I've just moved to the Bristol area and I've heard there is loads of trails all over the place down here. Any tips on where the best places to go riding are? Also if somebody wouldn't mind a new riding partner that would be awesome. Solo ride are fun but its always better with other people :).
Just on the other side of the Suspension Bridge:
Ashton Court
Leigh Woods
50 Acre Wood
Ashton Hill Plantation
Also nearby:
Mendips
Forest of Dean
Cwm Carn
Quantocks
Where about in Bristol (generally) have you moved to ?
Thanks Philby! I live just north east of Bristol in a place called fishponds.
You could go and have a look in vassals park link it up with dutchess ponds etc. I'm not telling you that you should (not sure on the trail designations). It won't be South wales, but it is ok for a spin (apparently.....)
Explore!
@Wrecker thanks!
@redthunder I should really rephrase, im looing for stuff in the wider area not just local (I do like a road trip). Including stuff in south wales.
Mendips are great at the moment, lots of choice too
chris ... contact "the cheesy riders" they organise rides on Mondays,
fridays and some sundays in ashton court/leigh woods - some man made and
some of piste.
there's a Facebook group and a Web site.
Belmont woods for a bit of knarrr. I think its also called ashton hill confusingly. lots to explore!
I am not too far from Fishponds and there are some trails over towards Bath that are relatively easy to get to. They are sections that are linked by lanes, cross country type riding.
I would offer to show you around but it is racing season and I am running the kids all over the country!!
If it is your thing, there is a summer cx series (that you can ride on an mtb). There is even a round in Fishponds!!
All of the further afield stuff has been mentioned.
To my shame, I've not been around exmoor yet and I'm desperate to. Bit time poor at present so the idea of an all dayer with the silva sounds good but sadly unlikely, especially when I can whip over to Afan for W2 with guaranteed great riding is an option. Sad but honest!
I'm not far from fishponds and often head over the South Wales for a morning. sometimes a spare place in the car so drop me a message if you fance a trail centre spin!
Thanks guys, got loads to look up. If anybody wants a riding buddy just give me a shout.
@Wrecker, I'd defiantly be up for that. I work 8-4 so my riding will mainly be weekends but i think ill try and sneak some midweek night rights in 🙂
drop me a mail chris. I sometimes have an evening ride in the mendips (starting ~ 1745hrs), but it's mostly South Wales on a sat or sun morning.
I tend to ride mainly at rowberrow (mendips) and the off piste in the FoD, both around 40 mins from my house in Horfields. None of the local stuff really appeals to me, Ashton and leigh woods aren't enjoyable on a 160mm travel bike and the tracks at Belmont are very short and jumpy. North Nibley's quite close at around 25 minutes from mine but there's only enough there for a couple of hours.
Triscombe's also great for a day trip and I occasionally head over to Cwmcarn/bpw as well, though they add up with bridge fee's and parking.
If you'd like a tour of any of these my email's in profile. I'd also love a tour of the quantocks/exmoor if anyone's got any local knowledge 😀
Chris, depending on what flavor of riding you're after there's a few of us that are out locally on a tuesday evening from 7 ish. Mainly the off piste stuff in leigh woods which tends to be on the short and steep side, usually followed by a pint. Drop me an email if you fancy tagging along.
As mentioned above, some cracking stuff in the Mendips too, both XC and DH and North Nibley in the other direction.
@chrisharvey - I'm book marking this thread as I'm moving back to Bristol next month, hopefully to Emerson's Green. I know Ashton Court, Leigh Woods and I grew up across the water in Wales so know some stuff that's a lot closer than Cwmbran and the like. Let me know if you get some rides up and running, I'd be keen to get involved.
Shipham mtb ride the Mendips Thursday at 8pm and weekends. You can find their details on fb
Alpha1653, you'll be just down the road from me!
@Alpha1653 - Just send me a message when you get down here, my email is on my profile.
I live in Horfield too and am up for Sunday morning rides. I'm a bit time limited with, ie. kids but usually go to Cwmcarn but am up for different stuff. Up for W2 soon if anyone else is interested. I have just started road riding too 🙄
I may need some more fitness rides in before tackling it but id be up for W2 sounds like a decent way to spend a day!
