The Hub Glentress Snubbed by FC

ellieb

the FC want to widen the sites appeal, what's wrong with that, plenty of notice and more people visiting?

Because a lot of them will be wandering along the bike trails... on foot. & who knows how welcoming the new cafe will be to bikers if they are trying to attract families on holiday. Just purely fromn a selfish biking perspective I don't want GT to be encouraging loads of people who don't ride bikes. There are plenty of other places people can go to: There are not very many trail centres which cater for MTBers in the way in which GT does. This decision has not be made with the interests of people who ride bikes in mind.

peter413

ellieb wrote:

the FC want to widen the sites appeal, what's wrong with that, plenty of notice and more people visiting?

Because a lot of them will be wandering along the bike trails... on foot. & who knows how welcoming the new cafe will be to bikers if they are trying to attract families on holiday. Just purely fromn a selfish biking perspective I don't want GT to be encouraging loads of people who don't ride bikes. There are plenty of other places people can go to: There are not very many trail centres which cater for MTBers in the way in which GT does. This decision has not be made with the interests of people who ride bikes in mind.

But Glentress isn't just a MTBing place, walkers are allowed there and they should be. You will find that most of the walkers are on the bike tracks because they have picked up the wrong map not because they want to walk on the bike tracks.

It's selfish pricks like you that gives MTBers a bad name to all the walkers at GT which means they treat the considerate MTBers with less respect

ellieb

Where have I said I don't treat walkers with respect? Please don't immediately drop into insult mode it is just so pointless.
More walkers mean that more are likely to pick up the wrong map & therefore find themselves on the bike paths by mistake. Do you think that is a good thing? I respect their right to be in GT, I just don't want to encourage them: What's wrong with that?

peter413

Erm, that means your being selfish by not wanting other walkers at GT which means you have no respect for them

sniper68

Wasn't there a similar hoo-hah when the cafe moved(and changed owners?) at C-Y-B a few years back?I'm pretty sure the world hasn't ended since then and I'm pretty sure it won't end because of this.Anyone can run a Cafe...there are literally 1000's of them around the globe
I've never been to GT but will still go there whoever runs the greasy-spoon and would call in for a butty and cuppa unless it's one of those poncy health food type gaffs.
Personally I prefer a Pint with my grub anyway 8)

cycle slayer

can u all remenber that the walkers where going to gt well before us mtbing family so can u PLEASE ALL REMEMBER that

Northwind

Never sure why people go to GT for walking mind, it's not actually very nice across most of the hill... Factory forests usually aren't. And the nice bits are quite far apart. But if the demand's there then the FC is right to encourage it.

peter413

cycle slayer wrote:

can u all remenber that the walkers where going to gt well before us mtbing family so can u PLEASE ALL REMEMBER that

Well said mate

mea00csf

ellieb wrote:

Where have I said I don't treat walkers with respect? Please don't immediately drop into insult mode it is just so pointless.
More walkers mean that more are likely to pick up the wrong map & therefore find themselves on the bike paths by mistake. Do you think that is a good thing? I respect their right to be in GT, I just don't want to encourage them: What's wrong with that?

You do sound like the bike version of a country landowner who doesn't want townies there, because it ruins the peace of the countryside which they want to keep to themselves.

I don't really see the problem, they've had exclusive rights to a business oppurtunity, and now their lease has run out. They surely knew this was coming up, and they've got over a years notice.

ellieb

w

hich means you have no respect for them

No. It means I don't want to meet them wandering up the Spooky Wood Trail with their kids/dogs in tow while I'm going down it.

I am sorry to disappoint you but I am a walker as riding a bike. If I go for a walk I don't choose GT as a place to do it. I would have every right to be there, I could also set up a picnic table just after the third drop off on the Caddon Bank at Inners. There is nothing stopping me... It's just that it isn't terribly sensible.

If there were really limited opportunities to go walking in the counrtyside then I might see your point, however given the Scottish access laws I don't actually see a problem. Actively encouraging people to go to walk in one of the most popular sites in the country for MTBs just seems to be a little perverse. Buy hey, if you want to walk there go ahead. But why would you want to unless there was some form of incentive.. like a new visitor's centre that they have to fill? sorry, It isn't in the cyclist's interests for this to happen & neither is it the walkers. It just increases the risk of unintentional coming together.

peter413

You seem to be completely oblivious to the fact that there are proper walkers paths at GT for walkers, just that many of them pick up the bikers map by accident but I'm sure that the FC are working on sorting this.

