Hi Guys

I am moving to Great Yarmouth area early next year (yes another South African leaving SA). I was wondering what the local mountain bike scene is like. I am particularly interested in Marathon and Endurance type racing, and not really into “trail free/down hill type stuff”.

Anyone know what the local race scene is like in this area?

I’d stay in South Africa if that was what I’d been offered. It’s a forgotten seaside town and will stay that way.

Take chewy snacks to stop your ears popping on the fast descents

Don’t go there its to hilly and far to technical for most, unless you can afford a real big rig. Some of those map contours are as close as a mile apart.

I know they do have mtb racing (flat) at both Tunstall/Rendlesham forest and Thetford Forest (though that maybe cut down soon) think it’s more short and sharp circuit stuff than endurance. The local road riding is good lots of quiet lanes and small villages (also flat). The town is a dump the surrounding area is lovely with great beer.

these were taken on Holiday 10 miles up the road from Great Yarmouth

Norfolk is God’s spirit level.

eish, not looking good then…

The various MTB clubs for the area (although a fair ride from GY) are;

KLMTB
Timber
TROG

this is 3d great yarmouth looking inland to Norwich

vertical exaggeration x10 (max) 🙂

this is Barmouth on the opposite coast same latitude for comparison (also x10)

Bloody hell Barmouth is a bit steep.

it’s how it looks in my minds eye when I tell tales about my climbing prowess 😉

Haha!

You might want to buy a road bike.

Or a canal barge.

Load of shit from the usual miserable STW types I see.

Plenty of riding around if you look for it. The east coast of Norfolk is pretty flat, but if you head up to the north coast there’s a substantial glacial ridge and lots of woodland

Max elevation is only 100m or so but the terrain is quite steep and undulating. None of the trails are going to be handed to you on a plate though, you need to explore, or get to know some locals (I’m based in Norwich so I haven’t had much chance). Thetford and Tunstall forest are both good locations for XC hacks and Thetford at least plays host to some endurance racing.

If you are working in GY then try to move as far away as your commute allows. Either up towards Sheringham for riding along the Cromer Ridge and Kelling/Weybourne or south below Lowestoft for Dunwich and Tunstall forests. Either area you can link routes for a decent length ride. I live near Beccles and it takes me about 40 minutes to Tunstall for the best trails and 25 to Dunwich Forest and heath.

TROG MTB

Max elevation is only 100m or so but the terrain is quite steep and undulating

Funny old thing this, having spent 15 years of my life in Norfolk (born and bred) I know it quite well. Including the amusingly named “Cromer Ridge” Indeed when I go back I’m often told about these hills, last visit with a bike even involved hill reps.

I can confirm that it is actually, without exaggeration, really flat as ****. And absolutely nothing I’ve seen in these 15 years, or the subsequent visits indicates anything else. There’s is almost zero steep terrain, unless you are literally launching yourself off a (small) coastal cliff.

Max elevation is only 100m

Pretty flat then.

Pretty flat then.

103m actually, makes a difference. Although that is still less than a 3rd of the total ascent of the hill I use for hill reps.

Ah those 3m metres makes all diffrence. 😀

Get a fatbike and explore the coastline. The north Norfolk coast from Wells to Hunstanton is beautiful with an abundance of diverse wildlife all year round. There are also miles of relatively traffic free country lanes well suited to a road bike or linking these up with bridleways and farm tracks if you enjoy this new gravel thing. I moved here 20 years ago and my cycling has adapted to suit my environment. I love it.

I use to live in a equivalent type of landscape, nothing within a 10 mile had any form of slope/hill that wasn’t manmade and the average height was about 1 metre…

Even my granny rode a singlespeed (seriously).

as the others have said, around Cromer and Sheringham there are some small hills and you can cobble together some good rides. I used to live in Norwich and worked in Yarmouth. Norwich was alright, if a bit inbreed but Yarmouth is a hole. The commute along the A47 over the Acle Straight to GY was a real pain in the arse

Sandboy speaks sense !

I’m North Walsham born and bred. I’d avoid GY as far as possible. If you have to work there, you have to, but you don’t have to live there! Maybe look at Stalham/Wroxham as sensible from GY for commuting and good access to the coast and Norwich etc. Wroxham might be best bet as it has a trian station to Norwich, but no trains to GY without via. Norwich.

I love going back, but it’s flat, not as depressing as the fens though for me.
Big skies. Lots of great woodland. Pretty good for kids. Just no hills…How I ended up being a climber/ mountaineer etc. is beyond me! Maybe some deep-routed desire to find a reason to leave?

