[Closed] MBUK - QE Park article

best bit about qe is all the stuff you are not, ahem, supposed to ride.

Funnily enough, that's not mentioned. Maybe there are too many stones.

I'm not sure I'd call QE park a "trail cente" - more a small wood with a single short easy route and a slightly more adventurous harder route. Neither more than 2-3 miles long are they - maybe not even that. There is "the other stuff" but not a lot of it, not of course that it exists.

The last part of the harder route that traverses and descends back to base I suppose is a bit off camber and can be effected by the weather I guess. I rode it Jan/early feb after a week or two of rain and it was quite slow going as it was pretty much all roots that was left. If you visited on one of those days you would get a particular impression.

Definitely not a trail centre in the usual sense - how many dog walkers and families do you have to avoid at Coed-Y-Brenin?

I think his main issues were with trail maintenance/sustainability type stuff - I think exposed roots might be hard to maintain(?) and I think 'fall-line' descents are supposed to be hard to maintain, as well as being over quickly in terms of riding time.

I rode it once a while ago, didn't much enjoy the fire-road climb at the start!

there is no (or 'not necesarily a') fire road climb at the start. you come out the main visitor centre carpark, ride along the carpark road past the picnic area for a few hundered yards then as you come to the parking ticket machines the hard trail starts with a brisk climb on a track to the left through a fence.

qe was one of my main riding areas for many years, starting out in the days pre-bike trails there. i re-rode it quite a lot the summer before last when i was up that way again regularly for a few months. imho it is a vastly wasted resource, and i beg to differ with convert but there is loads of riding away from the flagged stuff - and thats just on the one hill. if you venture further afield there is even more. a great time to ride is early evening, i found it empty and the park rangers don't seem to work after 5pm.

the route you can get a pdf for here is pretty fun, and if you've never seen outside the park will give you an insight.

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/cycling/cycling-route-finder/cycling-qecp.htm

Ok, my mistake was following the waymarked route then! I still had fun.

there is no (or 'not necesarily a') fire road climb at the start. you come out the main visitor centre carpark, ride along the carpark road past the picnic area for a few hundered yards then as you come to the parking ticket machines the hard trail starts with a brisk climb on a track to the left through a fence.

DezB - Member
Definitely not a trail centre in the usual sense - how many dog walkers and families do you have to avoid at Coed-Y-Brenin?

Worryingly more than before....!

Last trip to Afan found people walking up the trail to the Windy Hollow junction. We were heading down it at warp speed....Daft muppets.

Interesting one, the sustainability - it's been like it is (well most of it) and unmaintained for years! New lines appear all the time (usually numpty lines for those trying to avoid the hard bits), so the trail tends to evolve in its own way.
The hard sections are great for learning skills.
The original start climb (a chalky hill, rather than a fireroad) has actually been replaced by a new official line (up to the right) which weaves its way more comfortably up the hill.
The fireroad is the start of the "family run" (bloody fit family!) but there's a parallel section on the dirt for most of it.

I've been there a couple of times with some non-cycling friends. Its been perfect for half a day with them, plus a bite to eat.

it's been like it is (well most of it) and unmaintained for years!

you said it! i first rode there in about '87 and, from memory, the hard trail appeared about 2 years later. 2 summers ago it was exactly the same, so nearly 20yrs without change by my reckoning.

Unchanged? How could you forget the last downhill drop to the right - now redirected through the (very offcamber) tree lined section!?

if you ride the route clockwise, do you mean the very last section that drops down to the little carpark where there was a container hiring bikes for a few years? if so you are quite right, i forgot that originally it went pretty much straight down with a particularly rad bit across some (yew?) roots or somesuch.

That's the bit. That was fun. Then they changed it. And I broke my neck on the new section 🙁

I live about 5 miles away and have probably ridden the trail about twice in the last 10 years, personally I've never liked the trail and got to agree with gaz as I remember doing a race there in about 87 and its hardly changed since then.

I also always been of the opinion that its good for starters learning skills but more importantly its also very useful as it keeps all those people who go there off of my secret stash of trails!

