Trail centres 2020?

hammy7272

As a beginner that has mainly experienced man made trail centres only. I am curious to your thoughts on the future of trails centres in the U.K.

As the sport becomes more popular and technology improves, do we see more trail centres around the country, longer routes, more features, better features?

If so what does the trail centre of 2020 look like?

Anonymous

Many more trails for beginners - not just forest paths and wide tarmac routes but properly fun undaunting stuff, which can be ridden faster for increased laughs for those riders who are more advanced.

hammy7272

Yeah, I agree. I wish the goverment would pump more money into the sport. (I understand it is low on the agenda due to economcs) It is certainly a sport that doesn't depend on our weather and everyone gets fit!

LjStronge

Some I believe, some I wish

More forests will create trails and tracks and make them available to the public.

By 2020 Wales will be the best place for mountain biking in Europe.

Swinley will put signs up to name the trails

There will be uplifts at Afan (for the wimps)

All trail centers will ban anyone not wearing a helmet and will ACTIVELY enforce it.

All trail centres will ban familys with small children riding on hardcore red route singletrack

Thewaylander

I actually think come 5 years all tough trail centers will disapear they will become a learner place as UK health & safety will kick as people start sueing for accidents and so on.

People can not accept responsability for there own actions and when it's seriously starts costing councils money I think everything will be calmed down

dodgy

I have a feeling that as trail centres become more and more popular, we might see more restrictions on where we can ride 'off piste' so to speak.

For me, trail centres are a reliable, all weather option for winter only. I'd rather be off the beaten track with a map (or electroniic equivelent).

But either way, we have the choice right now, I'm concerned one day we won't.

Alex

I hope that helmet use is NEVER mandated. I hope that more families take their children mountainbiking, red routes included. If the kids are close to capable, they've as much right to be there as anyone else.

I hope that by 2020, we'll have moved past the trailcentre ghettoisation and that we'll have a huge network of open access trails spread widely in a way that allows folk to choose their own route again and get back to proper riding, rather than set-route rollercoasters.

CycloRos

I'd rather see a review of the land access laws in England rather than an expansion of the trail centre network.

Scotland has it bang on with its right to roam, with emphasis on personal responsibility. The trail centres just compliment it.

EarlofBarnet

Alex wrote:

I hope that by 2020, we'll have moved past the trailcentre ghettoisation and that we'll have a huge network of open access trails spread widely in a way that allows folk to choose their own route again and get back to proper riding, rather than set-route rollercoasters.

I'm with you on that.

projectsome

I want to see exciting new features by then, such as tunnels, more bridges, and huge gaps so we can see DH riders jumping over our head as I'm we're speeding down some single track.

LjStronge

Alex wrote:

I hope that helmet use is NEVER mandated. I hope that more families take their children mountainbiking, red routes included. If the kids are close to capable, they've as much right to be there as anyone else.

I hope that by 2020, we'll have moved past the trailcentre ghettoisation and that we'll have a huge network of open access trails spread widely in a way that allows folk to choose their own route again and get back to proper riding, rather than set-route rollercoasters.

The question was with regards to trail centres, hence my answer. I agree that people should be able to ride where they want and when they want and on whatever bike they want, but the question was with regards to trail centres.

Taking that on board, I stand by the fact that I don't want families with small kids and people with no helmets taking on the final descent of Skyline at Afan.

Just my opinion.

Had you asked me about in the countryside or of the beaten track that who am I to comment. I would love more people to enjoy riding and do it as a family.

Northwind

Thewaylander wrote:

I actually think come 5 years all tough trail centers will disapear they will become a learner place as UK health & safety will kick as people start sueing for accidents and so on.

I think you'd probably have said the same thing 5 years ago. The most difficult trail centre XC route in the UK only got finished this year, and Dalby's no health and safety exec's wet dream either. Lots of places adding extra death to their routes... Everyone says Glentress is getting "sanitised" but they just opened one of the silliest new features I've seen lately and it's a black-with-pirates option on a blue climb And we're building a new black option with plans afoot for renewed northshore building in future.

Blues and reds will keep getting the most attention though, that makes sense really since they attract the most riders, but that's a far cry from going cotton-wooled. Glentress blue proves that, it hurts more riders than the black apparently

Agree with what people are saying about land access though I think the idea that trail centres cause ghettoisation is pretty much nonsense. But the english laws aren't just restrictive, they're daft and overcomplex to boot, and counterproductive.

Mickey Eye

Hover-bicycles.

Steve_F

While I'd love to see the trail centres of 2020 continuing to improve as they have over the last 10 years I sadly doubt it will be the case.

I think the above poster is correct about the H&S rules killing off trail centres as we know them.

