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Fancy a trundle along some singletrack soon? Maybe South Chilterns/Ridgeway/Swinley Forest/that kind of vibe?
Thinking one Sunday when it's not scheduled to rain, and preferably including someone who knows a route?
Any thoughts?
Owen
I would be interested in that depending on location and if i can bring an inappropriate bike.
I'd be up for it. I don't ascend v. well so if you wait for me at the top...I'm in.
How do we stop fit people turning up and wrecking it?
200 miles is bit far to go for a ride. Sounds like a good idea though.
/\ this
I would be up for this
Sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately I am busy most weekends until April.
Thinking one Sunday when it's not scheduled to rain,
Sigh ! Spain perhaps 🙂
Have a read of these, and let's have some votes 🙂
Overviews: (taken from Bikemagic)
[b]Forest of Dean[/b] -
On the Wales/England border and just a stones throw from the M5, the Forest of Dean is rammed with quality mountain biking. Once you’re off the fire roads, don’t expect smooth dry surfaces, even on the way-marked trails. Embrace the mud and roots, explore off the beaten track and you’ll have a blast.
To kick off there’s the 18km green-graded Family Trail. Mainly on old railway lines, it’s not really ‘mountain biking’ unless you just want to get some mindless miles in.
Next is the blue 11km Verderer’s Trail. Built by Rowan Sorrell’s ‘Back on Track’ team, it’s the perfect blue. Everything is rollable for novices but, hit it at speed, and you’ll find your tyres off the ground and sweeping round the big berms.
Finally is the red grade 4.5km Freeminer Trail, which features some tricky switchback climbs, rooty drops and hairpin bends, making it a short but challenging loop.
Then you’ve got the downhill. With a designated uplift service, the runs are steep, technical and littered with the ever-present FOD roots. Brilliant long travel fun!
[b]Aston Hill, Chilterns [/b]-
Expect lightning fast riding in dry weather and a slippery chalk and root fest in the wet.
The XC loop, although relatively short at 6.5km, is enough of a challenge and has variety to make it well worth multiple loops. It’s a loop of two halves with the first an undulating but relatively gentle warm-up, but watch out for the ever-present roots in the wet. The second half tips downhill and follows the downhill red run.
It’s not super-steep, but on an XC bike, there’s plenty to keep you honest. You can the either continue all the way down or do a bit more climbing and enjoy a fun and swoopy new section. You’ve then got to climb back up, with one especially vicious ascent, but it’s all good for the legs.
There are five downhill runs, including the red, with the most infamous being the original black. It’s definitely the steepest but all share testing grades and roots. DH5 (4-2-3) was built in the summer of 2009 and was used for that year’s Southern Downhill Championships.
[b]Swinley Forest[/b] -
There are loads of great trails but none are way-marked so it’s a case of heading to the Expert Mountain Biking Area and having a good old-fashioned explore.
Roll away from the centre of wide forest tracks and, once you’ve hauled yourself up Surrey Hill, just keep an eye out for the multitude of trails diving off in every direction.
Exercise a bit of caution as, although many are fun – swooping and twisting through the trees Return of the Jedi style – others are steep with some unavoidable drops and jumps. Look before you leap. A bit of googling will unearth you some GPX files but we’d recommend just following your nose.
As for keeping fit people away, we need someone to bring along some pies. Fit people feel guilt when they look at pies.
Owen
Aston Hill is pretty much a DH venue and not really worth it for the XC loop alone, plus it's steep so not good for the unfit 😉
Swinley should be avoided til late spring as the armoured stuff is all being rebuilt and the rest of it is a swamp.
Fair call. What about other good singletrack routes in south Chilterns (near Stoke Row)?
Or FoD if conditions are better?
Owen
Plenty of good routes thereabouts but they a somewhat boggy at the moment. I believe we are out riding there on Sunday.
Sounds like a pootle, which are ace.
Bit too far for me though 🙁
I just wanted to join in and say that I won't be coming, for one reason or another (apparently that's what the thread is for). 🙂
I am up for that!!
Im near watlington..... is that far?