I’m working in Newport Pagnell today and have got the mountain bike with me, after a quick google woburn looks like the nearest riding spot.

Just wondered if it’s worth a trip or if there is anything better nearby?

Its a very good place to ride, full of trail in a very small area. You will get lost only for a few mins.

Nothing else nearer to you other than Bridleways – you could easily ride to the trail network from NP. Google Map “church Road Woburn Sands” and look for Cyclone meetup point. Drive and park in the car park there. The main gate on the left has the start point of the Red Trail immediately on your right which is all waymarked red. All the off-piste stuff you’ll need to follow your nose or stop and ask the locals like me.
I’ll be riding later so if i see someone lost I’ll stop and say hello to you
Enjoy
Paul

While we are here, how are the trails on the Church side looking nowadays after the felling 6 months ago when a lot got trashed? I am only an occasional Woburn visitor so haven’t had a chance to look myself but I loved that area.

Good question…..

Very good indeed. Hogans run is ok now people appear to have stopped titting-around with it. Rollercoaster is great but the felling on the london lane climb bridleway is disorientating. Shed Trail, Golf trail and all those round that side are better than ever – but a little disorientating due to the felling. Some other nice lines there which have improved of late as positive knock-on from the felling.

Thanks chaps, knew I could rely on this place for for a quick response.

If you see somebody on a black cube 29er looking lost that’ll be me! I guess there is one main car park then and I just head for there and park?

The new jumps line in the lower main woods is looking pretty sweet now too, with a nice new gap jump between two trees to end!

Actually, no wait, it’s rubbish, don’t come here, you’ll hate it, promise…….. 😆

Yes, just head up Church Road past the church into the woods.

Thanks chaps, knew I could rely on this place for for a quick response.

If you see somebody on a black cube 29er looking lost that’ll be me! I guess there is one main car park then and I just head for there and park?

Park at the top of Church Lane marked on google maps as cyclcone meeting point

Find and follow Longslade Trail

Then either do it again or head out on one of the 2 huge wide sandy trails looking for side trails

I wouldn’t bother trying to find behind the church on a first visit

Thanks for all the replies, just heading there now it’s only 15 mins from the hotel.

The new jumps line in the lower main woods is looking pretty sweet now too, with a nice new gap jump between two trees to end!

I’ll have to give them a miss this time as I brought the 29er, don’t want the wheels exploding 😉

MarkBrewer –
I’ll have to give them a miss this time as I brought the 29er, don’t want the wheels exploding

pfft, 29ers are DOWNHILL SPECIFIC now don’t ya know!!

Very good indeed.

Excellent news! Was actually there at the weekend for the first time in ages but didn’t head to that side as I was so pushed for time I didn’t want to head over there and find disappointment.

The new jumps line in the lower main woods is looking pretty sweet now too,

Any more clues where you’re talking about?

pfft, 29ers are DOWNHILL SPECIFIC now don’t ya know!!

Forgot that 😳

I got lost on the red about halfway in and couldn’t work out where I went wrong so ended up finding the jump area. Think I’ll bring a bigger bike if I’m up here again, although some of them are huge 😯

I got lost on the red about halfway in

Down a steep rooty rollable drop (about 2m high), short bit of trail and then a fire road by any chance?

For next time, the drop is just there to confuse you. Go back a bit.

The jump area is insane.

Yep it was that bit, did it 3 times and even ended up going down past the house to the road to see if I could find where I was meant to go, so do you turn off somewhere before the rooty drop because I didn’t see anything obvious.

Enjoyed the bits I did though, some nice bits of twisty rooty singletrack 8)

there was a bit of tape on a tree just before that rooty drop…
with a sharp left

timmys

The new jumps line in the lower main woods is looking pretty sweet now too,
Any more clues where you’re talking about?

It runs back down the hill toward W/sands off the lower wide sandy path. You can drop off the middle bridleway, down the steepish scarp, and then into the new run.

MarkBrewer
Yep it was that bit, did it 3 times and even ended up going down past the house to the road to see if I could find where I was meant to go, so do you turn off somewhere before the rooty drop because I didn’t see anything obvious.

Yup, if you get to the Droll (halfway between a drop and roll) on The Empire, then you’ve now gone too far, and you should have turned left about 25 yards before it. However, the Droll is fun, so we usually do it all the way, then just loop back up the main sandy double track and do it again, this time turning off left.

Back in the day, you could go straight across the fire road, and into a super fast series of drops, which was ace!

I did wonder if the bit beyond that log fence opposite where you come out on the bridleway used to go somewhere as it had that look about it.

Will probably have to head back after I finish tomorrow so won’t have time for another look, might bring something with a bit more travel next time though and go and play on the jumps!

there still is no sign from the end (just after you roll ogg thet long ridge) back to the beginning, or am I blind?

There should be a better marker at the turn before that drop than just a bit of tape in a tree!

The new jumpy bit that Maxtorque mentions is called Flightpath. I don’t know the name of the bit that gets to it!

Back Woods is running really well too now the trails are bedded in after the logging.

+1 for flightpath

Found it 1st time on a night ride, the fallen tree drops/jumps were a bit scary !.

Pixies been busy, building is continuing off to the right after the last jump

Can someone give me a clearer direction to flight path please, by pm if need be. I’m familiar with the Longslade trail and most trails around the golf course.Ta.

Looks fun, shame about the ending!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faPW5-ejcTE

Still not sure where it is though?

Empire as part of the Longslade trail is used the same line it always did, takes in the drop, and runs to the bridleway. This is where it needs better waymarking as you actually go back the way you came and climb up the chicken run and back to the start using the old “empire long” trail. It then runs right from the top and loops back near the road and to the beginning of Empire again. Alternatively, you could take the middle line from the beginning and half way down, take the left, and repeat.

Flightpath, if I remember rightly, is up from “Bob’s Drop”, so if you head to Church Side from Sandy Lane cross roads using the middle bridleway its on the right after Bobs. Could be wrong.

Nearest strava segment?

Bagstard – that’ll be Bob’s Drop

Thanks Paul, but not coming up on strava search.

Bagstard
Looks fun, shame about the ending!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faPW5-ejcTE

This ^^ is precisely the sort of thing that gets trails ripped out and closed down.
Can we NOT put stuff on You-tube please, especially when it ends in hospitalisation…… 🙄

there still is no sign from the end (just after you roll ogg thet long ridge) back to the beginning, or am I blind?

I found that weirdly confusing. I’m hardly a Woburn expert but I’ve been going since the 80s. So if it’s confusing for me…..

“Thanks Paul, but not coming up on strava search.”

Bagstard

You could look at my strava profile “woody neenan” ?

Will do, thanks Paul.

Bagstard – from Church Road head along the main path and you get to a part which has rhododendrons either side. There’s a little break in them with a steep-ish trail to the left (I think this is probably Bob’s Drop), take this. Flightpath is near the bottom.

Thanks hammerite, I will have a search tomorrow.

Bagstard, did you find it?

Didn’t manage to get out yesterday, but I am going this afternoon. Usually I ride the waymarked trails and back woods, so I’m not that familiar with the Bob’s drop area, but I have had a good scan on Strava
and it’s an excuse to explore anyway.

Found it! Nicely built, flows well, but bottled the last couple.

Good stuff.