https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayaE8jkfX1I
Today was Swinley Forest with my lad and 2 of his mates.. Absolutely brilliant and they killed me. My lad is 11 on Tuesday, i think the others have recently turned 11.
There's no 'off' button with them, it's just pinned everywhere, up out of the saddle and nailing it 🙂
Funniest part was them doing the jumps and watching the middle aged IT nerds rolling them at 1mph, followed by this lot jumping them instead 🙂
I know some hate Swinley, but that goes down as one of the best riding days of all time 🙂
Looks like the kids were really getting into it - it's brilliant to see kids growing in confidence.
Nice one!
Brilliant.
I particularly like the whoop at the end of the first one.
The heavy breathing ,not so much.
😉
Glad to see the kids having a good time. Not sure laughing at “IT Nerds” going slow and not jumping is necessary though.
Yep I’m a middle aged IT nerd, nope I’m not fast and yep I keep the wheels on the ground.
I ride Swinley with another IT nerd, he also keeps it wheels on the floor. We don’t get to ride too much to practice as too busy counting our money.
IT nerd friend is a former Royal Marine who was blown up in Afghanistan, he’s partially disabled, but you can’t tell by looking. Must be hilarious watching slow riders. Sorry for the rant but it does annoy me when people find slower less adventurous riders hilarious.
Actually will apologise for my mini rant above. Had a sh1te ride last night due to an injury I’ve got from road racing, banged my shoulder getting ready for the ride and got no grip, pain is ridiculous.
If anyone was watching me yesterday I’d have looked like a complete noob, even lost it on a small rock garden due to not being able to hold onto the bars. (No grip in my left hand)
Anyway, bad nights sleep with pain, got up on wrong side of bed. Sorry!
What are the consequences of your kids having an accident versus what are the consequences of those middle aged IT nerds having an accident?
Which of the above mentioned probably have dependants relying on them to pay the mortgage and bills?
LOL seriously guys.... You're going there....
Sometimes you need to have a serious look at yourselves regarding your issues an insecurities... .It was a bit of a joke, a bit of humour, not everything on the internet needs to be taken so seriously LOL. Lighten up a bit... It's called friendly banter...
The consequences of them kids having an accident are quite dramatic, as only one of them is mine 🙂
One of the other kids dads is MASSIVE !
Kids on bikes rock. 🤟🤟🤟
No worries W00dster 🙂
GWS fella.
Apology accepted OP 🙂
Took 6 kids round Swinley on Sunday - great fun.
As a wheels on the ground middle aged IT sales person I find myself deeply unoffended. Nice work kids and Weeksy for getting them there physically and metaphorically.
LOL I'm a middle aged IT nerd by the way... I'm also not convinced I attack some of these jumps as hard as they do 🙂
Great stuff!
Kids on bikes make me smile. Even if they're doing wheelies the wrong way down the bus lane on the way to school 🙂
Swinley is fun for people who know how to have it, and kidz do
💪👍
Despite being Oop North been round Swinley a few times and really enjoyed it, even the bit near the beginning of the red which is bermed bend after bermed bend after bermed bend. It's not some kind of winch and plummet rock fest but fun nonetheless and enough there to keep you honest!
Congrats to the groms, they were sending it rad without casing a single one! (That's the limit of my Sick! speak).
Fwiw I'm neither in IT, or in middle management and despite my best, clumsy efforts my wheels stay wedded to the ground much of the time..
Cooper Falls? I bet he does going over those massive drops 😛
Looks like they are having a great time. Thats what its all about. Even better when its family fun 😎
Love it, kids rock. Mine are 15 & 17 and if I can get them out on a ride with me they put me to shame in a big way.
We also find it hilarious laughing at slow, middle aged IT nerds!
Nice work, kids on bikes is always cool, reminds you whj you got into all this nonsense in the first place.
Swinley's brilliant with nippers, no roads to cross and a lack of big climbs makes it a perfect 'my first trail centre' had the boy charging round there since he was 5ish and the wee lady should be ready for the blue soon.
It's relatively all weather as well, a rarity in the South East.
There was 9 or 10 of us out last week, four of us looking like extras from Last Of The Summer Wine. But what great fun, the kids (15/16) were impressed I was doing the gnar on my hardtail, they were all full enduro. It was great to mix it up and push myself trying to keep up and not be laughed at.
We’re going to Swinley next weekend. Never been there yet. I’m an ex roadie, and told I’ll like it for that reason?!
