[Closed] Trail center ‘lite’

Well if Brizzle is on the list it's not that much further to the Forrest of Dean or over the Severn Biridge to the South Wales trail centres.

You’re right but then the 2 - 21/2 travel time either side eats into the shorter time I’ve got at the mo. Love a trip over the Severn but FOD has never really charmed me. That said I’ve never ridden any of the off piste I know is there somewhere.

I tried Ashton Court whilst working in Brizzle. It amazed me they found that much flat ground given how hilly the rest of the area is.
I'd not drive from Southampton to get there.
It does meet the trail centre 'lite' bit though.

Jamesoz

good to know, thank you for the heads up. It’s hard to cut through the supportive hype sometimes.

Don't bother with Bedgebury, definitely not worth the drive.

For once, "the woods behind Nationwide in Swindon" might be a sensible answer.

http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/croft-trail/

Windhill, tidworth(never been personally), okeford hill.

Stoughton downhill at Kingley Vale near Chichester

Not really rideable in winter as most features are chalk

For all year round riding the Rogate downhill is a good bet, its sandy so drains well in winter and actually is nicer to ride when its wet

Not far from QECP and Stoughton so you can make a day of it and ride all 3 locations

https://www.b1ke.com/b1keparks/rogate/

Cwmcarn. Ok so more than 2 hours but less than FOD, and if brizzle was ok then Cwmcarn is 100% worth it. One of the best trail centres in the UK IMHO and so easy to reach if you're willing to cross the Severn.

It amazed me they found that much flat ground given how hilly the rest of the area is.

I've never heard Ashton Court described so well!

I wouldn’t drive 2 hours to get to Ashton Court / Leigh Woods. Both official trails are amazingly flat. They’re fun flowy trails if you’re a local and haven’t got time to go further. There’s some off piste in Leigh Woods if you know where to find it and you could pair it up with some off piste in nearby Bourton Combe but I still don’t think it’s worth the drive.

If you can go an hour further than Cwmcarn is pretty damn good for an official trail centre. Massive climb and massive decent x 2 trails (red graded). Also a couple of DH style trails if you have time + a 15 min long flowy blue trail which is fun.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I might have mis represented my previous exploits.

Ive been able to visit most of the southern welsh venues, rogate, tidworth have also been ticked off a few times (death chalk at tidworth).

Shame about bedgebury, was hopeful that might be a nice change. Down south as it seems most of you are aware once the rain and the horsey folk combine most local areas are reduced to liquid sorrow.

Comrie is somewhere to look into.

It seems that better draining venues seem to be limited to those of the sandy geology like Surrey or rogate, or armoured like swinley, qe or if really desperate moors valley.

I quite enjoyed Bedgebury, but I was in the area and only had to drive an extra 30 mins.

Thought they had done well with what they had to work with. It is pretty mellow though.

3rded for Bedgebury, it's an hour to do a full loop and that's taking it easy. There's about 3 decent descents in the whole place and yes they've done a lot with not much but it's still very very very tame.

Think QECP blue, but not as good, and more pedally flat stuff.

I'm only 40 mins away and only ride there when everywhere else local is a bog.

Surrey hills drains well but it's not a trail centre, 90% of the trails aren't marked so you need to know your way around.

I face the same issue in Kent, very very limited for trail centre riding so during winter I have some local stuff that holds up well, can make a couple of hours out of it. It's probably as gnar as Bedgebury too. Then a local spot (that's actually 45 mins drive) with some enduro style trails that is good fun for an a couple hours.

Then trips to Wales\peaks\lakes\scotland\dartmoor\exmoor etc etc as many times as I can for some "proper" riding.

Just get up earlier and go to BPW. Treat your legs. It’s got plenty that isn’t gnar.

417 near Cheltenham? https://417bikepark.co.uk/downhill-trails/
Not sure what it's like after recent rain but claims to be rideable in all weather and it's less than 2 hours from Southampton.

417 is fairly good even in bad weather. Tends to be more splattery mud than a quagmire. Just the black that has a boggy bit on it that I’d avoid in bad weather. All the reds and blues keep going ok. Last time I went you could pay to ride / push up or pay for uplift. The push up is rideable - but the steepest bit in the middle isn’t much fun cycling. I normally push a chunk of it.

Woburn - if you drive fast.