Any local rides down near Essex? I will be down that way this weekend and wouldnt mind checking out any local trails.

Where? And “in” or “near” Essex? If it’s the latter then there’s little – if anything – of any significance. What riding there is claimed to be is usually confined to small patchs of flat, muddy and usually somewhat anti-bike patches of woodland. Nothing I’d go to the trouble of packing the bike for.

That’s a bit harsh! Danbury is frickin’ awesome, but it’s more “play” than “riding”, to be fair.

Depending on which bit of Essex, Thetford won’t be too far, or Tunstall forest in Suffolk.

Harsh maybe, but it’s the truth. I’ve lived here long enough!

And IIRC Danbury is now a definate “No!” to bikes.

Yeah fair enough, it is a rubbish part of the country to live in for MTB for sure.

Danbury is now a definite YES to bikes, through mucho work from some locals talking to the National Trust. You just have to stay one side of the dirt road, and you aren’t allowed to build anything new (not that you need to, as there’s loads there). And it’s a bit of a trial period too.

Ok there’s nothing extreme here but Epping forest has just about everything you can want, Thorndon is fantastic and very flowy, there’s even really good loops around hainault/havering country parks if you know where your going.
As long as your not expecting a welsh trail centre there’s more than enough.
Thetford also nearby, and woburn sands/playground/chicksands is also superb.

living in Essex would agree with some of the above if your up near Colchester you should give Friday woods and the surrounding woods a look Miltary training ground thats open to the public so lots of real bomb holes and loads of speeder bike singletrack trough the woods if you want a guide let me know should be able to make it out Sunday but not Sat as have family stuff on e mail in profile

I will be down in Colchester for a while, then down to Rochford and across to Burnham-on-crouch. I’ll hrow the bike in the car kust in case. Cheers.

There is a bit of singletrack in Hockley Woods, near Rayleigh. Enough to keep you amused for a few hours, it is all cheeky but never had any problems in there.