Now that the nights are drawing in I want to spend less time in the car travelling to places to ride and more time actually riding. I was hoping the collective wisdom of STW (or at least the bit of it that knows my local area) could provide some trail suggestions or, even better, some GPS routes?
Places I've explored already:
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[*][b] Alice Holt Forest:[/b] to the best of my knowledge just wide, all weather family cycle routes. Ok for keeping the fitness up but not exactly exciting. On the plus side, it's basically on my doorstep.[/*]
[*] [b]Caesar's Camp (Aldershot):[/b] Found a few bits of decent singletrack here (the "pillbox" trail?) and some relatively steep bits that I need to take a shot at. Feels like there's more out here that I've not found yet.[/*]
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There's also good things said about Pirbright woods and the Porridge Pot / Tunnel Hill trails (I think?) but I've not been yet and I'm sure I saw a comment on here recently that said the military are closing these off. Any further info on that would be super helpful.
I live in Alton and we have a couple of little known patches of Forestry woodland which are crisscrossed with tracks. I wouldn't call them trails as we are short of breakfast bowl burms and huge tabletops but I can lose myself in there for a few hours no problem. They also link up with some XC bridleway too.
Shh though, as traffic has been increasing over there in the last couple of years.
Dog walkers, horse riders and families aplenty but they are all very friendly when faced with good MTB ambassadors.
To add to your list, I'd put Minley, Fleet Pond, Yateley, Eversley, etc. All are relatively small areas but with lots in there so you can't easily get that lost. Most are military areas though, so while not necessarily affected by the Porridgepot situation we still must be mindful of the potential disruption to training, etc.
For updates on the access situation; https://trailactiongroup.co.uk/ and their facebook page.
For finding the best bits, while we still can, you'd do a lot worse than hooking up with http://tunnelhilltrolls.get-forum.net/login
The Pillbox trail may have gone I think. I know it was trashed by logging but no idea if it has been recut.
It was nice though.
Also the area that this trail is in (top of beacon hill) was teeming with squaddies this morning. Reason to stay clear
South to Bourne Woods or East to Puttenham Common on the sightly cheeky North Downs Way. From those you can ride to Elstead,/Thursley/milford Common, Hankley, Devils Punchbowl and the steep dh tracks off Gibbet Hill, Bramshott and Ludshott Commons, Weavers Down/Longmore, Linchmere, Marley Common, Black Down.
The last 2 or 3 are in the South Downs National Park and you can ride off road to the coast, Winchester, Eastbourne...
Or carry on east along the NDW to Albury, Pitch, Holmbury, Leith...
Ned's pretty much summed it up but also add in a few trails down through Shipwrights Way down to almost Lindford and then do Broxhead and Kingsley Common as well then on down via Longmoor/Liphook/Chapel Common/Durford/Rogate to the Hangers/Hawkley/Selbourne and above Steep on Stoner. Theres a lot more than most people realise its not just about QECP round this way.
Thanks chaps. I've got a New Bike Day looming in a couple of weeks (pending stock of my chosen wheels) and there's plenty there for me to get out and explore in the meantime to help stave of my near terminal impatience.
Much appreciated!
Email in profile if you want a guide around the Alton patch.
+1 for the Trolls, ignore what the forum says, Tuesday is now fast, monday and thursday are the slow/average rides. Bring cake/haribo if you want to be welcomed.
There's also BOB (you can spot them a mile off as they don't turn their rear lights off) and Fleet MTB (allegedly the builders of the jumps that piss the army off).
Same as Jef, email in profile if you want a guide for the bits I or most of Ned mentioned
I live in South Farnham. There's a few regular rides out with various groups. Occasional Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Email is in my profile if you want more details.
Don't forget stumbling across exercises at night, in a big group with mega lumen lights pointing at the also grinds the armies gears
My fave riding area of late has been around Hindhead, esp the Common and around Grayshott. Has the added advantage of the NT cafe at the Punchbowl too...
Another local too. So much riding South of Farnham, as mentioned above you can easily get to Hindhead and beyond. Getting to Pitch/Holmbury/Leith hills is doable if you fancy an epic.
I've been riding locally for 30 years and still exploring new trails - I regularly ride over to the Surrey Hills and down to the South Downs. Plenty of sneaky trails around Caesar's Camp/ Long Valley but expect them to be trashed shortly by the annual motorbike enduro that does more damage in a few hours than 30 years of MTBs - closing most of the car parks means motorbikes get unfettered access