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Its been years since Ive been to Swinley, but I should be going this weekend and meeting up with a larger group of riders.
I've used to use a hardtail to navigate the BMX track yellow brick road of the blue and red, but now have a choice of two bikes a full rigid fatbike (ideal for the blue id have though), and a bouncy trail bike, built specifically for uplift days, windhill and the like.
I know the trails at Swinley have evolved since I last visited, so which bike should I take?
If I take both, what's the chances of the van being broken into?
I was going to say full suss as the man made trails are juddery and would be bone shaking on a fully rigid bike. Completely rideable but probably not much fun. However, since your FS is big and bouncy it’s probably way overkill for Swinners, but a fat bike would probably be fun on both blue and red. Red isn’t really that technical, it just makes for a longer ride as you have to ride the blue to get to it.
No idea on the chances of the van being broken into as I generally ride in but I’ve not seen any issues reported on the local FB page for a long time.
We’ve had a lot of rain over the last few days, and more to come. I was over there yesterday and it’s completely fine, but a bit puddly. I rode around the short boardwalk sections as I think the non-slip paint wore off months ago and they looked a bit slippery (riding on my own so not worth the risk).
Thanks @tonyd my plan was to take the fatbike only, I may still take the full sus as back up.
If I take both, what’s the chances of the van being broken into?
Vans do get broken into there. I've had a Transit custom door lock screwdrivered there. They are known for crap security though. Nothing taken as the software was updated to disable global unlock
With more effort they'd have got in the back fairly easily though.
You'll be fine on the fatbike.. low pressures will soak up the Swinley chatter.
The hardpack yellowbrick road was underwater last night. In (obviously) all the compressions you want to pump through. The non machined trails, both on the official loop and (ahem, not) have drained OK.
Both will be fine. I'd go for the full suss if you want to get max enjoyment, fatty for a bit more engagement if you are riding round socially.
I know the trails at Swinley have evolved since I last visited
Depends whether you last visit was pre or post the trailcentre-isation, but the only official 'evolution' I can think of since then is the new bit just up the slope from the end of the tank traps. Probably 60 seconds of flowy jumpy fun (still not sure if you're meant to gap from the first big berm to the alternative line though, that's bigger than I can manage). Oh that and a few metres of woodwork. Otherwise there's been a few bits of trail maintenance and realignment but those bits are still the same style as was already there. So I'd still go for fatbike over uplift-monster particularly given the likely semi-submerged state of some of it.
when i used to work away in that neck of the woods (i would always take my bike) i hated swinley! there was enough little bits at the Bagshot end to play about on but honestly dragging it round the whole loop is not mountain biking and not fun. i would usually end up driving to Hindhead or Redlands instead... However, i have since become the owner of a gravel bike and have taken that on some what-would-be-on-my-mtb god awful slogs locally (up north) and thoroughly enjoyed it!! so i reckon Swinley would be a blast on the rigid!! wish id had mine at the time now...
If I take both, what’s the chances of the van being broken into?
same chance as if you take one.
I'd probably say the fat bike, the trouble is it looks like a big BMX track in photos, but the reality is a lot of the surface is rougher than most natural trails and absolutely relentless. I'm on the hardtail and some bits are hard work to maintain speed. The ideal would be something like a slack 120mm FS.
The latest round of work has actually made a bit of a difference to how it all flows IME*, much less fire roads and boggy bits. and the red loop feels like it's got it's own character. The new route is the seagull loop (with much improved drainage) , then tank traps and the new jump line, which ends at the bottom of the climb up to 15, then deerstalker+labyrinth, R25 etc. The only bit that still feels out of place is the slog back up to the blue from there (but it looks like they might be splitting Stickler in two, so that would solve that puzzle.
*apart from the reshaping of the berms at the end of the Blue (section 18?) after the switchback climb. The fact they've had to put a warning sign in say's I'm not the only one to have messed up, the 'left' just seems to spit you straight up the face of the last right hand berm! Made all the worse because the old layout was flat out, so you come out of that new left hand berm going way too quickly for the new shape.