So cottage finally booked and it would appear we’re off down that way tonight, and the bikes are coming too (big 😀 )
Looks like the forest of dean is less than 30 miles away so is it worth a visit with the full tribe and also perhaps a cheeky hour on my own?

By ‘full tribe’ do you mean wife and kids? If so there’s a really nice family trail for them to ride whilst you have a blast round the verderer’s trail on the other side of the road 🙂

Wot ‘e said. ^^^^^^

Yep wife and 11 and 8 yr old. Both kids on 26,ers and like a bit of rough stuff but nothing too gnarr just yet. Looks like we’ll be heading that way then!

If the 8 & 11 year old are reasonably confident then they should be OK on the Verderer’s trail to IMO, I’ve seen plenty of young kids on it with the dad in tow. The climbs aren’t too brutal and there’s plenty of places to stop/move over along the trail so you won’t be causing much grief to other riders.

Definitely worth a trip if the kids are fit!

OR

Dump them on the wife, book yourself on the uplift and join us on Sunday!

Is there a DH race on Saturday?

There’s miles of cheeky hidden trails in the FoD, but finding them is the problem; entrance and exit points are often hidden in plain sight on the various fire-roads through the forest. Lots of fun to be had up there. Enjoy 😀

If you are visiting with the wife & kids, head for Beechenhurst Lodge rather than the Pedalabikeaway Cycle Centre. It’s close by but is more family orientated 8)

Theres also the now forgotten FODCA trail which is still open. This was the first trail built but does not get much of a mention now. The FODCA trail can be accessed from the same place as the Verderererererers.

FoDCA has been renamed as Freeminer trail

When I used to ride up there with my mate Sean we’d always start up the FODCA trail, then we’d come to some shadowy patch in the trees/bushes on the side of the trail and dive into the trees for much fun slaloming around the trees in shady foresty gloom, on lovely smooth larch needles. I’d never, ever be able to find any of these start points now, though.

slaloming around the trees

Is that a euphemism? 😉

Thanks very much fellas, we rode the family trail on Sunday and I snuck off after and rode the freeminers.
Then today we rode the vederererers trail, so proud of them making it round as it was their first attempt at anything like that. In fact the daughter smashed it! 😀

Glad you all had a great time! 😀

I did have to do it again after I’d dropped them off at the park 😉