Eartham woods, if you don't already know it, is worth an explore. Not tech by any means, but some nice cruisy routes on tracks that don't get that sodden so a decent winter spot. Also a stunning bluebell ride this time o year in one section.

If anyone wants more info email me.

I haven't read that article, but if it's anything like the usual ones, it's written from a very "by the book" perspective, by someone who takes the IMBA trail building manual as the best practice guide for mountain bike trails. Other opinions are available...

QE Park - eh?

aviemoron - Member
QE Park - eh?

Sorry mate, to be more precise - Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, Petersfield, Hampshire.
Judging by your username, I'd say it's not worth a trip down, but if you're in the area... 😉

I find its a good place to star rides form as it has a busy car park which tend to be safer than the quite ones.
Gav i may have to find out from you which one that wood is.

QE2 is a bit like pot noodles: I might have it once a year, on a whim, but soon remember why I prefer to cook using ingredients not born in the early 90s

AndyRT - Member
QE2 is a bit like pot noodles: I might have it once a year, on a whim, but soon remember why I prefer to cook using ingredients not born in the early 90s

I'm of a similar wont - but it is great for nightrides with the trailhound!

I've still not ridden the trails at QE Park, despite having ridden through - even stopping off for a bite to eat there, whilst on a self flagellating STW excursion!

Worth putting a ride together there Dez?

CAn do Pete, let us know when and we can cook something up. Its OK , if you like off camber roots . The new switchbacks are waaaaaay to tight and built from slippery chalk. I think the builders must ride BMX 's round when they sort the lines.

Rob

Good idea chaps. It's always hard work/fun round there and we can find a way to extend it over Butser way if necessary.
Definitely worth it for the bacon rolls and cake after 🙂

Edit: And its also a route I can actually remember!!

Yeah not liking the switchbacks at all, just wait until the chalk goes green, nasty. Plus they are simply TOO tight to get a good line.
Mind you i seem to recall near there was a quite steep bit there which you hit at speed onto off camber roots and then chalk and then a sharp right hander. If it was remotely moist it was deadly! How inever came a cropper there i have NO idea.
The last offcamber rooty bit is fun, but there is no perfect line at all. Hit and hope springs to mind.

Oh and the venison burgers in the caff are rather tasty!

And i popped my 50mph off road cherry going down butser this year!!

Sounds good! sometime over the summer then, I do like off camber roots - in the dry!!

If the trails are dry then they are pretty fast, spesh the rooty off camber one. Always makes my mouth go a bit dry!

I rode it once a while ago, didn't much enjoy the fire-road climb at the start!

this is gone (well not in use) it's been replaced with a very slippery windy single track climb - tis nice.

the worst bit is after the first climb, you loose some height on a fire road (pants) then traverse and then wast all that altitude (yeah 100m max!) on another fire road. needs sorting - there is an abvious place for the traverse to turn down before the rooty climb.

it's not brilliant but is good for a mess around - particually for less fit peoiple trying to get some (semi) technical bits in.

the switchbacks can be ridden quickly but it takes a lot of practise to get the fast line as they are all really awkward - which i like, after all it ain't bmx.

The new twisty climb is better going the other way. The new switchbacks are, as noted above, poorly thought out. However, anyone who only rides the official stuff is really missing out. Not only is there a lot of really testing singletrack within the Park, there are some great trails over the back of Butser and out toward Buriton and Ditcham. No shortage of tech-y fun to be had - but you'll probably need a local to get anything like the best out of it.

To return to this thread.....

I've ridden it twice in the last week with a small group of teenagers - the 2nd half of the "expert" last week in the dry and the first half in the dizzle last night.

Due to bike faff I was on my cyclocross bike last week which made the long descent "interesting" over the rooty stuff. I had my work cut out to keep infront of the kids! Yesterday on my new hardtail it was a ok and a good test of the tyres. I know the drizzle brings out the worst in rooty stuff but it is definately rootier than I remember from even only a year or two ago.

Givn that the place is really there for the masses, I think a weather proof trail centre style surface could well be in order.

Can someone point me in the direction of this article, QE is my local and I wouldn't mind reading it.

Roots are great, leave em alone!
MBUK, must be the June edition (but could be may)