My name is Steven and I……

…really like Glentress!

Been back today for the first time in a few months. I know some people on here will sneer and roll their eyes but for sheer bang for your buck you can't go far wrong at GT. I love a grand day out in the Lakes, NYM or Northumberland as much as the next man, but hooning down Spooky Wood, Super G, Hitsquad hill and the Pie run without stopping takes some beating grin wise.

That is all…..

(And for those that say it's too easy – ride it faster)

My name is Kathryn and I am a mincer. I love Glentress. it's where I ride most often and I don't think it's too easy at all (that's why there are grades).
I am however rather spoilt by it and feel we should have fast bits and rooty bits to keep it interesting 🙂

My name is also Steven and I love Glentress too… 😀

my name is Peter an I have never been to Glentress but may go one day 😆

My name is Simon and I prefer Mabie as I find Glentress quite challenging on the whole and there are too many bits where you have to keep braking otherwise there is a danger of the front wheel taking off 🙁

Sneer and rolls eyes.

Not really. Once now and then trail centres are fun but not ventured to GT for years as was getting too busy for my liking.

My Name is Kevin, and i have a thing about trail centres – Buy a map and ride the natural stuff.

Bang for Buck? That assumes you actually pay money to go ride your bike? If so, then it's a waste of money as there is far better natural stuff to be had – for most it's almost on the doorstep – probably needs a bit of get-up-and-go spirit as it's unlikely to be sign posted and manicured but it's all there for the taking.

Saying that, that suggests I'm anti-trail centre – I'm not – they are good fun and provide an alternative to the natural stuff but they have a place (and for the 'old skool' bikers it's not usually at the top of the preference list of where to go ride as there is far better stuff out there).

Steven Death ?

Or Steven De'Ath ?

GT is good, Innerleithen is better

My name is Kojak and I have never been to a trail centre … but I'm wondering if I should?

Any in the South East ??

Not been to Glentress for a couple of years but enjoyed it when I was there last.

We did a weekend in Scotland a few weeks ago & did one day at Kirroughtree and the next at Dalbeattie. Was really looking forward to Kirroughtree after hearing lots of good things about it (and MBR rating it their best UK trail centre), but I preferred Dalbeattie. Kirroughtree was quite disjointed I found, whereas Dalbeattie was much more like a natural ride…

I tried GT and didn't really gel with the place. Dragged around the black and came back underwhelmed. Spent the rest of the day eating cake, which was excellent.

The following day I went to Inners and had a blast. Did 2 laps and enjoyed it more each time.

GT is fun but as a loca it's easy to over-use and tire of it.

to all the trail centre nay-sayers, tell me where in this country there is natural riding that crams as much quality fun riding in as the red at Glentress? I love a "real" ride with a map and an adventurous spirit blah blah blah (I don't even mind climbing), but seriously I have found nothing that is as continuously as much fun in all my riding in the Lakes, the Peaks, Wales and Yorkshire. Where is it all? 😆

Well I personally find Walna Scar and Garburn piss all over what GT has to offer but if you like gravel paths in a forest then that's your call.

Scottish Highlands…Lake District…Peak District – you don't need to look far to find better stuff.

There is nothing wrong with trail centres but they aren't the only answer…the fact you don't need to know where you are going you can blindly follow arrows makes it dead easy to go ride your bike – but then if that is all you do then you are missing out on a huge plethora of variety and options.

Have to say Natural far outweighs man-made any day of the week…stilltortoise, sounds like you just aren't interested in the game of discovery if you can't find any…

What's a trail centre?

stilltortoise, sounds like you just aren't interested in the game of discovery if you can't find any…

Couldn't be further from the truth, which was why I asked the question. I've ridden Walna Scar for example. It was great fun, yes, but there wasn't another great fun section straight after it, and then another straight after that. I'm not even saying all trail centres are better than natural stuff, but the Glentress red does seem to be one great section after another without any "filler". How many natural rides can claim that?

Last time I was up in Scotland I rode Mabie one day and then something up in the Lowther hills on the other day. The Lowther hills ride was fantastic, particularly the singletrack down Enterkin burn – and on balance was the better of the two rides – but whipping round Mabie without having to stop and check maps, keeping my heart rate up and having fun on every pedal stroke was just a different kind of fun entirely.

