Trail building guidance

rhialto

I have obtained permission to build some new trails in a nearby forest but I am a bit overwhelmed at the magnitude of the task and am not sure where to start.

Can anyone recommend materials to learn about MTB trail building? Websites, books, organizations, people, courses, anything?

Thanks!

JonnyN

You've ridden trails before?

Just start building and go with whatever you feel is right.

anton1r

I think if it was me I'd plan out my key features(e.g. berms, drops, jumps) and then think about the smoothest way to link them!

Could always head along to your nearest trails and ask the builders there how they do it?

Interesting topic tbh. I'm sure lots of people will have different ideas. 8)

DickBarton

Nice one...first off walk the area you can build in and identify key points you want to ride over (rock drops/turns/obstacles/etc.) then work out a way to link them up - don't make it all straight line stuff as that is boring (and also creates more ongoing maintenance issues due to faster speeds and skidding).

Undulation is good, try to utilise any slope you have, when building make sure drainage is considered, the trail should allow the water to move off the main area but ideally not collect on the trail.

Make sure once the trail is built whoever owns the forest does a risk assessment (best get them involved from outset so they know what is being done) as whoever owns the land will be responsible if an accident happens - so bets they know and give you approval.

Start small and build up - don't try to build a Glentress sized empire until you have got the basics sorted.

Have fun and be creative it's a great laugh...

diy

http://www.imba.org.uk/Trailbuilding/Ju ... dance.html

Also there are steps to minimise landowner and YOUR responsibility..

At a very basic level a disclaimer notice on the trail will help. But why not get some legal advice from http://www.swarb.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum. ... 722acd8f5f

There are a number of things to consider:
- how to protect the landowner from inadvertently creating a public right of way.
- How to protect you and the landowner from a negligence claim (it makes a difference if you are charging access)

mrfmilo

What type of trail? FR/Northshore/DH/XC etc.

Northwind

Try and get along to an organised trailbuilding session and see how it's done... Not all the skills are transferrable mind, at glentress frinstance we spend an awful lot of time armouring trails and barrowing hardcore but that's not applicable for the trails I work on more locally as they don't have to deal with half a million tyres a year. But the ideas of drainage (essential) and flow/speed control (important) and working with the land rather than against it (most important of all) are all the same.

You do nee to make a bit of a call on exactly how you're going to build, some of my local stuff is basically just raked off, it's not "built", just cleared. It rides fine but won't support more than a handful of riders. Other bits are dug out but not backfilled, which makes for a stronger surface and will deal, realistically, with all the traffic the area will get, without being overly manufactured. So how many riders do you expect? You? You and your mates? Anyone who passes by and sees them?

lock1981

pink bike have a really good thread about trailbuilding

cant find it now, but theres loads on there.

they have a trail forum

peter413

lock1981 wrote:

pink bike have a really good thread about trailbuilding

cant find it now, but theres loads on there.

they have a trail forum

You mean this

rhialto

Thanks for all the responses! It gives me some ideas and some further reading, e.g. the pinkbike thread and IMBA's Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack. The IMBA book looks pretty comprehensive. I also need to contact some local trailbuilders and get my hands dirty. That's the best way for me to learn.

Oh yeah, in response to a question, I am planning to build some narrow, flowy singletrack. It will pass through woods littered with branches and deadfall and I have about 50m of vertical that I can work with in some areas.

Cheers!

cavegiant

Key thing for me is to make the trails flow.

do not add a feature for a features sake, it must add to the flow of the trail.

Glentress is the best at this and dalby the worst.

Everysingle berm at GT is positioned perfectly to scoop you up and throw you on down the trail, faster you go the more the trail rewards you. In contrast most berms at dalby seem to be along the lines of "Oh, a corner, lets build a berm on it"
No idea of approach angle, exit angle, height or in fact any advantage from riding the berm whatsoever! often the fastest way around a corner avoids the berm completely!

So if you do it, do it right or you wasted your time.

jairaj

yup agree with the above don't just put stuff there for the sake of it try and fit it in with the current landscape. Try and find a good balance of corners and straight parts. I have no idea how you go about achieving this. But I've been on trails before and thought this is a bit boring just a straight path, also thought the opposite too, ie this is a bit pointless one turn after the other just for the sake of it. not really adding any value to the trail.

Northwind

cavegiant wrote:

Key thing for me is to make the trails flow.

do not add a feature for a features sake, it must add to the flow of the trail.

Glentress is the best at this and dalby the worst.

Mmm. Don't totally agree with this, GT is a bit too obsessed with flow and speed now in my book, at the expense of technicality and variety. Flow is great, don't get me wrong but Laggan black has precisely no flow at all, Nevis Red practically none, and they're both awesome. (Laggan in particular isn't really a trail in the classic sense, it's a load of massive features linked together)

Anonymous

I think it's just different characters of trails, Northwind. I love the natural rocky trails, which are very stop/start, almost in a trials way, and yet I also love the Llandegla-esque flat-out racetrack blasts.
They all have a place.

jairaj

I think thats it, make sure the trail has a definite character, don't try to make it do everything other wise it could get a bit muddled up. Pick a style and character that you think will suit the land and go with it.

Northwind

yeehaamcgee wrote:

They all have a place.

Yup, this I agree with. Just don't like the approach of flow at all costs.

lock1981

and if your going to build berms make sure they drain well ( shale, rock soak away)

cos theres nothing worse than a big bog of a berm