Ok ive lived here for nearly 2 months, actually maybe more than 2 months? Sadly ive racked up exactly zero mtb rides and only a handful of very tame cross rides round a couple of local parks. Tomorrow I have made a hole in the afternoon in order to get some miles in my legs but im a bit unsure where to aim, previous posts on here had suggested heading south to 'robins wood'? but im not sure how to get there or what the laws are about where i can go. In new to engerland and conscious i prob shouldnt just rattle into any old trail but amnt against a bit of cheekiness 😀

anyway help appreciated, ta

Head for swarkestone and turn right for ingleby, robin woods is the big green bit on the hill. It will be a shitfest though. Ride most thurs and sats over that way if you want guided tour but we start out from burton

shitfest is fine just need a few hrs on the bike to clear my head or if there is somewhere better to head let me know, im coming from littleover. ill def hook up soon but prob not this weekend-are you going to sinfin cross race?

If you can get out to the North, this is a great little loop, from Belper. Easy to do in 2 hours.

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=24048

It is pretty low on mud too compared to the riding in the woods. The top of the Chevin is a bit mucky, but nothing you can't ride through. Oh and actually, the first off road climb, I would just skip it and go up Belper Lane – bits of it are pretty minging at the moment.

You'd need to be happy with rocks and roots, I dunno what cross bikes are like on technical stuff.

Or if you want a fun, pretty easy ride, start from Milford, and just ride the chevin. This would certainly be fine on the cross bike, and is a nice quick loop.

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=25868

If you are coming by bike, Milford / Belper are about 30 minutes ride north of Derby on the A6.

Joe

cheers mate! im not sure the limits of this cross bike (and rider) are for damage but sounds good, i dont have a car but i could poss/prob get out to belper by bike. and get train home if needed to

on that map does it follow roads and then cross fields? put it on satellite view but cant quite tell. looks nice and green though 😀

thanks again, if you're about at some point could hook up for mtb pedaling

Here is an easy circular route starting in Derby which includes the Chevin mentioned by Joe. All ok on a crosser.

that looks fun too thanks coleman, wow i didnt think id have so many good choices cheers guys, my email is in my profile if anyone fancies some pedalling-be warned my mtb is a big wheeled ss

so pretty much the same as my crosser 🙂

on that map does it follow roads and then cross fields? put it on satellite view but cant quite tell. looks nice and green though

Oh yeah, you're probably out riding now, but just for future reference, if you're not originally from the UK, you might not know about Ordnance Survey maps – click the 'swap map sizes' button in bikehike, and you can see it in a topographical map with the details of what the heck you're riding over, where paths are etc. Much more useful than the google map. No fields – it is all on tracks (which you can see on the OS map).

Also, one thing about the printed route above – where you come down the Chevin, towards the end, you should turn sharp left down the hill where there is a sign marked 'public bridleway' (it is a narrow lane between two bits of the golf course), not go straight on down – then you get to ride the most fun bit of downhill, whereas if you go straight, you get that downhill on a boring road. They also come into the Chevin the less fun way, although to be fair to them, the fun way is a footpath, and is pretty hard to ride. (you can sort of see it at 3:42 in this video, although the handheld camerawork makes it a bit hard to see, sorry. The turnoff can be seen at 3:00 in the video, where people are stopped).

Joe

Robins wood is 90% cheeky,

theres the singletrack in the flat top section above the fire road

then theres 3 'DH' runs from the fire road down to the stream, the most southerly one was pretty much destroyed by crossers and bonfires in the lower section, so probably worth checking someones not built some some sketchy 12ft huck to boggy flat before you ride it. The other two start off together but one goes left under a holly bush and over a few small and esily avoided drop offs, the other is all rollable (I think) but does have a few fun stepdowns allong the way. All three are easier to find from the bottom by the streem and push up than to spot from the top.

got home later than expected 🙁 so ill try and get out tomorrow or sunday

cheers Joe im from scotland so bridleways and some of the cheekiness is new to me, cheers this is not a spoon might do a recce of that on the cross bike and go back with the mtb

Saw this thread and wondered, how many people on this site ride Robin's Wood regualry as I am based in Melbourne and use it on a regular basis but do not seem many riding it.

I do happen to know who built that 12 Huck as well, thisianota lol