Antur Stiniog - anybody been yet?
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Is it even open? I don't think so.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
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Parktools0 -
I think so, loads of good feedback on their FaceBook page. They've been taking uplift bookings for a couple of weeks.cooldad wrote:Is it even open? I don't think so.0 -
There's a thread on it in the routes section. A regular -yeehaa- has been and rates it!0
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I know a few people that have been, apparently it's good. There's a write up on ride.io. Looks more like trail centre than downhill to me though...0
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I'm a bit behind the times as usual.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
I'm going tomorrow. Like mentioned it looks like a downwards pointing trail center and a lot of the positive comments on facebook are from people that were saying 'will I be ok on my apollo hardrock trakatak' a few weeks ago. Having said that, it might be a full gnarfest so I'll report back next week.0
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Nope, definitely DH. There one trail (blue) that's definitely more trail centre than Fort William - but it's kind of like the "Electric Blue" at Glentress. Very fast, and incredibly flowy. Tons of fun.ilovedirt wrote:I know a few people that have been, apparently it's good. There's a write up on ride.io. Looks more like trail centre than downhill to me though...
Then there's the red trail that's a bit steeper, but still fairly smooth, this joins with the blue about halfway down.
Then there's the One black run currently open - Black Powder. This is just fantastic, very rocky, very steep in places, and has several rock garden sections with a choice of lines.
But then, I've already written this before so sod it. Go look for it if you want to see what I wrote before.0 -
Annoyingly, I'm staying about 15miles away for the next 4 days, but won't have a bike..0
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Think I'm going to visit next time I go home to see the parents... need to ride this place!0
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Seriously? How did you end up in that situation?DodgeT wrote:Annoyingly, I'm staying about 15miles away for the next 4 days, but won't have a bike..
Not only are you just down the road from Stiniog, and it's a weekend but you're also less than an hour away from
Coed y Brenin
Penmachno
the Marin trail
Snowdon
Llandegla
And a crapload of natural trails!
If I wasn't laughing at you for such a silly mistake, I would probably be weeping for you.0 -
The Northern Monkey wrote:Think I'm going to visit next time I go home to see the parents... need to ride this place!
When you go, let me know and I'll join you - not far from my house, to your 'rents, to Stiniog
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YeehaaMcgee wrote:
Seriously? How did you end up in that situation?DodgeT wrote:Annoyingly, I'm staying about 15miles away for the next 4 days, but won't have a bike..
Not only are you just down the road from Stiniog, and it's a weekend but you're also less than an hour away from
Coed y Brenin
Penmachno
the Marin trail
Snowdon
Llandegla
And a crapload of natural trails!
If I wasn't laughing at you for such a silly mistake, I would probably be weeping for you.
Seriously, but will be enjoying it. Its my birthday on sun, so we (myself, gf, baby n dog) are having a weekend away at a destination of my choice, that being north wales.
Staying in a cottage at Chwilog, near criccieth, so will be a good base for a few days exploring.
Bike will be coming next time, you can show us some of the good stuff!0 -
Black trail looks a bit steady with long motorway sections and a lack of good size drops or ugly root sections. I will give it a try later in the year but today I'm off to ride a double black graded trail so I might have to wait for bones to heal before a trip to Wales.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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There's no roots, because there's no trees.RockmonkeySC wrote:Black trail looks a bit steady with long motorway sections and a lack of good size drops or ugly root sections. I will give it a try later in the year but today I'm off to ride a double black graded trail so I might have to wait for bones to heal before a trip to Wales.
There's no motorway sections.
It doesn't have any huge forced drops, but there are pretty sizeable jumps and drops if you're going at race pace.
Why not be a good little girl and ride it before forming opinions, eh?0 -
YeehaaMcgee wrote:
There's no roots, because there's no trees.RockmonkeySC wrote:Black trail looks a bit steady with long motorway sections and a lack of good size drops or ugly root sections. I will give it a try later in the year but today I'm off to ride a double black graded trail so I might have to wait for bones to heal before a trip to Wales.
There's no motorway sections.
It doesn't have any huge forced drops, but there are pretty sizeable jumps and drops if you're going at race pace.
