Planning to take Jnr aged 11 to Thetford tomorrow, he’s a fairly competent rider in the local woods (Chicksands and Woburn) and reasonably fit (certainly used to cycling for a couple of hours at a time).

However, just been looking at the trail information on the FC website and it says the Lime Burner (former black) is suitable for over 16s only and Beater (former red) is suitable for over 12s. Everyone I know who has been there has said that the black and reds were relatively straight forward. Is the FC trail info being a bit conservative?

What do you guys think?

I’ve never ridden the red/black there but have done the Thetford winter series races and I think Jnr could manage those courses fine in a non race scenario.

i took my old workmates round the red a few years back and some of them were pretty much non-cyclists

your kid will be fine

http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/The-Bikes-of-Whistlers-Super-Groms-Jackson-Goldstone-and-Finn-Finestone,4141/Slideshow,0/bturman,109

Thanks Kimbers.

And quite GW, giving an age guide is a bit difficult, I’d struggle to do the things those kids can do in your link. I probably wouldn’t take the OH to ride around Thetford and she’s a fair bit older than Jnr!

Yeah they have skull and crossbones on the entrance to the trails making it look all scary too…but they’re pretty straightforward – he’ll be fine!

I was fooled by the warnings as well. Even put on pads, then felt like an idiot all the way round as (apart from a few very short steep sections in The Beast) it’s just a bimble through the woods really. Fun, but not really that technical (and I’m a total wuss).

Cheers

Andy

It’s used by Suffolk Scouts for group rides, loads of 11 year old in those rides

Both trails are now graded red (Lime Burner trail = old black, and Beater trail = old red), and that’s more for the (still short-ish) distance than anything really techy. Be careful on the Beast and watch out for a couple of the bigger bombholes (Squirrel Scamper and Howes Run – the rest are OK) and they’ll be fine.

slainte 🙂 rob

Technically very easy you kid will be fine there.

But I found the trail very tiring. Could nt seem to get a good rhythm on them as very rutted/bumpy in places.

Thetford grading is somewhat unique, in Scotland they’d be blue / green runs.

Thanks all. Having got stuck in bank holiday/Center Parcs traffic we only had time for 1.5 laps of the Beater. In hindsight with our time constraints we should’ve gone out on the Lime Burner first and then did the short lap of the Beater.

Jnr found it fine, probably quite a bit easier than a ride around Chicksands – apart from we’d struggle to put together a 16/17 mile route around there.

I’d have no hesitation taking our Go Ride club round there for a ride.