[Closed] Chopwell woods.

Mostly I find the best approach to finding stuff is to ride around until someone hoons past in front of you then leave a respectable gap and hoon after them.

It's small enough that it's pretty much impossible to get lost - just pick a track and follow it.

There's a map of the walking trails [url= http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/ChopwellWalksLeafletamended.pdf/$FILE/ChopwellWalksLeafletamended.pdf ]here[/url] - they're pretty much all fair game for cyclists, just be aware that there will be walkers and dogs and kids and horses on them too. I've never had a problem with any aggro from other trail users in Chopwell but it pays to be courteous. The land slopes from north to south, so use the fireroads to go uphill and the walkers trails to go down.

This is my usual loop around Chopwell when it's dryish, but by no means exhausts all the trails: http://app.strava.com/activities/66942921/overview

What's been said, really. Head up on the fireroads, head down on the trails.

Most of the unofficial trails are segments on Strava, have a look on there.

my usual loop

http://www.strava.com/activities/154800664#3572043819

My favourite trails start from the hill/bombhole just behind the carpark and run down towards Lintzford.

hi theres a group who ride wednesday eves which seems to be a young crowd run by scott mears (local dh lad and lbs guy), and a group on thursday eve called chopwell tumblers (check facebook as they're on there). as above most of good stuff on strava for getting gpx/map info. its pretty straight forward place but like anywhere always good to go with locals to get best bits in 🙂

oh and looking out of my window at the moment i'd say pack your mud tyres! 😛

Tumbler here, but not managed to get round for a while. As others have said there's loads of little trails, but not many obvious ones.

It's not often there is no mud, but when it's dry, it's well fast, especially Roots and Flow.

Thursday nights are the Tumbler rides, and as it's starting to close in now (especially when overcast) you'll need lights. After pub ride is ate the Red Kite.

forgot to mention if you're in the area a while drop me an email and i'll see if i can get out and show you some of the other stuff round here too 🙂 usually cant get out till about 8pm though with nipper

Thurs night might work, might try and sneak out tomorrow night for a bit too. Will check Facebook out.

1930 for 1945 set-off at the main car park if you're riding and not hiding.

Whilst Chopwell gets mentioned a lot as a 'trail centre', it's probably worth mentioning that there's only really one official trail (the Powerline) that takes you a few minutes to descend.

The rest is pretty much all 'off-piste'. So, un-armoured (as already mentioned, often muddy!) trails, and often well hidden.

It is small, so if you have the time, you'll find many of them, but best doing a bit of research and hopefully uploading a few routes to GPS if you can.

Hamsterley Forest isn't too far away either if you have transport, which is more your typical trail centre.

Local club midaircrisis ride tonight but not at chopwell. Meet at asda in holystone north of newcastle 7pm.

Chopwell is a great little wood, quite steep in places and has lots of fun trails. I used to ride out there from Newcastle, do a couple of loops and head home hardly touching a road. Ace little place. As others have said its not a trail centre bar one mtb line and honestly the best thing to do is just to ride. From the main car park I'd usually head right and up the fireroads first to the top/back of the forest and then to the left corner and find a trail heading down, jobs a good un. To be honest theres lots of trails and one of the joys is nipping into something that looks like a gap between bushes and discovering a great single track.

Just got back from there. The mud has made an appearance after a few weeks of being dry and dusty - I suspect that's how it'll be for a while now.

I managed to get out last night for a couple of hours. There were quite a few folks out that pointed me in the right direction. Making my way down from the bomb hole I saw loads of off piste stuff but it was nearly 9pm by then and I had done the best part of 50km between that and a ride with the kids in the morning so was running out of gas and still had to climb the hill to Medomsley. Still rode some great trails though.