The 8th Stane?

OK, you are familiar with the 7 Stanes, God's gift to mountain biking?

Good.

Angus Council have realised that 1) a lot of Angus people head north
or south to go play on trails at Laggan/glentress wherever.
2) they spend money doing so.
3) Angus has some great scenery and locations for cycling.

So the following announcement has been made. And you (if you are
reasonably local) can get involved.

***---

News release issued by Angus Council

22 February 2007

Trail Development Challenge for Angus Mountain Bikers
Angus Council's community learning & development outdoor education
team has set down a challenge to Mountain Bikers to get involved in a
discussion about the viability of a mountain bike trail development
matching one of the 7-Stanes sites. Throughout mid April discussion
forums will be held across Angus.

These forums will allow individuals the opportunity to make their
views heard on the 'how's' and 'where's' of any future development.
Importantly too, support from within the council and possibly further
a field for any future development will be gauged on how many people
attend these forums.

The challenge for the Mountain Bike community is to ensure these
meetings are attended by as many people as possible. Parts of the
community learning department believe that ten people at each forum
would be an impressive figure, each venue though will hold upwards of
forty people.

Monday 16th April
Panmure Centre
Community Learning and Development Service
141 Kinloch Street
Carnoustie 7.30 - 8.30 pm

Wednesday 18th April Fairlie House
Community Learning and Development Service
Kirkton Hill
Kirriemuir 7.30 - 8.30 pm

Thursday 19th April
Bruce House Wellgate Arbroath 7.30 - 8.30 pm

Monday 23rd April
Pitstop 1A Academy Street Forfar 8 - 9 pm

Tuesday 24th April
Damacre Centre
Community Learning and Development Service
26 Damacre Road
Brechin 7.30 - 8.30 pm

If anyone is interested in getting involved or keeping up to date with
progress please send an email to

"David Martin" wrote in message
oups.com...
OK, you are familiar with the 7 Stanes, God's gift to mountain biking?

Well I wouldnt say 7 Stanes were THAT good, but they are good. Glad to hear
more's planned - id be there if it wasnt several hours away!

Coyoteboy wrote on 12/04/2007 16:27 +0100:
"David Martin" wrote in message
oups.com...
OK, you are familiar with the 7 Stanes, God's gift to mountain biking?

Well I wouldnt say 7 Stanes were THAT good, but they are good. Glad to hear
more's planned - id be there if it wasnt several hours away!



Haven't been to the 7 Stanes but I've ridden some other routes in Wales
and the Lakes. I find it a bit like the difference between a climbing
wall and a rock face. I prefer the real thing myself and find some of
the constructed routes get a bit formulaic - but maybe that's because I
know too much about the construction techniques and keep classifying
each part in my mind. Oh, look, here's the grade reversal, there's the
bench cut contour line, here's a ladder bridge .......

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

"Tony Raven" wrote in message
news

Haven't been to the 7 Stanes but I've ridden some other routes in Wales
and the Lakes. I find it a bit like the difference between a climbing
wall and a rock face. I prefer the real thing myself and find some of the
constructed routes get a bit formulaic - but maybe that's because I know
too much about the construction techniques and keep classifying each part
in my mind. Oh, look, here's the grade reversal, there's the bench cut
contour line, here's a ladder bridge .......

I think youre right, and im sure your inside knowledge doesnt help at all.
I find a lot of the good ones very good and enjoyable, but nothing beats a
"natural" trail through the french alps, or finding an un-touched spot of
singletrack just as nature intended :-) .

in message , Coyoteboy
') wrote:


"David Martin" wrote in message
oups.com...
OK, you are familiar with the 7 Stanes, God's gift to mountain biking?

Well I wouldnt say 7 Stanes were THAT good, but they are good.

You mean 'I've been to Glentress once and it was overcrowded'. Come back
when you've ridden all seven and say that - or ride 7/24.

http://www.7-24.org.uk/

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Error 1109: There is no message for this error

in message , Tony Raven
') wrote:

Coyoteboy wrote on 12/04/2007 16:27 +0100:
"David Martin" wrote in message
oups.com...
OK, you are familiar with the 7 Stanes, God's gift to mountain biking?

Well I wouldnt say 7 Stanes were THAT good, but they are good. Glad to
hear more's planned - id be there if it wasnt several hours away!



Haven't been to the 7 Stanes but I've ridden some other routes in Wales
and the Lakes. I find it a bit like the difference between a climbing
wall and a rock face. I prefer the real thing myself and find some of
the constructed routes get a bit formulaic

Come back when you've ridden all seven and say that. Hint: No two are
alike.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us
;; many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets.
;; Imagination without skill gives us modern art.
;; Tom Stoppard, Artist Descending A Staircase

Simon Brooke wrote on 15/04/2007 09:03 +0100:

Haven't been to the 7 Stanes but I've ridden some other routes in Wales
and the Lakes. I find it a bit like the difference between a climbing
wall and a rock face. I prefer the real thing myself and find some of
the constructed routes get a bit formulaic

Come back when you've ridden all seven and say that. Hint: No two are
alike.


No two of the ones I have ridden are alike but they are all constructed
out of the same basic formulaic elements and it just feels artificial to
me - as I said the difference between a climbing wall - all of which are
different but as a different combination of the same basic holds - or a
rock face. You are very unlikely to find some natural trail features
either such as fall line gullies or loose surfaces or boggy bits because
they go against the basic rules of trail building (for good reasons of
erosion management in high traffic designer trails that tends to be much
less of a problem on low traffic natural trails).

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

in message , Tony Raven
') wrote:

Simon Brooke wrote on 15/04/2007 09:03 +0100:

Haven't been to the 7 Stanes but I've ridden some other routes in Wales
and the Lakes. I find it a bit like the difference between a climbing
wall and a rock face. I prefer the real thing myself and find some of
the constructed routes get a bit formulaic

Come back when you've ridden all seven and say that. Hint: No two are
alike.


No two of the ones I have ridden are alike but they are all constructed
out of the same basic formulaic elements and it just feels artificial to
me - as I said the difference between a climbing wall - all of which are
different but as a different combination of the same basic holds - or a
rock face.

So explain the 'formulaic features' in this:

http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/Dalbeattie.html

Yes, I agree Dalbeattie now does have quite a lot of 'formulaic features',
particularly on the newer stuff - but basically they're just a means of
linking the big natural features together.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; So, before proceeding with definitive screwing, choose the
;; position most congenital.
-- instructions for fitting bicycle handlebars

Simon Brooke wrote on 15/04/2007 10:15 +0100:
in message , Tony Raven
') wrote:

Simon Brooke wrote on 15/04/2007 09:03 +0100:
Haven't been to the 7 Stanes but I've ridden some other routes in Wales
and the Lakes. I find it a bit like the difference between a climbing
wall and a rock face. I prefer the real thing myself and find some of
the constructed routes get a bit formulaic
Come back when you've ridden all seven and say that. Hint: No two are
alike.

No two of the ones I have ridden are alike but they are all constructed
out of the same basic formulaic elements and it just feels artificial to
me - as I said the difference between a climbing wall - all of which are
different but as a different combination of the same basic holds - or a
rock face.

So explain the 'formulaic features' in this:


I admit they have made good use of the natural features of the slabs
which make up a lot of the photos but the rest are bench cut contour
line trails with grade dips to control water and grade reversals to
control speed, a winding flat singletrack to give "flow" and control
speed and then a series of placed boulders because you can place a
series of boulders.


--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell