Your local trails

[ian westmacott]

You guys should get up the malvern hills, any trails above 300feet are perfect .I did 14.6 miles yesterday, it was bloody glorious. :-)

 

[lukesdad]

Yep - Cannock much better than I thought - still some partly frozen puddles about but surprisingly dry and in good nick - enjoyed it. The Dog tomorrow morning methinks before all the weekenders get to it

PS - brilliant piccie!

last few weeks i spent up in brum and stafford did quite a bit of riding at cannock, it was surprisingly dry. it reminded me a lot of the hampshire commons and downs.

 

[Motozulu]

It's well drained and well maintained by volunteers (bless 'em!). Last weekend was the muddiest I've known it and it was still passable. The freeze has dried up the last of it now as well.

 

[Rallybiker]

Did the Beast at Coed y Brenin last weekend in the best winter conditions ever. Really grippy and the whole of the Adams family in one hit was a superb blast!

 

[Motozulu]

Cannock was horrible yesterday - so much so I've given it a rest through guilt today - part of the Dog was closed with signs saying 'Do not ride this trail as you will seriously damage it's health'. So I stuck to the diversion but still felt guilty. Had a dry day today so will try again tomorrow.

 

[Globalti]

This year's weather has discouraged more people than ever from mountain biking; sales of mountain bikes are flatlining while sales of road bikes are increasing. Even on die-hard MTB websites like Singletrack, people are discussing road bikes. I certainly haven't been on the mountain bike for many many months.

 

[al-fresco]

This year's weather has discouraged more people than ever from mountain biking; sales of mountain bikes are flatlining while sales of road bikes are increasing. Even on die-hard MTB websites like Singletrack, people are discussing road bikes. I certainly haven't been on the mountain bike for many many months.

Hmmm, it's having the opposite effect on me - since the end of September the road bikes have mainly been stuck in the garage while the MTB has been getting lots of rides. That's probably down to where I live - the roads around here are so full of mud that the road bikes get just as crappy as the MTB. And since none of them have mudguards I get just as covered in mud on a road ride as I do off-road. What has changed is that I've tended to stick to routes that I know rather than looking for new ones - this weather is definitely discouraging me from exploration. On the other hand I can't remember the last time I was still riding in my baggies in December.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Around here It would utterly irresponsible to go riding on the local trails with the current conditions under tread.

 

[Alan57]

Hmmm, it's having the opposite effect on me - since the end of September the road bikes have mainly been stuck in the garage while the MTB has been getting lots of rides. That's probably down to where I live - the roads around here are so full of mud that the road bikes get just as crappy as the MTB. And since none of them have mudguards I get just as covered in mud on a road ride as I do off-road. What has changed is that I've tended to stick to routes that I know rather than looking for new ones - this weather is definitely discouraging me from exploration. On the other hand I can't remember the last time I was still riding in my baggies in December.

+1 on that , my road bike is hibernating at present and the MTB is used every day rain or shine. Same reasons ,the roads where I live are full of crud and crap which washes down into the valley from the moors.

 

[Motozulu]

Don't have a road bike and never will - don't take offence but I find road biking just boring, would rather do an hour on a treadmill - not to mention dangerous with some of the idiot drivers out there.
I cycle only to off road - can't imagine I'll ever change either. Just my opinion loike.

If the red runs are too bad I'll make do with the blue 15 miler - not very exciting but a couple of laps will keep my hard won fitness going during the slopfest.

 

[lulubel]

Don't have a road bike and never will - don't take offence but I find road biking just boring, would rather do an hour on a treadmill - not to mention dangerous with some of the idiot drivers out there.
I cycle only to off road - can't imagine I'll ever change either. Just my opinion loike.

On a road bike, you can go very fast. Or you can cruise along effortlessly and just look at the view. A road bike can take you places that a MTB can't (unless you put it in the car) because it covers the distance so quickly. Road bikes feel light, even if your road bike is only a kilo lighter than your MTB. They make climbs feel shorter. And the thrill of swooping down a long hill and feeling the cornering forces as you take the bend at the bottom just right is hard to beat (for me).

But there's a lot that MTBs can do that road bikes can't, which is why I love both. Variety works best for me.

(I do ride the MTB on the road when the weather's vile, though. There's no point in getting both bikes filthy.)

 

[Motozulu]

I'm a coward is the plain truth. I'd rather take my chances on a wet rocky downhill than ride on our roads - the standard of driver awareness for bikers is truly shocking. I appreciate the speed thing on the roads but it aint for me.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'm a coward is the plain truth. I'd rather take my chances on a wet rocky downhill than ride on our roads - the standard of driver awareness for bikers is truly shocking. I appreciate the speed thing on the roads but it aint for me.

still hurt myself more and more often off-road than I do on tarmac, and I commute 3-4 days a week on a bike.

 

[Drago]

A lot of my local cycle-rights-of-way are a soggy ubrideable quagmire, thanks to horse riders who thing its ok to grind the surface to a pulp and deny the other legal users use of the route. If I churned it up like that in a 4x4 they'd be screaming blue murder, yet you can do as much criminal damages as you like of you're on a horse and no one cares.

 

[Cubist]

Not riding much round here either. The whole place is just so sodden it's taken most of the pleasure out of riding. I may even have to ride the road bike for a bit of exercise.