Can anyone recommend any good offroad places to ride around Leamington and Warwick. The more challenging the better.

I’m sat in Leamington right now and while there are tons of nice places to ride, none are on the challenging end of things I’m afraid. I’ve just been for a swift lunchtime bimble on the fatbike but it didn’t get much more challenging than the towpath to be honest.

There are the odd few sections here and there which may challenge a little more but essentially, it’s all xc around here, claggy xc at that currently.

If you want some steeper stuff then you have short runs at Edgehill for example, otherwise, nice but unchallenging xc.

There is a group who meet every thursday night about 6.30pm from the Giant store(The Bikeyard) off Clarendon street who go on routes every week. You’ll need lights at the moment.
They also do a faster paced CX type ride on a Wednesday eve.

If you look in an OS map there are tons of bridleways about here, with the odd bit of cheeky link up. I often tend to head out Kenilworth way and make a big loop of it.

Welcome to Warwickshire. 🙂

I live in Warwick, bought a CX bike a couple of years ago to make the local trails a bit more interesting… there’s not much in the ‘challenging’ category!

I go out on Tuesday eve with a group that meet in Leamington, not tried the Wed or Thurs rides mentioned by Kayak….

The Wednesday night rides are pretty fast paced towpath / bridle way / back road CX blasts, again run from the Giant Store in Leamington.

There really doesn’t seem to be much in the way of elevation, or anything that would be out of the scope of a CX bike from what I saw.

What are the Thursday night rides like? I’ve been meaning to try them for ages but just never got round to it. Whilst gradually getting more and more unfit.

Lack of trails is one of the reasons I moved out of Warwick.

Challenging in what sense? I managed an HR in the high 170s at 4 mph on the flat recently, in the above-mentioned clag. I’d certainly say that indicated a degree of challenge. Not exactly an adrenaline rush though.

There are some pleasant enough XC rides, linking bridleways with bits of road, but nothing remotely technical. This https://www.strava.com/segments/2946577 is about as exciting as it gets, when it’s not too wet.

The thursday night rides use too many footpaths for my liking so you end up in long queues while 25 people lift their bikes over a stile or kissing gate. Quite social though.

I’ve been to lots of Thursday rides and as far as I can recall, they never tend to use footpaths. In fact, I often wish they would as it opens you up to more routes. I cannot recall ever having to hoof it over a stile.
That said though, when it gets busy, congestion can be an issue, but I tend to look at it as a social and local knowledge trip. When I go out on my own I can go my own pace and have the benefit of learning some new routes which seems to happen a lot.
Anyway, it’s pretty cool when there’s thirty of you riding through town with your lights on like the Hells Angels.. 8)

There certainly aren’t any gnarcore routes around here, but there are quite a few spots that have enough to offer if you want to session them, and as mentioned, a few miles out towards Banbury and you start getting some steep riding, albeit short runs.

There’s loads of us out every weekend travelling about an hour or so to some great spots at FOD, Cannock, Shropshire, Wales. Leam is very central so good for that.

Orange Lad – Member
What are the Thursday night rides like? I’ve been meaning to try them for ages but just never got round to it. Whilst gradually getting more and more unfit.

They’re good. A nice bunch of people of all abilities. They also organise weekend stuff too.
Basically it keeps your legs turning a bit during the week.
If it’s your thing, there are lot’s of roadies in the Leam club too and they do turbo sessions and Sunday roadie rides etc. Not my thing though…

Thanks guys, some useful info. I do run up to Cannock quite frequently and have first session at flyup 417 booked in fod in April.

Come down south. Loads once you get to Edgehill and beyond, and it’s riding nicely after this drying wind. Challenging ? Technically no, but plenty of climbing to turn your lungs inside out.

Any more info on Edgehill would be appreciated. Ta