Forum menu
Morning all,
Heading off to Kettering from Kent tomorrow to pick up a new to me bike and figured it would be a nice opportunity to ride somewhere different. Any recommendations for say a 2hr xc ride please?
wakerley woods (nr corby) is a bit muddy at the moment.
You could stop at Woburn on the way back
Northampton Bike Park is a lot of fun if you fancy some well-drained man-made berms and jumps. You could stop there for a quick play and then ride Woburn on the way back (natural sand so it drains well, unlike the whole of Northamptonshire’s clay quagmire!)
For reference will be on a 100mm xx hardtail.
Doesn't have to be a super techy, mega death gnar ride, quite happy with a chilled out pottle. That said a well drained and not a swamp ride would be nice, if nigh on impossible this time of year, too!
alric
wakerley woods (nr corby) is a bit muddy at the moment.
Oi! My local resembles that remark!
Admittedly, Wakerley and Fineshade are all rideable still, but you do need to like the mud this time of year to really enjoy our trails.
The old abandoned red route holds up well, but the off-piste is a bit of a lottery.
Personally I taunt the Wakerley mud by riding a semi-slick on the rear all year round. Not fast but sure is tail happy fun.
There's nothing worthwhile tbh. Not even sure how I managed to get into MTB living in this area haha. Northampton Bike Park is pretty good for short jump trails, but if you're looking for an xc ride then it won't be for you. Best bet would be Woburn which is where I usually end up going. Although I think I've seen on Facebook that some of it is shut at the minute due to fallen trees, not sure if that's the red loop or just the bike park area.
From the FB page it appears it's the jump lines that are closed so the rest should be fine. Well see what the morning brings and how organised I am...
Not REALLY near Kettering, but Chickies tends to be good fun in most weather conditions.
Look for somewhere else on the way back would my suggestion, there's not much of interest at the best of times, offroad will be a bog fest in most places, the soil is clay based so your bike will end up in an immobile clump within minutes
Oi! My local resembles that remark!
OK I admit that was a guess, after squelching through the mud there last week on foot. I was hoping someone would correct me if I was wrong as Ive hardly explored the area yet.
There was a lot of rain last week
The road out is the best place to ride. We’re 2-3 hours from everywhere. <br /><br />
you could go and do the Brampton Valley Way from Market Harboro to Northampton?
How far is Kettering from Swindon?
Thanks for the suggestions all however as it happens In my haste to leave in the morning I remembered everything except a set of pedals!
There was almost an hour of traffic to sit in and contemplate my folly.....
alric
OK I admit that was a guess, after squelching through the mud there last week on foot. I was hoping someone would correct me if I was wrong as Ive hardly explored the area yet.
There was a lot of rain last week
If you're new to the area and want showing round (on a bike), hit up the Wakerley and Fineshade MTB FB page. We ride on a Wednesday night and Sunday morning usually.
Doesn’t have to be a super techy, mega death gnar
Even if you did want this, you've got no chance!
As said, I'd have said chicksands or woburn. Although a day ticket for Woburn is a tenner these days and although it's 'ok' for a blast, I'm not sure it's worth that to be honest.
Have they ever actually enforced that charge? Despite always paying it online, I’ve never been stopped or asked for QR code when I’ve ridden there.
It’s also gone up from a fiver which I never minded paying in a “tap your card here to donate” way to a tenner which feels like pure greed to me.
also to echo Colournoise, if you’re ever back in the area and fancy a blast, Weds evenings or Sunday mornings with the Wakerley Wheelers are always a giggle.