Look how every devlopment at Glentress makes the Red route more rideable to people of all levels and takes away the chances of accidents (plus the wall ride there that was open for a few months and closed every since). DISCLAIMER - I still love GT Red and there is still a good chance to crash on it but technical sections do seem to get easier rather than relying on chicken runs.

My guess is there will be a big high profile accident (probably involving a kid) where someone sues for lack of warnings/trail too difficult (probably the parents who dropped their little darlings off to get rid of them for a day) which means every dedicated trail centre needs forms signed, and probably payment made, before riding.

And I'm meant to be cheery on Fridays!

bails87

Northwind
Are they complex? You can't ride on footpaths seems to be the main point. And the one that causes problems.

I hope we get a similar situation to Scotland, that would be the biggest change I'd hope for.

Trail centres can stay as they are, but in greater numbers, I'd be happy with that.

Thewaylander
I don't think anything's getting particularly sanitised. Don't forget that bikes are getting better and more capable each year too. But (as an example) The Monkey is massively more difficult and technical, which much more potential for injury than FTD at Cannock. That's the only trail centre I regularly ride, so I can't really compare with others. But I think the Health and Safety stuff is blown out of all proportion by idiots.

lawman

i agree with bails, all the centres ive been to this last year have had new trails that are definitly more challenging than what was there previously, cannock being the main one tbf, the monkey is a great trail, right up there with afan and penmachno for challenge level.

if anything id want to get more technical, steeper, faster, and more tech climbs instead of all the fire road crap, and in this respect cannock again leads the way, great climbs, great descents, just a proper good trail

Thewaylander

bails87 wrote:

Northwind
Are they complex? You can't ride on footpaths seems to be the main point. And the one that causes problems.

I hope we get a similar situation to Scotland, that would be the biggest change I'd hope for.

Trail centres can stay as they are, but in greater numbers, I'd be happy with that.

Thewaylander
I don't think anything's getting particularly sanitised. Don't forget that bikes are getting better and more capable each year too. But (as an example) The Monkey is massively more difficult and technical, which much more potential for injury than FTD at Cannock. That's the only trail centre I regularly ride, so I can't really compare with others. But I think the Health and Safety stuff is blown out of all proportion by idiots.

.

You say this,

I have seen cwm lose its wall ride its lader drops and all technical sections smoothed, I have also seen very similar things happening at afan, and at one point they moved all the Coed trails to black... Thats serious sanitization to me.

But i take on board there are tougher things being installed. I can't comment on the monkey and so on, but last year i rode canocks FTD and it was totally flat and smooth with 0 challenge so it had to get tougher as it couldn't have got easier

I sit and wait to see how it's handled country wide, but i think we will see huge variation with council regions.

hammy7272

Interesting.

Excuse my ignorance, but is there such thing (or the potential) for natural marked trails? Or would this cause too much of a problem with legislation etc?

Thewaylander

I think the problem with marked natural trails is that alot of good natural trails can become unpassable in winter, and people would be upset when following a route that can not be easily passed.

Trail centers provide hugely well drained trails which is totally different. I could imagine marking natural trail would lead more to random complaints.

cee

Northwind wrote:

I think you'd probably have said the same thing 5 years ago. The most difficult trail centre XC route in the UK only got finished this year

Which is that?

Northwind wrote:

.. Everyone says Glentress is getting "sanitised" but they just opened one of the silliest new features I've seen lately and it's a black-with-pirates option on a blue climb And we're building a new black option with plans afoot for renewed northshore building in future.

Is that the skinny? that climbs up quite steeply? turns a little, then descends? The grip on that thing is outstanding though.....

Northwind wrote:

Blues and reds will keep getting the most attention though, that makes sense really since they attract the most riders, but that's a far cry from going cotton-wooled. Glentress blue proves that, it hurts more riders than the black apparently

Simple numbers game?. More people ride the blue than the black. especially the bottom section where a lot of folks who rode the red/black to that point, then switch to the blue because it has so much flow....

supersonic

Wharncliffe in parts is like this - not a trail centre, but some slightly sculpted natural trails with markers ie arrows painted on trees.

I think we will see more trail centres, but I hope it doesn't become at the expense of good natural riding. More land opened up in England and Wales is the way forward.

Northwind

cee wrote:

Northwind wrote:

I think you'd probably have said the same thing 5 years ago. The most difficult trail centre XC route in the UK only got finished this year

Which is that?.

Doh! I meant to write "hardest red", that being Nevis Red IMO. I can't say for sure if it's the hardest outright, it's certainly harder than any black I've ridden bar possibly Laggan, which has crack attack among others but nevis red's consistently hard, just never quite as hard as the hardest bits of laggan.