it?

The hype there was on the original trail and perhaps more so while it was closed for years. What it is now is meh to okay, which I expected given opinions after it opened. Shame I never got to ride the original. Or maybe that was over hyped anyway [/quote]

I tend to agree about Penhydd – though in this case it might well be the expectation I had when I first rode it. But then I had ridden the original trail and it was my favourite trail anywhere. I certainly don’t think that was overhyped – it may be rosy retrospection, but then I remember how I preferred that over anywhere else I had ridden at the time (though TBH my riding has probably developed). Was waiting eagerly for the new trails to open – I posted on here once or twice about my frustration over the delays – and then when it did it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

To the very summit?

Yes, to the very summit. Sgurr Dearg is the hill the Inaccessible Pinnacle sits on. DM took his bike to the top of the In Pin. I did say I was being a pedant!

Dalbeattie
death by boring undulation
the good bits are good sadly they are separated by miles and miles of basically **** all with no views

So shit it took me weeks to stop saying it was shit and now this has reminded me

Dalbeattie has one of the best skills areas/try-out loops mind. I quite like it, it’s harder work than it should be but the trail that runs past the slab, and the descent immediately before the Endless Slightly Lacklustre Singletrack which ends in the really wide rocky thing, and a few others are fab. I don’t know names or anything but there’s hardly any trailcentre laps where I’ll push back up and do things twice or ride alternative lines, Dalbeattie has a couple. Trekster was kind enough to show us some natural lines too but I’ve actually never ridden them since, I like the main lap enough.

(I totally approve of the lack of runoff at the bottom of the slab too, that’s genius… Just what you need, a wall of spiky trees at the bottom of the signature feature)

if they put all the good stuff together it would be a loop of about 400 metres but yes the good stuff was very good it was the other mobius strip of unending nothingness I objected to

Grumbles

I really really hated. I have never ever hated a ride before , disliked, not be repeated but that I genuinely hated.

I have to admit, I’m pretty-much always happy to be riding my bike. It is rare for me not to be enjoying myself (unless I am riding the trail in the wrong direction – i.e. up).

I will make “meh” exceptions for most nothing-but-shonky-berms French bikepark stuff and for Llandegla. Llandegla was very meh.

What you people need are small children. Once you’ve got a couple of those you’d be grateful for a day pass to pedal through Kerry Katonas excrement.

Someone has hyped Kerry Katona’s excrement?

Minton Batch isn’t the best descent on the Mynd by some significant margin IMHO.

Grit CX, Issue 3. The ‘Things that are better than cyclocross’ edition

jamj1974

That’s kind of my point. I ride on the Shropshire Hills maybe twice a year, it’s only an hours drive for me.
Minton Batch isn’t perhaps worthy of the hype, although there is superb riding all around, Minton Batch is a nice little singletrack, it’s a really nice trail, just not outstanding, but it’s almost criminal to hype it to the extent where folk could perhaps be disappointed and not return to the area.
I don’t think riding it on an xc hardtail or an endooro bike makes a jot of difference.

Well I’m going to have to uber-pedant you then. You agree the Inn Pinn is on Sgurr Dearg? Well in that case given it is the highest point on that hill it is by any normal definition the summit. DM took his bike to the top of Sgurr Dearg. What you’re thinking of is the subsidiary NW top.

Junkyard – lazarus

if they put all the good stuff together it would be a loop of about 400 metres but yes the good stuff was very good it was the other mobius strip of unending nothingness I objected to

You know what dalbeattie needs most? Fire roads. No, hear me out! Kirroughtree red has a ton of little trails running between 2 fire roads, you pedal them like mad then you rest on the roads. Dalbeattie has these huuuuuge and yes, pretty flat singletrack sections, which are actually fun if you attack then and rotten if you don’t. And for most folks, they’re too long, certainly are for me. If they just smashed 3 or 4 fire roads across the trail, to create some gaps and rest spots, it’d improve them no end.

I rode it last with a group of epic faffers and stoppers, it was perfect.

Twrch at Cwmcarn. Loads of hard work for 3 minutes of descent.

