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Planning a day out riding with the wife tomorrow and as it's a bank holiday thought about going somewhere new so looking for suggestions for places to visit with good riding.
Only stipulation is it needs to have some easy stuff for the wife, was thinking cannock chase how easy are the routes / do the difficult sections have easy alternate lines? Or thetford forest perhaps?
Any suggestions
Cheers
Dorking? It's south west but should suit your requirements.
Or Swinley Forest, lots of easy stuff and a few good trails.
Never been to Cannock or Thetford so can't comment on those.
Get the train to dorking, ride your bike to holmbury st. mary, then up the hill. Then play! (plenty o'guides around)
Go to Streatley and do some of the Ridgeway nice scenery and if the track is dry easy going
surrey hills would be my choice.
thetford is ok if you live local to it but not worth the drive imo.
woburn?
cannock is good fun too
Sorry should have said regularly ride Swinley and shes done the labyrinth and happily rides most stuff there. Also veen over to Surrey hills was thinking be nice to see somewhere north or with nice views (her words not mine 😀 )
peak district?
Cannock would be more than 2 hours?
Woburn is my local riding and I think you could put a lovely loop together round here, options to stop for a pub lunch. The route used by the evans ride short is about 18 miles and very pleasant. Easy to make a longer ride. Not really technical but a high % off road. You can easily add some track in the woods if you like. Travelling by car or train
Chilterns are also great, say starting at Wendover but check that the rain has started the winter mud early. Woburn is never really sticky, just wet
Surrey Hills has plenty of fun swoopy stuff for beginners, but also enough rad to the core stuff for the more experienced.
Swinley is full of simple singletrack that's easy to find because a lot of it criss-crosses in the same area. Also some more technical stuff and some faster DH bits.
New forest?
Imo amazing views from the top of leith hill or holmbury hill. Plus everyone knows where everything is, so now worries.
Hindhead - they've shut the old A3 now the new tunnel is open. Park up at the National Trust cafe car park, ride around the Devil's Punchbowl and back to the cafe for lunch. The trails are good and the views, especially from the top of Gibbet Hill, are brilliant.
If you give me an idea of the distance and hilliness you and your other half would like to ride, I'll suggest a route.
Also, any of the Surrey Hills from Westcott, Holmbury or Peaslake are excellent, too. Or you could head further down the A3 to the Queen Elizabeth Country Park just south of Petersfield.
Being in London, you're at the hub of a bunch of railway lines that lead to various points along the South Downs Way, so why not do it in sections? Get the train to Winchester and ride to Petersfield then do Petersfield to Amberley, Amberley to Brighton and Brighton to Eastbourne on other weekends.
Ridgeway + Berkshire / Wiltshire Downs has some nice views and riding, nothing technical but a good ride with some nice pubs.
Surrey Hills is very scenic when the sun comes out. I'm sure your wife would be delighted with a trip there if she hasn't been before.
Trails might be a bit of a mess after the recent rain though.
Chilterns, somewhere between Dunstable and Streatley...
Although it was slippery today, due to the rain - so I'd suggest you look at the Northern sections - between Ivinghoe and Wendover plus Ashridge.
I can usually make it from Poole to Ealing in around 2 hours so the Purbecks could be an option if the roads aren't too stuffed. If they are then stop off at Winchester and do the first section of the South Downs Way?
Cheers for the responses guys given me some proper good ideas, Ive started to ride Surrey hills a lot so prob won't be going there.
Shedful i may drop you a message re a loop round the devils punchbowl as I like the idea of that.
Strangely enough though we're heading to the peak district (I know it's more than 2 hrs and Jedi it's your fault) as we have family up there so gonna tie in a sneaky double visit. So will probably be around the lady bower reservoir around 12 ish hopefully the weather will hold!