Cannock’s my local and I’d say Cannock is marginally better as there is much more elevation. There are times where you don’t have to pedal and I definately noticed I had to keep pedalling at Swinley. Although they are both great fun.

Cannock used to be my local trail centre, now its Swinley and I think they are a bit different. Purely as a xc trail centre Swinley is great, particularly if you loop in other off piste xc stuff. Yes its flat, but put the hammer down on a HT over those undulating cobble sections and I’m stuffed after a circuit. Some of Cannock’s sections just don’t flow but the down hill sections are longer and better, with black options which are as intimidating and difficult as many a other trail centre.

I love Cannock as there is so much more than just the trail centre stuff.

Infact my ultimate goal is to be a nice house with room for log burner right on the edge of the chase somewhere so I can ride everyday.

If you’re in Wallingford OP, pay Ashridge a visit instead. It’s flat, there’a great café, two good pubs just below the ridge (Aldbury – Trooper welcomes muddy people) and plenty of interesting trails. Presonally I’d head out through Berkhamstead Common toward Frithsden Beeches (which is where Jaja Binks, Obi Wan and Qui Gon get chased by Trade Fed robots, as well as a lurking place for Robin Hood and Harry Potter) and explore the bridleways and *cough* other paths that may see foot traffic, and possibly pop into this pub.

This time of year the bluebells will be stunning.

Times I’ve been to Cannock I’ve felt it’s got a Swinley feel to it, though the trails flow together better. It was okay but for me as a Surrey resident, Cannock is a fair way to go and my opinion was for that kind of journey, screw that, I’d rather go to Wales.

renton – Member 
I love Cannock as there is so much more than just the trail centre stuff.

Which to be honest is true of Swinley, though we deny all knowledge of anything other than the official trails of course 😉

Oh and Swinley has the upcoming Freeride area, due sometime in 2040 😆

For what it’s worth my riding buddies and I enjoy our once in 8 weeks (roughly) trip to Swinley, it’s about 45 – 60 mins drive from us (near Winchester) but we nearly always do it as a night ride. Occasionally we go with families which makes it just a pootle around for which it’s perfect.

Not super challenging but at night in mid-winter it’s had it’s moments!

Been quite a few times and never really enjoyed the experience much.
In fact, a couple of times I vowed never to bother to return.

Too pedally for my fitness level, too repetitive, a lot of rough and unpleasant surfaces, and when it’s wet, too much mud in between the trails.

There are a couple of fun bits, but nothing warranting it as a go to destination, and especially not if the Surrey Hills are nearer.

So I’ve just got back from Swinley and have to say I’ve mixed feelings.

Some parts are very pedally and not very rewarding for the effort that you have put in.

However some of the bits on the red are pretty decent to be honest.

I did the blue/red/blue in just over two hours which considering my level of unfitness and also not knowing the trails is pretty good. This time also includes a lot of stopping and chatting to other riders which was cool.

Bike was good however I’m seriously not used to a hardtail and found it hard going on the legs.

Cheers.

Steve.

Some nice bikes out too.

Loads of whyte t130 bit was also chatting to a chap on a very production privee Oka.

The Whyte t130 is the local hire bike so not popular so much as default. I tried one recently while shopping and floppy was my main impression of them. Very little effort got to the wheels.

Swinley gets better the more you know it. On a first go you’d be caught out by a lot of the pump sections and berms so lose a lot of speed and energy. When you know it these are fast and fun, and you can get air on all of the drainage humps too.

The Whyte t130 is the local hire bike so not popular so much as default. I tried one recently while shopping and floppy was my main impression of them. Very little effort got to the wheels.

Did you set the shocks up ??? (I find unless you ask or do it yourself you just get whatever the last person had them set on)

As a casualty of hiring I bought a used T-130 and with the shock set for me I don’t feel like I’m losing much at all (and that’s compared to a hardtail)

Some parts are very pedally and not very rewarding for the effort that you have put in.

However some of the bits on the red are pretty decent to be honest.

That sums it up….. though agree with lustyd…. not to mention we often cut bits out and double up instead doing other runs that are more rewarding for the pedalling … though you need to get to know the place before you can really do that.

Some nice bikes out too.

Loads of whyte t130 bit was also chatting to a chap on a very production privee Oka.

That might have been me on the Oka if it was black and yellow and I was with my son on an orange commencal..

That might have been me on the Oka if it was black and yellow and I was with my son on an orange commencal

Aye I did see you today, I was following your lad down one of the trails and he is pretty good to be honest. His bike looked mint too.

I caught you when there was a lad on a cannondale asking you about your lads bike.

@stevextc yes the shocks were set up, just doesn’t seem to be a very good bike. Admittedly I’m used to high end bikes so it might be good in its bracket, although I tried the XT version (RS?). Went with a Scott Genius tuned plus in the end which is in a totally different class in my opinion after trying on at a demo day. I didn’t try the tuned version, but same geometry and it was just better all around with less power loss, floppyness, bounce, pedal strike…
Now I just need to source some boost and plus components to turn it into a bike, harder than it sounds!

I really like swinley has a good mixed bag of xc ,the climbs are petty tough if sprinting great
High speed Burms , good climb up to the flat area near the mod with 5 decent descents some with table tops and doubles forestry bits are great flying round , if you crack out 3 flying laps and you aren’t tested you ain’t going fast enough ,peas lake is good but if you don’t know the area could be frustrating it’s good to have variation, thetford is flat ish but ride Brandon side as well you will be tested if push you all the way, bedgbury is pretty good but a little short but crack out a few laps all is well, the Hadley Olympic track is ok for training good climbs Knarly descents air ambulance is always busy ,you can’t please everyone depends what the rider requires .

Surrey Hills still beats it by miles, but then if you prefer groomed trail centres then SH is not your thing (unless you want to ride BKB all day).

I’ve only been to SH twice, both times with a local. I rode all the main ones although it had been a bit wet and wintery.

I’d much rather ride Swinley. I’d much rather drive to Swinley than SH.

I like Swinley – it’s all about swoopy fun, it holds up well in the wet when the Chilterns (where I live) is a choice of bottomless mud, wet roots or slimey clay.

It’s not Wales and if Llandegla was closer I’d ride it in preference but it’s a good ride an hour from my doorstep.

I probably ride it 2-3 a year. I ride Ashridge and Chilterns more generally more often but it’s a nice change and isn’t as far for me as Cannock or any other trail centre.

Go there quite regularly with my lad (aged 7) and he loves it – did the whole of the red last week end. Swinley works well for him because the climbs are short and rewarded fairly quickly. More recently we’ve been having quite a lot of fun finding the old trails that I used to ride about 10 years ago. Car Park always seems to be rammed but in general I’ve found the trails not too busy and people mostly pretty friendly. The new trails also drain a bit better than the old ones (well a lot actually!)

Hi. Honestly their are more technical and hillier trails out there. But some are so poorly marked you’d just get lost, some just take but don’t? give back and some are just too far away, unless on a holiday. But Swinley personally blue/red/blue is a pretty good package. A bit of everything and at the end of it you will be knackered but with a after buzz, which is what’s its about in my opinion. I travel 1½ hours each way and i think it’s worth it. There are closer ones to me QECP just takes dont give and no buzz, surry hills, unless your a local or got a guide your get lost, don’t really do the full on dh, as like to make it into work on the Monday

Got to love dry and dusty trails though…