I've just got a 5 month contract working at a studio near Watford.
I currently live in Bristol so I've no idea what the mountainbiking is like in or near Watford, can anyone help?
Not much around Watford itself. Whippendel woods for some light biking.
Otherwise best to head down a41 out of Watford. 20 mins away you got ashridge by Berkhampstead or over on the chilterns ; wendover, Coombe hill area.
Pretty shit tbh. But you are close to the M1, which means Woburn and Chicksands are only an hour away, and worth travelling to. Also got Aston Hill not far away.
Anything around watford will be bridleways, er..footpaths and doubletrack really.
further afield you have swinley and peaslake. I live in Hammersmith and manage to get out riding most weekends around Surrey
Yeah, not much of note within easy ride of Watford MTB wise.
Hop on train to Berkhamsted for Ashridge, it's a bit of a clarty bog-fest at this time of year but O.K. in the summer.
Or get in the Car and you have Swinley, Chicksands, Woburn and The Surrey Hills within an hour or two.
If you don't want to travel then you could always embrace the lycra as the road riding is actually quite good, head out past Chandler's cross and you're in the Chilterns, head north and you've go Ashridge/Ivanhoe/Tring which you can connect via Gaddesen Row to the lanes around Harpenden and north of St Albans towards Hitchin, just try to avoid Luton!
Thanks for your help guys.
I'm looking for rides in the evenings really.
I shall be heading home to Bristol at the weekends, but will need a few rides midweek to keep me sane.
Finding routes for the first time in the dark can be a bit of a pain!
Ashridge looks ok though. I have to find somewhere to stay weekdays as well, so I could look there.
On the opposite side of the M25 is Dorking/Westcott which has some great stuff. It may look far on the map but it's probably only 40 minutes away on a good day.
The Weds night ride from Berkhamsted train station will show you a load of trails around Ashridge. 7 to 7.30. Not ridden with them myself so no idea what it's like but could be worth it for a GPX track or 2.
Ah Watford, I grew up there!
There is some bridleway off of the A41 out towards Radlett, but it's dull and limited, there's Casiobury park which connects with the canal and can take you a fair distance. Essentially though, you will struggle to find much that is fun or worth riding especially given you are used to having local riding on your doorstep.
Depends where you settle really too as there are some more rural areas but still the riding will be bland.
Good luck, don't make the move permanent is all I can say!
You can ride from watford area to ashridge via the towpath past hemel, bit of a drag but not that far, for a weekend ride it's no probs. MIP if you want a GPX to start with.
Thanks jameso, I've PMed you.
I used to ride in the woods around Ruislip Lido when I lived in Northwood, not bad for a local(ish) ride.
Look up the Bucks Off Road Sportive maps, they join up most of the (legal) riding to the west of Watford.
I ride up and around Cheshunt/Hoddesdon woods - not like the alps but close enough to you and worth a blast in the evenings and plenty of opportunity to get lost for a while.
Give me a shout and we can meet up if you like
Email in profile
Thanks plumber, will do
Whippendale woods has some fun twisty routes but as the max elevation is about 10m the routes are very short. Its a lot of short up, followed by short down.
Ashridge has bigger hills and better views but the riding is quite simple. Gets very wet and boggy at this time of year.
Woburn is the best place nearby. Has some reasonable size hills (for the south) and some fun and technical trails. Also copes the best in the winter. For local riding I'll pretty much be riding exclusively at Woburn till Spring.
[i]I have to find somewhere to stay weekdays as well, so I could look there. [/i]
No, stay next to the office/place-of-work and then travel out to wherever for night rides. Loads of routes from Dunstable all the way south, down the Chilterns.
Tring station is also a good starting point.
Twenty mins to J26 and you are at Epping forest. Miles and miles of Woodsy singletrack just starting to soften up a bit now.
I second the Bucks off-road sportive area.
I have family in Harefield and got to explore on bikes a few years ago.
Ruislip way gives you Bayhurst, Mad Bess Ruislip woods and over to Northwood and Bushey towards watford..... all good cross country fun
Harefield up through to Chalfont St Giles / Little Chalfont (Philipshill woods etc) Some lovely stuff in the woods.
There is a group that goes out from The specialized store in Ruislip.
As others have said ,loads of lovely xc fun all over the shop.
Do not forget your bonty mudx's and you'll have some great rides.
The rain this last week will have turned things a bit grim,but the chilterns is in no way as bad as Epping will be!
The bucks off road sportive is good starting point .
I'd go west or north, trying to get east or south (i.e. London) from Watford is a nightmare traffic-wise.
When ever I have ridden mad bess wood at night I think of this.
[url= http://madbesswood.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/february-1837-murder-in-mad-bess-wood.html?m=1 ]Clicky[/url]
And expect to see a ghost the whole time.
As has been mentioned Woburn is your best bet, it's already a clayfest in Herts 🙁