Just booked a camping holiday for myself and the missus in the new forest due to proximity to where we live. Riding isn't priority but we both enjoy it so would be a bonus. Not really interweaves in fire roads and the such, actual singletrack and trail centrey type stuff preferred. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.
not much that's very exciting or very long, nothing like Wales/Lakes/Peaks/Exmoor/Scotland etc
and what there is tbh you'll struggle to find unless you know it
nothing trail centre like at all
plenty of single track but to link up enough to make a decent ride you'll need a local tbh.
it's pretty flat as you're probably aware, more so the further south you go though there's not that much in it
cycling is not permitted on any of the really quite nice trails, though there are a few gravelly roads you're grudgingly entitled to
a decent look at an OS map in advance, ideally with something like googlemaps satellite view would give you some ideas (lots of the tracks aren't on OS maps but highly visible on photos). It's about as dry as it ever gets just now, so you're far less likely to go bogsnorkelling
trail-centrey ? no chance - if that means waymarking, grading (all blue anyway) or maintenance of trails
watch out for the gorse
where are you staying ?
I beg to differ (at least about the trail centre bit)
Check out Avon Tyrrell near Burley. This is where the Big Bike BAsh is held and has a selection of different trails. Not too long but nice twisty single track loops.
There is a link on the BBB website but if I put up a link to the site this thread will probably be disappeared.
Also fishing, canoeing, high ropes, climbing wall.
isn't it closed to public usually BBB ?
There's enough riding to justify a nice pub lunch.
According to my missus, the nearest station is brockenhurst and the
Campsite is called Hollandswood.
They will let you ride the course if you mention me and the fact you are thinking of coming to the event that 'dare not speak it's name'.
There may be an entry charge of a couple of quid but I think that is if you hire bikes. They are normally happy let members of the public use it as long as you report to reception first to sign in.
I ride in the forest just about every week BBB and have never ridden anything on the scale or anything like any of the welsh/lakes trail centres that I've ridden anyway
Don't get me wrong I love the forest and there's enough twisty through the trees to keep me amused.
I've not had the opportunity to ride the BBB course though
couldn't make it last year and I'm going to be away this year too at that time unfortunately 😥 , it sounded fun, maybe BBB 2012.
I've spoken about it to James, Thom and the Trevis boys and it sounded good but not sure it'll be the same as Afan, Penmachno, Marin, Strathpuffer or big natural trails etc
I'll reserve judgement 'til BBB 2012 though
I also didn't know it was accessible to the public at all and I'm a local ❗
maybe I'll try to get a quick lap in next time I'm near by
Hollands Wood is a lovely site as long as you pitch away from the road.
bridleways etc are fine for 'family' riding and there's some interesting lookign stuff running away from it that I didn't fancy dragging the trailegator and my daughter down. If you get an OS map (or dowload viewranger to your phone) you can see the stuff running away from the site).
I think I know some OK trails from very near that site (I'll get a grown-up to remind me of what & where)
when are you going kawato?
oh and as your at Hollands wood there's a nice if somewhat cheeky section which starts right there.
Over the Stile opposite the entrance to the camp site is where it starts
It's great if you can follow it all the way, it's not easy, there are loads of little pony trails, streams, bridges and tracks criss crossing through there. use satellite images and just try to keep in the right general direction and you can't go too far wrong
It's a twisty bit of singletrack which goes all the way across to the Reptile centre on the A35 near Bank just outside Lyndhurst, good fun a speed.
29er Keith - it's a bridleway where it leaves the campsite and until you get to the bridge over the river. lovelt rooty, lots of alternate lines. woudl be a nightmare in the wet I'd imagine.
took the family down it - me with trailgator and 8 year old in tow, my wife with panniers containg lunch and stuff and son off ahead on his fs kona. Even my wife who had never ridden 'proper' singletrack before said she loved it 🙂
we stuck to the flatter/wider b'ways after that, though.
the reptile centre was quite nice too.
wwaswas there's very little of the bit that I ride that's a Bridleway 😳
but yeah there's some in there, they don't usually put Stiles at the start of the legit bike routes
there's another nice bit that heads of toward ornamental drive half way along that bit too which is worth keeping an eye out for
from the reptile centre you can head out towards Bolderwood area or Emery Down, again some good bits around those areas too
and a few hills round there too 😯 , nothing huge but definitely hills
OP I would be happy to show you round but! I've next to no free time for the next few weeks them I'm on hol's for 3 months 8)
I doubt your camping in November?
oh and yeah Brokenhurst and the train stations very close
Okay, the AT site isn't quite up there with some of the Welsh or Scottish places but it is there and it is good fun and it is a damn site closer to where they are camping.
😉
wwaswas - correctly predicted winter conditions; part of that is one of the wettest/muddiest stretches I know
I used to live in Lymington and found it quite challenging to find good riding in the New Forest - all the stuff you're "meant" to ride is boring, undulating loamy doubletrack footpaths. You need a bit of local knowledge to string together any decent lengths of the good stuff.
Your best bet is to check out [url= http://www.newforce.org.uk/ ]Newforce[/url] , the New Forest Mountain biking club, and try and tag along with their rides - they do a midweek one and a Sunday one, IIRC.
From memory, the best riding to be had in the Forest was in the area round about Fordingbridge - more lumpy hills and just generally a bit more variety than elsewhere.
The coastal path from Lymington on towards Christchurch through Milton and Barton on Sea and Mudeford also has some nice swoopy bits here and there, although again, it's all a bit cheeky. Makes a nice there-and-back on a summer's evening and is hard to get lost on.
top camping tip - don't leave any food outside of the tent unguarded, the cheeky ponies and horses make regular raids....oh and yeah 2nd get a spot well away from the road, at night due to the quietness its like the m25.
took me 10 years to realise there was another street in Brokenhurst than the one with the campsite on...mmmm
gonna be there from July 19th til the 24th. Taking my only bike (Intense SS) which by the sounds of it, is going to be overkill ;(
kawato - I got a fully rigid SS fixie to ride the NF. Forget challenging and expect relaxing, taking in the natural beauty.