Rostrevor trails...

[Lwatson]

Was up building today in preparation for the Irish Champs in a couple of weeks.

I noticed bamboo canes with red n white tape on top of them placed all over the hill, I've been told it was the work of this prat Daffid Davies or what ever ye call him. Looks like he's been over marking out this new legal trail everyone is so excited about. The thing is he seems to have crossed the current 'champs' dh trail several times.

To me it looks like the DH community are going to lose one of the best DH trails in the country.

Can anyone shed a bitta light on what's happening and when??

[barry_kellett99]

Have the DH community approached anyone about the creation of dedicated legalised DH trails or of the proposed trails that are currently on the table?

Bit harsh calling the man a prat?
I've ridden a few trails he has been responsible for and have to say they have all been pretty good IMO

[GpAevo]

The man is infact an asshole. I've ridden with him and Russell Burton (that muppet in MBUK they call the 'trailmaster' or something) a good few years back when he was marking out a trail my mate was working on.

[Lwatson]

Tbh I've never heard anything good about his trails or himself.

I said from the very start when legal trails come to rostrevor the DHrs will lose out. Maybe I'm wrong, I hope I am.

But realistically there's never gunna be proper DH trails legal in the country. Why fix what not broken? I'm quite happy with what we have in our forest and I've personally never had Amy trouble with anyone stopping me from riding them.

[AndyL]

Dunno why you think there'll be no legal DH trails, Fortwilliam, innerleithen, countless others across the UK have managed it, so why not here?

[barry_kellett99]

I've never met him so I have no clue what he is like. But at the same time I have heard a lot of stories about a lot of people on here but I try never to pigeon hole someone before meeting them.

He was responsible for the trails at Ballinastoe. I haven't yet heard from anyone who hates it?

Irregardless. If the DH "Community" dont enter into negotiations with the relevant parties, they have nobody but themselves to blame for losing out if that indeed turns out to be the case.


Personally I would be sad to see the demise of existing trails that are there. I still cant see it though. The old Epic Blast courses still exist in Ballinastoe alongside and cross over the trail centre stuff.

[simon]

good ole norn irn, start complaining before there's anything to complain about

we're finally getting trails, rostrevor is happening but the good news is that others are about to follow with hopefully work starting in the next 12 months on at least 1 other site I know of.

[stevie.d]

Daffid held A meeting back in 2008 with local clubs and riders to get feedback on what people wanted . I thought he was dead on . Not sure what the situation is at the moment

[GpAevo]

If the DH "Community" dont enter into negotiations with the relevant parties, they have nobody but themselves to blame for losing out if that indeed turns out to be the case.

100% agree

Is it really such a big deal that the 'new' trail may cross the current trail????? Many trails have crossing points etc. Ok it may be a slight inconvenience as you won't be able to keep it lit past the cross points if they are hidden, but if they are sighted then whats the issue?

Not having a pop or anything just interested in points of view

[Lwatson]

DH courses crossing xc trails?? Sounds like a recipe for disaster tbh.

[GpAevo]

Take Inners for example. Obviously the crossing are closed when an organised event is on.

[Lwatson]

Its not inners though, the trail in question is nothing like anything at inners either.

[tony07]

so we are taking a step forward with LEGAL trails and your there complaining about something people have been campaigning for for years, but ye its a disgrace all this legal stuff. Wait until you hear the full story before you write theses trails off, as if you had have heard the full story you would know there are proposals for a designated dh track and possibly more if thats a success. There are also two other locations that are earmarked for development but thats going to spell the end for mountainbiking on the island!

[spleshkidd]

Mr Watson, headin til champs in morning, usual crew bout 10! and gd night!

[GpAevo]

Its not inners though, the trail in question is nothing like anything at inners either.

I am aware of that, hence why i said 'for example'

[rank]

Lwatson, i'm sitting trying to understand what your problem is? I'm getting nowhere with it. If your only problem is sacrificing "A" single downhill track (which is only a theory) your living the high life! There is no shortage of downhill tracks in Ireland; north and south. Not even mentioning the several that currently stand in Rostrevor already. Having been with Mr Davis while marking out the trails I would suggest before your go ranting on public forums you be sure you have stable foundations behind you before you publicise your rant! As for that "prat" I would advise you to keep your personal and irrelevent feelings for him to yourself.

