As per title really, is it worth heading out there for a days riding from London? And is Tring or Wendover the closest train station?
Cheers 🙂
I don't know the nearest station, at a guess I'd say Wendover.
Aston Hill is well worth a visit if you enjoy DH, there are a lot of courses to choose from. The XC loop is a real challenge too, especially if it's wet.
The only criticism is that it's a lot more expensive than it used to be, but then they have put that money back into the place. If you prefer XC and singletrack then there is a lot of quality riding in the Berkhamstead area near Whipsnade that is well worth seeking out too.
Wendover is the nearest station, and you could ride offroad most the way there. If you're not into Downhill, then you'd probably want to combine it with some of the other local hills and natural trails
yes well worth the journey, the tracks are superb - but take plenty of food and drink as the push-up makes you thirsty, especially if wearing armour
would be a lot easier for you to team up with somebody driving out from London if you could, tbh
Yeah it's worth the trip.
I always get a bit of a sense of ennui with Aston Hill though. It's a really good place, amazing riding, but driving back I just feel a bit "meh". It's the artificiality of it. A big part of mtbing with me is the feel of exploring, covering ground. You just don't get that by riding three trails repeatedly all within half a mile of each other, in fairly monotonous woodland. I get less post-ride buzz there than in the Surrey hills, for example.
But the trails themselves are amazing. Flowing, technical, fun.
Also, no need to push back up if you have a triple. It's a ten minute climb on a heavy Spesh Enduro, in arm and leg armour with full face clipped to your camelbak.
How 'hardcore' is it? Full-face and armor mandatory? Do they do skills training there?
In the dry it's fun - steep and twisty. In the wet it's f... hardcore.
Full face and pads not mandatory, but useful if you want to give it some. I'd argue madatory in the wet - you will be on your arse/face quite a bit.
I was just there yesterday, 9 holes only, lovely little course though. Oh, you mean that place with the crazy jumps etc right next door? Yes, that's good fun as well...
If you prefer XC and singletrack then there is a lot of quality riding in the Berkhamstead area near Whipsnade that is well worth seeking out too
If you want a guide in that neck of the woods for that kind of riding and some 'missing oz' reminiscing just drop me a line. Of course, if you're up for some golf as well I'm good with that too.
How 'hardcore' is it? Full-face and armor mandatory? Do they do skills training there?
Not very, it's pretty tame in the DH scheme of things. If you don't ride DH you might find little bits steep, but thats it.
How 'hardcore' is it? Full-face and armor mandatory? Do they do skills training there?
hardcore enough for most of the kidz there to be in DH gear and big rigs.
but all doable on a 100mm hardtail also, depends how much you want to rag it, full face useful if so.
its a small area but they make the most of the gradient with the DH runs packing in a lot of 'features' that come at you quite quick one after the other and getting steeper and more techy down to some reasonable sized drops at the bottom..
firecrest MTB coaching did me a good one-one session there.
it's worth a trip psychle
I'd go to Wendover, station is a bit out of town but straightforward to get to/ from
trails are pretty straightforward, not too technical (unless it's rained and then it's clay-city), but nice and steep in places
Go Saturday, gonna Rain Sunday apparently...
Just to add to what the others have said, there's no big jumps or drops on the DH runs really. The most challenging bit for me is riding the rooty corners on the black run.
Just talk to people when you get there to ask where the runs start etc, it's a very friendly place.
Was the first "DH" riding I did and it took a few visits to sort of get the flow of it.
Well worth the visit - see my thread after my first visit last week
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/aston-hill-bloody-hell-its-steep