Going up to Cambridge with work next week and the week after – What are the trails like @ Thetford as it’s only 30 miles from where I’m staying.

Cambridge riding looks pretty scarce otherwise?

Local rides, loops, gratefully received 😀

Thetford is OK, off-piste bits on Brandon side have the best single track. Groups ride there quite a lot in the evening, take a look here:

http://www.thetfordmtbracing.com/forum/

try and hook up with some locals…

If your after someone to show you around, check out http://www.timbermtb.org/website/

Monday evening is their regular night ride, but put something up on the fourm – there is almost always someone else up for a ride to join you

Don’t expect anything that goes down a hill. But the red route is about as interesting as it gets for the marked trails. Which isn’t very.

Was up there on Sunday, 1st time in a yr. or more.
Brandon side is pretty much trashed atm, bits of Magic Carpet are ok, but the 2 red routes (renamed from Black and Red to Lime Burner & something else) are pish – Lime Burner is the worse of the 2.

IMHO: take the a14 pretty much anywhere else or take slicks and lap the cambridge ring road until bored and retire to the bar. HTH

Ok so I’ve not been up there for some years now but are the two above posts not more than a little unfair? Thetford is not Wales or the Lakes but for East Anglia the riding used to be pretty good. I have to admit to being biased as it is where I cut my teeth back in the early 90s but the hatin’ is a bit thick. However it never dealt well with sustained wet.

Without stating the bleeding obvious Thetford’s downfall is the lack of gradient. By that I mean that anyone can bobble along it as they aren’t put off by a strenuous uphill slog.

The Lime Burner/Beater trails (renamed from red & black) have their moments but as I said, the lack of hills mean anyone will have a go and clog them up. If you can be bothered to spend a bit of time exploring, the BCP (That hasn’t been felled) & Santon Downham sections, well away from the sign posted routes, have some excellent quiet single-track.

For a one off visit see if you can enlist the help of a local to get the most of it.

crotchrocket – Member
Was up there on Sunday, 1st time in a yr. or more.
Brandon side is pretty much trashed atm, bits of Magic Carpet are ok, but the 2 red routes (renamed from Black and Red to Lime Burner & something else) are pish – Lime Burner is the worse of the 2.

IMHO: take the a14 pretty much anywhere else or take slicks and lap the cambridge ring road until bored and retire to the bar. HTH

Very constructive… If you think the place is that bad then why not get involved in helping improve it, follow the link in Jaz1979’s post.

For Thetford, admittedly it’s not Coed y Brenin, but there’s lots of good twisty singletrack off-piste. As above, you’re best to link up with locals if possible; I can definitely recommend Timber as friendly folk to ride with.

There is also a group that goes out from Cambridge on Tues and Thurs nights – mainly bridleway stuff but the odd more interesting bit and always ends in a pub. See here

There is some first rate flowing single track at Thetford, you just have to know where to find it. I really enjoy night riding there, although not ridden there this year yet….

I’ve ridden Thetford a few times and you get out what you want to put in. Yes, it’s largely flat but that’s only a problem if you don’t like pedalling.

@Davetrave: I’ve no need, I’ve got lots of better riding much closer to home – I was only there for my annual look-see. But thanks for the offer!

Thetford seems to be like the bullied kid of Mtb venues, it’s good to see people sticking up for it! Perhaps it’s more a case of needing to work at it that puts some off? Or perhaps only having limited time and making a judgement based on the massively over used marked trails? Either way most of the bad press is undeserved as far as the area as a whole goes. In some ways I’m happy for it to stay that way though, as it’s my back yard and I love it! More than happy to show anyone around though.

Without stating the bleeding obvious Thetford’s downfall is the lack of gradient. By that I mean that anyone can bobble along it as they aren’t put off by a strenuous uphill slog.

I did a post about this a while ago and I disagree.

The stickler at swinely is almost flat and a great trail.

There are 2 things I think are the downfall of Thetford:-
1. The constant ridge and furrow system which needs to be dealt with.
2. Low population density leading to less trail builders and less organisation in building trails.

I agree that riders get out what they put in on flat trails but the ridge and furrow makes Thetford one of the most tiring places I’ve ever riden.

Timber Mtb has around a hundred members, even discounting the tourist/holiday makers that’s still a drop in the ocean compared to the riders that use the forest week in week out year round …. and some of those (locals) also vocalise thier negative opinions on mtb forums but are unwilling to do anything about it. On the flip side we then see all the positive feedback from the thousands of riders who enter the Thetford Mtb Racing events like Dusk to Dawn ….. go figure?

Thetford is a XC venue – simple as, it caters for the family and XC market. So if you enjoy sporting some lycra and peddling round flat singletrack then you’ll probably enjoy it.

For others saying get involved and make it better, there’s little point as most riders who enjoy a bit of gravity and speed would rather spend an extra hour driving and go help out with a dig day at chicksands, aston or woburn over maintaining a green level family route to keep the FC happy.

Good point about getting out of Thetford what you put in. Its not Wales, but you’re not going there to ride it like that. There is loads of great, swoopy singletrack to be found on the Brandon side that is a real buzz if you can get your eye in and some flow going.

On the waymarked trails, the red is better than the black. I like to ride the red, and then do the first couple of sections of the black, pick up a fire road to the Beast, and mess around there for a while. Buy a FC map, you’ll be able to work that out if it appeals.

I appreciate most mtbers have their favourite styles of riding, but for me the beauty is doing different terrain whenever I can. Thetford’s no Wales or Peak District, but it can be just as satisfying if you find the right stuff imo.

For the OP

“Thetford Forest means dogging, or suicide” – Alan Partridge

Thetford is very much fitness orientated. Its all about flow the faster you go the more technical the trails become trying to get all the corners linked up. Just pedal harder if you become bored.

Thanks for the replies Guys, I’ll pop over and check it out.
–
Fast XC good for me 😯

prezet – Member
Thetford is a XC venue – simple as, it caters for the family and XC market. So if you enjoy sporting some lycra and peddling round flat singletrack then you’ll probably enjoy it.

For others saying get involved and make it better, there’s little point as most riders who enjoy a bit of gravity and speed would rather spend an extra hour driving and go help out with a dig day at chicksands, aston or woburn over maintaining a green level family route to keep the FC happy.

In that case, don’t slate it as cr@p just because it doesn’t cater for your style of riding, as a lot of people seem to do. I don’t like man-made trail centres particularly, doesn’t mean they’re rubbish though and I don’t go around slagging them off… 🙄