[Closed] Swinley - got any rocks/rough ?

No

but has any of it got any decent rocky stretches ?

Its not only a trail centre but one in a part of England which has bugger all rocks.

So a few roots but thats it (Kimbers says it more succinctly)

No

🙁  anywhere else in the general area ?

(I guess lots of biggish roots would pretty much work)

No

^  That.

There's a few nice trails from the 'top of the trails' but nothing majorly rough bar some rooty sections.

Surrey hills might be better?

20' hucks to flat all over the place.  More gnar than you can lob a causally discarded goggle tear off at. Maximum schralp.

Pebbles, lots of pebbles.

Yup tons of pebbles and berms.

The only accessible 'rocky outcrop' that I can think of locally are the 'Devil's Jumps' which are as the south-side of Frensham Common, between Rushmoor and Churt, near the Sculpture Park. There's a descent that's loose and rooty

There's the infamous rock garden on Stickler 😂

And there's now a rock drop in Seagull.

Think there's about 4 rocks in the whole of Swinely 😁

But problem Swinely has is Crown Estate has a rule that no materials from outside can be used. In the main it means using the ginger from the quarry on site and mixed with pebbles to make a horrible all weather surface.

There are some older sections with rooty stuff too.

Aston hill is about an hour north of Swinley. Not many rocks but roots aplenty.

thanks all

... So am I heading to Wales, then ?

(Flash, this schralp - will there be any loamy pow ?)

Wait:  how about Tidworth - I've never been there either.  Might be a bit rooty at least ??

I know there's a few rocks on the quantocks

Done Swinley a couple of times, I'd rather stay in and have a cup of coffee than go there again.

Found it as dull as ditch water but others love it.

There's more to Swinley than the yellow cobble road, but we don't talk about such stuff (especially as CE seem to be cracking down on it).

I'd still go elsewhere though in preference. I'd suggest Surrey Hills, but conditions are terrible at the moment.

I’d still go elsewhere though in preference. I’d suggest Surrey Hills, but conditions are terrible at the moment.

Exactly, and Swinley is better than staying in with a coffee, (or a road ride) that's for sure. It's what you make of it.

Done Swinley a couple of times, I’d rather stay in and have a cup of coffee than go there again.

Found it as dull as ditch water but others love it.

Go faster.

To be fair to Swinley, there are a few sections of roots which will rattle your fillings loose, red15 (especially if you hit the rooty section fast rather than mince up the incline and try and pick your way down the second half), the rougher bits of deerstalker/labrynth/axle run/babymaker. It's not the lake district but it can be quite rough if you avoid.

But yea. No rocks. If you're planning on demoing a lot of bikes there I'd maybe do a lap on your own bike first so you can decide for yourself how representative of your normal riding it is.

The off piste is "loamy pow" as you call it 🙂

I like Swinley, it is want you make of it. It really doesn't reward pootling like a lot of places (GT, Llandegla etc) as there isn't a gradient to give you free speed if you don't carry it yourself. A lot of it only really works when you're pedaling hard and carrying all your speed round the berms (there's a good reason they're so big!).

The cobbles on the other hand; it was great when it was fresh, but dear god it's uncomfortable if your on a hardtail and not used to it! Its wearing quite badly though, the mid section of blue 14 used to be flat out jumpy/cornery brilliance but now its a struggle and carries no speed into the climb up to the last bit.

quote Go faster. end quote

Pedaling faster over boring terrain doesnt make it anymore enjoyable.

Im not clear on the op, wanting to go to demo days or wanting to hold demo days?

I would avoid going to any demo day at swinley.

If you are looking to hold demo days then it depends on the bike, Ive been to some good ones at aston hill.

thanks all - may end up in S Wales for these (will only be on a couple of days; I can suck up the 2hr travelling/planet-raping for that)

There millions of rocks at Swinley - it's just that they been ground down into a bearing and drivetrain killing paste.

If you're going to demo a bike then it should be on what you normally ride. No point demoing a bike on rocks to then ride swinley or vice versa.

But in answer to your question, no, swinley has no rocks.

Depending on where you are there is some good rough stuff down at Friston. Off camber roots, high speed chunky rocks, etc. It's no Wales, but it's still great if you can get someone to guide you.

<div class="bbp-reply-author">oldtalent</div>
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I would avoid going to any demo day at swinley.

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Awww, but you could* live out your keyboard warrior social cleansing wet dreams and go on a murderous rampage around Great Hollands estate whilst you're there.

*please don't, my sister inlaw lives there and it's handy for Swinley

If you’re going to demo a bike then it should be on what you normally ride. No point demoing a bike on rocks to then ride swinley or vice versa

You're right, but well over half my riding will be in California - that's an awful long round trip

(cheers, but suspect Friston would take me nearly as long as, say, cwmcarn and I don't know it at all)

but well over half my riding will be in California

We got there in the end 😉

Lol !  :smirk:

(the rest'll be Lakes or Wales as most of my local riding is flat boggy rigid SS land, so don't feel too bad Dez !)

If you want some proper rocks, the new Croatian DH course looks worth a visit:

You’re right, but well over half my riding will be in California

So, highly restricted where you can ride off road and in the off chance there's rain, forbidden to ride in any kind of mud because it "causes trail damage".

So, highly restricted where you can ride off road and in the off chance there’s rain, forbidden to ride in any kind of mud because it “causes trail damage”.

Yeah, it's awful

Wouldn't go there if you paid me (California, not Swinley) 😆

Yay, Swinley featured in this month’s mag (yes, there’s a mag, arf).

So, ahem, boring, the northem monkeys covered it 😛