I’ll be based in Bournemouth for 3 weeks in June, wondering if there’s many decent places to ride mtb, preferably marked trails or routes as I don’t fancy getting too lost. Don’t mind a short drive (<2 hours anyway). I’ve ridden most of the South Downs way (isn’t that near by?), not bad but fairly tame.

Cheers!

Isle of purbeck

I asked the same question recently as live in Ringwood am and boar of the Ise of Purbeck, nice as it is. If you are new to the area Isle of Purbeck is good and worth doing however.

Portland has a route on it but not done that personally. Ditto queen elizabeth country park, but not done that either yet.

Purbecks – some great riding out there.
Wareham forest – some great stuff but hard to find if you don’t know the place
Moors valley – fairly tame but nice singletrack and some fire roads
Some other decent local stuff – pm me nearer the time as I’m bournemouth based – also check the Dorset rough riders calendar/website.
Further afield there’s some nice stuff on the Isle of Wight and around Shaftesbury. Also there’s Haldon forest in Exeter a couple of hours drive – or swinley in the other direction

About how far away would QECP be?

Oooh. A route on Portland- cheeky? I know a few climbs but not too much interesting off road stuff. I think the coastal path is non biking.

Maybe it is. I was doing some ggolign and it came up a few days ago so ahd not done much more reasearch.

Thanks Zoolander I’ll message you closer. And when I say June, I actually mean from the 25th May to 13th June. At this stage the weekend of May 30th is probably my only free riding weekend!

You’ve also got the IOW for decent riding for the day, QECP near Petersfield or even the New Forest, should wish to get the locals foaming at the mouth.

Slight hijack, apologies! @zoolander what is there and where around Shaftesbury? I’m not that far away and would love to have somewhere a little more local to ride.

Puddletown forest? I’ve been there several times, although not for a year or so.

Ok I’m here in Bournemouth now, staying in accommodation in the royal hospital, on the A338. I’ve seen a forest car park or two on the way up to Ringwood on the back roads. Anyone know if there’s much riding to be found there? Don’t really care about the quality at this stage, just want to try and get out on the mtb one of these evenings. I have a car. Cheers!

Actually New Forest looks like it’s only a 19 minute drive away so might try and explore around there tonight!

I do all my riding in the New Forest as I live in the middle of it.

I have always found a rigid single-speed more than enough to give you an idea of how challenging it is.
It does make for some fast rides though as the ground tends to be very compacted so if you are an XC type rider (which I am luckily) then it is fine.

OS map and get out there! Its a lovely evening and if I didnt have a bad toe I’d be out tonight!

So I headed towards New Forest via my Google gps. It appeared to not really know where it was going so I ended up just driving around looking for a car park. Stopped in Burnley I think?!, beside the cricket pitch and golf course. Nice enough quiet riding, nothing technical but nice to be out.

Can anyone tell me the best car park for bikers in the New Forest? Best access point to trails etc? Road names would help! Hoping to ride there again one evening as it’s not far.
Cheers!

A good chance to plug our event. Like the Wiggle only half price and a better route….

Bumping up for the sake of my last reply!
And I won’t be available on the 7th.

i’m far from an expert but the rides i’ve done have mostly started from opposite the lamb inn @ nomansland or dearleap.

if you start at the lamb there’s some great loops towards redlynch/ pepperbox hill.

some great loops towards redlynch/ pepperbox hill

raises an eyebrow. Care to share tomthumb ?

(Just off out nearish Nomansland, right now, actually 😀 )

Yeah I’d like to know more about that too! How big a loop can you get out of it? Are they easy to find?

From The Lamb:
Up the road at teh side. straight on the BW to Lover.
Right then left up the hill to Redlynch (bit of road)
Keep North on BW’s to Pepperbox
(carefully) cross A36 and along ridge to road
After 100yds left down a step into narrow BW into gulley, hairpin right halfway down, then steep left to Dean Farm
Over the road, round the field and under railway bridge
Bit of road to East Grimstead, 1st right into Bentley Wood
(cheeky trail) to left and follow left side of wood up, get randomly lost exploring interesting singletrack.
Pop out the very top of Bentley wood and drop down to Winterslow
Left on road, then right up steep road hill, round tehbend and left on to Roman Road
Keep going to Buckholt Farm, then do an optional loop left over Broughton Down, BD Farm and Broughton village back to start of loop.
Head South on road for a few hundred yards then down track on right to West Tytherley
Left down the main road, then a cheeky right up the big drive
Over the road and back into Bentley Wood. Turn left halfway through on bend then take a right to bring you back to East Grimstead
Left down road, straight on at bend over railway bridge
If its *really* dry, left after bridge for a play in the chalk pit – note very steep drops. NEVER try this in the wet as your tyres will be 2 foot wide in 1 rotation 🙄
Straight up the BW to base of Dean Hill, right on road then left up escarpment. Try it singlespeed for added spice!
Straight over the top then nice run down to Whiteparish
Then its a bit of a road blast back to Nomansland unless you know the cheeky stuff in Whiteparish Common & Langley wood 😉

Enjoy
😀

Edit – from Broughton you can link in all the BW’s round the Wallops and even further, but I usually start from Danebury or Stockbridge for this.

thanks 40mpg – I think I’ve ridden the common and the woods round landford way

seemed quite a lot of hassle to link a few decent bits but maybe we’ll have another look

Would a couple of GPX files help? I’ve got some from my last rides in the Purbecks.

Also very near you just off the A338 and before Ringwood is Moors Valley Park – http://www.moors-valley.co.uk/planning-your-visit/cycling/

Edit: Fancy an evening ride and a pint? Ride Bike

Slight hijack, apologies! @zoolander what is there and where around Shaftesbury? I’m not that far away and would love to have somewhere a little more local to ride.

Grew up in that area and I wouldn’t say there is a ton of riding but there are a few places to ride. Where would you normally go and what trails do you already know of? I’d be happy to fill in the gaps 😀 If you want route inspiration then stalking the Shaftesbury Merida Mafia (Kim Little, Paul Hopkins and occasionally Simon Allard) on Strava is a good start 😳 😀

Edit: Fancy an evening ride and a pint?

Thanks for the offer but I’m saving myself for the Bournemouth Wiggle sportive tomorrow! 😀

Edit: I think you could do with a more seasonal video! 😉

Edit: I think you could do with a more seasonal video!

Not mine, that’s the shops! (no affiliation) I haven’t been out with them for quite a while but there was a friendly crowd.