I am taking my better half for a first cycling experience. Am after easy to navigate (so prefer marked routes on organised trail centres as I don't have gps) – easy to ride green/blue routes. Anything that is easily accessible by train is a bonus and we will need to hire at least one bike – taking mine with me…

I live in Watford so where could we possibly go?

Thanks everybody!

To be honest, as a first riding experience a trail centre isn't the best option!

Start on local trails, learn a few skills and see if she enjoys it. A trail centre might be a little daunting first out!

Well I need to hire a bike (nowhere to hire one around Watford so I assumed if it is an organised trail centre it will have bikes for hire) and am sure we can manage a green route :p !

Swinley. It's not too far from you, and you can hire a bike there. However, the trails aren't marked, but just ask someone on a bike to point you in the right direction.

How about getting a demo bike from your local bike shop?

I just think that the whole size, scale and operation of a trail centre might count against you and that a nice, gentle ride in the country, via a pub for lunch perhaps, would be a better introduction. Am sure that some Watford locals can suggest a gentle route or two…

My thinking on trail centres is that she might be a little daunted by all the big shiny bikes and people looking all serious and wearing body armour and calling each other "dude" all the time!

I can't think of many trail centres accessed by train where the ride from the station wouldn't be longer than the trail!

Thanks Thatscold will have a look at Swinley!

Captain my LBS don't really do demos, when I went to try a Trek they'd let me take it for a spin around the block but no more than that. I do know places to go around Watford that are quiet and easy and it would be my first choice but I still need a bike 🙂

Rugeley should be on a direct train for you. The Follow-the-Dog at Cannock isn't too taxing and there are bikes for hire at Swinnerton's Birches Valley 🙂

Simon thanks! Looks like fairly decent stuff I would even go by myself there and give it a spin!

vrapan – Second the Swinley idea, but if you can do it, get down there alone or with mates (or arrange to meet people here) and get the lay of the land and mentally work out where you can take here. I know with my wife, she's not going to be up for a lot of the stuff you'd just stumble across.

follow the dog is a bit much for a first ride – i reckon.

better off in the new forest – on some gravel paths first? can get maps from bike hire places. brockenhurst might be a good place to aim for. train station – bike hire – pubs/ cafess for after.

thomthumb thanks for the suggestion will defo have a look at that too.

FollowTheDog though I will do even if I go there myself 🙂

New Forest is ideal for this – bike hire, easy tracks, easy to get to by train, loads of nice places to stay.

Or, Ashbourne in the Peak District and ride the Tissington Trail (easy ex-railway track with bike hire), although you need to get train to Derby + bus to get there, so you'd probably want to stay over to do that.

Cannock has easy family trails as well as follow the dog, although it is a bike ride away from the nearest station.

Swinley is also a bike ride away from Martin's Heron. It'd be a pain to get to though, probably need to change in London or somewhere, take you a couple of hours or so.

Maybe your best bet is to borrow a bike off someone local so you can ride round there, where you know where you're going, and it is nice and flat. Or even buy a cheap 2nd hand bike – if you add up the cost of train tickets etc. to go to one of these faraway places, plus the cost of bike hire etc. I bet it'd be way more than the £50 or so you'd need to get a 2nd hand bike capable of going on the local canal towpaths?

Joe

Thanks Joe! Really helpful, we are planning on making it a weekend away so I am not bothered paying a bit for it 🙂