[Closed] Any Thetford tips

If you've not been before, probably best to scoot around the waymarked trails initially. They used to be a red and a black, but now they are both red. And they are more realistically blue. But, they are fun for a whizz through the forest.

Best place to park is Brandon Country Park - have change for the machine. Can't remember how much it is, but about a quid on a weekday.

To get to the trails, go back to the main road and cross over. There's a trail almost immediately to the right. If you go 50m you've gone too far. Take this trail and keep follwing it. It splits a few times, but as long as you keep going in the same general direction you end up in the same place. You'll come out on a fire road at the bottom of the Beast.
Here you can either join the end of the old black (can never remember the new names) by turning left and then left again (20m or so) following the waymarked sign. There's about 1.5 miles of trail left from here and you'll end up back near the start.

Or head straight to the start of the trails (which is what I do). Head left up the fire road. After a few hundred metres it bears to the right, but go straight up a grassy/sandy bit of track instead. At the top, you'll get to a T-junction onto a sandy path. Turn right. Follow this a fair distance until you go past a small field on the right hand side (you'll see some waymarker posts on the way, ignore them). At the end of the field, there's a path left - take this and you end up on a gravel road - follow it left. A couple of hundred yards down there to the left is the start of the trails. Pretty obvious when you get there.
If you take the right option, that is the old red. Straight on is the old black. You can shoot round both in under 2hrs.

If you are feeling adventurous, you can stay on the Brandon side - go right from the car park (rather than back towards the main road), follow the trail past the old folks home and round to the right. Then just follow your nose, but you might end up going round in circles a bit. I did for ages!

I'm heading over there tomorrow by myself for the first time myself too actually. Will be there between 2-3 and was intending to stay round there till it gets dark. If you're by yourself and wanna go round together then you can email me, address on profile. I've just been watching some vids of it on YouTube and tbh I'm a bit disappointed, it does look very tame. My local centre is Cannock and I get to go up there about once a month, in comparison it does look like blue. Here's the map:

Maybe see you there

There seems to absolutely zero tech, no drops or jumps or berms or nuffin!

Nope. Nothing overly technical at all. It's flat and undulating, but the fast, decent singletrack trails are great fun.

The first time I went to Cannock, I likened it to a hilly Thetford in terms of trails, although Cannock is a bit techier than it used to be, perhaps.

The best trails are definitely on the Brandon side, but navigating isn't that easy and although I haven't been for a while it can get quite overgrown and nettley...

Best tip: don't take piano wire, you might use it to put yourself out of your own misery.
Tedious riding - To be avoided.

Depends what you're looking for. On a hardtail with plenty of fitness in your legs it's great fun - particularly when really dry or frosty. On a full suss in the mud, or when tired it can feel very dull and hard work. Expect to do a lot of pedalling either way and come away with "Thetford back".

"Thetford back".

What bol said - it's not an adrenaline trail centre type place, but it has some excellent bits of singletrack and is a nice place to ride.

Some of the non-waymarked trails on the Brandon side remind me of the Return of the Jedi scene when they are on those Imperial flying motorbike things through the forest, if you get your speed up and really race through them.
Definitely better, the fitter you are. You don't get any opportunities to coast, so you can have a really good workout there.

It's even better at night!

Is there any elevation in the forest at all or any nearby?

No, not really.

That vid is of the most techy part of Thetford too.
The advice above is spot on. Pootle around waiting to get to the down hill or technical bits and it's incredibly dull. Race a mate round it whilst trying not to wrap yourself around a tree - great fun.

To park for free go past BCP carpark heading south at the bottom of the dip you can pull in at the entrance of a fireroad - park at the side not infont of the barrier. You'll be at the bottom of the Beast mentioned in Stumpy's post.
Do the marked trails before exporing BCP as although the trails are good it all looks the same and is easy to get lost.

I may also the there tomorrow afternoon - email in profile if you want to be shown around (can't promise that I won't take a few wrong turnings in BCP).

Thanks for all the replies, not particularly fussed if it isn't BPW, it's a bike ride so anywhere is fine and better than nothing. We did BPW and it was ace though!

We will be riding at dusk / night so should make it slightly more fun.

I'll take the HT should be good.

Thanks again 😉

Yep HT and as fast as you can everywhere 😉

Ok, rode late at Thetford on Friday night. Brandon was perfect for parking and whilst the weather was hardly great but it was better than sitting in a pub getting smashed! Did that sat night instead 😉

Whilst it was hardly an amazing place to ride but we still enjoyed it, perfect for a blast or with less experienced riders.

Anyway thanks for the replies.

Cool, good that you enjoyed it.

Luckily the shop will be closed by the time you're there.

Edit: didn't see the time line. Still counts though.

I guess you got the edge of the storm that was threatening when I was riding round during late afternoon.
Had a bit of drama as I pulled in with the car and was flagged down by some woman who's poor dog had just been bitten by an adder. Cue a trip in to Brandon to take them to the vets. Hope the dog's OK.