Alpha - I can guess where you'll be working if you hope to move to Emersons Green 😉
There's some riding out from there that I strung together - a few bridleways joined up with back roads and you can have a decent play out NE of Emersons. Go and see Si at Webbs of Warmley - for a mostly roadie he does know a few off-road routes around Warmley etc. He also builds a mean wheel.
The Cheesy Riders are a bunch of deviants and miscreants. I recommend them wholeheartedly.
@wrecker: I'll drop you a mail once my address gets confirmed. I was poking around this weekend and it looks really nice!
@TooTall: I think I know where you think I'll be working...but you're wrong! I think.
From Emerson's Green you are about 10km along the railway bike path from the hills up on to Lansdown. Sounds like a long way maybe but it is easily over in 20 mins if you can get a tow from a roadie 😀 😳 If you then went through Beach/ Wick/ Pucklechurch area for the other leg of the ride you would have a reasonable route and actually encounter some hills which don't really exist around Brizzle 😆
You can pretty much take your pick of the By-Ways and Bridleways in the area where you are- none are horribly unrideable, especially this time of year. Mostly flat and not too eventful around Pucklechurch/ Yate way though.
I quite like Failand, Tanpitt Woods, Snakes Well Wood and the Woods around Flax Bourton to extend the usual Ashton Court, Leigh Woods, 50 Acre Wood,
Ashton Hill Plantation trails. Some people seem to give Ashton Court and Leigh Woods a hard time but you are lucky to have all weather, fun trails on your doorstep IMO.
Sorry ChrisJHarvey, I've hijacked your thread a bit. I'll pay you back with a post ride beer in a month or two!
Can't wait to move back to Bristol. I'm in Pembrokeshire at the moment and there's not a lot of local trails to be had unfortunately.
Its cool man, at least it looks like i should be able to find some riding buddies haha. I'll hold you to that beer!
+1 for the fledgling outlaw renegade Bristol MTB group !
I'm in Kingswood,ride most weekends at the usual haunts so FOD,Cwmcarn,Quantocks,Exmoor and occasionally the Brecons too (not all in the same weekend obviously)
Thought I'd chip in to this thread, as I moved to Bristol from Cardiff last year. I also moved jobs, moved house twice and got married so my riding time was quite limited, but hoping to get back into it this now now its quietened down.
I'm across in SE Bristol so try to get around Ashton, Leigh Woods etc, generally after I've knackered myself going up Granby Hill!
If there are any rides planned people could maybe post in here, alternatively e-mail in profile if anyone new fancies meeting up
@redthunder I should really rephrase, im looing for stuff in the wider area not just local (I do like a road trip). Including stuff in south wales.
Mostly Blaise and across the bridge to the Wye Valley for me.
I'm thinking of having an adventure to check out the trails at the Forest of Dean on saturday, I've heard it's meant to be pretty good! Anybody up for that? Drop me an email and ill give you my mob number.
Also just committed to going 1x10...wish me luck!
Fledgling outlaw renegade Bristol MTB group...Best name ever where do i sign up?
I would be but my summer is being roonered by man flu. I can't shake it off! You'll be fine on 1 x 10, it's not far to the top.
Have fun.
I'm in Bristol this weekend - woohoo! Unfortunately, I'm 7 weeks short of getting married so every free moment on a weekend's devoted to organising stuff so riding's taken a back seat.
This groups's gaining momentum!
7 weeks from getting married?! Ha! Me too and I've been getting out most evenings for a couple hours at a time! You're doing it all wrong...
(I may be missing something here but hey, loving out on the trails!)
As for bristol, trails link up well from Leigh, 50 acres, Ashton court - and further afield if you explore enough. Used to do a decent loop after work in the days when I lived in clifton. Hop over the bridge, awesome trails, done. There's a trail building group that head out around Leigh/Ashton court, worth joining. Also singletrack reporter at large Barney used to be part of the group and we'd all go exploring round the local trails. You really have a lot on the doorstep in bristol.
