Despite living in Reading, I’ve never actually ridden at Sulham Woods, but it comes up in threads on here once in a while.

Seems like there are plenty of trails there not marked as anything much on the map. Anything I should go looking for?

In particular it’d be useful to be able to use it as a south-to-north linkup for routes from Reading via Pangbourne, etc. Is it rideable like that?

not done woods, but there is a bridleway, anyway I’ve dropped down from Tilehurst water tower area on fpath, over Theale footbridge (on indus estate rd) then into Theale, along High St to A4 rounabout then leftish down white track with houses and along fpath over rail to canal all ok

I’ll answer my own question. It’s actually very good indeed.

There’s a load of singletrack in there. In particular there’s a really nice permissive bridleway running from the car park here, to Purley on Thames.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=464745&y=174560&z=120&sv=464745,174560&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=779&ax=464745&ay=174560&lm=0

Lots of swoopy singletrack, gradually downhill northwards from the car park, curves round with the woods and joins that footpath by the Purley on Thames lettering on the map.

Chuffed to bits really… after all these years I’ve got another ride-out route to the good stuff from West Reading.

Annoyingly I bust a spoke and slightly pringled my wheel, so ended up getting the train back from Pangbourne, rather than riding home via more swoopy stuff.

Oh, and there were lots of dogwalkers in Sulham, including one pair of women who had a bloody uncontrolled bear off the lead. “Oh he won’t hurt you, he’s a softie”, as the snarling bloody thing, the size of a st Bernard, circled me staring, barking and growling. Little won’t-hurt-a-fly had to be held by the neck as I slinked off.

cheers for the info ormondroyd very useful, ta

Hi,are most of the single tracks on the the same side of the road as the first carpark at the top of the hill? I went there once and crossed the road because of the dog walkers. There was a bit of single track and a lot of good jumps.I didnt find the bomb hole i viewed on youtube.

There’s a big bombhole on the north end of that permissive bridleway, near Purley. Singletrack wise I’ve not looked at the woods to the south of the road yet, just the north route from the car park towards Purley. But there was loads even before the car park.

If you face into the car park from the road, the entrance to the bridleway is to the leftish, about 10o’clock. If you go down the most visible fire-road from the car park, you’re missing it already.

(by the way, the road downhill from that car park is fun on a road bike)

Don’t get too carried away chaps – it’s hardly an extensive area of riding. It’s a bit of singletrack that lasts a mile or two, plus a bombhole with a couple of steep drops ins (Purley end of the woods) and a few dirt jumps which seem to come and go with the seasons (opposite side of the road to the arrow on the map above).

Just don’t want anyone to make a special trip and be disappointed ;o)

Yep, just found those Youtube videos. It’s the same bombhole I saw. It’s about here:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=465030&y=175670&z=120&sv=465030,175670&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=779&ax=465030&ay=175670&lm=0

Dashed – oh agreed, for me it’s an interesting new route to the chilterns, and perhaps on opportunity for a little loop from home for a quick 10-miler.

Lead a ride there on Wednesday night, it’s more fun in the dark.