Saying that walking at GT is in no ones best interest is complete and that it isn't sensible is complete bullshit, its perfectly sensible and in everyones benefits that there are walkers and MTBers who aren't pricks and each discipline can see that the majority or the other discipline are actually quite nice and the health benefits are are also a big plus, think about it, if you take your son/daughter to GT to go biking and fancy a walk you aren't exactly gonna go somewhere else are you. And what if you work near GT and fancy a quick walk to walk you dog or just fancy a nice stroll in the countryside.

cycle slayer

thats very true bro

peter413

cycle slayer wrote:

thats very true bro

A thank you

ellieb

just that many of them pick up the bikers map by accident

I rather think you are making my point for me.

I know there are separate trails for walkers. But as you have pointed out, some of them stray by accident. I'm not saying you should not go walking in GT. I am saying that when I go there to ride a bike I'd rather the FC didn't try to increase the number of people around who may be unaware of the MTB trails. This is from a safety point of view. When I'm riding a bike I don't really care how many people are in the forest, just so long as they don't pop up in places which might endanger them & potentially injure me. You said it yourself. More casual visitors= more people liable not to know where they are. I really can't see where your ranting is coming from.

I also notice that you are preaching respect for others, but which one of us has descended into childish insults? Practice what you preach.

peter413

But as I also said, the FC are working on making the signage and maps better

cycle slayer

and thats why they have duty rangers there all the time my friend

peter413

cycle slayer wrote:

and thats why they have duty rangers there all the time my friend

Exactly, they're all big softies despite what they way look like and always happy to help someone who is polite

rubins4

spongtastic wrote:

rubins4 wrote:

As far as I'm aware, all public contracts have to to take the 'cheapest' bidder?

Oh how wrong you are. Only th stoopid 'I'm still pubic sector' people still do that.

I believe its still fairly common practice in the construction sector, but I would like to think that it is a practice which is being moved away from. I dont think the budget cuts will help, mind. What area to you work in, btw?

spongtastic

rubins4 wrote:

What area to you work in, btw?

Half public, half private, so I see the best (and worst) of both. I think my current responsibility is around £3mil.

CycloRos

peter413 wrote:

cycle slayer wrote:

thats very true bro

A thank you

oh get a room ffs!

ya'll seem to be forgetting the bike shop and hire in all this and concentrating purely on the cafe! GT is a better place for having the Hub (Bike shop/hire & cafe), I've visited many a trail centre in my time and the GT experience is one of the better ones so does the prospect of a shiny £9m building appeal? no not really, but maybe that's just me.

and lets not blow this out of proportion an new visitors centre will service the 300,000 odd folks who visit annually and it will be a more attractive prospect to average job public, but I don't think it will benefit us mountain bikers much and it's a real shame the FC couldn't find room to accommodate an already thriving business such as the Hub Bike shop/hire/cafe. I will be interested to hear who the new contract goes to...

and before the trigger happy insult-wielders jump on me, no I don't hate the FC, walkers, large corporations or the like.

peter413

CycloRos wrote:

it's a real shame the FC couldn't find room to accommodate an already thriving business such as the Hub Bike shop/hire/cafe

Who says it isn't, for all you know the new bike shop/cafe could be even better than The Hub. And if it isn't, well it isn't exactly far to Innerleithen where there is a great shop there and also great trails that tend to be quieter than Glentress because they are for the more experienced so not so much queuing as someone said they were previously worried about (which there is no reason to be worried about, everyone starts somewhere and the trails are for everyone to use, not just those that have got past that stage of being really slow)

CycloRos

I'm sure the FC will find room for some of the staff but I doubt the new one will be better, when I say this I'm thinking of similar souless bike shops at trail centres - kielder, dalby, lladegla and cannock to name but a few.

heavy trail use is a real problem though (I know this riding as I do at cannock regularly), but being a trail centre you come to expect it to a certain degree, and if it really bothers you you just learn to avoid it.

peter413

So your saying the FC can't make good decisions? Granted it is not guaranteed to be a great decision but neither is it guaranteed to be a bad one and the FC have made many many great decisions but the general public don't always get to know about this, but why should they need to.

