MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Looking for a few idea's of places to go this weekend?
Mainly to get the OH back out on the bike, last year we did CYB, FOD and Glentress, she loved all the blues but not been out on the bike since last September.
Too late to get a pass for the bike park as thought she would love just riding downhill I did when I went in October.
Just after some recommendations of blue routes, a couple of hours drive from Birmingham?? Got the rest of the week off so hoping for a couple of road trips as the weather looks good.
BPW has fun BLues.
Just after some recommendations of blue routes, a couple of hours drive from Birmingham
Could always try Cannock's fabulous blue route.
Mostly wide fireroads a few rubbly bits a few steady climbs and non-breakneck descents
7.5 or 12.5 miles
http://www.chasetrails.co.uk/leisure-cycling/
You might just get to Whinlatter in a couple of hours. OK, maybe not. But it's a great blue. Llandegla is supposed to be a nice one.
Wouldn't recommend Gisburn at the moment. Still partly shut due to over-running repair work, and one of the other singletrack sections is in terrible nick - with some wheel-grabbing potholes lurking in puddles.
Swinley? Upper end of your travel time, and not all that long but good fun. The red is no harder, just a little longer.
Lol cannocks blue, its just fireroads, I know I ride there most weekends!
The thing with glentress its quite rewarding for the climbing, and yep the BPW is fun, while I will do 4 runs maybe with the climbs, im not sure my OH would do more than 1.
don't rule out 'Follow The Dog' at Cannock. It's billed as a red, but it's only 10k, and it's really quite mellow. It's bloody good fun!
(there are some tricky bits that my wife sometimes walks past, depending how gnarly she's feeling)
Queen Elizabeth Country Park? - might be pushing the 2hour thing a bit, but maybe not too much...
The world needs more swoopy blues!
QECP has the cyclefest and day/night enduro on this weekend.
It's not the most impressive blue route, but [url= http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-8Z2CDW ]Hicks Lodge[/url] near Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a nice little loop, and not far away.
Has a good cafe too...!
a couple of hours drive from Birmingham??
Llandegla is 1h56 from Brum if Google Maps is to believed, and the blue there is a right giggle.
Swinley? Upper end of your travel time, and not all that long but good fun. The red is no harder, just a little longer
I found it far more 'fun' than the Red too. One of those that you can turn from pootle to fun to interesting simply by riding it faster/harder.
Hicks Lodge is more fun on a road or cross bike 😀
Too late to get a pass for the bike park as thought she would love just riding downhill I did when I went in October.
I went to BPW without pre-booking the uplift and just paid on the day for each trip. Granted it was a pretty soggy weekend so may have been quieter than usual but me and 2 mates had no issues getting on the van. The blues were great fun. Might be worth risking it. The worst thing that could happen is you have to ride to the top.
The Forest of Dean's blue is good fun and very pretty. Llandegla's blue is good fun too, plus the red isn't too much of a stretch either (disclaimer: I've not been in a year, so I don't know if anything's changed). Not sure what the new blue at Afan is like, think the one at Coed-y-Brenin is quite short?
Think LMT's mentioned before that his missus isn't too confident around FtD at Cannock? Most of it is blue graded, but there are a few unavoidable features that might give a less experienced rider pause for thought.
Hopton Woods (near Ludlow), there's all sorts there really, the pearce xc loop only has about 3 techy sections, if that, and they're quite short, but there's lots of east escape routes/ways out and fire roads if you don't fancy a section, it all links up nicely.
Yep, she had a massive off at Wolftrax good few years back and this killed her mountain biking off tbh. Cannock was in transition of change at the time stego had just gone in and that didn't help, FOD we did twice last year, just after a nice day out, some trail riding that's not too tricky, a nice drive, good food not far from the trail. Trying to turn the trips we both go on to days out, quality time. Unlike the sunday biking I do which is basically get round ftd/monkey as past as possible, café stop then home!
Afan might be worth a shot, she has rode the wall before and enjoyed that, if we went Thursday could be quieter than usual.
pick a sustrans route?: http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map
the green bits are the offroad, usually well signposted. I can recommend the 55 out of Stafford to the west. And there's one south out of stratford that I've had my eye on for a while because I like that part of the midlands. & of course brum and all the midlands has tons of canals, bit flat and boring though.
I'd go Llandegla blue or red, the red isn't too bad - certainly by modern 'blue' standards. If you're brum you could also try getting her out at sandwell valley, that's very blue with red bits, only a short loop but looping the same thing might be good for her confidence and you don't need to do a whole day.
Cannock blue is very good if you go exploring. It's only fireroads on the official route but there is loads of off piste around it - if you spend some time yourself not running the dog/monkey, follow the blue and look at all the mini trails dotted around the hills. Brocton coppice, stepping stones to give you a couple of hints. You could put together a nice little route with a bit of interest.
Afan might be worth a shot, she has rode the wall before and enjoyed that, if we went Thursday could be quieter than usual.
The new blue at Afan is the rebuilt Penhydd, which used to be red graded (but one of the easier reds over there, I believe - just as we were planning to go there a few years ago they shut down Penhydd, so we never bothered!). If she's OK with the Wall, she should have a few riding options over there.
Cannock blue is very good if you go exploring. It's only fireroads on the official route but there is loads of off piste around it - if you spend some time yourself not running the dog/monkey, follow the blue and look at all the mini trails dotted around the hills. Brocton coppice, stepping stones to give you a couple of hints. You could put together a nice little route with a bit of interest.
Might be a bit boggy with the recent weather though? Tis lovely in the dry though, I've recently started exploring over there myself, and discovered the delights of Springslade cafe, which is miles better than Birches Valley cafe (admittedly, that's not hard).
Can understand LMT's missus' reluctance about the Steg. I'll ride pretty much everything on FtD (apart from Werewolf, don't judge me), but I still feel a whoosh of relief after riding certain features successfully - the rock step exit to the first section, the Steg, getting onto the boardwalk, the exit of section 8/Zig Zak, the little rock onto the bridge on section 9/Aunt Flow (not helped by coming a cropper last year by misjuding and slicing up my leg, still have the scars!). Doesn't matter how many times I ride them, there's always a touch of panic!
Shame Glenlivet isn't a bit closer for you....
Depending which side of Birmingham you are, Hicks Lodge and Sherwood Pines for something different
If you want nice food, countryside & town nearby, Hopton would honestly suit very well, natural trails, and ludlow (proper foodie town) only a few miles away.
I found it far more 'fun' than the Red too. One of those that you can turn from pootle to fun to interesting simply by riding it faster/harder.
totally agree, drains better too. Red's been shitty both times I've been there, as you'll recall from the first!
My vote would be Long Mynd. I know its not a man-made blue but assuming you're both reasonably fit it'll be way more fun. There's even this extremely helpful [url= http://www.plushhillcycles.co.uk/trails/105-long-mynd-mtb-map.html ]map[/url], or just pop into plush hills cycles, I'm sure they'd help.
You can start and finish in Church Stretton where there's lots of nice places to eat, grab a tea & coffee. Just make sure you finish in time for a wander around the Stretton Antiques Market...
Stinky. let her roll down the Jympar while you snake around it on the other blue & red?
Can you get to Brechfa in a couple of hours? The Blue green there is supposed to be very good indeed.
Otherwise, Sherwood Kitchener.... great confidence builder with nothing technical, just loads of woodsy singletrack. I've taken my not very confident daughter there and she loved it.
Sherwood pines red.
Think its about 9 miles. My kids fly round it 12 year old girl and 9 yr old lad. The mrs also did it the three times we have and she is far from a confident mtb'er
plus one for the blue/green at Brechfa.