[Closed] how long you prepared to ride on roads to get to trails?

15-20 minutes doesn't seem so bad if you're going for a good long ride. Beyond that, I'd either drive to the trails or just accept the inevitable and go out no a road bike.

I'm "lucky" in that I can get onto the local trails across the road from my house.

There is something so turgid about riding an mtb with off road tyres on the road for any great distance - especially if you are used to riding the same route on a road bike. My local spot for fun riding is a about 6-7 miles by road but frequently ride double the distance to get there by bridleway....or normally take the car. It's a bad habit.

I'll ride 10 miles on road SS or geared to Birdlip in the summer for the start of a great (dry) loop. In winter i wouldn't bother as Cranam is very muddy and i can ride elsewhere, which is probably 5 miles of tow path / road. Its a good warm up.

[edit] i have been known to [i]cheat[/i] and have the wife drop me off by car, and i then start my journey home from there [/edit]

For most of my evening/night rides, it's 4 miles ish (so 20 mins) from the house to Macc Forest, so not bad at all. I've been known to ride the 10 miles down the Middlewood Way to get to Marple and have a scoot round there of an evening too, but that takes about 45 mins each way on top of the ride, so a big night out.

Most weekend rides involve the car as we ride all over tbh, The Peak, The Lakes, Wales, Gisburn, Rivvington, Hebdon Bridge and others.

Carlos

Once you factor in not having to sort out the car and changing etc anything under an hour is acceptable - and in most places they'll be BW, paths and other off-road routes once you start looking.

But where I live now, its about 50 yds from my place to the start of the off-road trails 🙂

good point b r . reckon i spend at least 20 mins packing and unpacking the car. Not to mention the actual drive of course!

I typically travel 3-5miles to get to the start of off-road trails. Although when on a ride I tend to do off-road sections linked with road sections and end up with a 50/50 split.

Your car sounds rubbish 😉

I've been known to ride 15-20 miles (each way) to get to the start an off road route even though I have trails in both directions starting from my front door.
kinda hate driving to ride my bike.

It's faff time vs draggy tyre time. Maybe I'd ride 30 minutes to get to trails. If I didn't have bridleways 5-10 minutes out the door depending which direction I go.

It takes me about 45 minutes to get to the North Downs from home by car or I can ride there in just over an hour so I tend to just ride a mix of 80/20 road/bridleway to get to any decent trails.

Similarly it's about a 35-40 minute drive to Swinley or about an hour ride on road and bridleways so I tend to just ride to the trails.

Sadly there's no trails any closer than that as far as I'm aware.

20 minutes from Tonbridge to Bedgebury? Really? Fair play to you, especially on a single speed.Are you going straight down the A21?

0 to 5 then to 10 depends on which direction I go on the start.

Wind direction usually dictates initially route selection as I prefer to return home with the wind behind me.

I would ride 10-20 mins max to get to decent trails, there arent any actually within that ride time, so I always get in the car, usually for 30-60 minutes drive:-

macc forest is 30 mins drive
hope valley is about 40mins drive
gisburn, about 1hr
llandegla , about 1 hr
coed ybrenin and surrounding areas, 2.5 hrs
lakes 1.5-2.5 hrs

I have a lot of riding on my doorstep, but generally also ride 30/45min on the road to get to trails. I do it on a ht though, wouldnt fancy it on the heavier, more burly tyred fs.

There is something so turgid about riding an mtb with off road tyres on the road for any great distance - especially if you are used to riding the same route on a road bike.

This ^. It's awful and I hate it. Partly why the road bike gets used so much more than the mtb.

I ride out to Hamsterley or Reeth for a MTB ride, from Darlington. In fact, I've done both as part of one ride before now.

flange - 20 mins drive to Bedgebury from Tonbridge - not cycle! Takes me just over an hour to ride there but not on the SS!

I once rode 18 miles to the wyre forest, 14 miles around the woods & then 18 home, was a lovely sunny day & I had a pub stop on the way home but I'd not want to do it everyday

All depends on fitness 💡 and time available.
Mabie & Ae are 7mls from me. If I have the time I'll bike out, if not I'll take the car.
Yesterday I included a cafe stop at Ae on a 36ml route taking in some big hill "tracks/quad tracks" 😆
A bit like Daves blog I will be exploring more of the hills around me this year, I'm on a mission.... 😆

A mile maybe

I am quite unfashionable and like pretty traditional xc riding on a short travel hard-tail so generally things like canal towpaths, tracks, parks, gravel paths etc are all amusing enough to ride until I can get to some 'proper' trails. So in that sense, I'd happily ride for 1hr to get to the decent stuff. If it was purely just on the road though, I guess I'd be bored after 45mins.