I don't wanna get into it Kid, but a decent chunk who don't like it only don't because they have to pedal too much.... "oh it's not hardcore enough", which translates to "I'm fat and lazy and can't actually pedal"
Then there's "there's not enough elevation", well yes, it's not a mountain, you can only build it to the height of the actual land 🙂
If you like MTBs you'll like Swinley... simple as that... It's an absolute blast. Just don't go into it on some ego trip like so many people who knock it seem to do for some weird reason.
Sure, if i was paying £35 a day i may be offended, maybe not though, but it's free, completely free... Sure you pay £2 for the car park LOL... but it's free, jumpy, swoopy, trail fun... I just can't fathom how people don't love it there.
Sounds great. Love a bit of pedally
Looks like the sort of place that would be good on my fixed gear so I would go there if I lived close to it.
What are the consequences of your kids having an accident versus what are the consequences of those middle aged IT nerds having an accident?
This is the depressing side of ageing. Thinking too much about the consequences and not trying things. When I was 12 I was jumping straight off of garage roofs on a BMX whereas now at 50+ it makes me wince just thinking about my knees and back.
Swinley is best if you do it at a non-stop pace, when it starts to become an exercise in concentration as well as you go through the relentless berms of Stickler...
Swinley is best if you do it at a non-stop pace,
Nah, Swinley is best when you ride it like it's fun, just messing about on bikes and not taking it too seriously 🙂 popping off roots, jumping little bumps, dragging your front wheel on a mates back wheel on the way down while shouting "Get a move on fat boy"
that's when Swinley is fun... IMO too many people forget why we do MTBing, we do it for the smiles, for being outside, for sitting on logs eating flapjacks and laughing about "how i nearly crashed on that log"
we do it for the smiles,
Have never been able to finish Tank Traps without a stupid grin on my face.......
Always enjoy a bit of swinley. Was there last weekend and even my mate on his cx enjoyed it. It’s proper old-school xc like I grew up with. Was at Mountain Mayhem over the weekend and the route is a similar sort of thing, but without jumps.
It’s hard work, pedally some would say, but that’s good for the body and soul.
Don’t need too much bike either which is a bonus for the kids. Must take my nipper there.
Kids on bike?
Everyone having a lovely time?
The Collective chaps have done an amazing job making the QE Park
Blue a proper fun trail, a bit like a longer version of some of the good Swinley bits. Brilliant for kids who want to charge round some berms, but its a lot lumpier than Swinley, so you gotta climb up to get there. My lad moaned about the climb when he was younger, but now disappears off and leaves his ol’ man behind 😕
IT nerd friend is a former Royal Marine who was blown up in Afghanistan, he’s partially disabled, but you can’t tell by looking. Must be hilarious watching slow riders.
Owned. Completely.
Beautifully put.
Owned
Really? Are you serious? Oh, you actually are.
This place, hysterical
Dam right, kids should be at home playing computer games do they can grow up to be IT nerds on the endless paycheck and mortgage treadmill.
[Seriously, are people just grumpy because it's sunny outside and they're stuck in work?]
Owned. Completely.
Knob. Completely.
[Seriously, are people just grumpy because it’s sunny outside and they’re stuck in work?]
Abso-****in-lutely
(Middle-aged IT nerd, "working" when he'd like to be in the forest somewhere playing around on a bike)
Some droppy fun.
We also spent some time on the drop of doom entry into the Corkscrew, then little lads really have no fear and they were a bit daunted at first, but then, launching it nicely off the top LOL... crazy boys.
Massive piles of chicken followed in KFC and my lad had a very happy 11th birthday party.... If this is what all of his parties entail, i can't wait for the next one !
Swinley is a lot of fun. I havent ridden there for years but it would be nice to have it on your doorstep.
Nice! Take em to the big one at the end of old Stickler (I think that's where it is)
Coincidentally, I found an old video I'd done of me and dezbjr at Swinley. I nearly posted some, but I had the camera and all you could hear was me going "woop" "giggle" "Wahay" etc. Too embarrassing. For reference watch that 8 year old girl one ST posted a few weeks back. 😆
Another brilliant day at Swinley, £2 for all the fun in the land!
3.5 hours of blues, reds, punctures, jumps, crashes and arrgghhhhh of screams from the laughs the youngsters had. Sure it wasn't lap record pace, but for smiles it's hard to beat having bike fun in the woods with a bunch of 9-13 year olds
Not just fun for the youngsters. Was over there this morning with the monthly cycling club offroad ride. One of the chaps must have been well into his sixties and he thought it was great as did the lads on their CX bikes. Despite it being fairly local I must admit I dont go there that often as I prefer Pirbright etc mainly because it's quieter but it did make a nice change.
It was a bit busy on some of the Blues but in a really funny way, shopping bikes, 1980s bikes, bikes that couldn't be any less appropriate if they tried, but all riders were chatting merrily with us and having a blast. Fantastic!!
