So, are the XC trails at Rowney Warren worth riding? It’s a 25 minute car journey, so I’m not risking much to try them out. Not interested in the free ride stuff at Chicksands.

They are pretty meh to be honest but might be worth it depending on what you have locally. I wouldn’t discount the bike park though, the stuff is pretty varied. If you are going to head over it would make it more worth your while if you try both in and out of the fence.

If you are after pure XC then Woburn or Thetford might be better bets depending on were you are.

Also, I suspect you might get more replies with “Chicksands” in the title – I have a feeling some people wouldn’t know what the woods are actually called!

There is a fair bit of XC trails in the woods.
Very little signage now, even more so since a lot of the trails got trashed from the tree felling.
No where near as much as at woburn, but good for a short ride. Lots of horrible little hills that kill your legs too

In short, yes. Go to Rowney Warren (Chicksands Wood as it is incorrectly referred to)

If you go there a lot like me, the XC trails have improved massively over the last year as old waymarked red route trails have been cleaned up by local riders after 2014’s forest thinning and others (much better) have evolved.

I ride XC regularly around the UK and R.W is still a great local work out with some v nice sections if you know where to go.

BUT….its short, so you need to do two circuits at least to get a decent work out (maybe total 8 miles) and unless you know where you are going its confusing at times. This small forest SO needs re-waymarking with red route markers as it was in the early 2000’s. There are lots of great singletrack sections with small jumps, some v. tough climbs, even a few technical descents (if you know where) but you will need to go there many times to successfully link it all together.

I have always seen R.W as my fitness training spot with a some small technical stuff rather than directly comparable with say Woburn etc.

The perfect after work ride or weekend blast!

Don’t listen to those who write it off. I’ve ridden there for 20 years and its still a great little spot.

G.