I live in Manchester and have occasionally rode down to Macc Forest for MTBing but have got the train back...might do the both ways this Summer though.

This ^. It's awful and I hate it.

Honestly depends, though I've lived must drive distances and it doesn't bother me. I've lived with a gate out the garden into local trails and it gets dull riding the same stuff too much. Currently it's a 10-20 min grind up to the local trails and I'm bored of them.

Flippin eck. You're complaining about 20 minutes riding? It takes me 20 mins to ride to the closest trails and I think I'm pretty damn lucky. I can ride to different trails in about 30 mins, and that's also pretty good.

You want the moon on a stick don't you? 🙂

There is something so turgid about riding an mtb with off road tyres on the road for any great distance

Maybe if your bike is some ridiculous enduro 800mm bar job. I ride the road bits on the Patriot and even though it's slow, it's a means to an end and it's fine. Not as good as the road bike of course but then I just relax and I'm there. Better than driving. But then, all my bikes have concessions to climbing and XC riding, even the Patriot, so that probably helps.

12 miles to stainburn from the centre of Harrogate (don't have a car)

Local trails to me are 20 minutes up the hill on the road, or 10 minutes along the Sustrans, depending how much time I have to ride and where I wanna start..

I used to fairly regularly ride 1.5 hours to the local trail centre, again mainly Sustrans with a nice Tour of Britain KOM on the way there, but I was very much about getting miles in my legs at that time..
When I was living on Dartmoor it would take me 20 minutes to get to Haytor or a bit longer to get to Lustleigh..

I don't really remember any time when I've regularly driven anywhere to ride except for when my youngest was first born and I'd nip up to the local trails in the car of an evening for a quick couple of hours blast..

I used to be a bit snobby about it but I guess it's all related to time available and location innit.. I've ditched the car now so it's all irrelevant anyway 🙂

I used to be a bit snobby about it but I guess it's all related to time available and location innit..

My two local rides are either 5 miles or 13 miles to the trail start and to me both are a ride and not a drive

all my bikes have concessions to climbing and XC riding, even the Patriot, so that probably helps.

I hate riding my MTB on the road. It's not slow, I just hate it. I can either do 12 miles each way on the road to get to the best trails, or about 15 on boring bridleways. Nice on a summer day with unlimited time, in reality I usually drive most of the way. Still park at the bottom and ride into the hills though.

Goddamn Mtbel I'm gonna swoon again. It's such a shame you won't share your Strava profile to [s]back up your bollocks[/s] show us all how awesome you really are.

I've ridden my 37lb short travel DH bike 15miles to a local DH track for a couple of runs and then ridden 15 back.

Please stop asking Njee. your stalkiness was originally just a bit creepy but it's now beginning to get tiresome.
I couldn't actually care less whether you believe me or not.

riding mtbs on dull roads and bridleways can still be fun. Wheelie up all the climbs, manual all the descents, hop about on and off verges, kerbs or anything vaguely interesting along the way. You don't have to just sit like a sack of spuds pedalling a smooth cadence you know.

Thank you Mike, I'll print that out and wear it with pride 🙂

You will have to collect it from the last winner, anyone seen PussyWillow in a while?

Please stop asking Njee. your stalkiness was originally just a bit creepy but it's now beginning to get tiresome.
I couldn't actually

I've asked twice. I just think someone with so much awesome would want to share a bit with others, y'know inspire them. For shame that this is the only portal to your godliness. Still, luckily for us you can't post without some utter shit spewing from your mouth, so we get to hear about it plenty!

lol. what in your opinion is "utter shit" about anything I've said?

and WTF made you the umpire of the internet?

Singletrack 5 minutes from the door, after 1/2 mile of tarmac as well. DH trail finishes 10 yards from house, got to love the rural life 😉

8km road, though some of it is on Sustrans paths. No off road option, which sucks. Always ride it as I don't have a car, though it means I can have a post ride beer so that's a bonus.

lol. what in your opinion is "utter shit" about anything I've said?

Well that if you don't ride 30 miles on your DH bike you're not 'strong enough' is a good one. Not needing more than one bottle for a 200km ride. Your two hour road ride average being 'only 20mph'. Your ability to ride everything (including all WC DH courses) on a rigid rim brake equipped bike, and more importantly to deride anyone who disagrees with you. You then refuse to back up any of your frankly daft claims with the really obvious source of data which would have me dothing my cap. I struggle to find a post that I don't think 'crikey, what a tool'. But we digress. Merely my opinion.

mtbel, just pop us your Roots and Rain link
https://www.rootsandrain.com/

Plus the photos of you on that rigid bike winning. Anything else is overkill after all!

all of the above is 100% true. you want me to lie and say it isn't because you have trouble believing any of it? how odd 😕
Just incase you're not clear, the "Only" 20mph was in comparison to my fastest 10min average.

likewise with my thoughts on every comment you direct towards me, why not just accept you might be wrong and move on?

