@phila77 the motos are an issue but i’m sure it will be sorted soon..(hopefully)

can’t do sunday, it’s our first race of the year so i’ll be at lee quarry from 7am marking a course out!

@xherbivorex – is this race a spectator event and if so when is it?? also where would one look for such news on events there?

Apparently, they have an off road section who have crossers

that’s true they do have them but i never seen or heard of it ever happening. in fact i’ve never even seen it happen on all these police chase shows on tv, they seem to use the helicopters first!

The police have never seemed to care what goes on on the vale, thats why the kids go there, hopefully the police will get involved a bit more now, i guess they’ll have to if there’s enough reports filed.

are you aware that the trails have been designed so motorbikes can’t get round them? (apparently), doesn’t stop them trying tho! :roll:

@hora, yea probably, I found some good bottles too, really old, couldn’t be bothered lugging them home though 8)

If either of you are down there this weekend keep you eye out for an idiot being air lifted of the orange section, coz that’ll be me :D :roll:

Those drop offs are brill (red ‘R04’ on the map?). You just pump your way to them then off/only one needs you over the front for a sharp left

I agree, that section is pretty good:)

Its an ex-rubbish tip(?) ffs.

I dont know where you got that it’s never been a tip! it used to have a hospital, and several industrial buildings on the site many moons ago, that’s what all the red ground up brick is on the clayton side(maybe a fly tip! lol..)

its probably the dog walkers who are putting the cloths lines across the trails! :?

One steepish drop in particular at the E end of the course seems like a bit of a pre-jump affair, tight landing onto a RH berm (orange trail BP01 on se7en’s link above). Launching off here could be interesting.

I found this section a good few weeks ago now and seen the jump/dropoff in question, its even got a little kicker at the top but tbh the RH berm looks way to tight to get any decent air, get that wrong and you’re defo in the trees! lol..
I took some pic’s of it last time i was there coz i plan on hitting that bit this weekend, it’s all pretty much DH and has plenty of rollers and other potential jumps etc, I think this orange section is a freeride/DH/dirt-jump section! looks more appealing to me than some of the other trails. The black section is okay but only worth 2 or 3 runs before you get bored of it and the bottom is so tight you literal have to get off your bike to get round it(I don’t think they got that bit right tbh!) ;)

Oh also forgot to say, the direction of the trails is clockwise apart from a section on the clayton side which runs counter clockwise for a while, here’s a map with direction arrows HERE!

@simmy, the wire across the trails is a horrible thought, I’ve heard about people doing this at Dovestone reservoir. As far as motorbikes and vehicle theft goes, I think we need to remember where we are and where the trails have just been built! they’re in the middle of clayton an newton heath, not the most desirable areas in north mcr.

Just another note on bikes left in cars, I think this is partly the owners own fault, lock it up even if its in the car, A simple wire lock should be enough to put off most opportunists.

I’m wondering how long it’s going to be before the local rifraf start to realise how much some of these bikes we’re riding are worth?!

I pick up my new bike this weekend and couldn’t wait to take it for a run around the vale but i’m starting to think twice about it now. I didn’t care when i was riding a 500 quid hard tail but a brand new 2k full sus might be a bit more tempting for them specially if your on you own:(

Hmmmm…

Hopefully the police or pcso’s will add the new trails to the beat, they have the bikes so i guess it makes sense.

The trails are getting quite a bit of attention now so shouldn’t be long until there’s regular weekend meets etc, safety in numbers for those worried about going alone;)

Just thought I’d mention that I went with the Trek remedy:) It’s amazing!!! so happy with it.

thanks for suggestions an comments, guess I could of been more specific, after thinking about it a bit more i’m really leaning towards the trek remedy.
I mainly want it for DH and jumping (not extreme jumping) but I’d also like a bike that would be suited to riding anywhere including up hill.
The remedy being up for all of the above I guess I have my answer.

the shop where i’ll be getting it from has all three at the same price so i will give them all a try at the weekend.

Anybody own any of the mentioned OR have any suggestions to what else i should maybe consider, something in the 2K (max) price range?

@buck53

I didn’t mean any of it as a negative, just saying (my opinion) that the stuff on the clayton side of the river is much better than the stuff on the newton heath side but that’s what I prefer to ride, so whatever floats your boat I guess.

I ride the vale nearly every day, I’d stay there all day if the missus would let me:)

Could just be bad timing but every time i ride the first half of the blue trail on the NH side I always have to stop or slow down because some one is on there with a dog!
I don’t mind, they can walk where they like just as i can ride where i like, think people are just having a nosey tbh.

That site and map are useful, anything to do with promoting the vale is a positive:)

see you down there some time…

Found a map showing the new black section Here!

The black section is open, it still needs some work but its pretty good :D

Its on the Clayton side as you come over the bridge from the arches go check it out. :P

This site seem to have been updated with a map and some good images if your interested http://claytonvaletrails.org/%5B/url%5D

some of you guys seem concerned about the local riff-raff, I can honestly say I’ve never had a problem, everybody seems to busy having fun:) loads of places to park etc, get down on your 3k rig or your halfords special, ride what you bring it really doesn’t matter, you wont be disappointed ;)

I would of been up for that but just got back, spent a few hours on the pump track while the kids are all in school and it was empty :D

@simmy – the vale has always been a victim to yobs on moto’s for as long as i can remember! lol

@Margin Walker – I’ve just found the original planning application for the trails and the grading of each trail:) will defo pop in the velodrome for a look though, thanks for the heads up.

@Junkyard – here’s a link for the skills section,

http://www.nationalcyclingcentre.com/p/mtb-trails-2

Don’t be put off Simmy, I’ve been using the trails nearly every day for a few weeks now and not seen or heard a motorbike! maybe it was the trail builders with chainsaws ?? The developers are making a really good effort at keeping crossers off the vale, they’ve even designed most of the trails near impossible to ride on a motorbike!

A word of caution though, don’t just go bombing down them without doing a slow run first coz you might get a bit of a surprise when you turn a sharp corner an realise that your on an unfinished trail and your heading straight for a pile of rubble. this happened to me the other day;)

All the trails on the Newton heath side seem to be finished. The best ones though are on the clayton side of the vale but some off them aren’t finished yet so watch out!

I think I noticed a pattern last time I was there, the finished trails all have large white stones at each side of the start of the trail and the unfinished ones didn’t, maybe this is how you can tell if they’re ready?!

Anybody found a trail map yet??? I’ve got one for the skills track but not the vale. Might have to see if I can blagg the trail builders to to let us get a photo of the plans;)

They’re ready to run! :o Checkout the link for info / photos on the new clayton vale trails..

claytonvaletrails.org

see you on the trails ;)

Checkout the link for info and photos on the new Clayton Vale trails..

claytonvaletrails.org[/url]

see you there:D