[Closed] Queen Elizabeth Country Park or Swinley?

I prefer it as its more rough, swinley has got very smooth since its make over, I still enjoy swinley but the QECP loop is steeper and more technical. There isn't as much to ride as there is at swinley mind.

QECP for an hour's fun, Swinley for a couple.

seeing as i trashed my knee after 15 mins at qecp i vote swinley unless you have some knee pads. some razor sharp flint just might want to tear you apart if you hit the deck (it had just rained mind you)
if wet swinley

Qe for me. The loop is shorter and there is more climbing but its technically more challenging.
There is also other stuff to ride around the back. Can't explain how to find it...

But swinleys route is longer and is fun.

I live twice as far away from Swinley as I do QE & would pick Swinley every time.

There are very few places that depress me about riding my bike. QE is one of them. Shame, with that gradient & the size of the whole area out the back too, it could be one of the best places in the South of England.

But it's not.

Why does it depress you hobnob?

Can anyone explain how to find this "stuff at the back" had a look last time I was there but had no luck

Swinley every time. Far more to ride and much more fun, particularly if you add in the off piste stuff towards Crowthorne.

I appreciate volunteers put a lot of effort into QECP but I was very disappointed when I made the trip.

Don't underestimate the nastiness of the swinley surface. Lost the front wheel on a corner on saturday, went down hard and my knee looks like it's been hit with a baseball bat and then grated. Plus was full of sand and gravel, so needed a proper scrub out too. Big lumps missing, glistening white fat underneath. Ouchy!

You could do a loop of qecp red and then an out and back on the SDW heading towards Eastbourne and finish with another loop of the red. Nice mixed day with great views and some interesting Singletrack.

For me its QE every time. It has some fun stuff hidden away, some really good singletrack, and is set in nice countryside. You have to get off the main loop though otherwise its over quite quickly

On the otherhand I find Swinley overcrowded,and I've never come away from there itching to get back or buzzing from the ride. Its coffee shop is pretty average too.

Both, I alternate. But, if there is any form of moisture head for swinley.

I seem to puncture alot at QE these days

Can anyone explain how to find this "stuff at the back" had a look last time I was there but had no luck

As for Swinley I work locally, its really fun well worth a trip but I prefer Tunnel hill, Minley, Porridgepot etc....

If you do go to QECP, Do two laps of the red (Its running great at the moment)
or
the red and one of these XC routes to extend your ride:

Long route plus the red is about 4 hours.

For me it would have to be QECP every time if it's dry. I've not tried it in the wet so can't comment about that!

I think I probably prefer QECP as Swinley is more local to me so I ride it much more and it's nice to have a change of scenery now and again.

Thinking about it I've not been to QECP for ages so I think I might head down there for a couple of laps and a bit of the SDW on Thursday as the weather still looks good 😀

Swinley everytime for me -
I've ridden QECP and hated it - too many exposed roots and too difficult to get any 'flow' (yes, I know this is because i'm a crap rider)
I can't see me going back to QECP, even though I drive past it for work weekly.

QECP is great when its dry, but is hard to maintain any flow when its wet. Im itching to get back over there, haven't been for a year and it pissed down the day before I last went, so meant it was still quite wet and slippery.

QECP is great when its dry, but is hard to maintain any flow when its wet. Im itching to get back over there, haven't been for a year and it pissed down the day before I last went, so meant it was still quite wet and slippery.

This guy was having a closer look 😉 :

(Not part of the red route)

QE is proper riding. As said: exposed roots, off camber sections, short sharp climbs.
It's hard. Maybe not as [i]fun[/i] as Swinley, depends what you want from a day's riding.
You could do more than one lap of QE and not get bored due to the challenge.

[edit]did a quick run Sunday evening and there isn't a damp bit of mud in sight. Them ol' roots are more exposed than ever from the battering its had lately. Loved it.

I'd go to Swinley, that flint on the south downs can play havoc with tyres 😉

Its coffee shop is pretty average too

I prefer QECP, more of a proper trail feel about it although as people have said, if it's wet it can be slippery.

Swinley is also good but a lot of the red can be quite boring. Plus you feel like you've done a lot of pedaling by the time you've finished.

I'd say in technicality QE is much better than the motorway of Swinley. But problem I have with QE is it's 70% of climbing for 30% descent and that descent is over too quick. The whole loop is not that much time to run. And yeah some clay stuff around there which can be nasty in the wet.

I need to explore any off-piste around there though to make it more worth the trip for me.

Swinley new trails are 'okay' and a reasonable distance for the whole red & blue loops. Hell of a lot of pedalling for not much fun reward. Was better in the old days just exploring, mixing up random trails and playing around on 'gnarly' bits.

It's not going to be WET on Wednesday!

Qecp was mega fast yesterday afternoon, scared myself witless on the last decent a few times. There again this eve to make the most of this weeks dry weather as its supposed to turn poo by the end of the week...

