My opinion – yes.

Some others at Glentress yesterday – very obviously no.

So it was a midweek day and I took my 2 boys, aged 4 and 7 to GT. Parked at Hub, rode to Buzzards Nest (youngest on trailgator, 7 yrs old quite competent and rode up fine on his own), then went round the green where I unhitched the wee guy and he rode the flatter bits on his own. Back to Buzzards with him hooked up , and then back to the Hub on the blue, all with him hooked up. The lower fast sections are well known as being a bit of fun at speed, and whenever we heard others coming we pulled in and stopped. Didn't stop us getting some verbal from fully armoured warriors, which annoyed me and wasn't a particularly nice part of the experience for the kids.

so what are the thoughts ? I didn't want to come down the fireroad, which would be not a lot of fun for the kids, but is is 'wrong' to use a blue route with young kids in this setup, even if riding responsibly and keeping as much out of the way as possible ?

There really are some miserable gits riding mtb's – you've as might right as them to ride there so just ignore them.

of course it is ok

TJ – I know that 😀

just annoyed me and more annoyingly kinda frightended the kids. Did have a look for the guys when we got back down and would have had a word, but couldn't see them and wouldn't really have wanted confrontation in front of my kids. TBH they were past so fast I couldn't really identify the bikes probs anyway.

It's fine. I wouldn't bother pulling over for others either, you've as much right to the trail as anyone else. If they want empty trails to razz down uninterrupted they shouldn't have come to GT in the school holidays.

Don't see the problem especially as you got out the way, and mid week. Have seen others doing it before, or maybe it was you, just made me laugh thinking it must be fun for them.

Iain, you should have unhitched your Five and chased the miserable shytes down the trail and showed them how to ride.

No its not wrong to use a blue route with a kid in tow, epecially during the week, its wrong to verbally abuse other users of a publicly owned forest

I was under the impression that this is what blue grade routes are all about. Getting the less experienced into biking regardless of age etc, just ignore and go about your day.

Ps good on ya for taking the kids out riding

Restless – the kids loved it, I couldn't keep up with the older one on the downs, or at least not without sending the wee guy on the back into orbit 😆 It's a good workout dragging him up from the hub though !

I think most people would be happy to see you and the kids having fun.

You went beyond the call of duty by pulling in anyway.

haha Rich ! I was on the BadBoy though – might not have caught them !

I am not at all what you'd call child friendly but I think you did more than you needed to in pulling in when you heard other riders coming down. Like others have said, if they wanted quiet trails to themselves, somewhere like that's not the place to go in the school holidays anyway. If you don't have kids and you don't want to be around kids you plan accordingly – simple as that!
I think they were certainly out of order and I wish my dad had taken me to do exciting things like that when I was the age of your kids.
Good on you and booo to the grumpy feckers!

I take my 8yo daughter round follow the dog at cannock and get some very positive comments. On the other hand I have had some shitty ones as well. Miserable feckers. I always pull over and my nipper does it by default now whenever there is someone behind.

I say ****'em.

One idiot said "should'nt be on here" as he wizzed past at full chat like he was at the world champs. As we rounded the corner to the old warewolf drop he had gone over the bars and buckeled his front wheel.

Shame.

Some folks need to chill out a bit.

i damn well hope this is acceptable as i have sold this concept to the wife as an excuse for me blasting round red trails while she pootles round the blues with the kids!!!

it's a shame some people can't see that you are taking your kids out in the country having a bit of fun etc.

i might be a bit miffed if you stuck in the way for ages and didn't pull over but if you pulled over when there was a space i'd just be pleased for you/ and the kids.

some people are **** can't believe anyone would shout at you for that in front of children. plebs.

Never had problems myself, but always make sure I don't hold anyone up .

Most are very positive about seeing kids about tbh.

Didn't stop us getting some verbal from fully armoured warriors, which annoyed me and wasn't a particularly nice part of the experience for the kids.

That would p. me off too, getting verbal in front of kids in that situation is well out of order.

One idiot said "should'nt be on here" as he wizzed past at full chat like he was at the world champs. As we rounded the corner to the old warewolf drop he had gone over the bars and buckeled his front wheel.

Neil, did you say to him as you passed "you should'nt be on here either" 😉

If they're at such a "high level" of ability, shouldn't they be on the reds and blacks? Asshats.

had same/similar experience. Granted we were hooning down same trail but had slowed up for some "tourists" on hired bikes wobbling their way down.
Heard the nutters coming down behind us, too many of us to overtake(we were not to be moved)and they shortcutted over the bank to lower trail ❗

Payback comes in a few years time when your kids start taking out some of these muppets on the black runs 😉

the blue at Glentress is good fun at speed, But its there for families and less experienced riders, thats what blues and greens are for. anyone who says otherwise is a prick.

i dragged my girlfriend around whinlatter blue recently and found it quite challenging.

the trail, not her.

Course you're right to take the bairns out – it's great to see kids getting out on the trail, learning the sport etc.

Personally I'd swerve the blue return at GT, though, with a kid in a trailgator. There're too many poor riders who can't be relied upon to check their speed, leathering it down, listening to music etc. You being in the right is of little comfort if some bell end crashes into the back of the tagalong.