As others mentioned its easy to get to Wales for a big more big hill action or head South for exmoor, Dartmoor etc. I'm currently on the quantock hills, they're bone dry. Lots of loose stones about making some patches a bit hairy at speed - and someone's been busy building some huge kickers on a trail running down off the top into holford - wasn't expecting it and went flying. Landed it but was a bit nuts. Quantocks are a bit of a hidden gem, people always shoot by on their way to exmoor and Dartmoor but worth checking out. Triscombe has some DH tracks and was the site of an endure even recently...
He he, but I bet you're not changing jobs and moving house at the same time are you?! Thanks for the advice. I lived in Clifton too so know most of the trails around there, less so around where I'll be living come this weekend!
Lots of info on the local trails here:
http://bristoltrailsgroup.com/local-trails
and a couple of route ideas:
http://bristoltrailsgroup.com/route-guide/
There are tonnes of little BMX tracks and pump tracks in Bristol now, including one in Hillfields:
http://bristoltrailsgroup.com/local-trails/bmx-and-pump-tracks/
There's also some good riding over towards Bath, as others have said. Not high on technical interest but the hills will get you fit super quick. This is a classic loop: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/lansdown-loop503279
The Evans Ride It events are quite good for finding some half decent routes, there is one this weekend just NE of Bristol.
[url= http://www.evanscycles.com/pages/rideit-cotswolds-mtb-ride-25th-july-2015 ]http://www.evanscycles.com/pages/rideit-cotswolds-mtb-ride-25th-july-2015[/url]
I know this can be ridden anytime as it uses Bridleways, but there are some nice bits in North Nibley.
It's worth checking out the pump tracks around Bristol, there is one in near Fishponds behind B&Q.
There used to be a pump track under the high rise section down by the river near the big red brick buildings...unless it's not there any more, it's been a while...
It's still there - next to Cumberland Basin.
Big bmx track in Arnos Vale Park to, behind the htv studios. Worth checking out.
lets face it, Bristol is awesome for biking
I did not know the Arnos Vale track was finished! 😯 🙂
There's a DJ spot very close to Emersons.
I did not know the Arnos Vale track was finished!
Yep, been finished for quite a while now, at least since about March.
Whoop whoop! Taking over keys to the new house tomorrow! I feel like I'm coming home...
It's been a while since I've been for a decent ride round Ashton Court, Leigh woods, 50 acre wood, etc.
If you can take a gander as some OS maps, they show many trails and how steep they are, it can be quite fun exploring and finding new routes. 🙂
there's hardly any trails on the OS map...best way is enter Leigh woods from North road and follow the trails in there. Some are marked...quite a few are not.
Most of the off piste trails won't be on any maps. Most of the good stuff is in the gorges not far past the far point of the Yer Tiz trail. Hard to explain but many local riders can show you. I'd offer but I'm off the bike post knee surgery.
I live in Horfield too and am up for Sunday morning rides. I'm a bit time limited with, ie. kids but usually go to Cwmcarn but am up for different stuff. Up for W2 soon if anyone else is interested. I have just started road riding too
For road riding I suggest you contact NBCC. There's a regular ride from Bradley Stoke at 10 on Sundays, so not too far from you. Moderate pace and a cake stop are mandatory.
The Cheesys do a regular friday night ride.
Which trail is having the kickers built on? Smiths or possibly Higher Hare Knapp?
For road stuff you are also spoilt for choice. There is Bristol South and the Severn too. When I last looked there was an easy ride on Sat morning from Winterbourne, people from the Severn and NBCC I believe.
I shall be doing plenty of mixed rides lanes/bridleways once I get the last few races out of the way so if anyone wants to join me, feel free- I am minutes from Fishponds
Also anyone interested in keeping fit later in the year will be doing short hour long blasts around Oldbury court in the evenings, maybe Purdown too, mainly on cx type bike.
I thought this thread had died! didn't realise people were still going!
Had a day at Bike park wales on tuesday...what a place! Tore my hands to shreds from doing so many runs though :/
