 The volume of new guide books sent to the Adventure Travel office has been the defining factor in our posties decision to retire early with back problems. With so many floating around the office we've even penned a natty little song titled, 'the new travel guidebook over-exposure blues'. If you're detecting a little mind-numbing in the area of the brain reserved for 'new guide books' then you'd not be far off the mark.
But then, once in a while, we come across a new guide that lights the fuse, gets us all worked up and frothing at the mouth in anticipation of following in the authors footsteps, or on this occasion, his muddy wheel tracks. Mountain Biking Trail Centres by Tom Fenton is the guide we've all been waiting for in the Adventure Travel office.
This 216 page labour of singletrack love details the 67 mountain biking centres across England, Scotland and Wales and provides information on all the trails you'll find at the centres. This guide is essential for upping the quality of life of anyone with a mountain biking gene – just buy it.
And with so much lavish praise thrown at Tom what better to do than ask the man, who now has the distinction of being the only know person to have ridden every waymarked mountain bike trail on mainland UK, than to tell us his top five locations. Take it away Tom.......
Off out mountain biking? You’ve got a couple of options. You could grab a map and head into the unknown. If you’re lucky, you’ll find some fantastic trails and have a great time. If you’re not lucky, you’ll stop to check the map every five minutes and end up wading through bogs all day long. And no matter how awe-inspiring the scenery, you’ll never fully appreciate it if what you really wanted was a singletrack blast.
The other option is to go to a trail centre.
Trail centres are the closest things you can get to a guaranteed good ride. They’re man-made by people who want you to enjoy yourself. They don’t get swamped by mud in the depths of winter; they’re waymarked, so the emphasis is on riding, not navigating, and they’re graded, ski-run style, so you can hit the trail knowing it’s pitched at your level. In a nutshell, they minimise your worry and maximise your fun.
But how do you know if a particular trail is for you? Do you fancy a fast and twisty spin, or are you in the mood for dodging rocks and roots? Want an easy day on forest roads, or a straightforward, but ‘proper’ ride for the kids? You enjoy ‘red routes’ in Kent, but how will you cope on a ‘red’ in the Scottish Highlands?
Mountain Biking Trail Centres answers these questions. It describes each trail from the rider’s perspective, so you know exactly what you’re getting and how much you’re likely to enjoy it. It grades each route for technicality and effort, so you get a real idea of what’s involved. There are ‘Top Tens’ recommending trails to try for beginners, seasoned riders and for those looking for a challenge.
Listing over 60 centres, from the well-known to the newly-developed, there’s going to be at least one you’ve not ridden. And this guide will take you there, show you the facilities and tell you where the nearest bike shop is, just in case...
1.Cwmcarn’s Twrch Trail – An hour or so of the finest singletrack in the UK. Fiddly rocky sections, a tough climb and perfect corner after perfect corner. It doesn’t get much better than this.
2.Swinley Forest – Less ‘built’ than other trails and not waymarked in the slightest, just head out of Swinley’s car park and try to find a method for deciding which one of the many, many singletrack runs, weaving temptingly through the trees, you want to ride first.
3.Kirroughtree’s Twister –The Twister mixes narrow singletrack, tight corners and delicate rocky sections into a never-ending cocktail that makes you want to ride faster and faster and faster (and faster).
4.Afan Argoed’s Penyhdd Trail – The first route opened at Afan, the Penyhdd contains some of the most memorable sections of trail in the country. Best of all, it’s not too tricky, meaning it’s great for both inexperienced and quicker riders.
5.Stainburn’s black – In a word, infuriating! I can ride every inch of the route, but can I put together a clean run? Not even close.
Mountain Biking Trail Centres is available from book shops, bike shops and direct from www.v-outdoor.co.uk
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