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  • Stratford Olympic Park mountian biking
  • crispo
    Free Member

    We are down visiting friends this weekend who live in Stratford. He tells me there is a mountain bike loop there so we thought we might for for a play on Saturday morning.

    Now leaving aside the fact that you have to pay to ride *gasp* I was just wondering if anyone has been? Can you just turn up and pay and ride? Also won’t be bringing my bike down so would rent, do you rent from the place itself or nearby bike shop?

    Thanks

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Never ridden it, ridden the roadie track though.

    You have to pay, pop in the door under the Velodrome near CycleSurgery and pay yer $’s. Not too sure about hiring bikes, but there are loads locked away under the Velodrome in cages so I’d say yes.

    The track is small. Loop will take about 35/45mins I’d say. It’s more a XC course than anything. Fun, small and blasty, forget downhills 😆

    Not a lot else to say really, oh pop into the Velodrome..

    neilwheel
    Free Member

    Have a search for Lee Valley Velopark.

    tobymc
    Full Member

    Its fine for a mornings larking about, don’t expect your gnarrrrometer to be troubled….

    tomcanbefound
    Free Member

    Went today, p chuffed with it given I live 10min away. No its not loamy singletrack, infact the surface is terrible and the track narrow, I foresee much gravel rash in my future. But given the constraints its a fun ride. I would say more technical than Swinley even before you factor the compact nature of the course in making you have to push to get decent flow, whereas in a proper trail center you can coast alot.

    Although i can be on the trails in Epping within 30min (20min to chingford by train) i just cant motivate myself to go after work whereas i actually cycle past this sucker on my way home now 😀 Kindof a shame i was actually quite enjoying riding my new (to me) roadrat 😛

    robbo
    Free Member

    I went yesterday before my track session. Some good bits, some terrible bits. Three loops in one hour so very compact. Once you’re used to the surface it can be quite fast in places.

    Good bits – use of the height for flowy sections on the red, one black rock section down on the last bit, use of paving slabs for berms.

    Bad bits – entrances to black sections are the hardest bits mostly uphill rocky switchbacks making dabbing easy and then clipping back in hard for ‘the feature’; pointless lumps on the straight red and blue sections just disrupt rhythm and slow you down; trail split signs too late to see easily; it’s looking overgrown already!

    I can totally see the point of the black entrances and the slowing lumps but they do take the fun out of it.

    Swinley trails are much more fun and beginner friendly and will certainly encourage more riders.

    robbo
    Free Member

    Can’t find any Strava segments for it either. Missed a chance there for a KOM!

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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