I was with my son on the blue taster route at Dalbeattie a couple of months back – just the right length for a couple of loops for the 6 year old. I always follow him (I can keep up most of the time 😆 ) to act as rear gunner for folk trying to get past.

Pulling to the side after the first long woodwork section a group of local club riders (in matching tops) grunted past without so much as a thank you. They were obviously annoyed having to take it easy, but we were on the blue run FFS.

We then had a similar incident on the flowing down hill bit near the end 🙄

Garry – I know where you are coming from, but there ain't any other way down, other than the fireroad, which is no fun for the kids. I was behind my 7 yr old and was able to get the youngest and the trailgator out of the 'line of fire' so not really concerned that I was putting them at physical risk.

Glad to see that folks are in agreememt with me – think I will send this link to the 7 stanes site (can't see an easy feedback link or would have done it first)

Ignore them as they are not worth it. There are loads of great people in MTBing but unfortunately these are not them. I frequently take my young son down the blue route. The blue route is meant for families, just look at how wide and smooth the surface is. Spooky Wood may not be the place to take them on a trailgator but then you didn't.

Email Andy Wardman at Glentress. andy.wardman@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Other contact details here: http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/achs-5rneku

Thanks Mark – i emailed Andy Wardman over lunch.

cheers

I think the problem here is the Design of GT. There are very few other places I can think of where rad folks would choose to ride a Blue, but at GT it is the best way of transitioning between Buzzards and the other Car Parks. Maybe the place needs some extra signage reminding quicker types that they are "the guests" on this route and need to respect slowers riders right to ride what will be their highlight without pressure or abuse.

I am planning to go ride the blue on my cross bike in the next few weeks, I expect they won't like either

Maybe the place needs some extra signage

I suggested that in my mail to FC, although TBH there may already be signs to that effect which I haven't seen, suppose if I haven't seen them then maybe others haven't either.

Didn't stop us getting some verbal from fully armoured warriors

Just disgusting behaviour.

I'm certainly guilty of GT as a personal fitness centre, but never at the expense of someone else's riding experience. To me, it's a constant source of wonder to see family groups attempting the Blue like this. It's how the great riders of tomorrow are shaped.

Update- I mailed FC, linking to this thread, and also suggesting some better/clearer signage. Got a good mail back, which I then asked permission to post contents of on here, which was given :

Hi Iain,

Thanks for getting in touch, you got the right person. Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience on the Blue descent, I hope it doesn't put you and your family off coming back and riding the trails again.

We built the Good Game/Admiral descents exactly for visitors like yourselves – to provide a full blue grade descent from the start of Falla Brae back to the trailhead, specifically designed for novice/intermediate mtbers (and to avoid the more challenging existing Falla Brae descent). Building in the jumps and other features was done to aid skills progression and make for a fun, involving descent. Because of this it has also however attracted a broader range of riders, some who ride the trail very fast.

I get very frustrated hearing of riders being so rude to other trail users. Such a lack of courtesy is quite rare but does unfortunately happen.

Thanks for the suggestion – i'll look into whether we could put up a sign at the entry to Falla Brae or at the start of Electric Blue. We put a trail info sign at the start of Spookywoood Descent after it was rebuilt in 2004/5, part of the reason being to try and educate riders on trail etiquette and improve safety. One of the pointers there was about giving slower riders in front plenty of space and how to approach and pass properly and politely.

Catching riders in the act and speaking to them about their behaviour is rarely possible but if we see it happening or it's reported to us, it's another and possibly more effective way to tackle the issue.

Another thing we're working on is improving the original Falla Brae descent to try and encourage some of the more experienced riders to use this trail more. Just now we're working on rebuilding the entry section of the Black option on Falla Brae with the Trailfairies.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Best regards,

meh, I took a Burley trailer round Nant y Arian red route, Mabie red and parts of Newcastleton. I have taken eldest round all of the above, and some of Mabies tougher parts and a bunch of Coed Y Brenins red/black on a tag along.

I have to say, it was midweek and quiet(er) though at all, not sure at some of the silly busy places as I was going slower, especially at drops and steep ups.

I have started taking my lad upto Cannock and we have had a fairly mixed bag of behaviour- worst was some idiot telling him to move when halfway round a berm- he's 13 and not exactly super slow
Unfortunately he didnt tell me til later so I couldnt speak to the offending group.
I am not super quick but if I approach someone who is obviosly a beginner I try to reassure them to take their time etc
I think it is a trail centre spoon fed type attitude where people think they are better than they are on their 6 inch travel bikes with all the padding on (and then push down the werewolf drop!!)

Some people shouldn´t be allowed on bikes. There´s always someone faster who they´re holding up at some point.

Great response from the FC too.

Doug – yes, I though the FC response was good too – certainly seem to be listening

What idiots.. you get this kind of thing when your sking, Hardcore idiots strait lining the green routes and cutting up beginners. Happened to my wife in Banf last year, some idiot blasting straight down a green cut her up while she was just learning to do parallel turns on a low level green run, he shouted "she took my line" the instructor went and found him at lunch and gave him a right bollocking in front of everyone in the whole bar ! the guy must have felt 2" high !!