Can anyone recommend any?
isn't it a bit like having a climbing club in Norwich or a yacht club in the Sahara?
Apparently so, It's constructive responses like that which make me think it's a likely-hood though - cheers
JMC (A reference to the great man himself?), there's not really much of a club scene in London. It tends to be groups of friends getting together to go play after work in the Parks. I'm off to ride Wombledon and Richmond with some mates tomorrow, for example.
There is also Addiscombe on the edge of town and people like Berks On Bikes a little way out.
Move ooop norf mate or even better to Wales 😆
Afraid not just my initials!
Have only really got out to Epping Forest recently but have been told of some trails south too, not too far out.
Will check those places out you mentioned, thanks for the tip
The North of the country and wales are great (lived in Sheff for years). It's work however that keeps me up here though so got to make the best of what London has to offer on the cycling front!
The North of the country and wales are great (lived in Sheff for years). It's work however that keeps me up here though so got to make the best of what London has to offer on the cycling front!
I feel your pain mate
Check out our little forum (although it's down right now for a server move):
Predominantly Epping singletrack rides, but all other styles & paces catered for!
Some do alps trips, Wales, UKBP, night rides, Danbury, road rides...etc etc.
Thats great - thanks for that Dave
Where in London are you based? I have just joined www.westdraytonmbc.co.uk which seems to be pretty active, but haven't actually been out on any rides yet!
Costa Del Hackney! I'm heading off to North London this weekend for an organised ride so that should be cool but just finding out whats going on otherwise. You going to get involved with one of the Drayton rides?
You could also form your own "club", or as some refer to it, getting people to come ride with you. the forum isn't a bad place.
If you are looking for a club then London Phoenix is probably your best bet - they have a good website and a mix of road and mud folk, keen on racing and seem to be entering marathons etc. Google'll find it...
[url= http://www.thetrax.co.uk/ ]the trax (take a B I G padlock)[/url]
[url= http://www.ibikeride.com/a-day-out-at-hog-hill-mountain-bike-centre.html ]hog hill[/url]
or if you wanna ride off road from the Enfield area = martinddd@hotmail.co.uk
If you don't mind getting trains outside of the city. Liverpool St - Chelmsford - ride 5 miles and there's some nice woodland in Danbury. Also a lot of dirt jumping too. Personally I can't massively excited about it all having lived in Yorkshire but it's more exciting than riding around Hyde Park. I did hear of some half decent trails around Hampted Heath actually!
Liverpool St - Chelmsford is 40 mins by train by the way.
Hello JMC ,
Epping Forest Epics used to have sat /sun rides but that's gone a bit quiet - apparently there is an over 30's club that do Epping rides from
Chingford station on Saturday mornings.
There is another Epping crew and as i type i am struggling with selective memory loss - the name is something macho. sorry.
Qwerty - offroad north of Enfield - sounds interesting -
do you ride in Trent Park?
J.
from Enfield i tend to ride through Forty Hall, Trent Park, Monkden Hadley or Broxbourne Woods or Epping Forest, anything from 1 - 4 hours (big loop of Monkden Hadley and Broxbourne)
Neat, they all sound like great places to start. Not rode Trent Park before but am looking at gettting to either Queen Elizabeth Park or Broxbourne Woods on top of all the stuff you lot have listed!
the trax (take a B I G padlock)
hog hill
or if you wanna ride off road from the Enfield area = martinddd@hotmail.co.uk
(Qwerty - The Trax people are having a meeting and a ride on Saturday by the looks of things)
West Drayton are a big club, I've been a member for about 9 years, and I know about 10% of people now! They do a lot of their rides around Swinley Forest, but also tend to do rides from Denham Country Park near Uxbridge too.
The shop that sponsors the club is near Guildford, so there's a substantial club contingent around there, but we have got members from New Zealand and even further afield, there's one fellow from Harrogate.
There's a weekly ride and club night in Uxbridge if that's your thing, and they promote a number of events (competitive and not) each year. I'd recommend them, we're all friendly. Usually have a reasonable turn out at races too, if that's your bag.
Over 35 MTB are currently meeting at Bury Rd car park near Chingford station at 11am on Sat. Two groups - fast and not so fast. They stop for lunch so it can eat into the day a bit. Look up MTB35 on google groups to check them out, and they have an (out of date) website.
Also there's a regular group at 8am on Sunday from High Beech carpark - back by 11, home by 12, just right 🙂 They stop a little less and know the tracks very very well indeed.
The thing about Epping Forest is... it's not massively challenging but if you sprint like a bastard between every corner and ride a crap bike like mine you can get your heart rate up and give yourself the odd fright!
A
West Drayton are a big club, I've been a member for about 9 years, and I know about 10% of people now!
135 members as things stand. But Nick is right its a friendly bunch with everything from National Champs through to those who like to be in the pub more than on the bike. We had 55 riders at Bontrager 24:12 this year. A veritable sea of black and yellow. A good few podiums too hey Nick? 😉
We will be resurrecting the monthly Beyond North Downs shop ride in November (exact date TBC) but there is always a Saturday or/and Sunday ride somewhere or other. 15 riders just returned from a club weekend in Afan. You can't beat £40 for accomodation and food for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
If you like a bit of XC racing Mud Sweat and Gears just did a summer series and there is talk of a winter series now too.
2 of the venues are doable by train. Danbury and Langdon.
[url] http://mudsweatgears.sxevents.co.uk/index.php [/url]
You're doing yourself a disservice James, you were a couple of steps higher on the podium than me 🙂
You're doing yourself a disservice James, you were a couple of steps higher on the podium than me
Who's counting the steps? 🙂
We are just in the process of launching new north London mountain bike club called [url= http://www.thetrax.co.uk ]The Trax[/url]. We are based out of Lordship Rec in Tottenham but are arranging a lot of local and day trip outs to the surrounding area.
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As an aside Lordhip Rec is also the home of a new bike skills park we are building with Haringey council, the locla Parks friends group and Lottery Heritage funding in early 2010 for mini 4cross, pump track and shore area. The bike skills park is also called [url= http://www.thetrax.co.uk ]"The Trax"[/url]
We have our [url= http://www.thetrax.co.uk/index.php/component/option,com_eventlist/Itemid,58/id,2/view,details/ ]first club meeting[/url] this Saturday 3rd Oct 11.am at Lordship Rec if you are interested
Went our on Sunday with West Drayton MBC for the first time and had a great time! Very friendly bunch of people!
London Phoenix would be worth a look too, lots of members in and around North London, very active on the road and MTB scene.
I know more S.London clubs (that being where I'm originally from). Addiscombe CC (out near Croydon)
West Drayton MBC
Informal Sunday morning rides on Sundays at 9am from High Beech, Epping - anyone welcome that is reasonably self sufficient and doesn't take it too seriously. 15 years of local knowledge. Back about 1 ish.
Look for a couple of Ventanas, red and white Intenses, an Ellsworth, sometimes a few Yeti 575's, possibly a Whyte 19, black Trek EX8.
Usually a singletrack whizz to Whipps Cross for breakfast and back or a long loop over to Theydon.
Folks
The Trax is beginning to take shape and had our first few club rides :D. All good fun
Just wanted to let you know we have just posted our ride calendar [url= http://www.thetrax.co.uk/index.php/Calendar/All.html ]here [/url]covering local rides in Trent Park, the Rec and queens Wood as well as away days to Chicksands, Surrey Hill, Swinley, Hog Hill and so on. More to follow...Hope you come [url= http://www.thetrax.co.uk ]check us out[/url]