Swinley is on the look out side (broadly, east) of the green gate on the Devils highway at the top of Seagull (and by extension the fence that that gate is part of)

Crowthorne Woods is west of that boundary

Don’t know if the numbering is right on this map but I’d agree broadly with the names

http://hampshiremountainbikeninja.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/future-ride-swinley-forest-saturday.html

Nothing to it really but there’s a root across the top that prevents it eroding means it has a definite lip / step to it. You’d have to be glacially slow over it though to hook up a chainring, ie: you don’t have to fly off it!
That’s what I need to understand!!

I know once something gets in your head it’s hard to shake, but given your descriptions of some of the S.Hills stuff you ride compared to this…… it just doesn’t compute.

Also worth riding the corkscrew with other people. I used to ride Swinley and CW all the time with BOBs and do corkscrew most saturdays and always had an issue over one corner. Then one winter after I’d had pneumonia and was proper crocked, I met up with a few other crocks and we went for the gentlest pootle ever, ended up at the corkscrew, and on riding it the bloke I was following took a different line I’d never seen before on this corner. He’d seen one of the elites take it in a race a few weeks before. Made a huge difference to the flow of it!

Its one of the legacy drops that just needs to be ridden once to get rid of the old thoughts!

So is roller coast the fast bit of the red after the reservoir or a cheeky trail on the other side?

The numbers on the red have changed from that map.

don’t know. I wonder if it might be the bit that’s actually just outside Swinley boundary (on the army land / Old dean side)

On the red trail, there’s a short climb from near where the jump gulley was, takes you up to a stony fireroad by the reservoir. Instead of following that round and ultimately to the top of Surrey hill, there’s a little cut through the fence, at the top of the stony climb; if you turn right there’s a fast ‘rollercoaster-y’ sort of trail with some little drops and a couple of optional gaps / kickers if you seek them out.

I think i know the one. Purple bike shed teaches pumping there….

Looks like a Woop section of an MX course ? goes back down to the square grate, then through fence and you go left to Red15 ?

Found it on youtube.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy61pG8P4AY[/video]

Once you cross the boundary at the top of stony climb, you can go left or right. Left is more pumpy, i actually prefer right.

a couple of people are listing videos of another section as rollercoaster; also on the Old dean common bit, but instead going from near-ish the clubhouse – linked vid shows the rider going through the fence by the top of the climb. But that’s not waht i’d call that trail……

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT-4QgixNns[/video]

Yup, same one as i thought. Didn’t know that was it’s name though 🙂

bottom vid, i don’t recognise.

I am thinking of riding there tomorrow – parking at the Lookout and starting off on the red.

However – I really fancy throwing in Crowthorne too as was ill and couldn’t make the Gorrick last week.

Can anyone advise as to where best leave the official red so that I can join the Crowthorne trails? and how to get back on it thereafter?

Yeah, As you are on the red, you’ll come out of a short tree section. It’s tight/twisty/flowy, you turn left and go down an off camber hill with a telegraph pole in the middle. At the gate on your right just after the pole, go over gate, follow up the hill to the right and then take a left where the XC Gorrick course goes.

I don’t know which number trail though sorry.

Yep – from the green gate you’ll actually be looking down the start straight (devil’s highway) although you’re looking back along it, the race came towards you and then hooked 90 degrees left on the loose stony climb at the gate.

So if you follow that there’s probably enough tyre tracks to lead you in. make like Tonto and read the tread if not sure of direction!!

Me and a buddy are doing it today actually 🙂

I think we’ll do blue red until we get to it and then shoot off, do the Gorrick course and come back in at the same gate after completing the lap. Then likely just head back to Lookout taking in whatever else we find really.

Yep – from the green gate you’ll actually be looking down the start straight (devil’s highway) although you’re looking back along it, the race came towards you and then hooked 90 degrees left on the loose stony climb at the gate.

So if you follow that there’s probably enough tyre tracks to lead you in. make like Tonto and read the tread if not sure of direction!!

Thanks for that…. do you know where on this map I would find it please? Somewhere around Red 9?

http://hampshiremountainbikeninja.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/future-ride-swinley-forest-saturday.html

7 at a decent guess. You can see Corkscrew on the map there on the left…. which is over in the general direction.

think we’ll do blue red until we get to it and then shoot off, do the Gorrick course and come back in at the same gate after completing the lap. Then likely just head back to Lookout taking in whatever else we find really.

Any chance of a photo/location thingy for where you leave new Swinley?

Any chance of a photo/location thingy for where you leave new Swinley?

Sure matey, i’ll take one at the trail before as that’s numbered. I’m not sure the next section of red at the t’graph pole has a number, but if it does, i will.

Will post them up about 8pm

Following this thread with interest. I’m off to Swinley on 27th Nov. Been up once before in the evening and just rode the Blue and Red twice. It would be good to find some other trails this time as we have a lot more time.

7 at a decent guess

Yes. Green gate is at the major track crossroads just south of where the red 7 circle is on the map (west of where the *7 is)

Just noticed that also has ‘Rollercoaster’ on it – by red 12/13 although their arrow goes in the direction I’d go, not down the pump track in the video above.