Blade. Badly made, some sections still haven’t bedded in, not much flow, always seems to be ruined with little climbs which kills it, and the fact they got lazy and used old Skyline sections given the fact they got loads of money from the windfarm to do it.

I’d like to say Penhydd, but I think that would be unfair given the purpose of the trail, which is an in introduction to the trails at Afan. But after hearing much hype about the original i thought when it reopened it was pretty poor. They should have called it something else. lol.

SDW for me, I find it a bit pointless and just use it as a quick way to get to other stuff on either side of the ridge of which theres a fair amount, 100 miles of tedium for me.

Sorry to all the local guys who spend a lot of time there building, QECP, never found any flow there at all, I give it another chance every now and then but I just dont get it, it never feels natural enough or flowing to me.

Oh that Stob Dearg, thought we were talking about the Buchaille, which Sanny from here rates.

I can’t help myself. The more I read this the more I cant get over the amount of analytical crap being applied to here.
What a bunch of winging nanny’s.
You are out on your bike, you ride, you win.
I cant see how doing that anywhere could be boring or mundane. I can think of a few trails that aren’t as good as other trails, but seriously, would you rather be watching ArseEast Enders or riding 12 loops at Sandwell Valley Park ?
I know what I’d be doing.

I cant see how doing that anywhere could be boring or mundane. I can think of a few trails that aren’t as good as other trails, but seriously, would you rather be watching ArseEast Enders or riding 12 loops at Sandwell Valley Park ?
I know what I’d be doing.

The point being there are trails that seem to be on the must must must do list. You can then spend a long time, lots of effort head past some great trails and then find the one everyone said was the best was really just average. Nothing to do with watching East Enders.
I found la vada a bit meh, especially considering what I could have been riding.

This whole thread has been overhyped. I started reading it with a sense of massive, possibly unrealistic anticipation, I could barely hold my mouse steady enough to click through to the next page, but after a page or two, I just found it a bit meh.

It’s been a very disappointing experience.

Agreed Mike. I think I got up on the wrong side this morning 😕
I would edit, but to late. Oops!

but after a page or two, I just found it a bit meh.

It’s been a very disappointing experience.
Lol

Mikes got it spot on there. No whining, just an observation.

@ thestabiliser

Spot on, I used to get out two/three times every week, used to enjoy riding no matter where I was. Junior came along and I get out once a week now and every time is amazing. I get the anticipation prepping everything the night before, up early and off, no matter the weather or location it’s always great. Then spend the rest of the week tinkering with the bikes and getting stuff ready for the next one.

You’re just not reading it fast enough – is it possible you’re a bit underskilled?

Having speed read the thread I think I must have missed the bit where Hora thought about a new bike 🙄

You know what dalbeattie needs most? Fire roads

FTFY

Not an unreasonable point you make

You’re just not reading it fast enough – is it possible you’re a bit underskilled?

Chuckles

Minton Batch isn’t the best descent on the Mynd by some significant margin IMHO.

Which are the better ones? Thinking of popping down next week possibly. Are they on the ‘numbered chart’ of Long Mynd which you see floating around?

I’ll still be doing MB though – I enjoyed it a lot last time.

I like Dalbeattie, always have done. I think it’s similar to Kirro black in that you really need to be putting a bit of effort in for the reward.

Haven’t ridden it for a couple of years mind, Comrie for a trail centre fix nowadays.

Stepping back a moment, where does all this “hype” for particular trails come from? Is it the magazines (easy target) doing a “best of” type feature and people repeating the mantra until everyone believes it?

As it happens I’ve an MBR “20 Best UK Rides – Our favourite singletrack hotspots” supplement next to my desk. To quote: “The 20 places we’ve chosen (are) areas where exceptional riding flourishes. That means that anywhere we’ve picked has to be worthy of travelling the breadth of the UK and they need to be able to entertain you for more than a day when you get there.”

Included in the list are several that have been mentioned on this thread: Swinley Forest; Doethie Valley; Long Mynd; Kinlochleven; the Quiraing; etc.

I’ve not ridden all of the locations but some I’d happily visit again whereas somewhere like Swinley I’m only likely to visit again if passing on the way to the continent, I certainly wouldn’t travel from The Dales for a weekend’s riding there.