Racing in Plymouth on Sat, seeing friends in Exeter sunday so I figure I’ll go for an hour or so’s gentle recovery spin somewhere on the way Sunday morning.

Is it worth doing one of the Haldon trails (if so which one) or any short nautral loops near South Brent/Ashburton more worth doing. I’m inclined to think Haldon for ease of access and navigation

haldon if you just want to pedal and spin without navigating. its not the most exciting place in the world.

some fun stuff round the newbridge area, ten mins just off the A38. hembury woods is good as well but a bit dog walkery.

https://www.strava.com/activities/525219443

or head up into lustleigh cleave.

Hi Jambo, could i have a copy of the gpx for that ride – will give me an alternative to lustleigh next time im at the inlaws

Mark

Nice one. I’ll see how knackered I am, if i’m only good for a spin I’ll do Haldon, otherwise I’ll explore.

You racing Newnham? I’m getting pretty nervous about all the A-lines already! As much just having time to look at them what with all the ‘real’ racers practising as well as the saturday contingent.

90 mins would cover haldon’s blue and red. They’re pretty mellow swoopy fun

Haldon was one of the few places I’ve ever ridden and was genuinely disappointed. It felt like a waste of time even getting the bike out of the car, and my wife hadn’t even even finished her cake and coffee before I finished a lap of the red/black trail. I was told later that the trails were designed for family rides, and the grading reflects that. This was about four years ago, perhaps, so maybe thinhs have changed – but I’d guess they haven’t?

Ferrals, it’s nowhere near as techy as the Welsh trail centres, not even as techy or interesting as Clyne. Imagine Sanitised Strip without the berms. My suggestion would be to find a loop on Dartmoor.

Imagine Sanitised Strip without the berms

A pavement? 😆

You said it, not me. But add in a trees to meander around and you’ve got Haldon. 😉

Haha, to be fair I actually enjoy the santitised strip

“You said it, not me. But add in a trees to meander around and you’ve got Haldon. “

Although to be fair you havn’t been for four years…

Blue trail is good for a flat out blast, takes about 15 – 20 mins.

Red is ok, pretty rocky. Tight and narrow rather than technical.

Some good tight, twisty, tech rooty off piste sections which can be easily spotted from the blue, throw in one of those for fun too.

Don;t bother with the “black” section.

actually enjoy the santitised strip

So do I. The people who don’t seem to be the ones who don’t pedal. 🙂

Although to be fair you havn’t been for four years…

True.

Haldon is like any of the easier trail centres. If you smash it a warp speed on a hardtail it’s fine.

I figure I’ll go for an hour or so’s gentle recovery spin somewhere on the way Sunday morning.

Then Haldon fits the bill nicely and I can recommend the fish finger wrap at the cafe. Some of the off-piste stuff is also fun (mostly in routing around to find it) but I believe a lot of it is off limits at the moment. Anyone have an update?

not racing newmham, mrs is away and its just me and the boy this weekend.

v666ern – these three routes probably hit most of the good stuff round there. the full Dr Blackalls is a big climb up but worth it for the views and the run back down.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4954513/Early_bird_catches_the_worm_.gpx
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4954513/Newbridge_on_the_way_home_.gpx
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4954513/Chasing_daylight_.gpx

Ah.. The fort at Hembury woods.. I spent so may afternoons off there, using the mini-moat as a jump! Then racing down the slalom going through to the River Dart Country Park, then having wardens chasing us around on their scooters!

Jam bo – those are fantastic thank you

If your ever near the FOD and want a guide im happy to return the favour!

Likewise thanks Jam bo, may investigate thouse 🙂

I always think the trails at haldon are a grade below afan etc. As mentioned above, The blue is good fun on a hardtail to sprint around and the red isnt much more technical, just a little rockier in places. None of it is steep and you dont really need a full sus but i always have fun. The second descent on the red is a good swoopy minute

Haldon blue is more of a family trail and on a busy weekend it will have loads of families on it, bikes with trailers or even people walking. However it’s more fun if you can blast it at speed if it’s empty and combine it with the red. The red I’d say at least has some rocks. It’s okay but it’s over too quick. Black is generally pointless given the shortness of it and more like a red anyway.

However, explore the more interesting off piste a bit on the café side, particularly trails off the blue, and there’s enough to combine to make a fun morning or afternoon.

Far better is the wealth of stuff around Dartmoor, though you need to know where you’re going or spend time exploring with a map (and be prepared for changeable weather and ease of getting utterly lost). Or there’s Woodbury Common round Exmouth way. Again need to explore, though I found a GPX of a loop which covered all the main features.

@dk afaik cafe side is still off limits to mtb.

you’ll need a local if you want to string a good ride around haldon.
black is currently closed due to wind blown trees.
all the off-piste on the hub-side is open with the exception of the last section of jerrycan which is closed again due to wind-blow.
i’d estimate you can put together a 30km ride with ~ 1300m of climbing there using the FC trails and fire road climbs to join stuff up.

To avoid confusion, when people are saying that the red is rockier, what they mean is that the fc have put a handful of 2m long sections where some small rocks have been sunk into the trail to simulate a bit of slightly rough terrain..

Haldon is good for a narrow, twisty, undulating, pedally training ride with no technical challenges

Haldon is good for a narrow, twisty, undulating, pedally training ride with no technical challenges

Unless you ride the off-piste stuff, which is mostly rooty, technical, steep, and fast singletrack 😉 though as Del said above you do need local knowledge to string together a ride that flows.
Most of the locals only use the blue and the red trails as linking sections between the ‘good’ stuff.

I’m localish (I’m stood in my kitchen looking across river at the hill) but I don’t know the off-piste..

I feel like a black sheep 🙁

Must be greasy at newnham today. Just been out in my local woods about ten miles from there and it’s firm but sliiiiick…

Should dry up pretty quick once this rain clears.

I only ever go to haldon for a family day, so much better riding elsewhere.

carlphillips – Member

@dk afaik cafe side is still off limits to mtb.

Technically off piste at any trail centre is supposedly off limits, but then so are public footpaths.

True although plenty of the off piste was built by the rangers!

Plenty of the off piste existed long before they made it into a trail centre.

6:30 onwards:

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dtkkxER1PO0[/video]

I’ve offered to show you round yunki! Any weekend.

Most of the off piste is old stream- beds 😉

@dk cafe side isn’t part of the trail centre,