In fact – see the triangle on that map created by the boundary of 3 tracks where Rollercoaster is actually written, with the reservoir in the apex. The smaller grey track along the base of it is the second video I linked (runs east -> west) But i wouldn’t bother with it today / tomorrow / for the next 6 months unless you like wet feet as it floods in the bottoms of the whoopy-doos.

Those of you who are heading out to Swinners…
Can I ask a favour?
It’s really soft out there currently & there are far too many “desire” & Strava lines appearing (with the vegetation dying back) on some of the runs…..the Summer lines are still there – please try to keep them..
So could you please, please not use these “cheat” lines & if you see one appearing block it off with a couple of well placed sticks. Obviously any trail pixie work should be safe & considerate, but if we don’t try to keep the lines running nicely we will end up with 2m wide straight slop rather than some nice sinuous and twisty singletrack..
POSTED 20 HOURS AGO # SHARE

Thanking you in advance.

😉

Alternative way to Crowthorne is to do a right/left over the fire road at the end of red 5 (not the one you cross in the middle) go straight on through the gap in the trees, then head in on the right past pips bench and go explore. Heading north ish will lead you to the corkscrew, South ish to Petes plummet and the gorrick start line area.

Normal route on top, gate on the right, go right at the gate, when you see the bench look for trails behind it

Now Im confused as that looks like start of seagull!!

Ah, easy to miss that gate, flying up to get over the roots on the Red. I think there is a gap in the hedge at the end of the section before? I went through there and saw the bench in front of me and though it didn’t look promising so turned back 🙄

is that by pips seat?

teamhurtmore – Member

Now Im confused as that looks like start of seagull!!

Yes, that’s correct. Start of Seagull, which isn’t really Seagull any more as it goes into Witches Lair and Twin Tribes too… but still ends in the same place by the concrete blocks where old Seagull used to end.

Yes and Yes to both.

It is seagull. There is a gap about 50 yards short of the gate as well but the gates a more obvious directing landmark if people don’t know where they are.

Why is seagull taped off?

They’re working on it apparently. So is the bottom of red15.

My mate thinks he knows you, Simon, mid 50’s, rode a white Zesty with Bobs 4-5 years back. Bit on the tubby side and would have been puffing and panting 🙂

(Sorry mate, couldn’t resist)

There re doing the trails yet again, 2nd part of seagull there putting in at least 1 table top. 1st part from green gate is tapped off, don’t know what there doing there. Blue 14 has got some work going on aswell. Seems the whole thing is never open for long…

possibly – seen a few zestys over the years. Haven’t ridden with them for a couple of years now though. I used to be one of the regulars on the Sat morning brownie point ride.

Many thanks to Weeksy – now I know exactly where I am.

There tomorrow – brrrrr!

What time does the car park open?

Website says 7am

There re doing the trails yet again, 2nd part of seagull there putting in at least 1 table top. 1st part from green gate is tapped off, don’t know what there doing there. Blue 14 has got some work going on aswell. Seems the whole thing is never open for long…

It’s to be expected with a place that gets so many riders..

Personally, I think they are doing an excellent job!

weeksy – Member 
I still get confused as to whether the long flat twisty blue is Stickler or something else beginnning with S

S for Shit.

If it’s the tedious long flat twisty one with berms on the flat, *the* rock garden of Swinley and the wood ramp over fallen tree.

But yes, Stickler 😉

Instead of Stickler I now do the other Stickler which eventually ends in Dragon Valley and then pottle off towards to England drop off trails. And then back to those new looking trails which still need some work, across from Red 29 I think.

S for Shit.

If it’s the tedious long flat twisty one with berms on the flat, *the* rock garden of Swinley and the wood ramp over fallen tree.

But yes, Stickler

Bit harsh, every time I see that comment. At the time (long before the TTS / influx of money) that stand of trees was set aside for a trail to go through. It wasn’t the choice of the builders, it was what was allowed by the CE. The trail was built by volunteer labour, to make the best (and yes, most) of what is actually a small area of trees with minimal elevation difference in it. There are better trails in Swinley, and on other trail centres for sure, but to just dismiss the efforts of a lot of people as shit without knowing the background is a wee bit unfair.

theotherjonv – Member 
There are better trails in Swinley, and on other trail centres for sure, but to just dismiss the efforts of a lot of people as shit without knowing the background is a wee bit unfair.

I’m always mocking when I say it 😀 I do know the background and witnessed the volunteer effort on the extension to Stickler, pre “new trails”. Not knocking them at all.

Not their fault, it’s just… it’s still shit 😛

Did it for first time in maybe year or two recently as someone wanted to do it despite protests from almost the entire group. I was just swearing all the way round. Makes me miserable that trail. That said, it fits in perfectly for a twisty course in small area suited to a race event for those who like going round and round that kind of thing 😉

Its one of my favourite trails!

I think it shocked the CE – when they said a trail could go through there I don’t think they expected it to be a mile!

Weather’s nice – feel the urge to have a crack at the drop!!

Will I have the bottle? Doubt it!!