Orbea’s Trail Tales series kicks off with a look at the pioneers of trail centres in the forests of Scotland and Wales.
So often we ask ourselves what makes a great trail. Perhaps the real question should be who makes a great trail? Orbea’s Trail Tales visits Coed Y Brenin and Drumlanrig to chat to trail centre pioneers Dafydd Davies and Rik Alsopp.
In “Build it & they will come” Orbea rewind back to the mid-90s. Twenty five years ago, a small group of pioneers realised that mountain biking didn’t have to simply be about riding what was already on the ground. There were no purpose-built trails for mountain bikers in the UK.
They decided to create their own trails. More than that, they wanted to build trails that could be enjoyed by everyone: singletrack that was challenging and fun for beginners and experienced riders alike. In the forests of deepest, darkest, Welshest Wales, and a stone’s throw from Scotland’s main route south in the lesser known borderlands, two men were getting their hands dirty.
The vision of riders like Dafydd Davies in Wales and Rik Allsop in Scotland changed the riding landscape in the UK for good. The trail centre was born. A quarter of a decade later we revisit their handiwork to ask what the key to the trail centre’s longevity has been. We discover everything that makes mountain biking great: flow, community and passion.
In 2020 there exists over 2,500km of purpose-built trail in the UK, ridden by millions each year. Build it & they will come.
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