I'm a middle aged IT nerd, I hit jumps (ok so not big ones but plenty of medium ones) and I also love Swinley.
As said, you have to be fit enough to smash it all the way round which means pedalling, otherwise it's less fun but still fun. Bits of blue drag on unless you are leaning over trying to extract every bit of speed or air, then it's engaging.
Nice vid OP but yes it's not nice being laughed at on the internet if you're slow.
It's been a while since I've been there, but I used to love riding at Swinley back in the mid 2000s. However unfashionable it may seem, it was always one of my favourite riding spots. One of those places where you can make the riding as easy or challenging as you please.
Does it turn muddy in the winter?
Nice vid OP but yes it’s not nice being laughed at on the internet if you’re slow
Is this one of them times where we're being offended for people who don't even know they were being mocked, never will know and never will care.
Does it turn muddy in the winter
Well, everywhere in the in UK does. But no more so than anywhere else. Couple of bits used to suffer but they've changed them.
It turns gritty...
It turns gritty…
It most certainly does. Winter riding at Swinley eats components. Still good fun though.
It's been 12 years since I rode Swinley last, after moving to Nottingham from Church Crookham. I would love to spend a bit of time back down that way taking in my old haunts of the North Downs/Surrey Hills (I lived near Dorking too for a bit) and an afternoon at Swinley.
Winter riding at Swinley eats components.
It does but it's the perfect venue for a winter singlespeed; nothing's too steep or too long to be ridable (although the hill to the clubhouse often sees me weaving up!!)
I took a couple of nippers for a Swinley ride a few years back. They're 17 now and want to return.. I'm scared 🙂
OP, you need to augment your videos with a nasally "yeah, boyyyeee" on every drop for full on rad effect.
Swinley is just a lot of fun. I used to ride there a lot when I was at my fittest but having a guide who could string the trails together made all the difference. All year round too, I think it keeps dryer than a lot of places in that neck of the woods, Aston Hill was the worst for mud IME.
It’s been 12 years since I rode Swinley last, after moving to Nottingham from Church Crookham. I would love to spend a bit of time back down that way taking in my old haunts of the North Downs/Surrey Hills (I lived near Dorking too for a bit) and an afternoon at Swinley.
There's a good scene going on next to Church Crookham now around Caesars. Don't know what it was like 12 years ago.
Loads of riding though generally. MTB seriously taken off around Surrey Hills and Swinley. Good, though you can't pop out for an afternoon at Swinley and not see anyone for hours any more. At least not at the weekend. Used to be the majority stuck around the Lookout area, and the rest of the place would be empty.
Anyway, add me to the middle aged IT nerd category and no worries with laughing at my rubbish jump & drop skills 😀 . Great to see kids having fun and progressing. Hopefully it sticks with them and isn't lost with teenage interests (or disinterest) and forgotten once they are able to drive.
Great to see kids having fun and progressing. Hopefully it sticks with them and isn’t lost with teenage interests (or disinterest) and forgotten once they are able to drive
I/We very much hope for the same. Thy're all doing the FoD enduro race this weekend, so i'm hoping their enthusiasm as a group keeps pushing them on to enjoy it more as the years pass...
Does it turn muddy in the winter?
It can do. Basically, it's great in the wet up to a point - when it's wet enough everything dissolves into mush. I went there after snow had just melted and it was unrideable. That was a long time ago though.
The cobbles hold up better. They're rough to ride on by they cope in the wet, if a bit slippery. The ginger is the grinding stuff but worst on the fireroads.
Went round with the children on saturday, still can't finish the tank traps without a stupid grin on my face 🙂
Where are these tank traps?! I can only
Really ride Swinley after work and now it’s only 1.5-2 hours due to the light, so normally skip straight to red 15/babynaker/red 25!
End of blue 5-6, the long long twisty flat bermy one, then instead of going right to the next blue/red1, then go left and it's 40m up on the right.
Just for some balance, everytime I go there I leave with a overwhelming sense of meh
Whys that ? Because it's not BPW/Afan/somewhere else ? What could they do that would improve it for you ?
a jump line or dual slalom or 4x track would be good
a jump line or dual slalom or 4x track would be good
But realistic in a place that's free and for 'public' rather than MTBers ?
Where are these tank traps?
Red 32 - directions as Weeksy says above.
Whys that ? Because it’s not BPW/Afan/somewhere else ? What could they do that would improve it for you ?
I don't think they can improve it because of other useage interests.
The elevation is what it is but it's forced to be or become boring unless you just want to whip round as quick as possible.