By the way QECP does have a blue trail to but its mostly fireroad and a bit of singletrack. Its not to good as its very oldschool.

Not sure if you lot saw this but this: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-qecp-blue-trail-update

The red trail is about 7km long the new blue will be about 10km.

I am gonna vote for somewhere else.

QECP is a bit short and Swinley isn't very long either.

Both are actually pretty average. Agree with deadkenny that old Swinley was better. Surrey Hills would be my recommendation as it's between the two, more technical and more fun than either! That's where I'll be spending the day on Thursday!

Its not to good as its very oldschool.

bigyinn - Member

Its not to good as its very oldschool.

WTF does this actually mean? Trails are trails, how technical (or not) the ones you choose to ride on are up to you.

I could head to the Surrey Hills and was thinking that as nearer for me than either of the other options. But went there the other week...,.fancied a change.

Go on, try QE! Especially if you've never been. You'll need a second run at least to find the fastest lines. Swinley's too easy 😉

I rode QE last week, the last time I rode there was way back in 94. I was a little disappointed in how short the loop was although it did have some nice sections.... Glad I am home now and can easily access the Verderers Trail at the FoD...

you feel like you've done a lot of pedaling by the time you've finished.

what about the 3rd option, Surrey Hills? Best riding can be found there imho

what about the 3rd option, Surrey Hills? Best riding can be found there imho

Surrey hills requires route planning though if you don't know the trails.

Or maybe the Surrey Hills........... 😛

OP send me an email I will send you a GPX of the ride I did round QECP last Wednesday 41.2km long and 847m Elevation change.

True, you need to know where to go although that has been made easier over the past few years thanks to Strava..

Molgrips - not that much planning IMO. I started in SHs all on my todd and found it very easy to find stuff - plus that added to the fun - what's around the corner, oh heck (thick and creamy!). edit, dont google for videos of thick and creamy. what was I thinking?

QE is really fast at the moment, It's worth a look.

Qecp is Local to me, its not fun either on my 6" bike or 29er hardtail. Its just too steep and rough, both the ups and downs and bloody lethal in the wet. I treat it as a training ride. I prefer swinley.

its just too steep and rough, both the ups and downs and bloody lethal in the wet

Which is why, given a choice, its QECP over Swinley for me 🙂

QE not fun? Pah.
Granted the official trail isn't that long but it's got some great bits.
Happily ride it on either my 5 Spot in the dry or my ss in the winter when it's sloppy and claggy. Trail rakers help in the wet, in fact I reckon it's great in the winter as you need a whole heap of technique to get the best out of it.

Too slow in the wet. Clay bog.

Get strava. Look it up as everything is on there. Surrey hills included. Stay on the holmbury side though.

If I had the day off I would go to sh or even Wales! But I know my way round

Got to laugh at people making out QECP is some tech fest where serious skills are required. It's just not very good.

andymc06 - Member
Got to laugh at people making out QECP is some tech fest where serious skills are required. It's just not very good.

POSTED 8 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

I don't think anyone is!?! But it's different to a trail centre like Cannock, Afan Keilder, Hamsterly , I won't touch it in the wet, the climb is miserable and the chalk flint descents are interesting!!

But today is fast loose in some sections, and at its best!

Did the red route at QE for the first time two weeks ago. It has rained the day before making it a bit interesting. Racing Ralphs did not like it and neither did my ribs when I went down on the final descent. In general a good loop but as has already been said it is rather short.

Wookster. It is described above as rough and steep and needing a whole heap of skills. So yes people are making out it is technical, which it isn't particularly. I can only go off my own experience. It is the worst days riding I have done. I was borderline angry when I left due to the amount of time I wasted getting there and the lost opportunity to ride somewhere else. It is the only place i have ever ridden which I will never go back to.

Maybe you all need to learn to ride better . So its not a super smooth groomed trail center motorway , But QECP is a damn site better than it used to be
'Oh its so steep, and its so hard riding uphill . Cant we have an uplift truck and a steamroller to take out the ruts ? And those roots will simply have to go , they are so uncomfortable to ride over. Then lets make it all reelly wide so my 780mm bars will fit through easier. '
'And can we please cancel the rain , and put down an all weather surface so its easy peasy all year round, oh and some flood lights so its not as scary in the dark'

shakes head and mumbles and mutters

Sweet! I won't bump into you then, you miserable Berk.
Take it for what it is. An island of pretty good trail in a county of mainly double track downland riding that is a fast blast in the dry and a nightmare in the wet, therefore perfect to polish your skills with regards to bring light on the bike and appreciating other trails. Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean its shit.

well qecp is turning out to be a bit marmite! never really got on with it myself on a bike but its better to run round imo.

in fact im even going to say i prefer the even shorter trails at lordswood southampton than qecp. anyone share that opinion?

Sorry for having an opinion. Obviously I must be a poor rider if I don't like an over-hyped badly designed trail centre (and I use the term loosely). My opinion is objective and based on my own experience. I sense some of the comments here are from local fan-boys with a vested interest in getting people to visit QECP to keep it afloat.