Northwind

The bike shop and cafe leases/contracts are seperate, not heard anything about that yet. Hub bike shop is decent (and not sure what's happening to the building either, the cafe's pretty shonky but the bike shop building is nice)

Thewaylander

ibbo68 wrote:

Wasn't there a similar hoo-hah when the cafe moved(and changed owners?) at C-Y-B a few years back?I'm pretty sure the world hasn't ended since then and I'm pretty sure it won't end because of this.Anyone can run a Cafe...there are literally 1000's of them around the globe
I've never been to GT but will still go there whoever runs the greasy-spoon and would call in for a butty and cuppa unless it's one of those poncy health food type gaffs.
Personally I prefer a Pint with my grub anyway 8)

Ok lets look at where similar things have happened before, So looking at the quote above, C-Y-b yup it has been a disaster, from a busy center with lots of people eating, now to everytime i'm there it's very quiet in the cafe and the food is really cheap FC type cafe trash. Horrible cheap and nasty. people seem to eat in the car park now

Cwm Carn new center put in start of last year was it, which is hardly used by anyone as it's walking orientated more than cycling, walkers do not seem to use facilities in the same way, (there used to being in the middle of no where to survive, on sandwhiches i swear lol) and minimal bike facilities bar a wash. totally awful trail center but have heard there sorting the car park out a bit this coming year would like to see trail evelopment first though .

So atmosphere counts for alot, we can't comment on the new people who will have the tennancy as they could be keen on the biking themselves. But if we take a recent veiw on what the FC has done at cycle areas including heavy trail sanitisation in this area I'm not hugely optimistic for the outcome being a boon to the biking in the area,

cee

CycloRos wrote:

I'm sure the FC will find room for some of the staff but I doubt the new one will be better, when I say this I'm thinking of similar souless bike shops at trail centres - kielder, dalby, lladegla and cannock to name but a few.

heavy trail use is a real problem though (I know this riding as I do at cannock regularly), but being a trail centre you come to expect it to a certain degree, and if it really bothers you you just learn to avoid it.

thing is though....if you go to gt...you don't use the bikeshop because it has a soul. You don't even use it because it the cheapest, best service, biggest range of stuff, free cake, bestest shop in the world.

you go to either hire a bike, or because you have either forgotten to bring something, didn't have time to get something from somewhere else before going,lost something, or broken something.

sure the shop is ok. not exactly like a carlsberg ad though is it. same is true of the cafe.

also...all the comments about walkers having the entire country to access for walking can also be applied to mountain bikers. with the whole country to ride...why queue up at the top of spooky wood at all?

also...it is right that the new owners be more suited to catering for a wider audience...given that any new proposal for any sporting venue in the world....is more successful when it caters to a wider audience...while some people might be great at catering for us...are they any good at catering for the type of people who sightsee glencoe from the road, then go to a cafe for lunch with a coach load of folk? and in fact...that is what i see these new visitors doing...not actually spending any time at glentress, but rather using it as a quick stop for coach tour lunches and an hour at the visitors centre.

that said....emma and tracey are good sorts and always happy and friendly to chat when they can...be sorry to see them go....

but...people rode trails at glentress before they got there....people will continue to ride trails when they are gone. ce last vie.

peter413

Thewaylander wrote:

But if we take a recent veiw on what the FC has done at cycle areas including heavy trail sanitisation in this area I'm not hugely optimistic for the outcome being a boon to the biking in the area,

Thats Wales not Scotland though

bails87

peter413 wrote:

Thewaylander wrote:

But if we take a recent veiw on what the FC has done at cycle areas including heavy trail sanitisation in this area I'm not hugely optimistic for the outcome being a boon to the biking in the area,

Thats Wales not Scotland though

peter413

bails87 wrote:

peter413 wrote:

Thewaylander wrote:

But if we take a recent veiw on what the FC has done at cycle areas including heavy trail sanitisation in this area I'm not hugely optimistic for the outcome being a boon to the biking in the area,

Thats Wales not Scotland though

I'm going to guess thats a no shoot sherlock thing...

Welsh, English and Scottish FC are all separate so they make separate decisions which means you can't compare the decisions made in Wales with the ones made in England or Scotland

Thewaylander

Did any of you read most of what i put though,

It a basic comparison of trail areas, and governing bodies, I think as they do the same thing and follow many similar guidelines you can use rough comparisons.

IE my veiw on the latest built trail center at Cwm being aimed mostly at walkers, well isn't that a concern to what use this center in scotland may see?

Or the contracts for catering supppliers going through the leasing systems? I'd imagine that process is very similar.

As to what they do witht he trails and sanitisation that is fair enough, But once a president is set for it int he country,it's fair bet that the trend will spread some.