Im thinking of going over to hopton woods next weekend. Any body beenand If so whats it like?

Its brilliant, one killer climb a third of the waY round, but the reward from the top is worth the effort, 🙂 have fun

Yeah very good fun.

What are the conditions like at the minute?

hard ground in most places in Ludlow just 7 miles away. worth a trip.

rode the Blue at FoD last weekend and liked it more than the red at Hopton. more flow, as we say.

no facilities at Hopton at all, not really much close except at Leintwardine or Craven Arms. take your own.

Lots of fun, more natural-feeling than most trail centres. If you have the inclination you can incorporate bits of the DH course into the loop. I’d imagine its in pretty decent nick right now.

Id add a loop of eastridge in on the same day, only 20 minutes up the road, but much better imo.

Ill too add that conditions are frozen right now, just back from my local trails in ludlow (5 miles away), its the driest its been since summer, but v frozen ground. Almost perfect 😉

I’m up that way next week. How do the Hopton and Eastridge trails compare? (I could do them both, but I’d rather do one of them 2-3 times and save the driving!)

Both about the same distance, eastridge slightly shorter if i recall, but more technical, so takes longer to do. Hopton is not technical at all, but very flowey, rides really nicely, eastridge is older and more rough and rooty, much steeper, but very very good.

All I can say is when I have a day off work and stay local I try to do both, rather than 2 or 3 laps of one. They are quite different experiences. Whatever you choose, it will be good, enjoy 🙂

IMO, Eastridge is the far better of the two but the first climb is a real killer. If you’re scared of roots then don’t bother.

Thanks. Think I’ll start at Hopton and then see how I feel.

Yes. Good trail.
http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/hopton-woods-mountain-bike-trail/

Wow, Hopton was well rooty!

Fun loop. Nothing too challenging in the dry. Must go again in the wet, suspect it will be a whole different kettle of fish.

I just wish the loop had started at the bottom of the first descent, it ended with a bit of a whimper.