Fair enough Andy, I think we can both agree its not Fort Bill!! I can see why in the wet it's a miserable experience ( Ill take my CX out on another loop than ride there in the rain)

(Edit I've not questioned your ability mate, It's just a trail that's not your bag, same as I'd rather ride The wall at Afan than Whites etc etc)

TBH I can lose as much time in lords wood as QE!

I think i was expecting a lot after all the hype after the recent work and was very disappointed. (Edit Wookster - Singletrackmind brought ability into it for some reason!)

I can't. Lords wood has no elevation.

And keep it afloat?. It's been there 20 years... It may be nearest for me but I mostly travel elsewhere.

If you're expecting llandegla you'll only be disappointed. But as a 40 minute loop its ok.

Really Jo? I enjoy linking all the bits up. But with a day to Kill I'm off to Wales too!!! 😈

Ridden QEP a few times and I doubt I'll ever go back, even if it's only 20mins away. In the wet it's awful and the dry not much better, to be fair there are some fun sections but overall far too much climbing Vs decent singletrack and it's all over far too quickly on the marked trails. There may be some good stuff off the beaten track as noted here but I would never recommend someone visit for a ride blind, would be a huge disappointment IMO.

Swinley on the other hand is much, much better. Not ridden the new trails but lots of positive comments and you can make a good ride of it. For me though it would be Surrey hills all the time but useful to have some idea of where you're going.

QECP is a real challenge to do flat out. Some hard short climbs. If you go on some 6" monster bike and aren't fit it will be slow and hurt you alot for the descents. My anthem rips round there, though if I push it too hard I puncture on the descent. Need to try some proper tyres there. In the wet it is very tough and a real test of your skills. Great place to learn to shift your weight about when climbing to avoid rear wheel slip / front wheel lift.

LW is fantastic, it has good elevation if you know how to link the trails together. My usual afterwork ride is approx 8mile 1000ft. I can easily spend 2hrs / 2000ft elevation in there not riding any of the same trails

And Swinley is great too, just a different type of great. Its all riding. For me variety is key.

The only bad things with QE is the amount of times I have almost run over idiot walkers / dogs on the final descent. It needs more signs and warnings

QECP will get better over time, the volunteers have only been there 2 years, its a lot better than it used to be.
It is what it is at the moment, a 6km waymarked blue trail and a 7km waymarked red trail with a natural feel to it and a couple of features chucked in.

I can't believe how far it has come in 2 years, from 2 basic trails and an XC race per year to having the new red and a gravity enduro, DH race and an XC race 2013.

I'm really looking forward to 2014 🙂

P.S I also like lordswoods. Good mix of trails.

I train on QECP on my SS29rigid, I love it, I love the climbs and techie stuff but will admit to make a day of it you do need to head out the back onto the SDW and into the woods behind (where the DH Comp was) and zip around there then do another loop of the Red.

I went a lot in the winter and yes it was claggy but from April onwards its been fast, dry and immense fun.

Is it worth travelling to? Depends on how far you travel 😉

Someone needs to show me Lordswood, I've not been! I think I know just the person though 🙂
As Scott says, take it for what it is (QECP). It takes a shed load of man power and effort to work with the chalk, let alone getting approval for anything from QECP/FC/SDNationalPark. Something that takes 1man, 2 hrs to make at SH, will take 4 people, 2 days at QE.
Theres only so much fun you can have with 1 (good) trail, so dont expect a SH mecca of singletrack. Both SH and Swinley are private and I'm sure a damn site easier to get permission to work on and of course dig on.

BTW QE in the wet can be a hoot! Its just after a month you get a bit tired of it 🙂

Come to aThurs eve ride At Lordswood Superfli.

I'm looking forward to my new job next week allowing me More free evenings, QE in the dark is lots of fun...

Was a bit grumpy last night but as Scott says, QE isn't a trailcentre, it's a couple of trails. Yes, there could be so much more there but that's up to the powers that be and they don't like change in Hants!

Come to aThurs eve ride At Lordswood Superfli.

Working my last ever Wed eve tonight so yeah, that would be cool. Maybe a Lordswood/QE eve ride trail swap could be arranged...

Sounds good, Not been to LW since last Nov.

Swinley and Q.E are a bit like apples and oranges.

Swinley has had investment, resources and (I imagine) a decent number of people building the trails. The routes are marked and it is easy to find the majority of riding there. It is sandy and fairly flat. Rides pretty well all year.

Q.E is worked on by a few volunteers who build trails for free. Some of the trails are marked, but a lot aren't. Unless you know your way around the riding is somewhat limited. It is chalky and has a number of steep(ish) bits. Can turn into a bog in winter.

If you expect Q.E to be like a trail centre you will be dissapointed. Ideally it is best to try and get someone to show you around or download a route.

Mattbee, I'd be up for a LW ride too. Wed eve is the only eve I can cycle though.