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Really pleased with how my riding has come on so early this year (great weather recently has played a part) but I'd like to get better at jumping.
This is not an advice post, god knows there's enough articles and videos detailing what I should be doing....what I'm looking for is somewhere to practice where I won't be in the way.
Anybody know of anywhere down south I can session (god I hate that phrase!) some jumps of varying heights, gaps, drops etc?
Should I just go off piste at Swinley in the week?....anywhere in the Surrey Hills?....does Gibbet Hill/Hindhead still have Brendan Fairclough's jumps?
Surrey Hills or PORC?
Don't overlook your local BMX track. If there is one.
Nirvana Cycles (Surrey Hills, Westcott) Freeride Practice, check their website but I think it's Saturday. Aside from practicing together you'll get to know some trails and can then practice there, take care though with midweek jump practice on your own in case you have a stack. The Wednesday old blokes ride usually includes some jumping too.
Jambalaya cheers, I used to work in Cranleigh and vaguely remember Nirvana cycles posters being up all over the place.
There's a spot off Coldharbour Lane by Leith that are quite good for sessioning jumps. I suspect Nirvana use them a lot (if not built them).
And yeah, careful on your own or at least let someone know where you are, and note where you are if you need to call an ambulance 😉 (assuming you're conscious 😀 )
Rogate?
Rogate, or if you fancy a drive, Chicksands in Bedfordshire.
Friston Forest is littered with jumps of various sizes and gaps.
Quite a good jump area at Woburn that never seems too busy as I plod past .
some jumps of varying heights, gaps, drops etc?
How big are you talking?
+1 for Rogate.
Chicksands/maybe woburn (maybe a bit big for learning, but they are pretty easy) is the best shout. Id say swinley is quite good for a spot of learning too.
Freeride practise with nirvana is a good shout.
Wouldn't go to rogate for learning to jump tho, maybe one or two jumps on dual line might be ok. But it's your typical tosh "DH" jumps which are pretty horrible or not quite right. Terrible for beginners, not enough to really entertain you if you can jump, good for that intermediate who can jumps some stuff and just wants some other stuff to tick off the list.
They've done some work on the gulley at Swinley recently. As long as it's dry it's good to learn as 2-4 lines at each of the 4 jumps and they're tables. Some are hipped too.
They've done some work on the gulley at Swinley recently. As long as it's dry it's good to learn as 2-4 lines at each of the 4 jumps and they're tables. Some are hipped too.
Not all tables, but yes they're more jumps with proper transitions, than the mounds that were there previously.
Got this 1/2 mile from my door too. But I'm too chicken! Not far from Swinley, but I didn't dig them so I'm not saying where!
Used to ride a bit with one of the lads in that vid about 10 years ago before he started dj only.
Cheers guys, have ridden Rogate before but I tend to just clatter down courses like that and 'drop' rather than jump anything in the way.
Found a couple of nice jumps in my local woods today but they were part of what looked like a little DH course so of course that takes over and I just end up riding top to bottom loving it and not really practicing anything in particular!
Don't know where you're based but there are BMX tracks at Wargrave and Lower Earley in Reading if that's local? Great for pump practice too!
Another vote for Nirvana's freeride practice. Here's a few clips of a session last November around Leith and Pitch Hill. Never any pressure to do anything you don't feel up to but plenty of advice and encouragement.