I’m off to Longleat tomorrow and wondering if it’s worth the hassle of taking my own bike? I have read about bike theft there in the past, is it still an issue?

I’ve been several times and unless you are going to explore trails outside the site, then it really isn’t worth the hassle of taking your own bike and they do get stolen. The hire ones are good enough to pootle around and they make you appreciate how good your own bike is.

Have fun, I love the place.

not sure if it’s still an issue.

I used to put mine in the little cupboard with the boiler in it and then put the u lock around the gas pipe supply to the boiler.

not sure if you’ve been to longleat before but you’ll need some sort of bike whilst you’re there – it’s fairly spread out.

Never had a problem…but I also put any valuable bikes in little cupboard as ‘wwaswas’

Some good short blasts not far from main gate (Sheerwater etc) and you have Salisbury plain..I’d take my bike!

The worst time for theft seems to be at night when the bike is locked outside. Dunno if I would be comfortable leaving mine in the bike park during the day either. I’d do both, take my bike and hire one. There is loads of space to stick a bike in the boiler room.

We left my sons Like-a-bike at one of the bike parcs (unlocked), and when we came back someone had been out joyriding on it, we did find it later on though. I wouldn’t take an expensive bike.

I used to put mine in the little cupboard with the boiler in it and then put the u lock around the gas pipe supply to the boiler.

I took my ST4 to Sherwood, did the same as above.. Good locks on it whilst out and about.. but as someone else said, hire bikes are OK, I took mine as I rode to sherwood pines each day…
There is also a nice bit of singletrack around the perimeter of Sherwoods Park.

Treat your bike the same way you would in any City / at home and you should be OK.. just don’t assume your safe as your at a holiday camp.

Thanks for that everyone, I will take it, but not leave it out at night. Big locks it is then!

Is there much riding in the area? I’m off to Longleat the first week of January and was thinking of taking the bike and doing a bit of exploring off-site.

I live 5 mins away from there and I there is plenty of riding really local, in the woods its part of the there is plenty to ride, near longleat and near the bypass theres abit more, definetly worth taking the bike

If you’re going proper riding outside of the park (compound) then fine.

If you’re solely using your bike as transport around the place then leave it at home. We had a baby in a pram when we visited and just walked around, it ain’t that big if you’re used to using your legs for transport.

I freaked myself out when I was there by pondering the question – is it car free and fenced in to keep them out or to keep us in?
Remember, big brother will be watching you….

it ain’t that big if you’re used to using your legs for transport.

Absolutely right, I’ve stayed there 3 times and have only hired bikes once on the first visit.

took mine, hid it in the internal cuboard along with the so’s, had a few exploring rides in the surrounding woodland and it makes getting places a bit quicker and easier, we were at the far (cheap) end though.

I’ve just returned from a weekend at Sherwood, and having visited the other parks over the years I’ve never understood why anyone would like to take their own bike. Seriously, is there not enough to take with bats, racquets and beer.

Most of the parks aren’t large enough for a decent ride, and if you really want to have a blast there’s nothing more fun than a drunken midnight forest trail ride on a borrowed sit-up-and-beg bike with dodgy dynamo for lighting.

Have fun.

I was at Longleat last weekend and we were handed a notice warning of thefts of “Custom Built” and “Boutique” bikes, whatever the latter is.

They also recommended that you lock your bikes inside your accommodation at night.

I only took my “4th” bike, so just opted to leave outside with a heavy duty cable and D lock.

We didn’t have any issues, but there was quite a bit of construction/maintenance going on, so although it is mostly vehicle free, there were quite a few vans going on and off site. Therefore it would be quite easy for someone to throw a couple of bikes in the back of a van and get offsite with ease.

I would agree with previous posts, unless you are going to ride in the surrounding woods, (which by all accounts has some half decent trails), a hire bike is more than adequate and takes away the stress of worrying about your own bike.

I was planning to venture offsite, but in the end just didnt get time due to all the other stuff available on site.

The word on the streets used to warn of the black hats coming over the back fence. There’s riding starting from the front gate, btw.

I’ve just returned from a weekend at Sherwood, and having visited the other parks over the years I’ve never understood why anyone would like to take their own bike

Do you realise that Sherwood Pines is right on the doorstep – like right outside. You are allowed to leave the compound.

😳

ditto

Guys,

We were at Centraparcs last week at Longleat and I had my Stumpy Expert stolen from outside a restaurant in a communal area sometime between 6 and 9pm. It was well locked, hidden behind my wifes Rockhopper and had a tag along for my son on the back of it. They cut the chain securing all of the bikes, took off the tag alng and left the rockhopper. i am now minus one Spesh Stumpy.

Do not take your bike unless it is insured and you are prepared to lose it.

Adrian

Nopt been to longleat but at the Lakes one we had three of the hire bikes stolen. I say stolen, obviously people just rode off on them for their holiday because no-one would actually nick one but they spent the time to cut through a bike lock for two of them. One of them got nicked when my son rode up to a play area, got off and ran up to the swings, turned around when he rememberd he’d forgotten to lock the bike up and it was gone.

When we told the chap in the bike office he just shrugged and said it happened all the time.