Worst 5 trails in the UK

milhouse329

Ryan Jones wrote:

I'm usually one to stick the foot in to something poor, but the people who build these trails regardless how good or bad they are, have still gone out of their way to design, build, maintain and update them out of their free time. To create a thread which encourages the slating of trails is negative, discussion in a trail specific thread makes for good reading from a rider and a builders perspective, but just naming your most hated trails in a "worst 5 trails" thread isn't very productive at all.

Ryan Jones you are absolutley right mate they do a lot of work and some, only some people are slating their work. Yeah this forum should discuss maybe what features could be improved and what are good sections etc but mindless slagging is very negative. Well said mate!!

ddraver

weescott wrote:

Llandegla is OK. It gets a bit samey in places and the red is more like a blue. I haven't ridden the black yet but I'm told it doesn't justify a black rating.

I think it depends on wheter or not you re using Welsh/English grades or Scottish grades...A useful thing for British Cycling to do would be to try and standardise british trail grades but then that would nt go down well with English/Welsh tourist boards!

I can see why people don't like the Marin, especially if they ve driven a long way for it. But as a local trail (for me) it's a great wet weather option as it drains exceptionally well. If you know it well enough to rag it on some of the bits it gets more fun too.....

CFS

Queen Elizabeth Park (Hants) 'Expert' Trail. Won't be rushing back.

Northwind

Well, there's mindless slagging and then there's people wasting a ride because nobody ever criticised a bad trail because that was mean to the designers. Not sure how far we can do constructive criticism here since most of the actual designers probably aren't reading, but frinstance at Ae the mistakes are pretty obvious and they've been learned from, and some of them are being put right now. Don't get me wrong, you have to respect trailbuilders but they're (mostly) professionals and when they screw up it's not unfair to criticise them.

(All I do is hit things with mattocks and move hardcore around so I can never get the blame for bad design )

P-Jay

The only time I've ever been disappointed to the point I regretted even getting out of the Van was Aston Court, flat virtually featureless loop and was shin deep in gloop on the day.

I was at Llandegla yesterday actually. Really enjoyed it did the red/black. It's not massively techy but you can put some speed on. The big wood thing is a laugh, it's arrow straight and very wide, but really high up so gets the old starfish going.

I didn't ride the parallel universe (still injured) but my mates did and said it was a right laugh.

The only gripe... the last red section, which used to have a nice big rocky drop thing just before the car park has gone to form the freeride section, which isn't finished (Although MBUK reads like it is) so you end up doing an awful lot of climbing out of the black to come down a easy blue graded descent.

The freeride is going to be amazing when it's finished though! And we were told there's a new red trail coming.

cee

worst trail i ever rode was what looked like a nice dotted line on a map....looked a potentially good descent....

it followed a river, and it was great.....until it just turned into a bog and we ended up carrying our bikes for about 4 miles down a hill...

soul destroying.

I blame the trail builders...oh wait.....

miss notax

beanieripper wrote:

Tarw at coed y brenin, no flow at all and just felt like lots of bits bodged together in a half arsed fashion...

Agreed! I usually love any trail and can find the positives in anything, but I really didn't enjoy this one... :oops: It seemed to be the wrong way around, with lots of fire-road descents after you had slogged up the ascent. After that much work I want to be rewarded with a great downhill section! It just didn't balance out for me.

Thewaylander

hmmm.

Can only think of 1 locally that I'mnot a huge fan of.

Whites level, it has 0 flow and if your just doing a sub 20km sectiont he Wall kicks it ass for pure speed and buzz. The only good bit of down in it is Windy Point the rest is just overly stretched and pedally.

bluechair84

Just rode sherwood pines this weeken and I'll +1 to that being a bit lame.
It's rated red but I'm going to take my girl there to learn to ride it's that blue.
However, there are some DH lines that are smooth and worth sessioning.
Also, theres an enduro event at the end of the month there I think i'll eneter just cos there's nothing else on in Lincoln

projectsome

I don't think I've found a bad trail. There are 2 trails I dislike riding clockwise but anti-clockwise it's great.

paul.skibum

CFS wrote:

Queen Elizabeth Park (Hants) 'Expert' Trail. Won't be rushing back.

