MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Does anyone have any suggestions for woods etc that are like swinley forest but more for gravel bikes (not saying you can't do swinley on a gravel bike). Looking for somewhere about an hour's drive from w London max. There are some decent forestry forests down in Kent but they are just too far away for a quick spin
Any ideas of where we should try for some good flowing hard packed gravel near w London that isn't swinley ?
Q
New Forest is perfect for that, not sure exactly on timings for travel from London but it's probably 40 mins from Swinley if you aim for Brockenhurst or Lyndhurst (or I think Brockenhurst is fairly easy on a train from London?).
If you do Komoot, head to the Woods Cyclery in Lyndhurst and try one of their many Shop Rides from there (or join one on a Sunday morning).
You could also explore Ash Ranges/Pirbright from a Swinley start point (although you may do that already).
You could also explore Ash Ranges/Pirbright from a Swinley start point (although you may do that already).
My first thought - much of Swinley's quite gravelly, til you get to the more technical/ man made jumps stuff. And the surrounding area's perfect really, if you have a trail map/ guide
There’s plenty of bridle ways and Stane Street around Epsom and Box Hill that makes great routes, not sure that meets your criteria which seems like a soft trail centre (not a criticism!!!)
There's some fairly gravelly stuff out in the Chilterns, around Wallingford, Watlington, the Ridgeway etc. as long as you go when it's properly dry. Otherwise it's an mtb slopfest.
Richmond park has a well used gravel circuit. A few others riding south out of London.
https://www.strava.com/routes/3401594390788073694
There is some lovely gravely in Surrey borders, with a few 30mph roads and muddy bridleways but nothing too bad and mostly flowing gravel.
I'd recommend this a shorter/easier variation of what @TiRed posted above: https://www.strava.com/routes/3097784585080744872
Have a trawl through Komoot / ridewithgps for some of the gravel sportives. They won't be 'gravel' in the hardback sense, but all CX/gravel suitable. The Chilterns is a slop-fest over the winter but it's fine on skinny tyres, just put some waterproof baggies on over your roadie kit.
Saxon Way (a big lap of North Hampshire)
Badlands (Bits of the eastern end of the Ridgeway)
Wildwood
etc
There's long sections of the King Alfred Way that's perfect for gravel biking. The sdw from Qecp would also work for a out and back blat with a cafe at the finish. The blue loop is also gravel bike friendly just avoid the drop and don't pop the table top , rest of it is graded and root free .
Hankly common is good but can be sandy , ditto the dz and area around hindhead.
I was going to suggest the New Forest, but jfab beat me to it. It’s very flat, ideal for a spin around on a gravel bike.
Place I worked at organised a Christmas party in July one year, everyone booked into a rather posh hotel for the weekend, and I took my mountain bike down and went for a very nice ride all around the forest tracks.