[Closed] Riding at swinley

A grand place to ride, no mountains but tons of singletrack. I found it pretty easy to get lost and still do.. Take a map off the Internet, the one from the centre ain't great, but to be honest getting a bit list and following yer nose or other bikers is great fun. Ask other bikers where the man made bits are and basically if the trail is golden brown chances are you're on a bike trail!

Cheers for that. Tbh I was most likely to follow my nose. Any other tips people?

TBH your best taking the map for your 1st time at swinley... its quite hard to find the best trails if you dont know where your going, nothing is way marked - i've been 5/6 times (i'm not local) and i still get lost / find new stuff on each visit.

Follow someone, then when you lose them, follow someone else, then someone else, at random throughout the day - sooner or later, you'll be back at the car park.

There are a bunch of rides on my Strava account - George Budd.

So stalking other riders is permitted? 😀

http://www.rideswinley.com/

rideswinley site is good. also see here www.roughrideguide.co.uk/mtbike/2012/01/swinley-forest-route-guide/

When you get there ask someone the way to 'the labyrinth'; some great trails to start out with and at least 4 different ways down the hill that should kill a bit of time.

Otherwise as others say just ask anyone you see. We've been there 10 - 15 times now and just keep finding loads of new trails.

This is the map I have found most useful. Make sure you get over to Deerstalker / Labrynth.

[img] [/img]

Enjoy!! and pay the £2 - most people don't 🙁

(right click and 'open image in new tab' if you're using Chrome - it'll make it magically bigger)

Nice one..... Was going to pay anyway. Thanks people. Hope the rain stays away....
Cheers

Trails are running great at the mo, and will be fine even if we have rain (as long as we don't have 2 days non stop.)

Well thats an eye opener..... Top morning so thanks for all the tips... Think i'll be buying the yearly pass.
Cheers

Fantastic place and well worth the small amount for the day/yearly pass. Most of the fee is for insurance but a little bit goes towards the trails and makes maintenance and new trails possible. I'm a local and ride it 3 to 4 times a week. As stated not much in the way of hills but loads of singletrack. Did you map your route? It would be interesting to see how far a newbie to Swinley ventured and then could hopefully point you to other places to find next time. Glad you enjoyed it...

My ride from last weekend which brings the above map to life....

If you ever fancy an evening ride, i'm always more than happy to show someone around?

where do you normally ride from scud?

guessing you're local 🙂

I live in Ash Vale in between Aldershot and Guildford, right on Ash Ranges, so I can ride out through Ash Ranges, onto Tunnel Hill and over to Swinley without to much road work.

Plus i belong to a club that is based at Swinley, so know a great number of the trails (and helped build a few)

Sorry didn't really answer the question, with regards to where we normally ride from!

Normally ride from the car park at Broadmoor Hospital, the Look Out car park gets so busy these days, plus it means that you can drop down straight onto Seagull or any of the Crowthorne trails easily.

@ alzore... 3hrs non stop. Got lost for an hour and ended up at bagshott. No idea where I went or how far as my comp sensor battery died! Still did some really nice flowy singletrack and some fast downs and some nasty little climbs and a manmade section with lots of berms that were lotsof fun. im only in basingstoke so am going to become a regular now.
Cheers

ahh yes, i remember reading about you being involved with trail building etc, you're a good representative of the club on this forum!

i've only been to tunnel hill once, we got a bit lost and although we found some cracking singletrack i know there was much much more we didnt come across. really busy at the weekends at the moment planning wedding stuff but would you be up for a play over at tunnel hill or meeting for a mess around in swinley at some point? 🙂

(i must warn you, i'm pretty our of practice so my riding skills aren't exactly Rad to the power of surfmatt right now!)

busy at the weekends at the moment planning wedding stuff but

WTF!! You getting married?!?!?!

silly yeti, you're coming to the "wedding"

managed to persuade emsz to be your +1 yet? 🙂

Phil,

Always up for a new riding mate (and a beer). I'm away most weekends at the moment, but can arrange for either a ride at Swinley or Tunnel Hill in the evening or a weekend in a few weeks time

Don't worry about fitness or skills, i come from the school of weezing and holding the bars and praying side of riding....

Phil,

Always up for a new riding mate (and a beer). I'm away most weekends at the moment, but can arrange for either a ride at Swinley or Tunnel Hill in the evening or a weekend in a few weeks time

Don't worry about fitness or skills, i come from the school of weezing and holding the bars and praying side of riding....

sounds perfect!

Would love to tag along guys, especially Tunnel Hill as not come across it yet.

Ditto - out of interest, where's the best place to park for Tunnel Hill? I have looked across from the B3405 but never had bike with me. Almost went for a recce on Friday but went to Peaslake instead (fortunately as I got a free Giant demo!!)

Well next week with the clocks changing i fancy at least 1 evening a week over there. So more than happy to play if anyone else fancies a bit...

I rekon i can get there and kitted up for 3.15pm.

Could have a bit of ride sorted out here...

Anyone fancy meeting up one evening or a forthcoming saturday?

[quote=teamhurtmore said]Ditto - out of interest, where's the best place to park for Tunnel Hill? I have looked across from the B3405 but never had bike with me. Almost went for a recce on Friday but went to Peaslake instead (fortunately as I got a free Giant demo!!)

Opposite Potters is a popular parking place :-

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=489360&Y=154896&A=Y&Z=120

or some people park here (less room) :-
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=491195&Y=155026&A=Y&Z=120

or here:-
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=491855&Y=155741&A=Y&Z=120

🙂

I can do almost any evening, from 7pm. Or all day Sat
Count me in, had the pleasure of Phil's company on a ride out there once, and if his skills are pants, yours are wheezy, then I guess that makes me a wheezypants.

managed to persuade emsz to be your +1 yet?

emsz - look it's what phil wants, not me.

