Hello all,

Heading to the Forest of Dean on holiday week after next, but having never ridden there before I’m not sure what to expect.

Am close to the Verderers so will use that for early morning blasts, but what will I find on the off piste stuff – is it hardtail country?

I’d like to take my Inbred, but will I find a rooty gnarlfest around every corner and wish I’d brought my full sus?

Ta very much.

I prefer my 5″ hardtail to my 5″ full suss at the Forest of Dean and the bike is more than good enough.

It’s by far the tamest trail centre I’ve ridden. Sessioning the downhill runs on a short travel hardtail is a lot of fun though.

It’s by far the tamest trail centre I’ve ridden

You’ve never been to Swinley then. Or Sherwood Pines. Or Dalby. Or Thetford.

FoD ain’t the Alps but the 2 XC loops are good, fast fun. I did an uplift day earlier this year on the DH sections – my 140mm Cube FS was by far the smallest travel bike I saw on those trails and I had by far the least amount of body armour of any rider on the buses.

If your Inbred has a dropper you might make it out alive!

You’ll be fine on the Inbred.

Very little in the FoD warrants a Full Sus. Even most of the DH tracks can be ridden on a HT fine (albeit perhaps a little slower).

That’s not to say it isn’t fun to take a FS there too, but you certainly won’t find a HT limits your fun factor there…

I’ve had my 140mm hardtail on the uplift wagon at FoD loads of times this year.

It’s ok, not as much fun as the blue runs at BPW, the FoD downhil runs are rougher, more rooty and have a more natural feel than the hard packed blue trails at BPW…the Verderers trail is not one of the FoD DH runs and is rideable on anything, it’s typical well surfaced trail centre fare.

Plenty of people use full on DH sleds at FoD and I can’t keep up with them on my HT, I can keep up with most DH bikes at BPW however….for me that’s the best indication of which uplift day is harder!

An inbred is fine for the red, blue and off piste stuff mate. I have been up to the FOD 4 times this week on mine,
I find my full suspension is too much bike forest of what they have up there. The blue is a great xc loop and surprisingly good fun. You should be able to complete it in around 35mins easily enough

I’ve seen single speed rigid inbred’s on the blue trail piloted
by grinning loonies 🙂

Having ridden both FOD and BPW in the last 6 months FOD is much more natural and rooty, whereas bpw is more man made. I did FOD on my fs bike and it was good, bpw on my ht and I could pretty much keep up with mates on fs bikes. Not sure I could have been that fast at FOD.

You can ride what you like on them.But its much more fun on a full-suss and faster.Dont fancy doing the gap jump on the bluebell trail on my hardtail.

Smashing, thanks all. I was going to leave the downhill this time around and concentrate on the xc trails, but might have a nose whilst I’m there.

A hardtail is the most suitable bike for the verderers.

I prefer the DH stuff at FoD to BPW. I like the roots and the gnadgeryness of it. All do-able on a hard tail. That’s not to say it’s smooth – like others have said there are some really nice steep and rooty trails – so while you might be faster and more comfortable on a full-sus, you’ll get on fine with a hardtail (besides which it’ll be easier to ride back up again!).