Why Wales MTB is in Serious Trouble

Mountain biking (MTB) in Wales is facing an unprecedented crisis that threatens our riding future. The situation is complex, involving budget cuts, potential closures, challenges with unauthorized trails, and broader issues affecting the UK MTB scene. Let's break it down.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Funding Crisis

At the heart of the problem is a severe funding shortfall faced by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the organization responsible for managing many trail centers:

• NRW's projected "funding gap" is expected to reach £13 million in 2025-26 and exceed £17 million by 2026-27.
• To address this, NRW plans to reduce its budget by £13 million by April 1, 2025.
• The organisation cites exceptionally tight public funding across the UK as the reason for these measures.
• It should be acknowledged that they are also responsible for environmental protection in Wales hence why areas like recreation will be deprioritised.

Proposed Cuts and Closures

To manage the financial challenges, NRW is proposing drastic measures:

• Removing 265 posts from its structure, with 108 currently vacant.
• Potentially closing popular visitors centres like Coed y Brenin and Nant yr Arian.
• Scaling back activities including outdoor access and recreation (we expect most of the roles removed include those roles managing and supporting MTB trails)

Impact on Mountain Biking Infrastructure

Even prior to these proposed cuts the existing funding crisis is severely impacting mountain biking in Wales but we see this getting much worse with a tipping point situation leading to the demise of MTB infrastructure in the next few years:

1. Reduced trail maintenance: With fewer resources, trail quality and safety could and most likely will deteriorate.
2. Potential trail closures: As trails become unsafe or unrideable, they may need to be shut down. This is the most concerning direction of travel.
3. Diminished riding experience: Even open trails may become less enjoyable or challenging leading to a drop in participation. 
4. Safety concerns: Lack of proper maintenance could increase accident risks.
5. Loss of trail development: Little to no investment in creating new trails or improving existing ones.
6. All in all, this will lead to a reduced entry pathway for new and existing intermediate riders into the sport as it is in trail centres that many start their MTB journey.

Economic Consequences

The potential closures and reduced services at trail centers could have significant economic impacts:

• One of the wider UK challenges (not just Wales) is it is hard to track and directly identify the economic value of MTB to UK trail centres but it is estimated to be around 20-25% so significant. 
• Coed y Brenin alone historically attracts around 100,000 visitors annually and supports numerous local jobs.
• Local bike businesses, including shops, coaches, and related enterprises, will be negatively affected.
• The overall local economy, which has come to rely on mountain biking tourism, may suffer hence being bad for Wales overall. 

Challenges with Unauthorized Trails

There are also significant issues facing the Welsh MTB scene in getting unauthorized trails recognized.

1. Missed opportunities: There are significant volunteer trail associations prepared to offer their time for free to manage trails on NRW land. In a time of economic cuts, you would expect this to be welcomed. Unfortunately, although there are pockets of progressive attitudes to MTB in NRW they lack the resources, time, money and policy to really support this opportunity. 
2. Bureaucratic hurdles: So what happens, is excessive red tape is blocking efforts by volunteer groups willing to manage local trails. It can take many years to break through. Some like Brechfa CIC managed this after many years but there is a much longer list of those still peservering and unfortunately of those giving up. 
3. Limited resources: NRW already faces funding challenges before the latest announcement, making it difficult to find the manpower to engage with trail communities.
4. Risk of demolition: You could argue why should we care if unofficial trails become authorised or not. Well without becoming authorised unofficial trails run the constant risk of being demolished at any time. 

Potential Worsening to Unauthorised Trails with NRW Staff Cuts

The proposed NRW staff redundancies could exacerbate these challenges:

1. Reduced capacity: Even fewer (if any) staff members dedicated to outdoor access and recreation could lead to even slower processing of trail recognition requests.
2. Loss of expertise: Experienced staff who understand the mountain biking community and trail systems may be lost.
3. Prioritization shifts: With reduced resources, NRW may focus on maintaining existing official trails rather than recognizing new ones although given they have a mandate for environmental control it is likely both suffer and degrade. 
4. Increased backlog: The already significant backlog of rights of way issues could grow larger, further delaying trail recognition.
5. Communication breakdown: Fewer staff could mean a reduced ability to engage with the mountain biking community and volunteer groups.
6. Increased illegal trail use: As the process for recognizing trails becomes more challenging, riders may resort to more "cheeky trails" or unauthorized routes driving conflict in what is an already unprotected situation for unauthorised trails leading to them being removed with little to no notice.

