Best riding within 2hrs or so of London (by train)?

Obviously there’s Dorking/Surrey Hills and Swinley Forrest, but are any of the trail centres accessible by train for instance? What about the Peak District/Yorkshire Dales/Exmoor and the like?

Cheers 🙂

How far can you get on a train in 2 hours? Quite a way I guess, why not decide where you want to ride and then work out a nice point to point between train stations? I’d be tempted to go to the peaks.

Matlock to Buxton for example:

Rail maps

Google maps

South Downs?

not trail cetnres but lots of nice riding?

train to portsmouth, ride to Eastbourne, train to London.

or go to Lewes and ride to Friston and have a play in the woods.

Where in London are you psychle? I’d imagine that would dictate which direction you head first?

2h 52m to Edale in the Peaks from London……

Newport? I guess that is 2 hours from paddington. Then ride up canal and into valleys or cwm carn.

I think you can get to the peak district by train in about 2hrs.

Day out on the Isle of Wight ?
Train to Portsmouth Harbour then ferry to Ryde is under 2 hours from W/loo….

Depends what you want I guess. Stroud is about 1.5 hours from Paddington. Cranham (often mentioned here) is 6(?) miles away and lots of nice stuff on the way there.

Salisbury Plain
Ridgeway up beyond Swindon
Chilterns
Aston Hill
QE Park and more outside Portsmouth
There’s loads!*

*Providing you just want to go and ride a bike somewhere nice without all teh gnaaaarr radnezz

Aston Hill and Chicksands are both train-able, even on a big bike.

Where in London are you psychle?

North London based, 10-15 minute ride to Waterloo, Euston or Kings Cross. Thanks for the suggestions so far.

*Providing you just want to go and ride a bike somewhere nice without all teh gnaaaarr radnezz

Kind of looking for the gnar and radnezz Captain, looking for places to take ‘the big bike’ 😉

Cannock Chase. 20 mins ride from Stafford Station. Euston-Stafford 1h 16m

Ah, I assumed you’d be wanting something a little more XC. Sounds like ^^^ Cannock would be a good option

Woburn is my favourite from Norf London. Lots of lovely XC and play area for a bit more gnar if you fancy it.

Don’t know if you know the Kent bridleways. I live in Sydenham. Within 20 minutes I can be out into the fields and woods. None of it’s amazingly technical but there’s some decent fairly continuous offroad riding. You can make it is as challenging as you want according to how fast you ride and what bike you ride it on.

For teh gnaaaar radnezz, I would say that Aston Hill or Chicky are you best bets.

2 hours 26 mins to newton abbot – east dartmoor awaits

South Downs Way this time of year is corking, head to Friston Forest and Exceat, have a dip in the sea at the Seven Sisters and a pint of Harvey’s Best at the Golden Galleon, pretty dam awesome.

Chicksands is the obvious place for gnarr. 🙂

Else, I’d skip the Peak, and head straight for the Lakes.

A big day out but I did this a month or so back:
On a Saturday, there’s a 6am train from Euston to Stavely, arriving at 9:30ish. Kip on the train, then dump ask nicely to dump any gear at Wheelbase.
I had intentions of riding the 3 passes (Garburn, Gatescarth, Nan Bield), but uncertainty with the weather and being alone, I only did Garburn.
Proper mountains.

Train back to London at 4pm.

That sounds good Vinnyeh… whereabouts are you based, in London from the sounds of it?

Impressed that you actually went through with that vinneyh!

You should do that Psychle but stay the night in Staveley and ride two days. Get the Vertebrae guidebook.

Woburn, chick sands, Aston hills

London Euston to Rugeley Trent Valley (1hr 40mins), will put you an easy 10mins pootle from the start of the Follow the Dog trail at Birches Valley Visitors Centre. (And eventually the start of the Moneky Trail).
Its got to be a good 40min road slog to ride to Birches Valley from Stafford station (assuming no knowledge of trails across the Chase from that side). There’s probably more choice of trains to Stafford. If your ticket allows you could return from Stafford & head back across the better parts of the Chase after the man made trails, or even drop onto the canal & head back to Stafford.

Impressed that you actually went through with that vinneyh!

It was a bit of a mental day, for about 4 hours riding, still worthwhile for someone stuck in London. I wanted to go back a few weeks back staying over to avoid worrying about missing trains, but a broken arm’s put me off the bike for a while.

Eagle and Child Inn in Staveley was recommended as a good place to stay if overnighting

Eagle and Child Inn in Staveley was recommended as a good place to stay if overnighting

Massive portions of tasty food too, and very good beer.

Feel free to come up and visit the Chilterns. Not exactly super tech but a lot of fun riding around here.

Else, I’d skip the Peak, and head straight for the Lakes.

I agree, there’s no proper riding in the Peak, better to spend another couple of hours on the train and get to the Lakes. But it would make more sense to skip the Lakes and head to Scotland where there are proper mountains.

Having said that, it wouldn’t take that much longer to fly to the Pyrenees or southern Spain and given train fares now, probably not that much more expensive. Having said that, if you’re going to make the effort to get to European mountains, it may be better to fly and little further and head for the Andes or Himalaya where there are proper mountains.

BWD 😆 …

Another vote for Friston – if you’re fit afterwards you could cycle from there towards Brighton, have a play in Stanmer Forest (lots of nice singletrack) and then a few beers on the beach.

I agree, there’s no proper riding in the Peak, better to spend another couple of hours on the train and get to the Lakes.

Not what I said, bwd. I lived in Nottingham for a year and most all my riding was done in the Peak then.

Psychle did say he was looking for the gnar and radnezz though, which can take a bit of hunting down if you’re by yourself.

Not what I said, bwd. I lived in Nottingham for a year and most all my riding was done in the Peak then.

I know, I deliberately misconstrued your post to suit my own ridiculous ends… I’m sure there are plenty of people here who’d happily show Psychle a good time in the Peak and help him clear up all those bits of splintered carbon fibre afterwards 🙂

who’d happily show Psychle a good time in the Peak

Always up for a good time 😀

Might pop a post up at some point and see if anyone else is 8)

clear up all those bits of splintered carbon fibre

Don’t say that, I’d be heartbroken if such a thing happened! 😥

who’d happily show Psychle a good time in the Peak

Always up for a good time

Might pop a post up at some point and see if anyone else is

clear up all those bits of splintered carbon fibre

Don’t say that, I’d be heartbroken if such a thing happened!

I’m sure all those things are possible… there’s something really nice about sharing your local trails with furriners from darn sarf and stuff and I’m sure people would come from far and wide just to marvel at your bike and get a signed fragment at the end of the day 😉

Have you been to PORC in kent

my cousin does the downhill races there. The photos look gnarr to me

Primrose Hill

Ridgeway and Wansdyke from Swindon station.

Wansdyke: http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/ride-wansdyke-april-2011/

I’ll draw up a map for our ridgeway + Wansdyke epic.

ampthill – Member
Have you been to PORC in kent

my cousin does the downhill races there. The photos look gnarr to me

hope your taking the piss?

@ psychle train to stockport tun right. i’m sure you could find a friendly local to show you around?

So where in London are you?
You have all the above and also Epping Forest for social riding

trailmonkey – Member
2 hours 26 mins to newton abbot – east dartmoor awaits

1h37m to Taunton. The quantocks awaits…