[TrixR4kidz]

Is there anywhere we, the great unwashed, can get some information on the plans for these new trails. If it's all legal and above board what is the point of secrecy? While not agreeing with young grumpy I can understand why he's all emotional.

[keyserni]

As it stands the FS and come along at any time, judge that what is present at RT isn't safe for anything other than racing and rip it all down. They ripped apart MS and that's tame compared to RT. I'm all for legal trails as there are plenty of secret trails that wont be developed. The RT courses all cross multiple fire roads and that's more dangerous than DH and XC courses crossing as its harder to spot a walker than someone sitting up high on a bike not to mention walkers with dogs on fire roads.

I love Ballinastoe but I haven't heard great things about this guys DH trails as it seems he doesn't really respect what other people have done in the past and to many it's detrimental to their tracks that they've sweated over.

[jimjam]

The guy has a website he is contactable through, TaffyTrails.com or something like that. I'm sure someone will know the address. DH riders who are concerned that tame, sanitised, lowest common denominator trails will intersect/destroy some of the best dh in the country should probably put their concerns to Dafydd Davis via email.

[findhan]

Theres a lot of money currently going into RT and Castlewellan, they're in detailed planning stages. I wouldnt worry about the champs track Lindsay, I believe the overall plans are going to be pretty sweet

[MTB Anarchist]

As usual you lot are missing the point. NO legal trail in NI on Forest Service land will ever last, no matter it DH, XC or family, so I wouldn't worry too much about your precious DH tracks. If RT ever actually gets finished which is unlikely FS will soon enough have a change of mind and find some way to **** it up. The only way it'll stay is if somehow FS get to make money out of it, like make it only for events, for which they get to charge huge amounts of money for doing sweet FA. And how much of the money they've made from events in the last 12 months have they re-invested in recreational facilities in OUR forests? **** all I suspect. **** me, the cafe at Tollymore is closed, and has been for years. NI's flagship public forest doesn't even have a cafe, or toilets. It's disgraceful.

Building anything on FS land is like building a house on sand, sooner or later the foundations that hold the whole thing up will move and it'll all come tumbling down.

FS have no interest in anyone using OUR forests. If they had they're way they'd put up electric fences around the lot and only give the key to the gate to Balcas. They only play ball on things like the RT project when they're forced into a corner.

DO NOT TRUST FOREST SERVICE.

And stop fighting amongst yourselves. Join forces and fight the FS. Or whinge about it on a crappy forum, cus ya, that'll achieve something, won't it?

[Tree Magnet]

Are you on your period?

[penguinni]

Good point about the cafe at Tollymore though.

Who is FS accountable to? Is it Stormont?

[marko]

never gunna be proper DH trails legal in the country

there is one in the republic that is meant to be the shizzzz but an issue with access was overlooked and as result the trail lies dormant.

[rank]

MTB Anarchist, i suspect you dont know too much.

[MREGAN]

Who is FS accountable to? Is it Stormont?

Yes DARD.
DARD are also under the impression that FS are playing ball and they are encouraging these types of projects. Someone in the loop are bull****ting the bull****ters! FS Claim to have no money for these types of projects. They are willing for a third party to do all the work and fund it then pay them a rent on the use of the forest. In otherwords want to wash their hands of the whole thing. This was the case when we asked about a different forest previously. This may be changing as I dont know the ins and outs in RT.

[Lwatson]

Rank, hope you n your mate wernt relying too much on them dopey sticks use planted over the hill to mark the trail as there was kids running about the carpark the day using em as swords and an ole boy had a rake of em into the back of the motor to take them home for the garden!

[rank]

Not to worry, the proposed trails have all been maped. All this spare time you seem to have on your hands you couldn't tell me a detailed description of these boys. O and also who was the "auld" boy who used them for his garden. i was planning on taking them for mine :/

[AndyB]

Dafydd has indeed been laying out the design of the new trail system in rostrevor , the style of which was agreed at a public meeting a year or so ago, broadly it will be a red grade trail with several black options, totaling about 35K of new trail. the sticks with tape on, define the edge of the trail, if you do see folks moving, altering or removing the sticks, suggest they stop, as it will ultimately slow the process down and time is tight to begin with.
Dafydd is a great guy, working hard for very little money, he's working within some pretty tight restraints laid down by forest service and under a very tight time schedule.
Forest service are on board with this, but knowing them well, I'd imagine they'll used any excuse to hold up or stop the development
A.

[rank]

Andy, well said.