So getting bored of the road bike here in Gloucester. I know there’s mtb up around Cheltenham, but not been myself. I’ve been out to FOD which is fun, but seems quite limited (I only know the marked trails mind). South Wales good on a day off, buy I’d like something close by for a quick fix! Anyone want to show me around the back of Cheltenham some time? 😀

Bump 🙄

The trails are now marked in Cranham.Lecky has a few downhill runs and xc trails.FOD is great if you have a guide down there yesterday.
Do live in Cheltenham.

There’s a lot of good tips in the thread you started a few months ago. One of those guys maybe able to show you around. I’m out of action for the next couple of weeks, but I can point you in the right direction if someone else hasn’t by then.

A bit of info on one of my old posts.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/leckhampton-hill

Quite good fun. Compact, bit worse for wear and mainly focused on short up, short down and jumps so mostly ‘DH’. It’s bred some extremely good DH riders in its time!

I know a few of the trails around cranham and am more than happy to show you around of you want. Head for painswick beacon then follow the signs to cranham and enjoy, plenty of tracks signposted (white spray painted bike on the trees)

Your going to be better pains wick end soon as cranham will turn to a mucky gloop soon 🙁
Are you on strava, follow your nose around royal William pub
Witcombe rider

following up the previous post as much as this. Traditionally i would advise Cleeve in the winter, it holds up MUCH better, ground drains something that simply doesn’t happen to the south of Cheltenham and into the Stroud valleys.(i.e. Cranham)

Some more examples.

The first climb is the important bit, once on top just follow your nose.

todays bimble,

https://www.strava.com/activities/410670795

and as an example of what is possible, with mostly off road, it would have been more but i got lost south of Stroud.

https://www.strava.com/activities/364184546

but do not try it in the winter! unless you like walking in mud!

oh and learn to love cotswold dust or do what i do, stick to the road bike.

^^^mrmo and I have disagreed on here a few times about Cleeve in the winter 🙂 Leckhampton is MUCH better draining overall than Cleeve and gives year round riding. The Cleeve fun bits are terrible in the winter, unless you stick to the XC on Cleeve common itself, which is a bit dull.

Give the guys at Slam69 (Graham) a call: we’ve just been over from IOM for the weekend and had 2 fantastic day’s riding, great banter, and the shop is superb.

FYI: http://slam69.co.uk/contact-2-w.asp

@sgn23, i guess it depends on what you enjoy, the face of lecky drains better than queens wood on cleeve for example. But the top of cleeve, the cliff faces, washpool all drain better than the top of lecky. Westwood and Sandy lane are both crap under the trees, as is Cranham. Problem I have with Lecky, I can ride the tracks in under an hour then I get bored.

Basically flat and trees will be crap in winter, unless the ground is frozen, and anywhere horses go where there are trees, don’t bother.

My idea of a decent mtb ride is 25miles + of old school XC.

Anyone fancy Cranham or Lecky tomorrow? 🙂

I can’t at all recommend Cleeve in the winter, you ride on clay. Why bother?

Go to Leckhampton, it can’t be worse.

I haven’t ridden at either yet.