We have a family do in Rutland this weekend. Should have time for a ride on Sunday morning, where should I head for?

Get out your rigid SS/lockout your suspension, and have a lap of Rutland Water. Should be quite picturesque this frosty weekend.

You can park here for free, at least when I was there last, and join the path round the reservoir.

http://goo.gl/maps/4Mx0D

Disclaimer: There will be no gnar.

I once fell off at rutland water getting “gnar” round a gravelley bend. I’d maybe test ride a Giant road bike and do the 365 sportive thing.

Me too meehaja – worst crash I’ve had!
Going much too fast into an off camber right hander, chalky/slimy so no grip. Knackered wrist, knee, ribs, cracked helmet and everything.
Loading bike into car and driving home with one functioning arm not my best idea…

Do a lap of the lake – the bridle ways marked on the map round and about that area will be a muddy horse trodden mess at the moment.

I grew up in Oakham! It’s a nice place but there isnt much biking apart from the lap of the lake. Have a look at wakerley woods although it actually isn’t in Rutland. http://www.mbr.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?8092-Wakerley-Woods-Rutland-Northampton

The grip on some of the corners is properly deceptive. In Rutland I would just do a road ride, some really nice villages/scenery.

Many moons ago I did a lap of Rutland Water with an ex-GF…She cried half way round. 😯

Fenred, fed up looking girlfriends on Tesco bikes & crying 5 yr olds are par for the course at Rutland water!

I hired a tandem and rode around with the missus, seemed to save the tears. I was quite surprised by how many well equipped mtb’ers i saw going around there giving it the moody stares. But if that was the best of my local riding, I’m not sure how happy i would look.

I go there fairly often; more for fitness than anything & it’s better than playing with the traffic. I tend to get there early & leave before the hoardes arrive. Although, it’s normally empty during winter. Gets bloody cold in some parts with a biting wind.

From Oakham (park car at a mates house) and a couple of laps is a decent way of getting almost 50 mainly off road miles in. Quite hard work too with the constant undulations.

You do get some right miseries there, though. I always try to say hello and am especially chirpy to the miseries…

check out Wakerley Wheelers

http://www.facebook.com/groups/356852637706765/

more properly offroad than Rutland Water

We ended up in Wakerley Woods. It was a bit cold and windy so playing in the woods seemed more sensible that a lap of the lake. The trails were pretty wet and muddy but good fun and quite a challenge to keep moving. There were plenty of piles of rocks ready to be laid to make a lovely, weatherproof surface but it looked like that project had been shelved long ago.

Surprised that Wakerley was in any way rideable given recent weather (haven’t been over that side of the A43 for a while – last time I tried it in August it was a total mess).

The weatherproofing project is still in limbo but should get going again soon hopefully.

If you head over the A43 from Wakerley to the Fineshades side there’s some more riding – family routes mainly but also some fun little Blue skills loops and some decent ‘unofficial’ singletrack if you keep your eyes open.

I’ve ridden around Rutland Water on a track bike

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+1 colournoise….
Went to Wakerley over the summer & it was tragic. Deep deep sloppy mud everywhere, but not the fun sort…..it was virtually unrideable. I didn’t bother mentioning it as I figured it would still be bad.

Jeeeeebus! Colournoise’ pics just about sums up our appalling summer…August! Pah…Dreadful innit! 👿

there are plans to get it going again. WW is a group of ~100 local riders that is talking with the FC about improving the trails