I rode this earier in the summer and it sure isnt a hard trail but it is quite fun if you want a local man made track to ride and live on the south coast - I loved the last descent just because it was a reasonable length and fast and pedally - it didnt compare with a Welsh centre in any way but it made me laugh.

Worst trail? Marin was the single least enjoyable trail centre ride I have done.

Anonymous

popstar wrote:

1) Y Wall at Afan

You must be riding a different route to the one i did!

Thewaylander

M.Cole wrote:

popstar wrote:

1) Y Wall at Afan

You must be riding a different route to the one i did!

Yey stick up the best 18K at Afan

joshtp

Llys-y-Frân

the most stupidly boring trail in the history of trails

its just 6KM of fireroad, advertised as "chalanging, for experianced riders" and you have to pay £1 to ride!

the worst bit is that its not even very family friendly due to ocasional, pointelss but dangerouse steep sections with loose rocks. Not fun, but not easy either.

truly crap

apart from that, i usually like riding my bike, a good trail is just a bonus

busta gonad

Kielder has some piss poor trails, hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of grants squandered on some real crap, the only trail with any imagination put in was the original Deadwater trail.

Northwind

Deadwater's ace though. Dougie's Day Off made me laugh all the way down, it's just a heap of random rocks Not done Lonesome Pine. The description of one of the blues makes me laugh... "Lakeside Way- blue grade It is recommended that people in wheelchairs are accompanied. Visitors using a mobility scooter should ensure batteries are fully charged before setting off." SUPER GNAR!

They need to do a spot of resurfacing, replace the jumps and rollers that have disappeared, it's nice they have that sandy surface for a bit of variety but you can't build jumps out of it

busta gonad

Yeah the Lonesome pine has to be one of the worst trails i have ever ridden, get those batteries on the mobility scooter charged up and hang on for the ride of a lifetime!

Anonymous

I've got to say, Kielder wasn't my favourite trail ever.

Alex

Five worst trails in the UK:

Cannock Chase (all of it, official, unofficial, the lot)
Afan Argoed (all of it, especially Whites and July)
Coedy-Brenin (all of the blacks and reds. Just dreadful)
Kirroughtree (Black and red)
Dalbeattie

They're all the worst trails in the UK and best avoided by everyone. Please.

Of those, Cannock is the worst though. I'd be quite happy if no-one ever went there again.

.blitz

Alex wrote:

Of those, Cannock is the worst though. I'd be quite happy if no-one ever went there again.

Think most people have cottoned on to this one by now Alex. But I agree it is crap

Thewaylander

lol Andy last year I'd ahve agree'd with you on Cannock.

But haven't ridden the new stuff yet but last year you were 100% correct no questions.

thesim1990

I haven't gotten round to having 5 worst trail centres but Whinlatter would be on the top of my list.

Rode it yesterday where it's simply too boggy and slippy, roots left right and centre etc etc. Surprised I only came off once - at 2mph...

Alex

Roots are good!

Don't knock the roots!

Alex

Roots are good!

Don't knock the roots!

largephil

I love Winlatter 8)

I'd probably have it in my top 5!

bails87

.blitz wrote:

Alex wrote:

Of those, Cannock is the worst though. I'd be quite happy if no-one ever went there again.

Think most people have cottoned on to this one by now Alex. But I agree it is crap

Thewaylander wrote:

lol Andy last year I'd ahve agree'd with you on Cannock.

But haven't ridden the new stuff yet but last year you were 100% correct no questions.

Woooosh!

.blitz

I love this forum

Thewaylander

I can't help it gotta have a dig at cannock i was so pissed off last year after loads of people to go and it was really boring like really really really boring.

So i feel i must be snide any time someone metions the place.. its like built in hehe

.blitz

Torres

largephil wrote:

I love Winlatter 8)

I'd probably have it in my top 5!

The man speaks sense; i love Whinlatter. Never really found many problems with mud; it does however get a bit loose in the wet...