Comments on: Quick Poll: What makes a great trail?

By: olly

olly — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:40:24 +0000

A close to natural as possible..

Okay, hand digging and minimum harding to soft peaty back woods, we just lay geotex 1/2 meter wide and add 70mm of foot path blind but really push for nice natural dirt trails ( best we can hope in North West GB).

Must flow…

More should be made and covered in UK mags and forums,

Contractor built sites are all the same, few differ but not many, council soultions no more.

No council will ever touch the local with a nice club trail, just more clubs need help getting going, not barred..

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:02:25 +0000

Flow…..be it natural or man made, it must flow. Add in a bit of tech stuff and line options and you’ve got a winner in my eyes. Not too fussed about the surface.

Interesting ways to hide climbing are good (surely no one can really enjoy long fire road slogs?).

By: Conrad/sadoldsamurai

Conrad/sadoldsamurai — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:38:36 +0000

Flow..
better through trees (because you get some shelter from the inevitable headwind)
but do like the odd view..
climbs that test/stretch you..
downhills that have multiple choices/chicken runs for the less gravity minded..chickens…
the right company..

By: PaulHaysom

PaulHaysom — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:34:31 +0000

3 words:
Loam. Loam. Loam.

By: rob p

rob p — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:14:53 +0000

Love most types of trail, but top for me has to be fast, swoopy, wooded singletrack. Doesn’t need to have lots of gradient, but lumps, pumps and berms to keep the speed flowing are essential. Built or natural doesn’t matter as long as it flows and keeps you on your toes.

By: john hatton

john hatton — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:32:55 +0000

You dont build great trails you find em.

By: Stampyhq

Stampyhq — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:20:09 +0000

Simple- kirroughtree has it all, technical rooty and rocky sections, challenging climbs, novelty in mcmoab, scenery,, technical sections and common theme from other posts, a nice flow!

By: matthew

matthew — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:50:36 +0000

Variety, something that has everything, brutal exhausting singletrack to climb, but then must have fast and technical downhills to make it all worth the effort, also has to have more downs than ups. Roller coaster type sections with a gradual downhill are always fun, which just get faster and faster towards the bottom. Plus plenty of technical areas just to keep you thinking and on your toes. Scary sections are a must, no risk of danger, whats the point . Fire roads are a track killer, especially when they’re used on downhill areas to join one section of single track to another, better use would be to add some kind of technical Northshore section here, could probably even make it easier to move different sections of it from time to time to keep it fresh. Trails that dont change often enough, and become stale are another killer.

By: Philth

Philth — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:30:59 +0000

Technical singletrack with roots, flints, sweeping sections, tight turns, climbs and fast descents. 100% natural…NOT TRAIL BUILT!

By: AdamPh

AdamPh — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:27:22 +0000

Any ride where you forget everything except for the track in front of you.