Why not be a good little girl and ride it before forming opinions, eh?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prC9Bl7Kkks - that one? Would definitely be tough to find roots there.
For me the gravel path thing ruins it - I know they are armouring and making it all weather but it just looks so un-natural (I know it is) and doesnt allow for the trail to bed in as much as it could. How many days a week is the shuttle open?Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.0 -
I think the shuttle runs 5 or 6 days a week.
You realise it's been open two weeks, right? It's not really bedded din yet, and the grass and moss and other stuff hasn;t started to grow back again yet - they're actually still building the A-line, I believe.
the gravel is basically a top-surface. You can sections where it's wearing in already.0 -
But are the drops, drop offs, drop ins, needle drops, gum drops, bat droppings, or what?YeehaaMcgee wrote:
There's no roots, because there's no trees.RockmonkeySC wrote:Black trail looks a bit steady with long motorway sections and a lack of good size drops or ugly root sections. I will give it a try later in the year but today I'm off to ride a double black graded trail so I might have to wait for bones to heal before a trip to Wales.
There's no motorway sections.
It doesn't have any huge forced drops, but there are pretty sizeable jumps and drops if you're going at race pace.
Why not be a good little girl and ride it before forming opinions, eh?
The distinction is important.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
YeehaaMcgee wrote:I think the shuttle runs 5 or 6 days a week.
You realise it's been open two weeks, right? It's not really bedded din yet, and the grass and moss and other stuff hasn;t started to grow back again yet - they're actually still building the A-line, I believe.
the gravel is basically a top-surface. You can sections where it's wearing in already.
5-6 days a week - wow. Can they get the numbers to justify that? Sounds like a not for profit jobby to me!
As for the wearing in - yeah I know its new - just that that gravel motorway doesnt do it for me - doesnt even appear to be local stone (which considering the area seems a shame) but I have seen it at other recent trail centre additions (there was some piece of sh*t looking extension that people started raving about somewhere in the midlands last summer that looked thoroughly disappointing to me done in the same gravel last summer).
I like most of the welsh trail centres precisely because they are a decent blend of natural looking with carefully placed armouring - that track looks a bit more armoured over natural. Maybe it will bed in, hope so.
But to me it looks like a track built to forget about from the builders point of view, maybe it will get an annual spit and polish but bike park tracks if well used (as they should be) to my mind need more attention to keep them looking and riding good. Our trail crew spend half a day each day knocking off braking bumps and fixing stuff then spend the other half the day building new trail - granted our summer probably equates to a lot more riders per day than a welsh trail centre but if you had a team out every monday for a few hours you dont need so much armour and the result is a more natural feeling trail.
Money is obviously a factor though.Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.0 -
cooldad wrote:
But are the drops, drop offs, drop ins, needle drops, gum drops, bat droppings, or what?YeehaaMcgee wrote:
There's no roots, because there's no trees.RockmonkeySC wrote:Black trail looks a bit steady with long motorway sections and a lack of good size drops or ugly root sections. I will give it a try later in the year but today I'm off to ride a double black graded trail so I might have to wait for bones to heal before a trip to Wales.
There's no motorway sections.
It doesn't have any huge forced drops, but there are pretty sizeable jumps and drops if you're going at race pace.
Why not be a good little girl and ride it before forming opinions, eh?
The distinction is important.
Don't like the sound of those needle drops.0 -
All they've been fully booked for some time, so yeah, I think they can justify that many uplifts.0
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To be fair, most trail centres trails are surfaced in the same way and take some time to bed in, most of them look like that when they're just built. It does look a little sanitised to me on video, but I'll wait to form a proper opinion until I ride there.paul.skibum wrote:YeehaaMcgee wrote:I think the shuttle runs 5 or 6 days a week.
You realise it's been open two weeks, right? It's not really bedded din yet, and the grass and moss and other stuff hasn;t started to grow back again yet - they're actually still building the A-line, I believe.
the gravel is basically a top-surface. You can sections where it's wearing in already.
5-6 days a week - wow. Can they get the numbers to justify that? Sounds like a not for profit jobby to me!
