For those who don’t know, Bedgebury in Kent has been having a serious overhaul over the Summer, and is well worth a visit/revisit!

For non-believers: http://www.jab-ride.co.uk/new-bedgebury-singletrack/

Looks really cool.

From talking to Boris at Insomnia there has been loads of work done by both the cycle club and Forestry Commission this year.

Hats off to the cycle club, they’ve achieved loads.

Sweet, that looks awesome! Well done all. How well does it drain now, considering that it chucked it down at the weekend?

Unless theyve imported hills I’m out

Unless theyve imported hills I’m out

Isn’t it about making the best of what you got available?
Good work guys, will have to pay another visit soon.

Looks fun.

Good work, will try a revisit at some point.

Yes they have done a good job, that rock bit is quite tricky in the dry and makes the otherwise flat section a lot more interesting. Two final sections are being redone at the moment or about to.

Theres no other trail centre nearby so it makes a nice change from natural stuff. Did a nice quiet night ride there last week 🙂

Gonna head up tomorrow afternoon abot 1(ish)have a pootle about .

I like it now. It has kept some of its original character, but with more features and armoured trails where needed.

Now to get rid of the boggy fire roads!!!

Don’t go and have a pootle about, go and try smash a fastest time on Strava there (admittedly difficult until final sections are complete, but there are lots of named sections to go for).

Why?

Because there are not mega hills (although you’ll be surprised how much elevation change is actually recorded over a lap) you’ve got to peddle the arse out of it and get your lines bang on as there is barely a straight line on the course.
When you’ve claimed all the strava segments (only look at this years as it’s totally changed since last year) then call it boring.

As a previous Kom holder of the former red run 32.40mins, I can tell you it is a lot of fun done at that speed.

Just waiting (and waiting) for them to finish the whole new trail before smashing out a new time. Suspect there are a few of us lurking out there polishing our steeds…

I really respect what they’ve done. There has clearly been a lot of thought and time put into it. Great to have it local 8)

Looks impressive. Cant wait to get down there.

Unless theyve imported hills I’m out

ha ha, it’s not Wales, but then it’s not Holland either, I had a right good thrash over there during the summer, there’s some nice natural sections and some sections reminded me of Swinley. Ride it fast and I defy you not to enjoy it. Good work all involved.

Is it still £8000 to park there?

Yep

Is it still £8000 to park there?

/sigh/

No, it’s £8.50. Or the price of a gallon and a half of fuel. To ride a trail that has had over £100,000 spent on it in the last year despite no EU money etc.

You can always join the bike club though and for about £1.50 a week you get free parking, free bike wash, discounts in the bike shop, cafe, Cotswold Outdoors etc as well as all the other club benefits.
http://www.boarsonbikes.co.uk/club_join.php

Thanks for the positive comments though, it’s that that keeps us going and helps the FC justify the resources they have spent on it! We haven’t finished yet and will continue to develop the site to offer new challenges and keep the riding fresh.

Simon Auger (Boris)
Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club

rode there for the Insomnia and it was a lot better .

not sure how it will cope in the wet though .

Just Back and all i can say is AWESOME .Very well done to all involved. Well worth the £8.50 parking . So much more flow and very fast it is bermalicious? I was a member and it ran out last month,a new job and possible move of home is the only thing stopping me joining again.Get down there and have a blast.

Unless theyve imported hills I’m out

😆

Don’t ever go to Thetford then – you may die. 😉

Been down today for the first time in a year or so and I have to say well done to the trail builders – some fantastic work & great flowing trails.

Just a shame that the tracks that join it all up are so bad – after a couple of laps I looked like I’d been run over by a muck-spreader 😐

I’m off tomorrow for a couple of laps and to session the bit between the Quarry and Bikeea(i think) the ride down to the quarry nearly had me off last week but i blame the nobby nics? i have always liked Bedgebury but now i love it .I used to get jealous of trail centers with berms and now my local has loads .

No, it’s £8.50. Or the price of a gallon and a half of fuel.

Good for locals, however a trip to Bedgebury costs me £50, still worth it though but i wouldnt be able to do it more than a few times a year

Just a shame that the tracks that join it all up are so bad – after a couple of laps I looked like I’d been run over by a muck-spreader

Yes agree they are quite grim in places… I have a meeting with the FC in early November to see what we can do. We may be able to find the funds to replace some of them with simple, surfaced singletrack, if not we might at least be able to put a hard shoulder on the edge of them so they stay ridable.

Glad you are enjoying it though!

Boris

I rode this too recently…good job Bedgebury!

There’s a very nice flow to the rocky section, it’s a lot of fun to ride.

I have to agree on the point about the boggy fire roads and the slippery bits being a drag, but if this is the harbinger of what’s going to come to Bedgebury then I won’t moan about the parking costs.

First visit in over the year: took the family. All agreed its much improved: kids were ‘whooping’ over some of the newly built features. Favourite section was last piece of ST to the car park. Nicely placed rock slabs between the trees. The yellow clay fire road sections are Somme-like, but a fun challenge pedalling through that much mud.

So thumbs up to the on going work in difficult geography. I think £8:50 is fine* for 2 hrs muddy fun.

(* I ride Hamsterley in Co. Durham, occasionally. It’s £3:50 to park for a great red & good black trails, plus some blues and a skills loop. I see MTBers parking just outside in the lanes to avoid the charges. They’re happy for paying MTBers to subsidise their use of the built trails.)

Been going to for a few years now, and it now seems more like a blue route! The work done is impressive, but I do not think it has made any outstanding sections of trail, lots of it seems cosmetic.

The last section you go down is good fun, but that is it, there seems to be no longer any technical sections that really test your mtb skills, although there is a ‘collection’ of rocks about halfway round you can ride over. The pen ultimate section that you now do in reverse was the best section until the direction change, it was very quick, fast flowing with a few technical sections.

I would save your money and spend it on the extra petrol going to Surrey Hills or Swinley Forest.

To me, it feels as though the trails are now trying to be too family friendly and catering for the lowest ability rider. There is loads of forest there, some more testing trails would be nice to see along with a lower parking charge! Most expensive parking for any trail centre I have been to.

I used to visit Bedgebuty often as I lived in Wadhurst, for those that haven’t ridden there it’s a lot like Sherwood Pines but probably a bit better. If you haven’t ridden either sorry, just watch the video.

I bought an annual pass as we used to take the little one to the pirate ship and all the other great play things in the forest. If you have kids as well as biking there is loads of stuff to do there and a walk around the Pinetum is also great and dare I say it educational.
For me though one of the crowning Jewels was the cafe, their coffee and cake is great and the sausage & onion baguettes are to did for,

Well done guys, some good work gone into that place and if you turn up with the intention of knocking out two laps then it’s well worth the visit in my opinion.
Hopefully see some of you soon