Thanks ATP - I had guessed that corner might be a spot. Is your name after a run on Pitch or does the YT clip mean that you are staring on the film?

I'm planning to be nightriding on TH tonight - I know late notice but anyone interested? About 1945 for 90 mins of singletrack.

If there's a ride on next week, count me in! I know swinley well, but have never ventured to Tunnel hill. will look out for posts... ta!

[quote=teamhurtmore said]Thanks ATP - I had guessed that corner might be a spot. Is your name after a run on Pitch or does the YT clip mean that you are staring on the film?

Neither 😉

So that we've a bit of notice, does anyone fancy a night Swinley ride the evening of the 28th say 7pm at the Car Park at Coral Reef?

Then possibly a Tunnel Hill venture in the future?

28th - check! Me +1

Yes - but I'm away all next week and out every night this (except tonight, hence why a glance out of the window and lights are on charge)

Me and you occasionally clash 29ers anyway MrV.

Loving that video. Must try and get down to Swinley sometime soon. Looks like a cross between Thetford and Woburn 😀

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/155137358#

Don't go on a Saturday morning. Was more traffic out than on the M25. Didn't help with the local club BOB's putting out a group of 25 riders and using all the main trails... SLOWLY.... Seriously, i could have jogged faster than some of the group. I'm all for newbies to the sport of course, but FFS introduce them in an area that doesn't hold up the rest of the population of local MTBers.

3 Ambulances were filled at the jump gully when we were there... Another criticism.... if you're 50+... don't try jumping doubles !!!!! it WILL end badly and you WILL end up in hospital.

Apart from that, great ride... conditions are superb over there curently.

dude, riders have to learn somewhere and Swinley is a perfect place to learn.
And most people work mon-fri

Or go Early doors , 0700ish
I never knew there were doubles in the jump gulley .
Bet its running fast and probably mud free now.

I'm all for newbies to the sport of course, but FFS introduce them in an area that doesn't hold up the rest of the population of local MTBers.

Yeah, gotta keep those beginners off the super rad gnarly trails at Swinley, woe betide anyone should want to bring new people into the sport, or that people should be allowed to go out there and <spit> have fun on the trails (that you probably didn't even bother contributing to by buying a permit 🙄 )

Agree totally, it's a great place to learn... but not necessarily the bits that mean other peoples enjoyment is spoiled too.

Yeah, gotta keep those beginners off the super rad gnarly trails at Swinley, woe betide anyone should want to bring new people into the sport, or that people should be allowed to go out there and <spit> have fun on the trails (that you probably didn't even bother contributing to by buying a permit

Try reading my post before writing your reply hey ?

p.s I have a yearly pass and have spent time there helping build trails.

P.S.
Do you really think riding in a group of 25 is acceptable ? i had to wait almost 7 minutes according to my GPS info

"several more behind"
"another 5 coming"
"some more..."

Now i know it's not a race, thereofre waiting isn't wrong... but making people wait 6-7 mins is just insane ?

Big groups of riders are a pain anywhere. Especially (as is often the case) when they seem not to realise they are in a big group and just p*ss everyone else off by generally farting around and resolutely refusing to yield. Happening a lot on Leith Hill of late.

I go to Swinley at 0800 on a Saturday and it's nice and quiet (shown by the low number of other riders (and ambulances) you can see in my video ^^)

Weeksy

Rather than ranting about new riders going slowly on the Bob ride, why didn't you just head of in a different direction?

its not like there isn't any other tracks which you could ride better, faster and cooler than everyone else

Don't forget that you were a beginner once as well

I had a great ride at Swinley yesterday, I think it was my 5th or 6th trip and we are just beginning to find the 'good stuff'
Some of the other riders did make me laugh.. particularly those on hideous illuminous orange/Yellow fives, wearing full face helmets and riding trails my mum could ride!

Rather than ranting about new riders going slowly on the Bob ride, why didn't you just head of in a different direction?

its not like there isn't any other tracks which you could ride better, faster and cooler than everyone else

Don't forget that you were a beginner once as well

Because you don't know you're on the same trail as people until a group of 25 are coming towards you... and none of them give way.. no sir... that's your job... not theirs.

P.S my post never started as a rant about BOB riders/groups, more of just a generic post about it being busy.

I have to say but taking 25 rides (some of them newbies) into an already congested area is a little selfish. By all means bring people into the sport (hey we were all newbies once) but have some thought for others.

Perhaps BOB & similar should limit the group size?

Well they are going to start charging to park at the Look out

Swinley is busy and continues to get busier, that's the downside of cycling becoming more popular; the area being regarded as great riding for the south-east and it sitting in a heavily populated part of the country. It will continue to get 'worse' for volumes of riders in my opinion, even with the changes to the ticket/car-parking situation.

The BoB ride on Saturday was an 'intro' ride for prospective members, so the speed and capability is probably lower than a normal group outing. Rightly or wrongly, these are often quite large groups, but they are there to show people the trails that BoB worked hard to build and continue to develop and maintain.

As mentioned above, there are plenty of other trails to ride, and 7 mins for 25 people to pass seems an infeasibly large time where you couldn't make any progress, or turn around and follow them off that trail.

It is a feature of Swinley that a lot of the trails are ridden in both directions.

none of them give way.. no sir

bit of a problems giving way when you are being guided - gotta hope that they guys up front wait for you...

might be best to avoid riding at TH at the moment with all the MOD issues at the moment: