Riding Woburn today and noticed that several routes leading to and around the playground had been recently blocked by felled trees. Quite dangerous as they were not expected, managed to stop in time anyway - I am sure however cut them knew what they were doing. Fine until someone gets hurt of course! Good to see that 'management' of Woburn is in such capable hands.
if you look along the trail you can stop in ample time. it's a private wood and where you think you can ride doen't mean its where you can
Fair point Jedi - just surprised to find blocks on a path that actually keeps bikes away from other users. I can understand where these are blocking runs that cross bridleways and there are obvious safety issues. Yes it's private but it's also under a permit scheme!
its hard to comment as i don't use this area. However felled trees are being used in other parts of the wood to try and close trails that are not covered by the access agreement and causing problems. Where these tree trunks placed on the trail or whole trees meat their stumps
the permit scheme allows you to ride the trails marked by the brown signs only - not anywhere you like. we are all technically pushing beyond the limit.
like jedi says, you must be able to see to stop. you often meet dog walkers with kids etc, they really have no reason to know that trail they're on is your prime singletrack.
I even once came across a family pic-nicking on a trail, blanket right across the track ! They were as surprised to see me as I them...
A good point flap jack, particulalry as I walk the dog their myself some times....
Going to Woburn in the morning will look out for hidden trees
I didn't come across anything today, though I wasn't really near the play area. I have to say I was quite impressed - there's been a load of tree felling going on lately in the Back Wood area and last weekend there were some log pile blocking trails. Today I found the logs had been moved off the trails, obviously intentionally by someone capable of moving big-ass logs ie. not the bikers.
If you are a member and pay your annual fee you will recently have received an e-mail with the committee meeting minutes! In it they said they were marking the boundary of the jump spot but felled trees, firstly this was to warn those crossing into it that they now had to take more care as they were in the jump spot and secondly to mark the jump site so that you can only build trails within that marked area.
So there you go all explained.
sweet
Sadly a chunk of my usual XC after work ride is currently messed up by damage caused by the tree felling tractors chewing everything up. I was quite annoyed until I rode into a tree and bust my collar bone. Now that I can't ride it doesn't matter - every cloud...
Looking forward to being back on the bike in [s]twelve[/s] eleven weeks time, though. Having been riding there for months am amazed how much nice relaxed XC there is with a few more challenging bits when you want them. Still finding new trails - nice place!
Woburn is awesome in the winter as it really holds up well, we discovered it late October and pretty much went there every weekend through the winter.
Trimix and Mr MC are there today practising their skills they learnt from Jedi! Let's hope they come home in one piece and there's no broken helmet this time!!!
Currently in my longest break from Woburn in fourteen years, actually looking forward to returning there this winter.
Any road up, you have to also remember that most of the area is working plantation, so you could turn up one day to find all your trails gone and it won't be UFOs.
We noticed the felled trees on Friday, definitely deliberate attempts to protect the woodland.
I don't mind so much, I've been riding there for the past sixteen years when the trails were just natural and the jump spot was a bog. But, as much as it pains me to say, the place is close to turning into a mess and trails are cropping up all over the place. Without management it's gonna become a problem and eventually it could be shut down.
For the time being riders are fortunate and the Rangers are pretty good but it could be easily be a different story.
(Mr MC posting)
just got back from 3 hours of woburn-based jedi skills revision. We only rode one "side" relative to the apsley heath car park due to the commercial logging, many of the trees blocking trails we came across were natural falls, a few obviously deliberate. Still miles of dusty loose sweet singletrack to ride, and managed to find a few lines in the jump spot with sets of doubles we could do to build on what tony had taught us, just kicking myself for not taking a camera to prove it 😀 .
Always in favour of a safe environment for all users - got to make sense. I spoke to one of the wardens today and he confirmed that the specific trail block that raised my original point was in fact blocked in error and would be cleared. Fully support the blocks stopping bikes flying over the public bridleway. Fantastic up there today as usual.
high5 munqe chick
Went for a ride there today.. There are still a few trees over the trails on the side where hip line and some small doubles are. All the best runs are open though and very loose with all the dust 🙂