What does 'trail' mean

v23

I've been riding mountain bikes fornearly 20 years now, but dropped out of the magazine scene about 10 years ago. Things seem to have changed a lot in that 10 years, in both kit and terminology. I get most stuff, like Freeride, All Mounatin etc. however the thing that is confusing me is what is the difference between Trail and Cross Country riding?

Can someone help me?

thanks

LordBanks

XC riding is more racing, lycra, super light bikes.

Trail rinding is more about the fun aspect of it.

XC - running a marathon after months and months of training, aiming to knock of a few seconds from your last years time.

Trail riding - running a marathon in a banana suit

scale20

Cross country to me is getting out in the wilds and making it up as you go along, I would define 'trail' as trail center, where you go out and ride man made trails following way markers although I regard all rides that i do as a 'trail'

v23

Aha. Thanks very much, so an example of trail would be Hamsterly or Betws Y coed and cross country might be a loop in the Lake District on bridleways etc?

Thanks again.

scale20

Thats my take on it although Im sure you will get no end of different opinions.

LordBanks

I dunno, its open to interpretation. But trail riding to me is a more relaxed XC riding. Bikes tend to be abit more burly, clothes are looser and its more about the 'having a laugh' were as XC is head down, fast fast fast and bikes just capable of the terrain so they can keep light.

But thats just my take on it.

Chaka Ping

I'd say the difference between the two is about a degree at the head angle.

Or if you want to talk travel then "trail" bikes are typically 100-130mm - while XC bikes are typically 80-100mm.

I suppose trail bikes are pretty much the mainstream now, while XC bikes that used to be in that position have become more of a niche.

Anonymous

scale20 wrote:

Cross country to me is getting out in the wilds and making it up as you go along, I would define 'trail' as trail center, where you go out and ride man made trails following way markers although I regard all rides that i do as a 'trail'

You do realise don't you, that "trails" have existed for millenia, long before trail centres came into being?

In fact, most trail centres appear because there's so many people riding the trails there, that it seems a worthy business opportunity to put a cafe and a bike shop there.

LordBanks

yeehaamcgee is spot on there.

Anonymous

It annoys me that there's so many holier than thou jackasses (not referring to scale20 here, don't know enough about him to comment) that seem to believe they're better people because they ride for real, not on (spit) trails.

scale20

yeehaamcgee wrote:

scale20 wrote:

Cross country to me is getting out in the wilds and making it up as you go along, I would define 'trail' as trail center, where you go out and ride man made trails following way markers although I regard all rides that i do as a 'trail'

You do realise don't you, that "trails" have existed for millenia, long before trail centres came into being?

In fact, most trail centres appear because there's so many people riding the trails there, that it seems a worthy business opportunity to put a cafe and a bike shop there.

yeah I know that but its a personal take on it isnt it. If I say im off to do a trail it will probably mean a trail center or man made trail otherwise I will refer to whatever mountain im off up.

I hope that wasnt a pop at me. I will ride wherever I get the chance, I am blessed with the snowdonia range out of my back door so most of my riding is done up there, thats where it all started for me. However I love getting to trail centers, but with working away and having kids you have to grab what you can.

There are a lot of people on here that think they are holier than thou thats why a lot of people I know have left this forum. Some genuine questions get answered in such a demeening manner making the poster feel like a right idiot.

Anonymous

It wasn't a pop at you, scale (see PM reply).
for the others, Scale's post simply reminded me of some arrogant people I've met over the years.

Like Scale, I live right in Snowdonia, so the vast majority of my trails are informal, mostly old sheep tracks, quarrymen's paths and the like.
I've met countless people over the year who asked where I ride, and when I begin my sentence with

"oh, there's this great trail over at...."

I get a sneering look as a response, and they point out that they don't ride trails, trails are for middle-class wannabe mountainbikers who couldn't read a map if their life depended on it and so on and so on.

Ironically, if they'd let me finish my sentence, my next few words would have been something along the lines of

"... Capel Curig, which leads over the Glyders, through Marchlyn quarry, and then you can choose to go over the top to Bethesda, or down into Llanberis, or Nant Peris."

But as I said, not aimed at scale 20, his post just reminded me of these berks.

nicklouse

Also be aware that the kids on jump bikes call their jumps Trails.

It can get confusing.

singlespeedexplosif

I get most stuff, like Freeride, All Mounatin etc. however the thing that is confusing me is what is the difference between Trail and Cross Country riding?

it's all marketing guff.
there are only 3 categories:
Cross Country
Downhill
Arsing around on a bit of flat-pack furniture you've nailed between a few trees.

Chaka Ping

scale20 wrote:

There are a lot of people on here that think they are holier than thou thats why a lot of people I know have left this forum. Some genuine questions get answered in such a demeening manner making the poster feel like a right idiot.

Really? I'm surprised you think that because I think this is a very accessible forum.

Questions are usually taken at face value and there's always somebody willing to answer the most basic queries - no matter how repetitive or illiterate they are.

Your description sounds more like Bikemagic or STW to me.

Chaka Ping

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

it's all marketing guff.
there are only 3 categories:
Cross Country
Downhill
Arsing around on a bit of flat-pack furniture you've nailed between a few trees.

I'm as anti-marketing guff as the next guy, but I do think trail / XC is a useful distinction when talking about a bike's characteristics or suitability for different purposes.

switchback18

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Like Scale, I live right in Snowdonia, so the vast majority of my trails are informal, mostly old sheep tracks, quarrymen's paths and the like.

