Number 2 of my Top 15 Mountain Bike Trail Systems in Southern Ontario - Copeland Forest!!
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Copeland is one of my favourite trail systems with great enduro style trails - and hits a reasonable score in every category. With such a large trail system there is really something for everyone!
www.trailforks...
I'm shocked to hear Copeland is #2 but at the same time I'm not surprised. I've ridden in Copeland several time but with friends as I'm horrible with navigation. Mile High is a horrible climb especially when you have to climb it several times to ride the best DH trails at the top. I'm stoked to see which trail is #1. 👍
Getting to know what you ride just from our message exchanges I would have thought Copeland was a place you would have loved!! And yes, doing that Mile High climb 3 times for this video was not fun!!!
We're almost there. 😊
With this location having what seems to be poor signage, I'm surprised that it rates so high in the 'fun & experience' category.
I visited hardwood for the first time last weekend and the signage was fantastic, which really added to the experience. The only need for Trailforks was when we were looking for a shortcut back to the trailhead.
Signage aside, I've heard nothing but praise for these trails so it will remain on the shortlist. 😆
I agree Hardwood has really good signage but at $20 for a day pass you should (IMO) expect nothing less! I know for Kelso I had perhaps penalized the experience score for lacking some signage (giving loop options) but again you have to pay to ride there. So perhaps I was a little nicer to Copeland for the lack of signage on the basis that this very large trail network is completely free to ride. And once you get to know Copeland, you can really appreciate how good of a trail experience it is! It really has trails for everyone.
I hiked in Copeland two years ago. What a huge trail network! Gotta go back to explore more. Those downhills are wicked! How fast are you going on the flat and how fast on the downhills? Who takes care of the trails?
There is a volunteer group (Copeland Forest Friends) that maintain the trails - and for the size of the network they do a great job. Not sure how fast I am going but I definitely am not in top form these days so I could be faster!!
@@sluggomtb7414 Copeland Forest Friends don't officially maintain the trails - its 99% done by local "unknown" trail users.
If Hydrocut is not #1, with the recent upgrades (and future plans), then I don't know where is.
Not sure that I would have put Copeland above GORBA, based on the vids (and personal experience), however, my main concern is your feedback on the #1 spot that SHOULD be HC.
Appreciate the countdown, and reviews. Very helpful for people looking to explore new trails.
Perhaps a Winter Top Trails countdown in the future?
GORBA has done an amazing job with what they have at Guelph Lake - every time I go there is a new feature or berm! But when looking at my categories Guelph Lakes just does not score well in Aerobic challenge or technical challenge, and while the trails there are so much fun my broader experience has not been "great". As for a winter countdown, it is something I have been thinking about but the trail conditions for fat biking have such a huge impact on the ride it might be tough to do. As for number 1 - whatever it is I am sure you will not be disappointed!
@sluggomtb7414 I agree that GORBA ans aerobics do not go hand in hand.
We did see at GORBA just over a week ago, they were on the trails with a wheelbarrow and tools, so, more to come at GORBA!
Fair point about the winter, although it would be an interesting perspective between summer/winter in some places, I.e. HAFTA.
I will see what I can do for the winter - there are a few places for FBing around SO that I still have not gone to but if we have a good winter with good trail conditions maybe I can make a list out of my rides.
And I agree - GORBA continues to do awesome work with GL. We used to ride there a while back (2018 and earlier) before GORBA started putting in a lot of features and riding there once a year was enough - but now the trails are so much more fun that I probably go there at least once a month! GORBA will continue to get my annual membership for the great work they do (plus I get to ride Arkell!).
Hey Sluggomtb, have you ever been to Niagara to ride? If not I would love to show you around some of our trails here! It’s definitely not a massive trail network but what we have is punchy and techy! Otherwise, thanks for this series as it really showcases all the networks around us! Btw my vote is hydrocut for #1 position!
Lol - as a Brock graduate it has been a LONG time (over 25 years!) since I rode around Niagara but yes I have ridden around Brock University, Short Hill Provincial Park and some trails in Fonthill. These were the trails where I really started mountain biking! If there are new trail systems in the area to try let me know and I will definitely give them a go!
Oh cool! There are a few new trails in the network! And some of the oldies have been reworked.
Maybe next summer I will try to get down there for a ride - it will be good to see how things have changed over such a long period.
@@sluggomtb7414 just let me know and I’ll show you around!
Ouuuu we're getting close! Seems like a lot of the peak riding for SO is west or northwest of the GTA.
Well Dagmar and Durham are the furthest east I have been in the GTA so I can't really comment on anything further than those trails (which are really good trails by the way!). I have ridden Jefferson Forest a few times now and they are pretty good as well - I was pretty shocked in 2021 when I first rode those trails as part of my 50 locations in SO (JF landed in the top 20 but outside the top 15). I do have to explore more further east though for sure.
@@sluggomtb7414 Seems like everything east is mostly conservation areas. Yet to go but I've heard great things about Millbrook and Ganaraska, Batawa seems like a fun spot too and that's in the Quinte West region around Trenton. I'm located in Oshawa and I do want to go a little more east or north but I think I'm gonna try to convince my riding buddy to do the trek to Copeland because that looks like great riding, I can see why it got near the top.
I really want to get into Millbrook and Ganaraska - what I have seen of the trails on videos looks really good. I was hoping again this year to try out the Ganny Enduro race (coming up October 1) but I will not be able to - maybe next year!
Its clear why when you look at the topography and land situation. Northwest and North have hills. Anything to the East or North East of Toronto is either flat as heck or is covered in perpetually wet boggy swamp land.
@@sluggomtb7414 Millbrook is fun, but there are not many trails in there. Ganaraska I wouldn't bother, the bike trails are all still closed in the forest.