Am an ex-safa living in Suffolk. Used to work in Lowestoft and GY. Avoid living there as mugsys said!
Thetford is ok for riding. best bet is to get a road bike, some great rides around the coast. The Peaks aren’t far for a weekend of MTB’ing

I guess I’m kinda like mugsys_m8. I’m Norfolk born and bred…and fell over myself to leave and go off and have many adventures elsewhere…that said, I’ve been going back to see family a little recently and…you know what? There’s a charm and a beauty to Norfolk, particularly in the summer, which I really didn’t appreciate as a younger man.

The Road scene down there is pretty good, particularly in the Norwich area.

Mountain biking though, you have to really look for the trails and be prepared to pedal alot, and make up an ‘off road ride’ by linking together lots of different patches of woodland. Failing that Thetford is a respectable enough place to go for a pedal around for a couple of hours. Expensive car park last time I went.

The opening of the A11 dual-carriageway has meant that Norwich in particular isn’t as cut off from the rest of the world as it once was.

Have to echo what was said above, just because you work in Yarmouth doesn’t mean you have to live there.

I’d sell the bike and start boating. Or become a roadie. Or drive to Thetford forest.
I wouldn’t want to live in Yarmouth, but it’s just a case of a not so nice town in a great area, so there are loads of good places nearby.

Great Yarmouth described to me by the local CID as a town full of Registered Sex Offenders and peopl driving disability scooters whilst wearing sweatshirts with pictures of wolves on them. Having now been there they were spot on!

I married a Norfolk girl (1 head, 10 toes) and moved from an area with great mountain biking to North/West Norfolk. As above Norfolk has a certain charm, and whilst living in Surrey i had Swinley and Surrey Hills, i also had ridiculous traffic, unfriendly people and a commute on the M25.

There is a surprisingly vibrant MTB scene in Norfolk especially for XC/Endurance racers with Thetford (good off piste in places) Shouldham Warren, Sheringham etc, don’t expect any epic downhill!

For me, i just had to re-adjust, i have to travel outside Norfolk with old mates for brilliant singletrack and hills, but i can ride a road bike or MTB from my door on roads and bridleways and can ride for 50 miles and see 4 cars and a tractor.

I also have the “Best Beach in the UK” at Wells/Holkham up the road so have embraced the fat bike and long rides along the beach.

Only thing i would say, is that Great Yarmouth is a bit of an old seaside town that has seen better days, it is all chips and neck tattoos now, but there are lots of nice towns and villages in the surrounding area and Norwich is nice city.

Hi Guys

Thanks for all the comments. I would not want to settle in GY (even from afar it look like a bum place lol) We were more looking to settle in Lowestoft (as my father in law lives in the area) Well, maybe I need to start shopping for a raod/CX type bike lol

I also have the “Best Beach in the UK” at Wells/Holkham up the road so have embraced the fat bike and long rides along the beach.

Embleton is a long way from Norfolk.

We were more looking to settle in Lowestoft

Lowestoft is just a slightly smaller version of Yarmouth with the same issues but to a lesser degree………….plus horrendous traffic issues getting in and out until they build the 3rd river crossing.

Norwich is the place to be. Lowestoft has similar issues to GY

Cool pics klunk! And plus lots for taking up sailing on the Broads, it’s where I learnt to sail as a nipper and having since sailed all over the world, for me, the best sailing is here 🙂

Given the sheer volume of new houses being built and planned developments just east of Norwich, you won’t have any difficulties finding somewhere to live OP. In fact, I’m wondering what everyone who will be doubtless occupying all these new builds are going to do to be able to pay their mortgages – let alone what schools they’ll send their kids to, or where the additional health services will be, but I’m forever optimistic that someone has a grand plan somewhere… 😕

Don’t move to Lowestoft unless you like sitting in traffic and watching the survey boat go under the bridge. I’m sure it waited for me each morning!

Beccles perhaps? Norwich is so so much better though.

The Peaks aren’t far for a weekend of MTB’ing

😯

Some sage advice from various people. I moved to Suffolk 3 years ago and there are SO many lovely places up here, unfortunately Low’stof isn’t one of them! Get yourself out into the countryside, buy a roadbike and enjoy the peace and tranquility of miles and miles of empty roads. ‘Tis ace.

I’ll be organising a fat biking weekend in July with about 10-15 fellow fat bikers meeting on North Norfolk coast for a weekend of fatties, camping and beer, we can probably rustle you up a spare fat bike if you wanna meet up with people once you meet here?

Let me know about that too scud, I’m a kings Lynn fat rider

Good god. Lowestoft? No, no, no…….

We used to do Peak district in a day for climbing trips.