Hi guys,

Just a quick enquiry about Bedgebury. Anyone ride there?

Is it worth a 1.5 hr drive?

Cheers

I’ve been a couple of times now & I would go again.

Whether it suits your riding depends on what you’re into.

The route has some decent singletrack & a couple of optional harder sections (smallish drops of around a one foot & a freeride area with a bit of woodwork (not that high) & a few jumps (mostly tabletops – nothing too extreme). I’ve always taken my hardtail & left the full sus at home.

The route isn’t that long, so you should be able to get round twice comfortably inside 3 hours.

Remember to take your change as the car park is £8 via a Pay & Display machine.

If you want something more gravity fed (4x & DH) then head to nearby PORC.

I try to get there once a week. It’s a good ride with mates, but nothing too hard. Take my hardtail as my 140mm fs seems a bit overkill. Couple of drops on the newish black route, most of the routes are less than 3mins, but there are a few good ones (last two opposite the start route) we loop back and do a few times.

I’d say worth the trip.

My local place. There are some good bits not on the marked trails including bits we are working on. Is it worth 1.5 hrs and £8.50 parking? I’m not sure… But there is a layby on the A21 😉 or you can join our club. Probably worth that journey if you do two laps. Basically we do need a bigger hill. It’s fun at night though…

If you are around at 1000 on a Saturday am we usually have a club pootle. Perhaps not this weekend though I think.

Stoatsbrother – Any chance of an email with the unmarked routes? 😉

How’s it standing up to the weather at the mo?

Last time i went it was fine, few puddles but apart from that no problems at all!

Thanks guys.
I’ll give it a bash. I’ve only recently moved to the SE so I’m looking for some manmade stuff to complement the South Downs.
I’m popping over the other direction, for a play at Kingley Vale, this week, so it’ll be next week I expect.

I’ve got a big HT & a little HT. Which would ride better?

I’d love to join you on a Saturday, but I work weekends, so I usually ride on a Monday or Tuesday.

Have been there quite a few times with mates since first stumbling across it in July, went there last weekend with the other half… Had a jolly nice time, though most of the time was spent on the family route while trying to convince her that the red and black routes were not that scary.
Tis’ only about a 45 min- 1 hours drive away so definately worth it.

Also after having spent roughly £30 just on parking in the few months I’d gone, we found a way of avoiding the £8 Parking fee, which came about through what appeared to be quite a major cock up on the part of the Sat-Nav… Essentially it took us ’round the back’ of the forest round to a little forest road clearly used to transport some sort of logging equipment, at the end of which we found a little 6-7 car, car-park with no charge. 15 minute ride up to the restaurant and bike shop, and bought some bangers and mash with the £8 we’d saved!

All in all a very satisfying day out, although I’d have to say: It’s best done with mates! 😛

OP, whereabouts are you in Kent (i’m assuming you’re in Kent?) as there are quite a few decent little routes that had been used designed for ramblers and walkers, only recently converted and adapted for bike use…

Nah, I’m the other direction – Sussex.

I don’t object to paying to park; providing the money goes towards the upkeep of the trails – like at Forest of Dean.

It’s when it just fills the coffers of some sweaty bigwig that I get annoyed about it.

The black isn’t black btw and the drops are about a foot high. In general it’s not a bad ride for what it is though.

The money doesn’t go to the upkeep of the trails, it goes to the FC. Maintenance of the trails is carried out by the club there (the boars?) so you’d be better off, morally, supporting them and parking in the aforementioned laybay/forest car park.

EDIT: It’s well worth a trip IMO. It gets a real slating but, TBH, there isn’t that much else here in the South East and it’s a good effort considering the lack of funding.

Have you been over to Friston Forest on the Eastbourne end of the South Downs? Some great natural singletrack and some downhill sections. There’s also Stanmer Park near Brighton, Tilgate Forest near Crawley and Deers Leap Park in East Grinstead although I’ve not been myself. I really really recommend Swinley Forest, some very well made trails that make the best of then terrain, it’s not as flat as you would think. You’re not that far from Surrey Hills, some ace riding there, head for Westcott then up to Leith, Holmbury and Pitch Hill.

I’m not sure, other than a bit of a slicker presentation and graded trails for the family that Bedgebury offers much over Stanmer in terms of riding – it’s probably less technical and there’d be less climbing too.

Probably worth a visit and it seesm to have an enthusiastic club running things there – might be worth heading over on one of their night rides to see the good bits?

I find Stanmer is far more technical, and faster. Although I’ve only been to Bedgebury a few times and it was very muddy on both occasions. I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Friston, mainly because I combine it with a run over the South Downs way, some great hill climbs and descents either side, down Windover Hill and Jevington into Eastbourne.

I find Stanmer is far more technical, and faster.

Yep, I hear quite good things about Stanmer (and Friston). Just need to make the time to get down there.

I haven’t ridden there in about a year or so and I’d be interested in having another look. Parking is ridiculously expensive, but then so is Thetford these days. You don’t really need anything too hardcore for it, anything bigger than 100mm is probably overkill.

I did Stanmer the week after the Big Dog race and all the markings were still visible, great loop, but narrow in places for 710 bars.

If you do head over to Friston, bike down to the estuary at Cuckmere, check out the Seven Sisters, amazing. And then a pint of Harveys at Galleon, happy days.

great loop, but narrow in places for 710 bars.

The big dog course probably only covers a third of the woodland at Stanmer and misses out most of the best bits 😉

The money doesn’t go to the upkeep of the trails, it goes to the FC. Maintenance of the trails is carried out by the club there (the boars?) so you’d be better off, morally, supporting them and parking in the aforementioned laybay/forest car park.

If you join the MTB club there (£80/year) you can then park for “free” so it’s worth it if you go monthly or more. Also, according to the website, all club membership money goes towards cycling facilities.

I did Stanmer the week after the Big Dog race and all the markings were still visible, great loop, but narrow in places for 710 bars.

It was around that time that I last tried to head down there. Figured enough markings might still be there. Oh well, hopefully sometime soon …

I’ve been to Friston, and loved it! Found some great unofficial stuff, and the bombholes are enormous ! I’d actually been heading for Stanmer, but couldn’t work out where to park nor where the trails start!

Tilgate was great fun, but I went in a monsoon, and stacked it at speed on the ridiculously slippy surface. I keep threatening another visit on a dryer day.

So! How DO I find the Stanmer trails???

Yeh Friston is great, there’s huge potential for even more trails, For Stanmer head for Falmer if going by train, or University of Sussex on A27, Stanmer Park is next door, you’ll see a big open field with a wooded area to the left, in there is lots of singletrack trails, there’s also more to the right but I’ve not been. Just go explore. There’s lots of Stanmer locals on here, perhaps start a new thread.

I was staying in Goudhurst a month or so ago and went up there. Really enjoyed it but it’s not exactly technical. Lightening quick though and and a good crack. The £8 parking fee is a bit on the expensive side but there are other places to park within a 15minute ride of the centre.