Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • Mountain biking near Tooting (London)?
  • spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    I recently moved to Tooting and I’m missing riding my mtb. Are there any good trails and single tracks not too far away? (I have a family and don’t want to spend the whole day out.)
    Thanks.

    grantway
    Free Member

    There isn’t any for what I know
    Probably better getting the train to Surrey Hills

    antennae
    Free Member

    There’s a little bit of cheeky riding on Wimbledon Common near the Windmill, but officially bikes aren’t allowed up there and it’s pretty busy with walkers.

    Richmond Park is also an option, but again you’ll have to go off piste on the cheeky stuff – the main track around the perimeter is the only one officially allowed for mountain bikes, and it’s pretty dull.

    As grantway says, by far your best option is to pedal to Wimbledon and get the train to Dorking (only 30mins or so). There the best riding in the south east is within a short pedal. (Happy to show you round – email in profile.)

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    razorrazoo
    Full Member

    Swinley is not too far, can get the train there from Waterloo, get off at Martins Heron.

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    I have a family and don’t want to spend the whole day out

    Well that’s not really going to work. Leith Hill is probably the best/ nearest for you. But it’s not going to be at the bottom of your road.

    http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/recreation/article/rec20091201-Where-to-Ride–Surrey–MTB-0

    alansd1980
    Full Member

    Depending on what you are looking for you might be able to get a fix in closer to home. Do you drive?

    For technical riding surrey hills will be closest. If you dont mind a bit of bridleway bashing with some singletrack thrown in then there are some options.

    About 20 minutes south between Sutton and Banstead there is an area called banstead downs. Not big but lots of bits and pieces that can be linked together and maybe close enough to nip out for an hour or two after work.

    Slightly further out is Epsom downs, headley and box hill.

    http://www.diaryofamountainbiker.co.uk/Routes.php

    Have a look at some of the routes on this site

    Just down the road in colliers wood is moose cycles, very good mtb shop, guys in there will be able to suggest something

    thekingisdead
    Free Member

    Up early and train out to Surrey would be your best bet, IMO. Back for just after lunch, maybe

    spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    Thank you all for you suggestions and offers.
    I don’t drive so I’m going to check train timetables, prices etc. and figure out if it’s viable.
    Thanks again.

    joolsburger
    Free Member

    Train to Dorking and head for the hills. It’s the nearest and best place.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    Train is 36 min from Wimbledon if you go early it’s easy to be back by 1 and still get a good loop in. Swinley takes longer although the start of the trails is closer to the station. If you go to dorking you can either ride on the road to wescott and go up rookery drive or ride off road along double track and cross the main road at the trout ponds and get up to the YHA carpark fairly quickly.
    As a fellow Tooting resident I can tell you that weekend traffic is horrendous (you may have realised this already) and actually worse than weekdays it’s often quicker using the trains. If there is no fast train from Wimbledon or it means changing at Epsom I sometimes go from Balham BR. Always check for engineering or bus replacement as this will mess up your plans.

    br
    Free Member

    I recently moved to Tooting and I’m missing riding my mtb. Are there any good trails and single tracks not too far away? (I have a family and don’t want to spend the whole day out.)

    Would it be possible to find somewhere worse to live for a non-driving MTBer who isn’t allowed a full day out? 🙄

    Negotiate a full day out and then you’ve loads of brill singletrack riding in the North Downs, Swinley and Chilterns to name just three places.

    zippykona
    Full Member

    I have a mainly off road 20 mile /2 hour loop from Cheam. You can be on the dirt 5 minutes from the station.
    The dirt is not far from Ashtead station either. You could always ride from one station and return from another.
    Get to Sutton or anywhere further south and you are laughing. Even East Croydon station has dirt less than 15 minutes away.

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    Would it be possible to find somewhere worse to live for a non-driving MTBer who isn’t allowed a full day out?

    Agreed.

    Time to make a stand citizen.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    Would it be possible to find somewhere worse to live for a non-driving MTBer who isn’t allowed a full day out

    I find it hard to believe that all of the U.K. Apart from Tooting has quality singletrack (not tedious bimble double track) less than half hour away.

    shermer75
    Free Member

    Would it be possible to find somewhere worse to live for a non-driving MTBer who isn’t allowed a full day out?

    Tooting Bec?

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    No tooting bec (or south Balham) is posh. Colliers wood or Morden for that retail park urban dullsville experience.

    zippykona
    Full Member

    As a tender youth I couldn’t figure out why there were so many ladies on their way home after a night out at 7.30 am on Tooting bec.
    It took a grown up to explain it to me. I was only 25.
    ps I would assume Grimsby is worse than Tooting for quality biking.

    kilo
    Full Member

    No tooting bec (or south Balham) is posh. Colliers wood or Morden for that retail park urban dullsville experience.

    Tooting bec has changed a bit then! Colliers wood with the exception of moose cycles is a wasteland. Bits of morden are quite pleasant just nowhere near the tube. At least the o.p has a massive choice of decent curry houses.

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    This stuff starts a 5 minute bike ride from East Croydon station, from Lloyd Park/Addington Hill

    http://www.jbutler.org.uk/London/Croydon/Loop3.shtml

    A bit further west you’ve got this :

    The Green Belt by Oyster Card: The North Downs Way from Merstham to Dorking

    Merstham is about a 3/4 hour bike ride from East Croydon.

    spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    Would it be possible to find somewhere worse to live for a non-driving MTBer who isn’t allowed a full day out?

    LOL, that’s what happens when instead of prioritizing mountain biking you have to look for a family friendly affordable area with good schools nearby that are not oversubscribed!

    Actually I’m next to Tooting Common.

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    If you are next to Tooting Bec Common then you are about 6 or 7 miles, or 1/2hour bike ride, from that pic above of Addington Hills. Go straight down the A23 and just past Central Croydon turn left into Coombe Road, you’ll see Lloyd Park on your left and that’s the start of Addington/Shirley Hills.

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