Broader UK MTB Crisis

There are UK-wide systemic issues (a few listed below) that all mountain bikers are facing. We believe that they are most acute in Wales and they are the proverbial canary in the coalmine for us to sit up and act from regardless of whether you ride in Wales, England, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. 

1. Trail Access: Many trails are based on unauthorised land use, creating uncertainty about the protection of riding locations i.e. they can be demolished at any moment in time.
2. Maintenance Issues: Even authorised bike routes are often in poor condition due to lack of maintenance.
3. Hostile Attitudes: Some local authorities and national stakeholders fail to recognize the economic benefits of mountain biking (not all).
4. Racing Scene Decline. Several long-running and popular race series (e.g. closure of Tweedlove, PMBA enduro series etc ) have been cancelled or reduced due to increased costs, venue losses, and declining participant numbers. 
5. Rider apathy: Lack of rider participation in volunteering and maintaining local trails be they authorised or unauthorised. 

Long-term Consequences

If the situation persists, it could lead to:

• A gradual decline in the quality and quantity of mountain biking opportunities in Wales.
• Damage to Wales' reputation as a premier mountain biking destination.
• Significant negative impact on local economies that have come to rely on MTB tourism.
• Increased use of unauthorized trails, potentially leading to more conflicts with landowners and other land users.

It's important also to state that the paid Bike Park model is prospering and we see this with the likes of BikePark Wales, Dyfi Bike Park and a good few other. This is great but we run the risk that these paid options are the only MTB riding options left. 

So, What is happening so far to address this? 

Political Pressure:

• A coalition of cycling organizations, including Cycling UK, Beicio Cymru, UK MTB Trail Alliance, Mountain Bike Wales, and WATO, have drafted a letter signed by over 90 groups, organizations, and businesses from the Welsh mountain bike sector. This coalition is advocating for changes and presenting a unified voice for the mountain biking community. They wrote to Huw Irranca-Davies, the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, highlighting the economic and social importance of mountain biking in Wales (still awaiting a response).
• The coalition has presented "Five Asks" to the Welsh government, including:
  a) Allowing volunteer groups to help maintain and develop trails
  b) Considering local community groups as partners to run centers
  c) Continuing investment in mountain bike trails and outdoor recreation

Petition:

• A petition with over 13,000 signatures has been created to save the visitor centers at Coed y Brenin, Bwlch Nant yr Arian, and Ynyslas. This petition will be examined by the Senedd's petitions committee. (debated last week so one to watch)

Community Initiatives:

• Local groups, like Caru Coed y Brenin are meeting with NRW officials to discuss potential community management of facilities like the Coed y Brenin visitor center.

Ongoing Consultation:

• NRW is conducting a "meaningful consultation" with trade unions about the proposed changes.

Uniting MTB trail associations into a UK force:

• Recently formed is the UK MTB Trail Alliance which has united the trail associations across the whole UK in a not-seen-before way. They are dedicated to supporting trail associations, informal trail groups and bike parks and so to advocate for UK riders and their trails. This is quickly becoming a political force to represent us.

What can you do? 

• Check out the UK MTB Trail Alliance and support their fundraiser. 
• Write to your local Member of the Senned and share your concerns. 
• Get involved with a local trail association, volunteer, attend a dig day or donate to their trail funds.
  • The trails don't run themselves and the more volunteers the more organised and recognised they become.
  • The UK MTB Trail Alliance has resources to help you find a volunteer group close to you and our MTB Event Calendar features dig days across the UK.
• Go ride your bike at a trail spot, pay for parking (whether directly or indirectly, it contributes), and spend in the local visitor centre, cafe and bike shop. 
• Share the article to raise awareness and please share your thoughts below on what we can do to help.

Interested in more: BikeRadar Welsh MTB trails at RISK – how government cuts may close riding spots

Published: 12/10//2024