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I'm really excited about my Five which I'm currently trying to build up 🙂
I've recently come off a FR bike and I'm looking to eventually race Enduro - but I need to practice for fitness and technique, ideally somewhere local.
I'm based around Cirencester, and the nearest places are FoD (great fun, but not very technical), Leckhampton (DH) and North Nibley (DH).
SO I'm looking for any long (ish) trails with some technical and fast stuff in Gloucestershire, I do not want to ride your average XC loop, it would bore me to tears 🙂
Cheers!
Bump
Surely I'm not the only one from Gloucestershire!
Get off-piste in FOD
Have you tried Cranham? Not technical but better than Ciren. Also, croft trail in Swindon may be worth a look
If you can't find what you're after in FOD, Wales is your next stop.
Cranham sounds good - I'll look into it!
Unfortunately Wales is too far for a regular trail.
Actually, I think there are some pretty old technical, rooty trails at FoD - I'd forgotten about them as no one seems to use them anymore - thanks!
Yep was going to say plenty off piste stuff in the FoD to keep you happy - problem is knowing were it is 😉
Cranham sounds good - I'll look into it!
just to add, don't bother with Cranham when it is wet. All you do is trash the trails and after the issues with NE last year try not to give any ammunition to the antis.
That's where those boring XC fitness rides come in, for finding + linking up the good stuff )problem is knowing were it is
Cranham isn't worth it if you're already looking beyond the FOD or Leckky.
Start in chelt, ride up to cleeve hill, hit some quarry bits there then stay high & make your way over to leckhampton and cane it down the more techy runs....certainly helps my fitness & techy skills...if I actually manage it
Not a massive fan of Lecki - to be fair it's good and technical, and a bit of a challenge in the wet, but the trails are really short, and I have a bit of an enemy in those quarry jumps - I could never seem to clear them last time I went - not sure If I'd want to do them on a five anyway.
Cranham seems pretty good - went there with some friends once, and we ended up cycling over towards Prinknash as we never actually found any trails 😛
@Zangolin - "You just need to know where it is" does this mean there's more other then the Mr Rooty, The OC and that lot that never seem to get ridden any more? If so where is it? I found some ridiculously steep stuff and a massive jump up beyond the skills area, but that was crazily steep built by the local lads I think - some of them are very fast...
Really depends what you consider fast and technical, here are some ideas,
Nympsfield woods, enter near the Coley Peak car park and Mansion entrance off B4066.
There is a trail that runs straight down to Frocester, deep U shape gulley with rock slabs and ledges near the top. Plenty of rocks and debris to deal with. Can literally be a river during heavy rain but this does wash the debris off to reveal a rocky base.
Difficult to explain the exact loaction but I could get a grid reference of the top at the weekend for you.
Hazel Wood just outside of Nailsworth, trail that runs down to B4014 near The Weighbridge pub.
Twisty singletrack down through the woods, some tight bends with roots and tree stumps, over a stream bed via "slatted bridge", options of routes down two stream beds or meadow exiting at gate onto the road.
The "bridge" has usually got a few slats missing and is very slippy when wet and muddy. I have come off this in spectacular style.
Top of Selsley Common down to the Water Lane end. Once you have explored the dips and bumps there are a number of fast routes taking in some lovely smooth bombholes and jumps. Cross the B4066 and head down Water Lane into Woodchester. This is / was a tarmac road but I've only met cars on it a few times. Fast descent over cattle grid and then it dives down a deep trail. Debris and water everywhere, always wet as the spring that provided water for the village is part way down.
This makes life interesting as you have to manage speed against grip.
you are aware of the issues with the cleeve conservators?
I really hate being the bringer of shit news.
The last couple of years there has been a fair bit of friction going on.
Please stick to the trails and do not ride off piste.
Cleeve, keep off the ruins, hill fort, quarry etc.
Cranham, stick to the trail map
Lecky, Ditto
Just to mention no digging anywhere, it is criminal damage on all three sites, all are SSSIs.
That grid reference would be great - really useful info Peter!
Yeah, I should have been more specific. I would describe myself as a novice downhiller - only been riding downhill for 6 months, but I can ride all of the drops and stuff at the Forest of Dean, although I do struggle clearing some of the gaps / tabletops. Verderers is good, but not very challenging unless you are really caning it, and FODCA is alright I guess...
I would like to challenge myself though, and get some XC in as well - but what I didn't want is an "XC ride" (bikepath stuff) - used to do them on my old 100mm hardtail which I had from 12 before I started DH .... soooooo boring.
Thanks for the help!
Just watched some videos, Cranham looks fun if taken at speed!
FoD - Worcester Lodge hill there are a fair few tracks to mess around on. Also worth looking at the Eduro route from last Sept some nice little techy section on that. Plus the rest of the Forest away from Sallow Vallets just get an OS map and go exploring.
Cranham looks fun if taken at speed!
Use your head...
Yes cranham is fun, but it isn't a bike park there are horses it is private and there is a history of issues...
not saying don't go fast, just be very aware,
I should also mention Jim Bowen, branches, nails, tacks, etc.
I didn't realize Cranham woods were private?
This guy Jim Bowen sabotages the trails? Does he own the woodland or is he simply anti bikers?
With regards to horses - I treat them with the utmost respect as my family is into horse riding.
And that's how it all got into a mess up there a while back )Just watched some videos, Cranham looks fun if taken at speed!
