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Hi, thinking of tripping down south to FOD tomorrow.
Not been before hence thinking of doing the waymarked trails at pedalabikeway, followed by some enduro/DH track sessions.
How busy does this place tend to get on Saturdays? We'd be looking to take the trail dog, shes well behaved but if the trails are super busy would look to go elsewhere.
Alternatively can anyone else suggest somewhere else? Afan any good?
Cheers
Dog, no, just no.
I went yesterday with my son. The cafe / car park was quite busy, but not crazy so. Verderers has a diversion so you miss the final big descent (the best bit). The push-up and downhills are great (Ski Run was our favourite).
Way too busy for a trail dog.
Saturday's, especially in the sun can be mental busy. Get there early to park and not a place for dogs pegging it about.
Verderers has a diversion so you miss the final big descent (the best bit).
Bugger, was thinking of going there next week with the boy.
Think it'll be quiet tomorrow, Freeminers is always quieter, do the extended Freeminers and you'll bump into nobody on that bit, so easy for the dog. DH tracks get busy due to uplift though, not really for a dog, but you could nip over to Y2K/Elephant Man and hit those (as well as the old Enduro, etc on that side), rarely too many there, plus you can head through via the top bit of Verderer's and then straight ahead at the diversion towards the other DH stuff via the woods.
Thanks for the replies guys. Aye I was going to put the dog in the van for the DH stuff. Sounds like an ace place tho.
Think we'll head over to Dyfi tomorrow and trip down to FOD later in year
Cheers guys
Was there this morning, and the car park was surprisingly busy, but the trails really not. Sussed that it was lots of families crossing the road from the centre to do the family trail.
As said above, it gets busy on Saturdays, so the trails likely to be busier than today.
Ré verderers final decent - as good as it is, I haven't done it for years: always dive right towards the end to use an alternative end, countdown and launchpad today 😁
Verderers has a diversion so you miss the final big descent (the best bit).
When you get too the start of the final couple of sections -at the fire road , look left you'll see loads of riders- you can do launch Pad or Ski Run .
Not a place for a dog on a Saturday .
The main centre is punter central at the weekends.
You could explore and barely see a soul on the trails. Plenty to find easily as well.
I wouldn’t take our dog there at the weekend with a view to riding with her.
So, err... if a friend of mine who happened to be staying in the Forest of Dean right now wanted to go for a ride with his trail dog... where might be a good place for him to go?
Like I say, asking for a friend...
Mallards Pike Lake area.
A dog on fod trails on a SATURDAY, you squire are clearly taking a GIRAFFE
The amount of bikes on cars and vans heading into the Forest from Gloucester/Monmouth or Ross directions I see on a weekend is just staggering ! I truly wish I had a £ for everyone I saw.
I see trail dogs at Mallards pretty much every time I ride there and they’ve never caused me a problem. If my dog wasn’t such a ****wit I’d take her there.
Just avoid the main centre up at Pedalabikeaway is the easiest option. The rest of the forest is full of fireroads, trails and picturesque areas that lots of people just don't go to. Mallards can get busy sometimes due to the cafe and Go Ape there but if you use it as a base and head away from it in any direction for 1/4 of a mile you'll be completely on your own.
I'll let him know, thanks.
I have never seen a UK bike centre so busy. Absolutely rammed at PABA today. Once on the trails though, pretty quiet except for the groups hanging around at the start of the DH sections.
Mrs Ambrose took the dog for a walk whilst I ride and then vice versa.
By 4.00 PM it was much much quieter and I reckon riding the red or blue would probably have been fine. Are the boar 🐗 ever a problem?