Ah, North Wales, some of the best riding around. Totally agree with the rest of your comments as well. Personally I think I prefer 'natural' trails as they seem to be called, although many 'natural' trails are man made, just a few 100 years ago instead of 15 or less.
I'd like more people to discover wilderness stuff as some of it's awesome & I have a slight fear that if these trails aren't used access rights might be eroded long term.
However, if I haven't ridden trail centre stuff for a while I definitely miss it.
I think if people are going to try natural stuff they should be prepared for the fact that some of it might not be rideable, and some bit might be a bit of a slog, but it's worth it for the fact that the riding's different, the good bits can be better than trails centres & variety has to be good.
You ridden the MBR/Bikefax route from Talybont past Pont Scethin & the Braich, Yeehaamcgee? Possibly my favourite route of all time. The last DH sems to last forever...

Anonymous

I've never followed any bikefax type routes, so i don't know, I may have but never knew!

switchback18

Pont Scethin is a little stone bridge on the map & that part of the trail is legal for motorbikes. Over the top from there is 'the Braich' downhill, again on the map.
There's also a great bridleway back into Talybont (the one on the coast)
Best not to follow the Bikefax description anyway, I seem to remember the scale was wrong, and different features were also marked with a certain amount of artistic license...

jezcc

trail riding allows for some slightly more downhilly bits of riding than XC. XC riding means no jumps. Trail bikes are heavier and more bouncy, but still much less heavy and bouncy than 'all mountain'.

I know it's all marketing rubbish, but that's what they mean by it. and XC bike has 1 advantage over other bikes... it's fast. Trail bikes have the advantages over an XC bike of longevity, comfort and 'fun' (if you define fun as being able to do downhill bits faster and over rougher lines).

switchback18

jezcc wrote:

Trail bikes have the advantages over an XC bike of longevity, comfort and 'fun' (if you define fun as being able to do downhill bits faster and over rougher lines).

If you define fun as being able to do downhill bits faster and over rougher lines?
How could goin slower or doin smoother lines be more fun? OK according to my wife 'the bumps spoil the ride' but fortunately she won't be seen on a MTB forum expressing this kind of heresy...

carlosthejackal

And here's me thinking that cycling is just cycling. Just do what you want, when you want. As long as it doesn't impact on anyone elses fun, it's fine. When we were kids we used to tram round the same woods I go round now on an MTB on racers, Grifters etc, there was no such thing as a mountain bike. I don't even remember there being anything such as an off-road bike. It didn't matter what you rode as long as you had fun doing it. The marketing thing's an interesting idea. I guess society has a need to pigeonhole, so it can make a distinction between one thing and another. Reminds me of music. Rock gets split into a myriad different styles, and each styles gets split even more, ad infinitum. All in all, it's just music, whatever the type.

It's like all this flat/riser, bar ends/no bar ends, full suss/hardtail rubbish. Ride what you like. Ride what you can afford. If you can't afford it, ride an Apollo. As long as you're enjoying what you're doing, it's okay. Fashionable is b0ll0cks.



















ps Hardtails with flat bars and ends rule. Everything else just sucks.

switchback18

carlosthejackal wrote:

And here's me thinking that cycling is just cycling. Just do what you want, when you want. As long as it doesn't impact on anyone elses fun, it's fine. When we were kids we used to tram round the same woods I go round now on an MTB on racers, Grifters etc, there was no such thing as a mountain bike. I don't even remember there being anything such as an off-road bike. It didn't matter what you rode as long as you had fun doing it. The marketing thing's an interesting idea. I guess society has a need to pigeonhole, so it can make a distinction between one thing and another. Reminds me of music. Rock gets split into a myriad different styles, and each styles gets split even more, ad infinitum. All in all, it's just music, whatever the type.

It's like all this flat/riser, bar ends/no bar ends, full suss/hardtail rubbish. Ride what you like. Ride what you can afford. If you can't afford it, ride an Apollo. As long as you're enjoying what you're doing, it's okay. Fashionable is b0ll0cks.

ps Hardtails with flat bars and ends rule. Everything else just sucks.

Sort of agree, (except about hardtails being the only choice!)
Marketing has little effect on me, but I don't mind it being there as it seems to have the effect of there being way more choice of bikes than there ever used to be, so you can ride a bike you like. But as carlos says, ride it how & where you like. I've ridden a fully rigid down stuff when I was 19 that I possibly wouldn't ride on my full sus now, so alot more's possible on simpler/cheaper bikes than the marketing people want you to believe.
Riding IS actually better than worrying endlessly about whether you've bought the right bike...

carlosthejackal

switchback18 wrote:

Sort of agree, (except about hardtails being the only choice!)

I was being more than a touch sarcastic there mate!

switchback18 wrote:

Riding IS actually better than worrying endlessly about whether you've bought the right bike...

Amen to that. Now let's all go out and get really muddy...or not. Whatever you like!

switchback18

carlosthejackal wrote:

switchback18 wrote:

Sort of agree, (except about hardtails being the only choice!)

I was being more than a touch sarcastic there mate!

switchback18 wrote:

Riding IS actually better than worrying endlessly about whether you've bought the right bike...

Amen to that. Now let's all go out and get really muddy...or not. Whatever you like!

Yeh the ! is kind of to signify I got the sarcasm. A bit of sarcasm is always good.

Yep, get out riding, I'm about to plan 1 in for the next few days.

carlosthejackal

I would love to be planning one for this weekend, the other half's working, so that would've given me 48 hours to do what I liked (as long as I got the ironing done and her tea was ready for when she got in!), but I've ended up having to work myself (we're short staffed, and being the boss, and needing to rack some lieu time up for Tenerife this winter, I've volunteered myself to work), so I won't be going anywhere. It means I'll be working 12 straight too. Nice. At least I can console myself with the fact that I'll be totting up enough time to enable me to have another holiday this tax year. Malaga soon and then Los Cristianos in the New Year. Love it...

LordBanks

Arsing around on a bit of flat-pack furniture you've nailed between a few trees.

hahahhaha

classic.