Bit of a random question, but I’m heading to see friends in west Berkshire for the weekend. I’ve previously taken my bike on summer visits and ridden along the canal towpath and then up to Combe Gibbet etc for some nice XC rides.
With the recent rubbish weather, is it worth putting the bike on the car, or is it (understandably) a mud bath?
Thanks
i did 50km along the ridgeway, and other byways, a few weeks ago. Off the ridgeway especially it was a quagmire. Seriously hard work, and very dispirating. It's not stopped raining since...Soon after, some of the lads bunked off work, and tried to cycle to the White Horse and back. They barely got halfway (slackers...)
Did a walk on the ridgeway on Sunday during Dennis, and it was awful. Stepped in one rut's puddle, and went in over the welly. It was hard. There's been so much rain, and it's not soaked away at all. In Compton, it was literally streaming off the hills.
On the road - there's a lot of rubbish. A lot of the farmers seem to have cut hedges recently, and it's not washed away. Coupled with the mud, it's an ideal oppotunity to have a couple of weeks off.
Local here and I wouldn't bother off road at all. Sopping wet. Road only if you have mudguards and some patience. Back roads have lots of floods and muck and hedge cuttings.
Plenty of decent pubs instead!
I'd stick to roads, some lovely roads in the area. Hedge cuttings shouldnt be an issue after all the rain, it washes them away and softens them.
I was in that area (Hungerford) last week visiting my parents and anything off road would be pretty much unpleasant and pointless! As above, the roads aren't great at the moment either.
I used to live round there (hence the username) and in winter the MTB stayed in the garage as the wet chalk and clay were practically unridable. If you are out on the road bike take at least a couple of tubes with you because heavy rain washes loads of flints (that's real flints) onto the minor roads.
I'm local and ventured up on to the Wayfarers back in mid December, it was very muddy then and as above it's pretty much non stop rain since - it will be a quagmire with the recent downpours we've just had.
Greenham Common is probably okay for a spin round, it does tend to drain slightly better than the others. Newtown common and Snelsmore common are very muddy atm but just about rideable. I think if I take a bike out this w/end it'll be a SS roadie.
Thanks everyone.
I know that there is a lot of chalk around there, so assumed the above might be the case, but thought I’d ask!
Shame, as I always enjoy riding around there, as there’s some lovely views and rides, but I think I’ll avoid the mud!
Thanks again and much appreciated.
Couple of hours playing at swinley forest is your best bet
Reading based here, most of my rides have been on the road recently, tending to look for higher ground.
Off to Swinley with some mates this weekend though (1st MTB outing of 2020), we might have to shortcut some of the flooded bit I think...
My experiences have been similar. Kennet and Avon is okay, splashy but perfectly rideable until you get to Kintbury/Hunferford (which is off the NCN route anyway). The path can completely flood on a part near Reading after a storm.
Hampshire Downs is very muddy and is hike-a-bike in places. I still go but it can become a drag. Watership Down and Ladle Hill are rideable (slowly).
Greenham common is quite ridable including some of the singletrack around the perimeter. Behind the bunker, where the best singletrack is, is boggy and I generally avoid unless there's a spell of dry weather.
I assume Berkshire Downs is very boggy. I might try Snelsmore Common or the Hermitage area to see if anything that way is doable.
Hermitage area
I would avoid, I was there in December and a wetsuit and snorkle would have been more suited than a mountain bike. That was before the recent rain