Because I've taken an instant disliking to you. I don't believe you, and your refusal to prove me wrong is adequate vindication in my mind to continue thinking you're full of crap.

If I'm wrong then I apologise. But I'm not taking your word for anything, that would be daft. What was the last race you won?

Edit: sorry, derailed this thread sufficiently, I'm off now.

I ride for 13 weeks every day just to get to where I keep my bike locked up.. then I tow an angry African bull elephant backwards up Mt Everest before stoppying all the way back home at 100mph.. And that is all before I start work every morning

So you two need to stop bickering

Thanks Yunki.

can you wait for me at the door and walk me to my bike so these horrid bullies don't get me?

only if you let me hold your hand 😳

I have a 10 mile road journey which is actually horrible on the mtb. Or I have a mile to ride cheeky, pretty nice cheeky actually but if caught I will feel the wrath of the village.

I used to live 100yrds from the start of a Malvern off road trail.

Now I live in the bog lands below the hills I have to do a little bit of road work (3miles one way, 2.5miles the other), but it's mainly on v quiet lanes and no through roads. I dont mind it, even on the SS MTB as it's a nice warm up for 10-15mins before having to crank it up the side of the hills which would be brutal to do stone cold.

I cant remember the last time I took the bike in the car to ride somewhere. Probably Nant yr Arian a few years ago.

There is something so turgid about riding an mtb with off road tyres on the road for any great distance - especially if you are used to riding the same route on a road bike.

My nearest trails are 3 miles away and I really, really don't like that ride. I'd sooner do 400 metres to the train station and use that to get to Cannock though even that is a faff.

These things are all very contributory as to why I don't use my MTB very much any more.

TBH I don't mind MTBing on the road, I did 23 miles or so on Sat, only taking in 1 small 300m trail, simply because it was better than driving into town, I had some spare time to kill and I like riding... It was lovely. OK, so it's slower than the equivalent road bike.. but that doesn't make it a bad thing.

I'm lucky that my trails are less than a mile from my door now, when I move house again in 4 weeks, they're back to being 100m.

However, I often use other trails that are 4-5 miles away as my start point.

I technically could ride off road from the door but it's not the most inspiring ride. To get to the good stuff is about 25 mins on the bike. It ok to ride but TBH I'd rather throw the bike in the car and have an extra 40 mins trail riding. The car is usually set up for bike carrying so it is fast to load up.

15 minutes on the road gets me from home to the trails on the Malverns. It's up all the way, then up some more..

My trails are 7 miles away on road. I'll do this most Sundays to get the mileage in. I won't bother on a mid week night ride as I haven't got the time. It takes about 30-40 mins, which is fine on the way, but can be a chore on way back. On a drier day, I'll take the off road route which will take another 15-30 mins

You can make as many excuses for them as you want but it seems to me a lot of folk simply aren't fit or strong enough.

If you read my post I'm not making excuses. I am in favour of riding my MTB to trails, I do it all the time.

[b]them[/b]

have a coffee 😉

We've a bridleway that starts at the house but it's quite short, very muddy at this time of year and doesn't really lead anywhere. A couple of miles of hilly road will get me to the next set of bridleways that can be linked up to form reasonable loops.

After that it's six miles or so of road, depending on how I feel or time available or whether I want the miles I'll either ride this or use the car.

Moving house at the end of the week .. finally ! so luckily I've got some trails a stone throw away which is also the start to a strava segment so mission there ! .. joking aside normally the decent trails like Thrunton Woods and Chopwell are bout 30/40 mins drive away

have a coffee

Ah yes.. I have a coffee now, I see it 🙂

When I was in 6th form college I used to ride 10 miles to the woods and back - no choice. That now seems to be my benchmark for acceptable distance.

Most of the trails near me are part of a network, rather than a self contained area. There is a small one of those that's probably 30 mins away by bike, or about 45 by trail. Sometimes I'll ride straight there if I want to do two laps of my 'training' loop, sometimes I'll ride there on the trails and only do one or half.