It's got more elevation than Woburn and can't be far off Aston Hill but the venn diagram if interests seems like either piss-off somewhere else if you want anything half technical OR build something secret but don't share it ...and some fear that if ever the two circles meet it will be something akin to BPW
I still like a quick purple blast... but nothing on earth can get Ollie to go.
But realistic in a place that’s free and for ‘public’ rather than MTBers ?
Why not? Southampton do it in the middle of the public park with tennis courts and what-have-you...
Southampton do it
Sorry, that's completely irrelevant as it's nothing like Swinley.
become boring unless you just want to whip round as quick as possible.
I just don't get that at all... not even slightly.
My feeling is that CE & NE are a major part of the limitations at Swinley - CE were behind flattening the old jump gulley which was (IMO) less hairy that the Babymaker. NE insist on only using local materials, and as there aren't many rocks in the area that makes traditional technical features more challenging to build. I reckon you could use some of the steeper sections to build some nadgery low speed stuff with properly tight hairpins and rooty steps, but the previous trail builders always seemed to be pushing for bigger freeride features. The on site shop is now the chief of trail pixies so it'll be interesting to see what develops next.
The on site shop is now the chief of trail pixies so it’ll be interesting to see what develops next.
Rode past the their new private free ride section on Monday, Looks pretty serious from what I can see from public trail. couple of tables, maybe a gap.
They have bars of over the entry points to trails so you can't do a sneaky after hours run.
what's happening with that then ? Do we know yet ?
Whys that ? Because it’s not BPW/Afan/somewhere else ? What could they do that would improve it for you ?
I'm not sure really. I like most types of riding including sdw xc so it's not about it not being super hard or anything, I just always find it a bit unsatisfying. Maybe how busy it is combined with being fairly flat. There are a couple of nice sections but even tank traps I just don't 'get' somehow (never makes me smile)
Don't know but there's definitely recent work taken place on the old half finished area by the start of the blue, I assume same place jim saw? The jumps looked huge to me.
Sorry, that’s completely irrelevant as it’s nothing like Swinley.
I honestly don't see why, its free and open to the public.
Of course it's nothing like Swinley as it has a 4x and jump line which was kinda my point.
become boring unless you just want to whip round as quick as possible.
I just don’t get that at all… not even slightly.
Other than doing it faster there is no challenge or progression.
It's a lovely place to cycle around, I enjoy just pootling around it and boring is sometimes good but there is nothing to challenge you except doing it faster or more loops ...
what’s happening with that then ? Do we know yet ?
It's going to be an area for exclusive use of the bike hub's coaches & clients.
Found this, but not much else -
https://www.swinleybikehub.com/blog/coachingarea
Not sure if it's "live".
but there is nothing to challenge you
If you look hard enough, there are step downs and doubles on the blue, similar stuff over clubhouse and Red 16 / 25. Too challenging for me (as a middle aged IT worker who falls off going over Cooper Falls).
I suppose people look for different types of challenge. There's very little at Swinley that a total beginner couldn't ride, no technical challenge in the sense of navigating an obstacle cleanly. But I'm not sure why going faster doesn't count as progression? Some of it's fitness but I know I'm a long way from being able to pick the fastest lines and carry speed effectively through the tight corners.
If you look hard enough, there are step downs and doubles on the blue, similar stuff over clubhouse and Red 16 / 25. Too challenging for me (as a middle aged IT worker who falls off going over Cooper Falls).
I just did a blue/red (except for substituting babymaker for red 21) ... it was a very pleasant pootle about and lovely in the forest but non of those approached challenging or exciting... (and I'm just a over 50's middling beginner, I only really started riding again 4-5 years ago and I took the XC HT with no dropper)
Of course it’s nothing like Swinley as it has a 4x and jump line which was kinda my point
Don't be dopey - SPB is wide open, treeless, obviously not a place to walk on, there are fields nearby for walking dogs, it's clearly and obviously JUST there to ride bikes on.
I can't believe an explanation is needed as to the differences. Unless you're purposely being dense.
[edit] to simplify. one is called Southampton [b]Bike Park[/b].
Don’t be dopey – SPB is wide open, treeless, obviously not a place to walk on, there are fields nearby for walking dogs, it’s clearly and obviously JUST there to ride bikes on.
I can’t believe an explanation is needed as to the differences. Unless you’re purposely being dense.
I still don't get why that should preclude Swinley having more interesting features?
It's just a part of the larger park with a bit for bikes and nothing to stop anyone just walking across or around.
[edit] to simplify. one is called Southampton Bike Park.
This seems to me the main reason, the backdrop to everything seems to be "This is not a bikepark" but with some subcontext that just by the name it would resemble BPW more than Southampton.
You could easily stick the whole of SBP just where Babymaker currently is... or several other places