Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 75 total)
  • swinley forest
  • r300chris
    Free Member

    Hi all.
    I’m thinking about heading over to Swinley on Monday. I have read about it being closed for works to be carried out. Are the trails open for MTB riders now?
    Cheers
    Chris

    martinh
    Free Member

    The blue trail is now open and is worth a ride. The new red trails aren’t open but lots of the older, lesser known trails haven’t been closed off yet and are drying enough to be rideable.

    The crowthorne woods side is all open too

    r300chris
    Free Member

    Ah ok, they are keeping labyrinth/baby maker as it was then? How about the jump gulley, is that still usable, and how’s the blue? Is it very tame?
    Thanks

    martinh
    Free Member

    The blue is not tame. Many berms and small tables which will require some practice.

    The jump gully is a bit of a mess after winter

    Babymaker/labrinth is largely untouched

    shortcut
    Full Member

    Chris – yes to those questions!

    doncorleoni
    Free Member

    Literally just got back from a quick loop – the blue is very good, you can take it as easy or as fast as you like – BUT some degree of skill and fitness is needed. If its your first run round just take it easy and enjoy – second time hammer it 🙂 great for me from my front door, lap of the blue and home 6.5 miles 35 mins.

    You could split off the blue and hit tank traps which is part of red but open. Please don’t ride the closed trails ! They need finishing and drying out.

    curiousyellow
    Free Member

    Blue is great for a couple of laps! Hit it before it gets too busy and you’ll be laughing.

    663sqd
    Free Member

    Blue run great- went today, big berms, fast and fun. .

    shotsaway
    Free Member

    I went to Swinley today for the 1st time since September and and rode the new Blue Trail. It wasn’t that busy and I liked the Blue. The only bits that are recognisable were the Whole Nine Yards and Stickler. Overall I was fairly pleased. It’s not a sterile as I thought it would be.

    The only worrying thing is that the sign at the start, mentions the Blue is suitable for beginners. I would say that you need to be a confident and competent rider to tackle the Blue.

    singletrackmind
    Full Member

    I disagree . If you mince round the blue you could do it slowly without using the berms and you would be fine. Try riding it scary fast and it becomes alot harder , with kissing trees a real danger .

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    Frm the few YT clips it looks like there are quite a few jumps around and two blokes really flying them. How big are they? Will they catch you out first time round?

    gee
    Free Member

    Not if you don’t ride flat out the first time round.

    GB

    cossyrush
    Free Member

    I rode there last weekend and really enjoyed it.
    It’s a bit confusing in places due to new one way trails and not all being open.
    Had a great ride though, it’s well worth the visit.

    Jason
    Free Member

    The new blue trail seems pretty spot on for a blue trail. I rode a lap of it yesterday with my 7 year old son and he managed to ride all of it ( ups and downs) and really enjoyed the trail. He has previous ridden the new W9Y and Stickler, so had an idea what to expect. I went back later in the day and a did couple of fast loops and it has it’s a few more challenges when taken at speed. The bermed corners are great.

    shotsaway
    Free Member

    The only worrying thing is that the sign at the start, mentions the Blue is suitable for beginners. I would say that you need to be a confident and competent rider to tackle the Blue.

    Correction update: Having looked at a photo I took at the start, it states that the trail is “Intermediate” and not “Beginner”, as I previously stated.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    so does anyone have an idea how long till the red will be open and how long it will be (as in distance)

    robbo
    Free Member

    Look at the photo kimbers. Bottom right corner – red trail 13km 8 miles…

    dashed
    Free Member

    Depends on the weather but they’re saying another couple of weeks at least

    chip
    Free Member

    I am fairly new to mountainbikes and fast approaching middle age.
    I wanted to try swinley and would be happy doing so at my own pace.

    But I am worried I may be a nuisance to other riders who wish to go around as quick as they can,
    Or even getting clattered from behind.

    Is there plenty of room to pass or be passed in my case and clear unobstructed views all the way around or are there any parts I need to watch as I really don’t want to get in anyone’s way.

    rollindoughnut
    Free Member

    Don’t worry about it, it’s the overtaking riders job to keep clear. Just enjoy yourself and remember the trails are for everyone.

    doncorleoni
    Free Member

    Chip – honestly mate don’t worry about it. I had that kind of thinking for years which was holding me back. Ride at your own pace, enjoy it – there will be people faster and slower than you. Swinley blue is split into 17/18 ish sections – you can always ride a section and just wait at the end and let people pass. Usually there are lots of other people waiting too so you can have a good chat.

    The great thing is that with these natural resting points – people chat! People say hello and swinley is friendlier than I ever remember having ridden it for 10 10 years plus.

