Probably the answer for today is to ride on the road. But really I'd love to pop down to the Chilterns with my mtb. But I won't bother if the trails are crazy busy.
So how busy are the trails this Easter BH weekend?
Went out last night to Delamere Forest in Cheshire and it was the quietest I had ever seen it for the last 12 months. The opposite of what I had expected.
I had expected a litter fest from watching the news, but again, the opposite was true, only picked up a few cans and bottles.
Great to be back in the trees 😁.
Haldon outside Exeter busy yesterday and the local kids were still at school. Will be heaving the next 2 weeks.
As long as you can get more than half a mile away from a car park / coffee shop you’ll be alreet. Probably.
Out for a couple of hours, didn't see a soul on the trails. Probably influenced by the fact it was 6 am more than anything else mind 🙂
My expectation is " yes, almost definitely, but WGAF"
The other thread this week asking the same question of the Peak District what as absolute MoanFest. I 'm the first to admit I'm a miserable moaning bastard but that thread really took the piss...
Oh woe is us..
It's a four day bank holiday
With wall to wall sunshine
After 6 months of pretty much perpetual rain or sub zero
The trails are in perfect condition
Lockdown has eased just in ****in time
I've not died of Covid yet
I'm going to cycle locallish on the fifth best MTB destination in the UK for four sun drenched days
I can cycle with five of my friends for the first time in yonks.
BUT IT'LL BE BUSY
Oh woe is me....
GET A GRIP PEAK PEOPLE FFS
East Devon here, so the default answer is no. There's only about 5* MTBers in the area.
Woodbury might be busyish with walkers.
*Slightly under the real figure. But not far off.
Haldon outside Exeter busy yesterday and the local kids were still at school. Will be heaving the next 2 weeks.
Your mistake there was going near the official trails 😉
Chilterns, busy ! Dont be daft.
10 mins out of town/carpark and you will be on your own. Just like every BH weekend pretty much anywhere.
Also dont forget the Chilterns are covered it trails you can ride your bike on. So, dont like the one your on, turn left or right in the next 20 yards and you are on another one.
You do realise that Covid carriers dont come out Body-snatcher/Zombie style and try to lick you as you ride past, dont you ?
Quiet in my local woods this morning. Not another cyclist about. Plenty of folk playing golf as I cycled through the course (on a bridleway, obviously) so perhaps golf is the new cycling.
You do realise that Covid carriers dont come out Body-snatcher/Zombie style and try to lick you as you ride past, dont you ?
Yep I had got that
It was more just not wanting to be stop start all ride. Not a moan just a planning decision
Not many on the gravel bits close to Ipswich that I've just used coming to the office. Strangely the quiet road was worst for dog walkers meandering across the road, not that that's a problem just an opportunity to demonstrate my overall awesome* bike handling skills.
*For a specific meaning of awesome!
Pretty quiet in the southeast Chilterns this morning. Saw one other mtber, a few roadies and walkers. 9am start. Cold wind though, which may have deterred people.....
Swinley was not as bad as I thought it would be from 11 to 1pm. Spaces in overflow car park. Probably rammed now though after lunch. One thing that I noticed more today than ever was the amount of bloody shiny new e-bikes pootling round blue.. Bloody things everywhere 🙂
Wonder if those Tools on their electric motorbikes will be on the Swinley trails today?
Trossachs at Katrine were much quieter, than I expected - cars, bikes and walkers.
Then again, we didn't go past Ben A'an carpark or suffer the centre of Aberfoyle...
Out above Matlock, I was a bit surprised to see three groups on the first lane , especially as it's usually deserted. However that was it, didn't see anybody else in four hours. Loads of roadies on the in-between bits though.
Pretty quiet on the South Downs around Chilgrove, West Dean, Harting, Kingley Vale area this pm. Just the SDW itself with people walking and cycling.
Lovely ride in the Eastern Chilterns. Didn't see many people. But stopped for a chat with a colleague then road for about 10 minutes with my boss. Both meetings unplanned
I didn't really think it was, then I bumped into a friend today and stopped for a while and there was a constant stream of bikes and walkers. More obvious when you stop and suddenly half the traffic isn't going the same direction as you are.
Still not crowded though, just busyish.
Bow Hill was rammed with one other biker.
Not going there again far to busy.
Out above Matlock, I was a bit surprised to see three groups on the first lane , especially as it’s usually deserted. However that was it, didn’t see anybody else in four hours. Loads of roadies on the in-between bits though.
We were kayaking at Matlock this morning, another 15 or so kayakers/SUPers on the water, which made it busier than normal on the water, but Matlock Bath town was very quiet between 12 and 1pm, when we stopped for chips.We walked up over the hill, no-one else on the path.
Then, at Homesford Cottage Tea room, there must have been 15 MTBers, who looked like they were together, as their bikes looked to be in a large heap leaning on the fence.
Wharncliffe was just a standard weekend, fair few about but by no means congested. Surprising considering how dry it is right now.
