I thought I knew the forest pretty well, but whilst riding there today I saw 3 differen’t riders armoured up to the max, not knocking that if that’s what they want to wear but I don’t want to miss out on the good trails they might be playing on (didn’t ask them in case they thought I was taking the pee)

*waves at the non armoured guy on the lovely Moots soft tail*

I was in there this morning and noticed a couple guys kitted out, huge rucksacks, full pads, full face etc. I too also wondered if I was missing something so asked. It was their first visit and wanted to be prepared for any type of riding. Still total overkill, but each to their own.

I thought stuff like that was closer to Dunley maybe ? Near the MX track ? Nothing like it in the Forest as such.

Do you ride all the stuff in the forest rd?all the drops and such.Only when I saw you, you were sat on a bench looking pretty knackered!

Is the DH stuff at Ribbesford still open/used?

Yeah all those trails are still there ,they have done a lot of good work up there.

daveells – Member
Do you ride all the stuff in the forest rd?all the drops and such.Only when I saw you, you were sat on a bench looking pretty knackered

i ride all the stuff i know, i sat on a fallen tree today to eat my sarnies, did 61 miles though so i think i’m allowed to look knackered
full story here http://a-pic-a-ride.blogspot.com/

Maybe riding over to Ribbesford DH tracks – not many places to park near to the tracks.
http://www.moredirt.co.uk/trail_info.php?id=227

I rode a downhill/jumpy section at the Wyre for the first time yesterday. Never knew it was there before. It’s on the Far Side just after where you go down the rooty section leading to a 90 degree left hander (straight on is the big open grassy downhill). After the left hand turn its off to the right, about 30/40 yards down.

Far side? Button oak, or just the side furthest from the visitors centre?

I’ve heard tell there some stuff in Button Oak but the main forest has always kept us entertained enough not to explore that way. Except one ride with Mick amny many moons ago, when I was just too tired to take anything in by that time!

My guess is that it was a first visit, they didn’t know what to expect and came prepared for anything.
Ankle Cracker and he last few yards of Three Bears and Caravan are the only well known trails I can think of where a DH bike & armour would be useful.

There’s some fairly long steep paths from Seckley Wood, near Hawkbatch, down towards the river. I know they have been ridden, but they’d want a lot of work to turn them in to the sort of trails that downhillers like.

I saw the weekend that magic garden has been slightly sanitised, I assume by the FC as there’s a new trail marker at the bottom end, strange though as the trail could have hardly been difficult to walk.

I still get confused by all the names. If Magic Garden = Secret Garden = Jungle Run, then that’s Natural England, not Forestry Commission.

There was talk about NE having meetings with mountain bikers and doing some trail work. Replacing the bridge on Camber was one project they mentioned.
If they’ve started already on the trail work, I’ll call in to their office and see if they’re still interested in setting up some sort of mountain bikers forum.

i was over the forest yesterday. Secret garden has indeed been ‘sanitised’, the large fallen tree ‘A’ frame has been cut down and it looks like theres abit of work going on at the camber trail, Lots of clearing of scrub around the trail. Camber has been cut up a fair bit over the last few months with lots of pot holes appearing

nick

it’s as much my own crap memory, it secret garden I meant, alway mess up pespsi max’s [pespsi cola] name too 😳

yes some-ones definitely taken out two trail features (the log crossing [completely dug out!] and the roots right at the end) and been chopping away at other stuff down, around the track.
No signs of the work on the coopers mill bridge yet either, if your off to NE (and they manage that part), can you ask them when work commences?

EDIT: Didn’t notice and difference to the camber (bridge is fine, not sure why it need updating), though those last few sections are gunna be proper scary when wet

There are some great DH trails at Ribbesford which is over near Bewdley Football Club.

Ankle Cracker and he last few yards of Three Bears and Caravan are the only well known trails I can think of where a DH bike & armour would be useful.

Rode the Three Bears for the first time yesterday, didn’t know what to expect, took me a little by surprise. Wouldn’t say a DH bike and body armour is strictly necessary, but you’ve got to be good at riding over (wet) roots and very happy riding along sustained off camber sections.

Oh and I REALLY wish I’d dropped my saddle as the last 50 yards is very steep and I bucked about quite a bit and my saddle gave me a bit of a thump in the gut.

Secret Garden did feel a bit odd without the log on it, but it was by no means the most technical or enjoyable feature in the forest.

mboy, it’s only the last 50 yards I meant.

Camber bridge always used to have the cross bars underneath the long timbers. I was always well aware when riding over it that I was relying solely on the nails holding them up.
I think it’s been turned over now.

I only know about Coopers Mill bridge because I happened to bump in to two guys surveying it one day.
One was from Worcestershire County Council, as they are responsible for Rights of Way, the other was the contractor who will be doing the work.
I don’t think NE are directly involved, although I’m sure they will be kept informed, so I’ll see what I can find out.

NE have done quite a lot of work recently, with kissing gates etc notably at the end of St Johns lane. ( I have found 4 other bits theyve done too. FC have sanitised the trail from st Johns Lane to the “family” route fire road, with that nice little “jump” being dug out on the gentle downhill parallel to the houses.If anyone thinks camber is iffy now, should have ridden it last winter, loadsa grip in the summer, if a bit gravelly. I’m sure something else has changed on SG too, I’m sure there was a root, or stone in the trail, which was a serious day spoiler if you hit it that disappeared about six weeks back ?
Anyway Wyre forest is still rubbish with nothing much to see or do !

They’re all good trails up there, armour just reflects confidence levels of the riders, especially if they are riding in a fast group and have a a bit of falling off alot, imo.

There’s a few roots than can catch you out and as said like the three bears and ankle cracker for example can bite if you get it wrong, fun in moist a couple weeks back, however the line onto the steeper run in seems vaguer than i remember it being a few months ago.

Mick took me along a trail(don’t know where) that had a few very poor kickers along the way, but nothing to nasty and all rollable.

I think RD, that you’ve probably done most if not all the Wyre trails, only your experience and ability doesn’t warrant confidence building armour.