Now give me a big wilderness ride with as much quality and fun singletrack as you get at a good trail centre, and I'll be a very happy chappy…I don't even mind looking at the map!

…oh, and to add, I have discovered "natural" trails that are as good as better than the best trail centres. They're all abroad

Seeing GT as just a trail centre is a little myopic. There were trails there long before the seven stanes came along and the simple geography of the place makes it a superb spot for mountain biking.

There are loads of trails off the waymarked map that you can explore and link into the purpose-built stuff. If you're concerned about it being busy – there's routes you could put together on a Saturday in June where I guarantee you wouldn't see anyone within 10 mins of the carpark.

For me, comparing "natural" rides and trail centres is a bit meaningless – trail centres should be good, natural riding is about being "out there" and not judging every cm of trail like a playstation game (as it was not designed for mtbing).

my name is Elaine…ive never been to Glentress…. but i do luv whinlatter forest tho ! yehaaaaaaa

Aye well defined Cynica-al.

Yeah Garry I bet there is some fantastic olds tyle 'natural' trails around there, I remember Inners and GT in the early days but never ridden any other the centres there. Maybe one day I'll explore around the away from the centres stuff.

what al says is bang on. Some people love trail centres some dont. I am the later I ride them occasiionaly but rarely like or love them – TBH I would rather ride laps of my local BMX track if I just want safe flowy jumpy stuff. For me a huge part of MTB is about riding natural stuff and getting out into the countryside and seeing spectacular views. I happy poeple like tail centres and that we are all different.

Depends I guess – I look at the ride overall rather than sections so the good bit is the ride…

Yup it's the ride as a whole I like be it a quick short blast or an epic ride, it's great and add in a few special descents are tricky climbs and it makes it better. Trail centres offer the quick and easy fun day out option but for me will never replace a good days XC riding in the hills.

I hear you cynic-al, but wouldn't it be great to have the "out there" feeling of "natural" riding with every cm of the ride great, great fun. That is a rare rare thing indeed and was what I was getting at in my first comment…

…rare in this country at least 😉

I guess it comes down to what you think fun is. Made a new loop up here the other week with bits I'd not ridden before in, I now class it as one of my favourite rides, can't think of a part that wasn't fun. Has a bugger of a climb in though which I may crack one day.

I guess it comes down to what you think fun is

Take the Lowther hills route I did. A brilliant day out, but replace the muddy churned up fields with some flowy singletrack, or the road sections with some swoopy stuff and it would have been even more "fun".

Same in the Peaks where I do most of my riding. There are some ACE sections of riding – many of which I have discovered just by going out and exploring – but invariably there's some road work to do as well. Replace the road sections with more off-road and the ride becomes more "fun".

All part of the fun I'd say, although I do like as little road as possible when out on my Heckler. Still I can ride a good few miles in Northumberland without barely going on a road.

To be honest UK (Peak District) riding was spoilt for me a little when I came back from Sierra Nevada. Nothing quite measured up or gave me as much "fun" and "out there" sensation

Well yes but that's not the UK so don't count. I love riding in the Alps but I can't get there from my door.

Well yes but that's not the UK so don't count.

Which brings us full circle back to my first point about there being nothing in this country yada yada yada.

Blimey, I sound like a grumpy so and so 😆

Well you stick to being grumpy and riding trail centres to try and make you less grumpy. Me I'll stick to riding the hills and the odd trail centre and being happy ….ish. 😉

…or emigrate to Spain 😆

Fair enough stilltortoise, I guess my point is that it's not good to be so critical fo the trails, it removes you from what it is about (for me and a few others).

You could be right. I did start off trying to be very positive about Glentress, it just descended into a glass-half-empty outlook on UK riding. Very poor form, I apologise. Must be the rain getting me down 😥

Whilst i will always prefer to go out and expore; having a young family restricts my time at weekends, for that reason i like the centres as you know exactly where they are and roughly how long it will take you to get round. Never been up to GT or Inners but will be in July and i'm quite looking forward to it.

Ay?

I don't get that sorry. I know exactly where the Cheviots are and how long it will take to do a ride. Or do you mean trips further a field because when I do that the family know I'm away for the day.