Things like this highlight how differently MTBers approach MTBing. For some people (not saying people on this thread) it's the new golf - a day out in your rep car with your £5k bike and having an activity day with your mates - which isn't a bad thing in itself. For some people it's something you've always done; on whatever bike you have, whatever trails are available. For some it's about speed and thrills, others it's about a pootle; for some it's 6 hours in the wilderness, some it's 5 hours in a big loop, some it's a 2 hour blast. It really is pretty diverse.

I think it depends where you come from - middle aged hobby; dyed-in-the-wool cyclist, dyed-in-the-wool outdoor person; hooligan thrill seeking youth (possibly grown up 🙂 )

Things like this highlight how differently MTBers approach MTBing. For some people (not saying people on this thread) it's the new golf - a day out in your rep car with your £5k bike and having an activity day with your mates - which isn't a bad thing in itself.

I know someone who lives less than 3 miles from the trails, and couldn't comprehend riding there. Drives, every time. Does a <10 mile ride, drives home. Decent enough rider too, not a beginner or owt. I find that utter madness, not least it will take longer to put everything in the car than it would to just ride, and I personally like doing a [i]few [/i]extra miles.

I see a short road ride to the trails as a nice warm up.

I see a short road ride to the trails as a nice warm up.

Quite. I couldnt hit Mount Malvern on the SS cold without hurting.
I used to live opposite Tank Quarry and the first climb out of North Hill Car Park was a git given Id only turned the cranks over a dozen times before you head straight up. Id prefer to ride around on the road to St James school and go up from the back after a warm up instead.

Things like this highlight how differently MTBers approach MTBing. For some people (not saying people on this thread) it's the new golf - a day out in your rep car with your £5k bike and having an activity day with your mates - which isn't a bad thing in itself.

I often spend 30 minutes or so riding to the "good trails" and might only spend an hour or two before heading back (which is mostly downhill to be honest). I used to detest the thought of wasting all that riding time on road, but when I got over myself it opened up some really good riding. Happy days 😀

Or you could do what I did on Sunday, ride 20 miles to the local trails, ride 10 minutes of singletrack before tearing a tyre then have to ride home on the rim.

I envy those in the Peaks/Lakes and so on who have amazing riding out the door. My brother can be in the Peaks within 15 minutes of riding, or an hour in the car takes him to even better riding. I don't resent driving somewhere if that somewhere has decent trails. What I do resent is having to fight the M25 to get somewhere, only for it to be busy as hell or the riding be mediocre.

i envy those in the Peaks/Lakes and so on who have amazing riding out the door

What I do resent is having to fight the M25 to get somewhere

I was brought up in the Peak District and made a very conscious decision that living there was more important to me than career-hunting in the SE.

then I tow an angry African bull elephant backwards up Mt Everest

Everesting the Elephant?

45mins - 1hr ride is about the point at which I take the car, I sometimes ride out to the trails, ~10 miles there depending on which local spot I'm going to, Dartmoor is only (a hilly) 15 miles way but I drive if going there to maximise bikey-fun-time. Always end up taking the car if the GF is coming too though.

If I'm on a real time limit a road ride form my door is a better option, or a muck about in the woods just out of town, but only limited trails there.

upto 5miles sounds reasonable. I can get offroad within about half a mile but the tracks are tame and take so much longer to get to the good stuff I normally ride 3-4miles up the road instead. Good for winter pootles tho.

In other circumstances I guess I'd evaluate time taken to ride to the trailhead vs loading the car up*, driving there, unloading bike and assembling and then the same again for return leg, and just do whichever took the least time.

*TBF if I was feeling lazy I'd discount the original load up/end unload at home, they could potentially be done the night before/day after.

t-p 26 - Member
Singletrack 5 minutes from the door, after 1/2 mile of tarmac as well. DH trail finishes 10 yards from house, got to love the rural life

Or, singletrack 5 mins from the door, after a quick pootle through the park. long downhill trail starts 100 yards from the house.

got to love the city* life 😉

(*you've just got the pick the right city)

I've always ridden the 3.25 mile 1000 ft climb from home to the top of the Quantocks (takes around 25 mins), makes me laugh when I see bikers up there faffing with their bikes for longer than it's taken me to ride up from the village.
Only takes me 8 minutes to ride back down though.

Same as Donk TBH
I can offroad within 5 mins riding but its pointless. I rarely see any cars on the back road anyway.
i do offroad all the way home though

What I find is that , despite it being 5 miles away its actually quicker to ride than take wheels of, load car, drive, unload bike re build bike and then ride.

Downside is you ride the same stuff over and over but thankfully there is enough variety to [just] keep me happy

As an ex roadie the drive to ride somewhere still grates a little.