As for the wearing in - yeah I know its new - just that that gravel motorway doesnt do it for me - doesnt even appear to be local stone (which considering the area seems a shame) but I have seen it at other recent trail centre additions (there was some piece of sh*t looking extension that people started raving about somewhere in the midlands last summer that looked thoroughly disappointing to me done in the same gravel last summer).
I like most of the welsh trail centres precisely because they are a decent blend of natural looking with carefully placed armouring - that track looks a bit more armoured over natural. Maybe it will bed in, hope so.
But to me it looks like a track built to forget about from the builders point of view, maybe it will get an annual spit and polish but bike park tracks if well used (as they should be) to my mind need more attention to keep them looking and riding good. Our trail crew spend half a day each day knocking off braking bumps and fixing stuff then spend the other half the day building new trail - granted our summer probably equates to a lot more riders per day than a welsh trail centre but if you had a team out every monday for a few hours you dont need so much armour and the result is a more natural feeling trail.
Money is obviously a factor though.
Though I am a bit miffed that they surfaced over any potentially interesting roots etc in the woods at the bottom :?0 -
YeehaaMcgee wrote:
There's no roots, because there's no trees.RockmonkeySC wrote:Black trail looks a bit steady with long motorway sections and a lack of good size drops or ugly root sections. I will give it a try later in the year but today I'm off to ride a double black graded trail so I might have to wait for bones to heal before a trip to Wales.
There's no motorway sections.
It doesn't have any huge forced drops, but there are pretty sizeable jumps and drops if you're going at race pace.
Why not be a good little girl and ride it before forming opinions, eh?
As I said I'm going to give it a try soon but it doesn't look very technical. Very fast and flowing but nothing requiring any major commitment to ride. Looks like a trail centre for downhill, I hate riding trail centres, its all a bit too safe and predictable
I will give it a try while I'm in the area.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
paul.skibum wrote:doesnt even appear to be local stone (which considering the area seems a shame) but I have seen it at other recent trail centre additions (there was some piece of sh*t looking extension that people started raving about somewhere in the midlands last summer that looked thoroughly disappointing to me done in the same gravel last summer).
Righto, the thing here is that it looks ridiculous, because it's new. But, you'll have ridden trails built in exactly the same manner elsewhere without noticing, because they've bedded/worn/grown/weathered/ridden in (ok, and also because they aren't built right across a desolate hillside). New machine built trails (and even most handcut trails) always look silly. But when you ride a trail that's matured a bit, you tend to forget how it started out, and just see how it is now and not make the connection.
The thing about importing stone, is that it means you get the right material at the best price. From what I remember of Blaenau. it's a slate area, and slate's pretty poor to build with- it doesn't bind well unless crushed and mixed just right. Probably the big feature rocks will be local though. And tbh, with tracks like this you can't mess around, you need a good surface to stand up to the weather exposure and the traffic.Uncompromising extremist0 -
Plus slate makes a mess of your tyres (ripped sidewalls and pinch flats) - slate rock garden? No thanks!!0
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It's probably worth mentioning that it's already got a reputation as a bit of a bike-breaker as well. I snapped my own suspension linkages on the wolf-ridge there (no major drama, Marin replaced them, no questions), plus several blown forks, cracked frames, destroyed wheels and probably about a gazillion punctures.
It may not have any do-or-die dropoffs or road gaps, but tame it is not.0 -
Went there at the weekend, they had around 50 people each day so it's doing well. The trails are not done justice at all by helmet cam its a lot better and tougher than I expected it to be. We'll definately be going back - it's nice to have something different to ride. It's also not that far from Revolution so awesome for a weekend of uplifts0
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How long does the uplift take? And does it go right to the top or is it another Bloody Stupid Innerleithen 3/4lift?Uncompromising extremist0
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Uplift is probs around 7-8 mins. Drops you right at the start of the black run. If you want to do blue / red you have to roll along a fire road for 100m then push up for around 30 seconds.
Inners uplift is crap like that, I've never really ridden the top section because of it!0 -
Excellent, ta!Uncompromising extremist0
