Trail building, spare a thought for those that do it.

[EddieJ]

One of my passions is trail building, and is something that I seem to spend more time doing than I do riding.
Having sole access to two separate sites each of 500 acres, I find my self struggling just to maintain a few free and open trail sections, whilst trying to develop other sections as well. Last year, years of hard work in one of the woodlands was spoilt by timber extraction. I returned from holiday looking forward to a good ride, only to find devastation. I can't deny that I actually shed a tear at the time, and stayed away from the woodland for several months. The trails had been the best that they had been, and the very selective few that I had taken on guided rides, were always blown away by the work that I had achieved.
I saw this as a massive compliment, as the people giving the credit, are in my opinion way up there with the best when it comes to private trail building.
Moving on to now, I have reinstated about four miles of trail, and have used the previous devastation to create new lines and sections.

Devastation of one previously groomed trail.

Yesterday evenings group ride was spent in my other favourite riding haunt, which has been a total inspiration to me, and is constantly being changed and developed by those mentioned above. I ride there at least once a week, sometimes more, although it is usually on night rides. It isn't until you actually create a trail your self or are involved with trail building, that you can ever begin to appreciate the skill involved, and how hard that it is to not only get a feel and eye for the section that you are working on, you also require the skill to be mentally working on a line many bends ahead, linking them altogether.

Here is a brilliant clip of the local playground and what goes into keeping it maintained. This is just one small part of countless other trails.


Lovely to see Matt Jones being so complimentary.


One thing that never fails to surprise and disappoint me, is just how many mtb/emtb riders that are quite happy to use and potentially abuse trails made by others, but never once offer to help develop or maintain what they use. Something to think about.


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[Kiwi in Wales]

I trail build as well and love it. It really is a truly satisfying moment when you have linked a number ‘work in progress’ trails together after working on them for weeks and then doing the first initial trial run down it.

We too had a instance where some of our trails were ruined by the forestry but nowhere near as bad as yours by the look of it.

Looking at some your trails @EddieJ you and your team are on a completely different level compared to me and my friend Peter ? we are not worthy....

We are more into digging as little as possible and using the natural flow of the forest, lumps and all to create our trails. They are definitely more suited to ebikes because of this. As very few people know about them we design them to be ridden in both directions so you get double the length of the run you have created with also a really good mix of technical ups and downs regardless of the direction you are riding in.

Keep up the great work ?

 

[EddieJ]

Thanks for the kind words, but the trails shown in the YT clips, are constructed by friends, not me. Mine are constructed in the same way as you and your friend. Time and energy could never allow me to go much beyond.

I have to shoot out now, but will add to this a bit later.

 

[EddieJ]

We are more into digging as little as possible and using the natural flow of the forest, lumps and all to create our trails. They are definitely more suited to ebikes because of this. As very few people know about them we design them to be ridden in both directions so you get double the length of the run you have created with also a really good mix of technical ups and downs regardless of the direction you are riding in.

ebikes are brilliant for searching out and developing new trails. I love nothing more than following tracks left by deer etc, and invariably a new trail can then be quickly developed from these. The best bit about using an ebike, is that it makes no difference if you hit a dead end and have to start again. No energy is lost, and I consider it lazy but fun riding.
As well as the two woodlands above, I also ride in three further places, one is approx 1,600 acres and the other two are both army camps. Cycles are not allowed on any of the land, and of course the army camps are zero public access. Developing trails in these places is possibly the most fun of all. You can run trails almost side by side to existing pathways and vehicular tracks, yet no one would no that they are there.
Sadly I have recently stopped riding through one of the camps, as I stupidly tried my luck when it was use. Lets just say, that I possibly won't be going back there.

This is one of my favourite carry with me tools.

Clearing the way on the more natural sections.

This 1 mile section is lovely to ride, as despite it's appearance, it is actually quiet tricky, as there are many hidden stumps that require careful pedal position, and also many pine cones, which make things very slippery. The devil in me loves taking people along it for the first time.

 

[Kaelidoz]

I found some hidden trail that someone's building really close to my place.
I don't know what I can do without screwing up whatever he or they have in mind.
I might just leave a note and stick to getting some branches/fallen trees out of the way in the meantime.