The rush to jump on the mountain bike trail bandwagon doesn’t seem to be
slowing down, as more and more areas want to “do a Coed-Y-Brenin”.

With bikers seen as the new rural growth industry, revitalising tourism in
areas where traditional industries are dying, the scramble to tempt us into
the woods is increasing every week.
Scotland have now announced seven new sites along their borders at Tweed
Valley, Newcastleton, Ae, Mabie, Dalbeattie, Kirroughtree and Glentrool.

Money committed by the Forestry Commission and local councils and schemes
has been matched by European funding to give a grand total of £2 million to
spend on trails. Initial plans see this creating over 20 new purpose built
trails adding 300km to the riding in the forests. Each centre will also be
themed and marked by ‘stanes’ (that’s Scottish for stones) to create the
“Seven stanes” trails network.

Meanwhile Carmarthenshire is also planning to coax us into Wales with new
trails at Brechfa Forest. Plans are afoot to create a new visitor
centre and a whole network of trails within the forest, starting next year.
What with trailbuilding groups of various levels of legality working in
nearly every clump of trees, next year could see an explosion of places to
ride. It looks as though the tide is finally turning in favour of us being seen as an
economic advantage rather than a nuisance in more enlightened areas.

All we need now is Graham Foote being given a Royal warrant to do what he
wants with Hampstead Heath.
And if anyone wants a fight on the forum, lets try and start it off with
something a bit more original than “I don’t want to ride nice twisty all
weather singletrack in woods where I’m actually welcome, I want to schlep
across sodden fells….”
Nobody’s is saying you can’t do exactly that, anyone who’s ridden the
existing Welsh and Scottish trails will confirm they are more ‘insanitised’
than ‘sanitised’, and more facilities means more riders, which means a
stronger mountain bike industry all round.