Down with the in-laws this weekend, but tempted to sneek off on Saturday and do a ride. Possibly taking a nephew with me to make it look more legit.

Since I’ve never ridden anyway around there, where’s best for a quick hit. Alston Hill ? Is Swinley worth braving the M25 ? Any other trail centres in the region ?

Chilterns is do-able, just get. 1:25000 OS map and go mental.

Trail centre (downhill orientated but with a steep xc loop) at Aston Hill (Wendover)).

Woburn or Chicksands.

Woburn is 100x better for XC trails but the trails are not particularly easy to find without being shown. The jump area is easy to locate though and has short downhill runs that are plenty of fun.

Chicksands will cost you £5 for a day pass (+ a rather cheeky IMHO £1 for parking)and there are various singletrack lines, along with 4x and dual slalom runs which are fun even for the un-gnarrr.

There’s also Epping Forest but someone else will have to help as I am clueless.

Nearest trail centre proper is probably Thetford, though maybe Swinley hits that criteria now.

Some nice riding around the Ashridge estate – needs guidance to find the best bits, but do a Strava search of the area and you will get a general idea of the fun stuff. Also supposedly a nice new waymarked trail a bit further north towards MK, can’t quite remember what it was called – something beginning with R…

…Rushmere probably.

There’s not an awful lot there really but is nice to link into Woburn for a longer ride. Having said that there might be new additions at Rushmere as I saw a picture on twitter this week of a new pump track(new as in not quite ready for use I suspect).

Would be interested to hear if anyone knows more?

I thought this thread was going to about how soon you could safely ride after a haircut. 🙁

Broxbourne Woods has a fine collection of wooded single track to suit any recreational rider. Its also absolutely within riding distance of Barnet.

As rubber duck has said, you can piece together a decent long ride from Barney to. Hertford using lots of North Londons green spaces, email me if you want some directions (no electronic mapping I’m afraid), a guide would be best.

Epping Forest must be riding at its best now, get some guidence and head up there.

The ride from Barnet to Hertford is pretty flat and involves dodging lots of people going for slow walks if you take the river Lee canal. On the right day it’s lovely, plus if you take in some Epping Forest it’s pretty rewarding too.

I thought this thread was going to about how soon you could safely ride after a haircut.

Thanks for the reminder to get a haircut at lunchtime – I think I’ll be safe to ride by 6 !

And thanks for all the suggestions

qwerty – Member

Epping Forest must be riding at its best now, get some guidence and head up there.

It certainly is, fast dry & dusty and back to replicating the speeder bike / ewoc scenerio in star wars (minus the lasers and bears)

I can get to Swinley in 45 mins from St Albans (early on a Sat morning), can’t be much more from Barnet can it?