Use your head as said, have a look around on maps and use word of mouth, consider the fact that trails listed online never get unlisted, they just get used more and conflict too often follows at the faster/techier spots that attract high use. PMs are better for sharing trail use. OP, PM me and I'll happily share a good spot but I'm not posting trails up on here or anywhere else.
YGM Jameso - thanks!
briefly and sort of correctly.
Cranham is owned by a number of private individuals/organisations, some is managed by NE, some isn't. Some of these owners either tolerate or allow cycling, some don't. some are definitely anti bike.
A compromise was arrived at early last year that allowed bikes to use a limited number of tracks, not as many as were being used. A number of tracks are definitely closed, a number are outside the agreement area and the ban area.
A bloke, who looks a bit like Jim Bowen was putting branches, nails and various other crap on the tracks, best guess to stop bikes, but obviously no regard to the injuries that could be suffered by dogs, horses, deer etc. This was a couple of years ago but you never know.
Worst case is Popes Wood, lots of building went on, and i think some very unhappy owners!!!
Most of the bike trails are not used by horses but the trails do cross horse trails, so as i said use your head.
If you need more specific details about where you can ride, ask.
I will tread, or rather cycle carefully. What does NE stand for?
Are the disallowed areas signed off, or do the owners simply expect bikers to know that they are not to cycle there?
@Jameso - In actual fact you do not have mail - your email addy didn't seem to work
moloughlin at gmail dot com
NE = natural england.
my mail just replaces '@' with 'AT' to prevent spam, simple to re-write into an email that works )
I typed it in as james.olson.remote@hotmail.co.uk - might be easier if you emailed me, so I can just reply
MRMO YGM
typed it in as james.ol--------co.uk
Well luckily for me you spelt it wrong there.
Pls, use some sense and don't type people's emails out in a forum and have me and everyone in my inbox getting a load of junk mail and god-knows-what.
Ash it's Lowsley Williams mate here. Come the better weather I have some good stuff for you. Tbh most trails are so wet, and let's face it we shouldn't make a mess. Did you get to Cym Carn yet?
Cotswold riding this way is xc with some bits of natural tech, but nothing that lasts ages. I think approaching it without a trail centre attitude is best, often it's sharing trails with other users. Be prepared to stich a decent ride together. You get to know the bits where you can let go a bit. Remember if you want to race enduro fitness isn't too bad a thing!
@Jameso I'm sorry, didn't realize you'd have issue with it.....your email is in your profile anyway if someone reading this thread decided to spam you (though I can't see that happening ).
@Tang - Yeah I remember! Nope I haven't been over to Cwm Carn yet as I'm still bike-less, though I'm building up a pretty nice Five, so should be able to get there March-ish and ride the downhill, and the XC which I've heard is pretty good. Yeah, I'm trying to find a few more, so I'm not just restricted to FoD the whole time, as that was kind of the reason why I sold my Patriot.
If you are like most other people on the thread and don't want to disclose any information publicly, my email is in my profile - so if you could let me know of a few half decent trails that would be great!
I'll steer clear of them in the wet and get on down to FoD in the meanwhile, although with the weather forecast at the moment, I shouldn't think the wet will be too much of a problem!
Mrmo- hear what you are saying, I didn't know you should stay off the quarry bits at cleeve. Haven't been there for ages.
06awjudd- Lecky is my local, and I have no car, so it's short but easy for me.
As tang says you will have to stitch stuff together. Gloucestershire is not the alps. Just try and ride fast on the fun bits and enjoy the view.
Yeah, I guess it's a case of making the most from whats there, it's just I didn't what was there - anyway plenty of food for though and I'll get planning some good trails.
Thanks to everyone who coughed up the information!
Ash the 5 valleys are good if you know the stitches. 5 will be great for tec and pedal I think. Be in touch.
Not about having an issue, just normal practice online? It's not in a format that can be used by the programs that search+collect emails for spam / viruses, hence why I used AT instead of @ - common format to prevent spamming. Try typing your full email out a few times on here and see what happens.. I did once, learned the hard way, it does happen.didn't realize you'd have issue with it.....your email is in your profile anyway
Aplogies for a grumpy tone last post but it was late. Sounds like you got some trail info anyway, all good.
worcester lodge worth checking out, as is the end of the enduro trail what we call elephant man
check there other maps but bear(?) in mind dowies is just MUD atm 😯
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/groups-riding-cranham-woods/page/8?replies=262
fyi - check corrective rogers posts for the cranham map
no probs, and ygm
I'm surprised you can't find what you want in the Forest of Dean.
Cwm Carn is your nearest place for a resonably long descent.
There's a good amount of riding on the Cotswold Scarp. Map in here:
[url] http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/ride-painswick-standish-cranham-bigfoot-mbc/ [/url]
Also talk to Cheltenham Trails Group on Facebook and possibly the MBSwindon facebook group:
West Woods over towards Marlborough has a load of trails in it.
The Forest of Dean is great, but it's normally over an hour away, depending on traffic, as is Cwm Carn, and If I've got, say half a day for riding, I ideally don't want to spend 2 hours travelling.
For an all-day trip they're perfect though!
Those routes on Swindon MTB will be really useful though - thanks!!
Well if you want some techy training ride lecky then xc it to Cranham via Birdlip wood.The most technical around Cranham is the Portway runs which have abit of everything.The fastest trails are the portway ones.Cranham in general is not as quick as the FOD trails much tighter and shorter.