Dargate woods near Canterbury, normally a popular spot. 12.30-3pm I was the only rider, saw about 10 people walking.
Byways around Avebury and west wood etc very quiet and nice and dry excellent
Staunton car parking was rammed but we only saw a few walkers and MTBers out on the trails.
Mallards tomorrow, I wonder what that'll be like?
Did a gravel and mtb loop from Haslemere today. Devils punchbowl was a wee bit busy but not bad. The trails south west of town were glorious and absolutely empty. We actually got a bit concerned and had to double check we were on legit trails as was so quiet. Fairly chilly mind but utterly magical in the sun.
Cambridgeshire: I went out on a loop with a friend towards Gamlingay. Pretty busy nearer to Cambridge with walkers, and a few mountain bikers, but fairly quiet otherwise. Wimpole was heaving.
A lot more passive-aggressive signs about keeping out and private property. I think a lot of landowners have got irritated with covid lockdown people coming through all the less than totally legal stuff.
Glentress (I'm local ) was very quiet, but then today isn't a Bank Holiday in Scotland and with no/little border travel maybe it's to be expected.
Lots of walkers and horses around Wendover at the moment, especially in the afternoon. Trails are drying out nicely though.
Lots of walkers and horses around Wendover at the moment, especially in the afternoon
That was my specific worry
Charnwood area in Leicestershire was pretty busy this morning, mainly due to the fact there are loads of little car parks so you never really escape the hoard. We were a it later than I had planned though as the kids decided to sleep in for once.
It was quiet this morning until I mentioned it to my lockdown ride buddy. We then saw a couple of MTBs and four sets of walkers on the next segment. I seem to have jinxed the rest of the ride as we kept meeting folks on sections that are usually quiet. Although it is busier than before COVID-19, you just have to accept that things have changed and that you now need to share the trails with a few other people. There’s a dry line on most trails now, so it’s well worth getting out.
Hathersage loop was empty. 3 other bikes in 34km
I'm off to Glentress literally the day that the scottish travel restrictions lift. I plan to ride round the black and to say "Huh, you never usually see anyone out here" to everyone I meet. This will add 7 hours to the lap.
Out on a local loop this morning (calder valley) - I saw 2 other people on MTBs on a 20 mile loop. Perfect conditions too, absolutely lovely 🙂
Roads and bridleways mooch around Runfold & Tilford late afternoon - apart from about half a dozen guys on the road, I saw a family of 6 on a byway and that was it.
As an aside, why is it always that in that situation the dad is on a really nice full-suss (e-bike in this case) whilst the other half is struggling at the back on an early 00's hybrid or similar? If you want your non-biking partner to enjoy the ride, damn well let them ride the nice bike!
As an aside, why is it always that in that situation the dad is on a really nice full-suss (e-bike in this case) whilst the other half is struggling at the back on an early 00’s hybrid or similar? If you want your non-biking partner to enjoy the ride, damn well let them ride the nice bike!
Saw an even more daft permutation on this on Tuesday. Couple of people doing Jacob's, Hollins, Roych loop ( a bit lost)
He was on an ebike and she was on a bike. No idea how he managed to get that approved. Having said which, he looked knackered and she didn't do maybe it was one of those broken ones.
As an aside, why is it always that in that situation the dad is on a really nice full-suss (e-bike in this case) whilst the other half is struggling at the back on an early 00’s hybrid or similar? If you want your non-biking partner to enjoy the ride, damn well let them ride the nice bike!
See this all the time in the FoD. Dad on ebike, spouse and kids on struggling BSOs with their own gravity. I know that's a sweeping generalisation but seems to be getting more prevalent. Still more people out on bikes, so all good.
Car park at Snailbeach was full-ish, but saw way more walkers than riders on/around Stiperstones. Few riders on Eastridge trails but nowhere as many as expected. Quite a log of logging in there so maybe locals staying away.
Did a 30 odd km quiet lanes pootle for Ice Cream on our commuter hybrids. Got overtaken in Goostrey by 3 Team GB lads on TT bikes going rather fast! Too much hassle posting pics, but it was a lovely day.
Did 20miles in the Peak, and TBF it was a bit rammed. (loads of mountain bikers) but loads of families and walkers as well. I aimed to get there for 09.00am and I'm glad I did, the car parks were already filling up. By the time I got back at midday it was chaos with all the bikers and folk out for a drive. Hopefully when the shops re-open in a few weeks, everything will calm down again. Everyone in good spirits though. Amazing what a bit of sun will do
Fod on Saturday was surprisingly quiet.
Not many at Inners today.
Saw three other riders while we were out then around six or seven turned up as we were leaving.
PABA was over half full at 9am and maxed out at 11:30 when I left.
So many big groups out too.
Depends what you mean by 'the trails'.
I did a 30km loop from Kirby Malzeard on the edge of the Dales & saw 1 bloke on an Ebike, 2 blokes on trail bikes (with engines) & a family of 4 with a dog.
It was peaceful, just how I like it.