    There will be strava elite warriors looking for fast times but its up to them to pass safely and plenty of opportunity for doing so.

    Grab your bike and get down there chip!

    nickc
    Full Member

    Chip, go and enjoy at your own pace. If you need to stop for a bit, clear the trail, other than that, you’ve as much right to go and enjoy yourself on those trails as anyone else.

    TurnerGuy
    Free Member

    But I am worried I may be a nuisance to other riders who wish to go around as quick as they can

    you can also get there early on a weekend and there won’t be so many riders around.

    chip
    Free Member

    Thank you to everyone who has replied.
    You have really helped and i will definitely be going soon.

    doncorleoni
    Free Member

    Good stuff Chip 🙂 i am sure others will too but I am happy to do a casual loop and show you round anytime!

    akira
    Full Member

    where does the new blue trail actually start?

    doncorleoni
    Free Member

    Bottom end of the lookout carpark ….through the green gate and you will see the benches and some sinage. There is a sign as you walk past the lookout indicating mountain bike area.

    The whole route is signposted by waypoints with arrows so you just follow them! There are two breaks of the trail into fire road – again just follow arrows!

    Edit : if you know where the overflow carpark is – just head to the bottom of that! Really cannot miss it 🙂

    chip
    Free Member

    Hi doncorleoni.
    Thanks for the kind offer mate,
    I may yet take you up on that.

    ATB

    benpinnick
    Full Member

    Just to let you know the redtrail opens this saturday. Check out https://www.facebook.com/TrailTeamSwinley for more info on the new DH and freeride areas as they get built.

    DT78
    Free Member

    Can you post for those of us who avoid facetwatter please 🙂

    Just out of interest, I understand they ask you not to ride other single track there now, how big is the exclusion? One thing I used to love about swinley is the ability to ride for several hours getting nicely lost and not riding the same trails. Looks like it is now limited to a 2 hour full tilt blast now 🙁

    rj2dj
    Free Member

    The exclusion is total within Swinley Forest, there is to be no riding apart from on the dedicated and signposted trails.

    Crowthorne Woods however, (owned by FC) is still unrestricted.

    superhooper
    Full Member

    The exclusion is total within Swinley Forest, there is to be no riding apart from on the dedicated and signposted trails.

    The fire roads are still also available.

    rj2dj
    Free Member

    Good point! Although it should probably be noted that in a lot of places these are in a very bad state at the moment.

    soobalias
    Free Member

    is there an online map of the blue/red – i would quite like to compare to the old trails map, save me driving 30mins to make up my mind..

    AndyRT
    Free Member

    There is a trail map on Swinley Trailbuilders Facebook page.

    What do you need to know. Have ridden the. Blue, and scouted around the Red, without actually riding it before it opens (which is tomorrow)…

    chip
    Free Member

    I am a MTB god,
    I did two laps of the blue run today and only came off three times.
    And narrowly avoided crashing a further two times one of which I would have died.

    Seriously I really enjoyed today, I threw caution to the wind and went with reckless instead and found myself several times going a lot faster downhill than my limited skill could cope with.
    I was also surprised by how well I bounced for a man of my age and corresponding spread.
    And by how well my brake levers worked as mini ploughs.

    Also by how family friendly the place was, it was really good to see lots of parents going around with kids knee high to a cigarette paper on their equally tiny bikes.

    Really enjoyed it and once I reactivate my self preservation brain cell and can manage to hang on I may try the red trail.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Well done. Some of those downhill sections on the blue run are very deceptive at speed. You can already see some of the scars on the trail.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    rode today, lots of fun- a few boggy bits and yes deceptively fast in places on the blue

    a feature in mbuk and I could see it being very very popular this summer, its ideal for all the time pressed londoners to get a blast round some decent trails

    rootes1
    Full Member

    rode out from Woking over the swinley yesterday – seems like the doom and gloom about the changes was not really valid, the bits of the blue and red i did were good and lots of existing runs used

    couple of things, the built bits (that armoured orange aggregate surface) blue could do with more passing places/splits and also though it is not rough seems to have a weird bump profile, was the feature of the older existing armoured trails there… odd not rough or bumping.. but sort a lump – sure it is not noticable on a full sus..

    reckon with the blue being accessble from the lookout it could get busy! On sunday there were lots inc a family with a couple of tots on balance bike in the first section.

    Alo noticed quite a number of car sparked near the start to the blue out on the main road and a traffic warden ticketing..

    M1llh0use
    Free Member

    So now they’re charging for parking at the lookout, what times does it {the carpark} open? (I take it gates are locked after hours)

    And is it just pay and display?

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 75 total)

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