Hadleigh Park Mountain Biking

I am trying to find out some info about the 2012 XC course at Hadleigh Park. There doesn’t appear to be a specific website for it and the Essex Countryside page link diverts to a holding page. I think it still exists from what I can gather from various sources but lots of talk about disrepair. The one thing that alarmed me was a description of the trails stating that they are used by walkers and free grazing cattle as well as cyclists.

The reason I am searching for the info is that we want to do a mixed ability MTB outing for work and most people live around London, and that seemed to be a good location when I remembered the legacy thing from 2012.

https://www.hadleighparkcycles.co.uk/cycling-in-the-park

mixed ability MTB outing for work

I went on one of the original organised rides soon after the Olympics. We are were a group of around 10 experienced riders, being guided round by two instructors. Body count at the end was one snapped frame and one ambulance call out. If you’re organising this I’d make sure people are aware of their own abilities before you take the blame for breaking lots of employees!

I’m sort of joking, as I know some of the features were stripped out after those guided rides ended, and the link above shows lower graded trails as well now, but if Colin from Accounts thinks he’s a riding god, he might end up with a nasty surprise.

It would be a great place for a mixed ability ride, there are supposedly (not been for a long time) a lot of different option from family friendly to the big black features on the original 2012 circuit.

But as others have said – it’s great as long as people are accountable for their own choices and ride to their abilities – but if Colin from accounts overestimates his abilities he could end up getting lifted out of there no trouble at all. personally – I wouldn’t like to be ‘the organiser’ given how severe some parts are.

I rode it a couple of weeks back, did the blue with my 8 year old then a lap of the red. There was a bit of disrepair and some of the signage seemed to be missing (e.g. there was no obvious marker at the start!) But it was still fine.

Wasn’t it Liam Killeen that crocked himself on the first lap on the rock garden at the Olympic MTB? I was there and just remember it was the team GB rider. Here’s Kulhavy and Schurter fighting for gold and silver.

Thanks all. I am surprised you all know Colin, he obviously had a few different employers in his time.

@BenjiM That’s the link I saw that mentioned the multi use element of the trails, wasn’t sure if it was an old one. Thanks.

Colins been around 🙂

I’d make sure people are aware of their own abilities before you take the blame for breaking lots of employees!

I organised a work trip to the BC BMX track a Manchester velodrome once. I got threatened with a formal warning should I be daft enough to organise a repeat visit. 🤣

I organised a work trip to the BC BMX track a Manchester velodrome once. I got threatened with a formal warning should I be daft enough to organise a repeat visit.

What exactly happened? Or are you not allowed to talk about it? We are doing a velodrome trip as well 🙂

I ride through it on pretty much every MTB ride as its on my way to the woods. The cows are fine and are used to MTB’s so mainly stay out of the way. There’s dogs and walkers everywhere though, usually trying to climb a rock garden as you’re coming down.

Some parts have been closed for a couple of years and others are really overgrown. The parts that are open have very loose gravel, not the best place for inexperienced riders unless you stick to the shared green route. I live close and only ride it in the winter when I have to.

Wasn’t it Liam Killeen that crocked himself on the first lap on the rock garden at the Olympic MTB?

not the rock garden, was “Dean’s Drop”, the sort of rocky chute earlier in the lap. Obviously just as crap though!