Anyone out there ride the cotswolds much? Im trying to find some more trails locally. Anyone know of anywhere i should try? I normally just ride Lecky and cleeve which i know quite well now. I heard cranham is good however ive only had a quick look up there. Cheers

Yup.

Lekkie/Cleeve great. FOD too.

Wales only an hour away.

Where are you exactly?

Nam, Cheltnam lol. Yeah ive done FOD a few times and cwmbran a few times and afan about 3 times. Oh and cannock chase a few times aswell. I was just wondering what else is about round here. Theres got to be some decent riding to be had in the stroud valleys! Just need some ideas really. Not rode the malverns yet or snowdonia (coed y brenin) there on the list. Also the breacons and black mountains. I was just after some more local rides really like after work or weekends when im about 🙂

sweet jesus crankmasher. There's a whole bucket load of us on here and
you really don't need to go far for good riding. my local rides usually include cleeve hill, lecky and cranham. theres better "locals" on here that can help out further though.

how long have you been in cheltenham?

only thing i would like to say is watch out for horseflies in the woods down miserden way.

6 bites is not fun.

There is a huge mount of riding on offer, really depends on what you want as to whether you will find it.

All my life. Just joined this the other day though. Only just got back into riding again since i got my bike about 2 years back. I know theres loads round here. I got my routes i do but was after some ideas without too much exploring. Which i do from time to time. And after a long day at work i dont want to ride too far or drive too far.

I'm not local, but I did this ride a few weeks ago:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/trailguide/uk/south-west/the-cotswolds/

Worthwhile, and should give you some ideas for places to explore more. Just ignore the bit about doing the hard route anti-clockwise. Would work much better clockwise.

http://blog.thecorrective.com/search/label/Route

a few ideas.

Cheers guys much appreciated. Wheres miserden way? I wonder if that was where i got bit the other week

miserden is one of the valleys leading down to stroud. if i was trying to explain to someone who knew there way around, head for cranham, then climperwell and follow the river past the lakes, take a right after the gate follow the river some more and head towards the whiteway and not left/straight onto caudle green.
here ish

what bike do you ride crankmasher? out of curiosity?
I've also got this book: http://www.v-publishing.co.uk/titles/index/cotswolds-mountain-biking-20-classic-rides.html
which looks good. I haven't actually got round to doing any of the trails in it though 😳 too busy having fun on cleeve hill.

what kind of riding do you like? all day jollys? 2 hour adrenaline loops?

Lookmanohands from here is the man for cranham. Sure he will be along soon.

I think I can hear another STW Cotswold Massive ride coming on its way…. 🙂

Lost me already mrmo. I know the area a little but not enough. A friend of mine is gonna show me round randwick woods and maybe frocester hill. I ride scott scale 50 HT dirtbiker. I was exploring cleeve this evening think ive got a good route. I like xc technical stuff climbs decents whatever. Nothing too extreme though but i like to scare myself from time to time. In the week 2 hour adren loops…Weekends all dayers when not with the mrs and sometimes further a field. Where do you normally ride on cleeve? what sort of riding dirtbiker?

Lets get involved man. Im already there bushwacked

best riding on cleeve is the goat tracks below the golfcourse and down by the washpool,

Thats where i was today! Have you been up in the wood just over from there?

which wood, westwood? the off limits wood at the bottom of the dry valley over the bacck of cleeve, or the small patch by Belas down through the river, or finally the off limits bit that has a nice climb from the bottom of waterhatch up onto corndean lane?

The Biggest wood there. Just to the east of the wash if your looking from the radio masts

Yeah just looked at the map near that corndean lane. going down quite steep a few turns then out of nowhere theres a gate or 2. Then through the valley think theres a river. Been both ways.

my recent rides have included going from prestbury side of town, up sandy lane onto lecky then cross country past cranham to painswick beacon and back, again up lecky then on bridlepaths cross country to the top of cleeve and my local 2/3 hr loop looks something like this at the moment:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/gb/cheltenham/481127836978277372

which wood, westwood? the off limits wood at the bottom of the dry valley over the bacck of cleeve, or the small patch by Belas down through the river, or finally the off limits bit that has a nice climb from the bottom of waterhatch up onto corndean lane?

see its things like this which tell me i don't ride nearly enough, or indeed explore enough!

I dont either mate im just trying a bit harder to now though. And as soon as the weather turns, ill still be out there! Not tried biking in the snow however i did see someone on lecky on there bike when i was up there sledging. Anyone tried nightriding? A mate and i are going for a night ride soon 🙂

Night riding i do a fair bit of in the winter with the early evenings.
Snow i tried twice 2 years ago up cleeve once with 2.5" tyres at low pressure and once with mud tyres. tried both the riding on top of the snow and cutting through to get at the ground underneath. was crap. ha ha. just sank down into the deeper stuff both times and was painful getting anywhere. pedalling downhill wasn't much fun either. Oh it was at night too… a snowy night ride – that was interesting for sure.

lol with yours eyes closed to in case you had been eating too much carrots

I think I can hear another STW Cotswold Massive ride coming on its way….

How's about Saturday? 10:30 at the Bell (Shurdington)?

snack van might be free on sunday…..

How's about Saturday? Sunday? 10:30 at the Bell (Shurdington)?

oooo delemar, Cotswold massive ride or Forest of Dean 😕

Ive got a wedding to go to this weekend so i wont be about. So ill be hitting cannock chase for my ride this weekend and try the monkey trail 🙂

How's about Saturday? Sunday? 10:30 at the Bell (Shurdington)?

Bugger, I'll be in Morzine riding and waiting for the tour de france

Sorry if it appears like i'm hi-jacking your thread Crankmasher, but i am moving to cheltenham this weekend from the east end of london. so will be looking to get out around the local area, but don't any of it as of yet. so when the un packing has died down, i'll be heading out to explore, any advice for a newbie to the area. I like xc riding mainly, with the occassional race thrown in, but i leave the race head at home when i don't have a number attached.
thanks.

Bugger, I'll be in Morzine riding and waiting for the tour de france

Your loss! 😉

Cragrat – Cleeve Hill and Leckhampton Hill are the obvious places to explore, but stick up a post on here and I'm sure someone will show you around. Or feel free to drop me a mail.

Ballcocks – I can't make the sunday! Got a lodger to get the house ready for! 🙁

IHN – Beers?

Love to join you but I will be doing my last ride of the week in Slovenia.

[shameless plug]
You'll be wanting to check out Gloucestershire's Premier Mountain Bike Club I shouldn't wonder:

http://www.bigfootmbc.co.uk

Warm welcome for all levels of riders and unrivalled local knowledge… check out the ride calendar on the website and feel free to drop us a line if you fancy coming along 🙂
[/shameless plug]

Blimey… that really was shameless! 😉

How did I miss this thread for this long 😯

Crankmasher, quite happy to show you (and anyone else) around cranham woodz, daytime evening etc no probs, fast/slow/long/short. Just drop me a mail. Might be around for a cheeky one early Sunday morning, if the massiv are around! 8)

Cheers lookmanohands i might just do that. Probably give you a shout next week if your about and it would be in the evening after work.

cheers for advice, IHN may take you up on that offer somewhen, but my immediate concerns are unpacking after the weekend and prepping the bungalow we own in somerset for rental.

I have been to cleeve hill, but climbing not biking.

Will definately try some club rides when i can.

look forward to meeting some of good folk in future.