Just moved opposite these woods.

Who’s local?

Any highlights I should be looking for?

I’ve done some looking, found the crater, little dirt jumps, the big drops closer to fernhill road, the road gap. Much else I should be looking for?

Looks like recent logging as pretty much destroyed everything that could have been there.

Also, it looks like there is quite a lot of pro-active digging, particularly by the crater, I can’t work out whether it’s by kids with no clue or some riding god with far superior imagination and ability to me. Think lots of low, steep, sculpted berms, short, steep take offs to no real landings, lips and landings you can’t fit a bike on. There was a strava run, airfield twister or something, appears to be ruined by this kind of digging, lips and landings too tight, berms dug deep into the ground with no drainage, too awkward and tight for a MTB, too haggard and bumpy for a DJ/BMX. I’d like to find the builders, then steer them into some useful digging. Any ideas who it is?

Hawley Woods has been mashed up lately, but there is plenty of other good stuff right on your door step

The kids go a bit crazy with the shovels in Hawley, which always makes for an interesting night ride!

I ride with a local club who have multiple rides out from Crowthorne each week

Check out http://www.bobmbc.com

Doesn’t sound like anything has changed from 10 years ago when I used to live over the road!

I think it’s kids, there used to be a load of dirty little hucks and stepdowns into the bomb hole & a few trails off to the left as you stand at the top.

There always used to be some stuff down by the fishing lake too.

I’ll never forget the trail that runs down by the road in the middle, with some shady looking double at the end – the lander was made of old shopping trolleys 😯

Have a look here for a friendly, local bunch.

http://tunnelhilltrolls.get-forum.net/

At least one ride a week must head off to Minley.

Never mind Hawley Woods, push on past Gib Barracks and across the road to Minley, much better, bit more up and down. Although the loggers have been through there too before Christmas, Minley Maze didn’t look particularly healthy and it created a headache sorting the route for Brass Monkeys…

Use Hawley for ‘cross training – ride down from the trig point, ride back up the slope then run up the steps, rinse and repeat for approximately 10 reps or until sick, and trail running. Last time I was out there was a bloke digging a line, must’ve been about mid-thirties I’d have guessed, from the brief look as I rode past, had what looked like an Ariel with him.

EDIT: I’m extremely local – live in Gib Barracks. For now anyway…

as gren said. Try the Tunnel Hill Trolls.

Have a look here for a friendly, local bunch.

ohhh, dunno about that…. 😉

There’s loads of riding round here mate, go out with the Trolls, they know all of it. Seriously they do. 🙂

Trolls if you like heckling, pirates, hipflasks, cake, setting off army trip wires and deliberately swinging branches into the guy behinds face. Having said that they’re very well drilled at keeping big night ride groups together, it’s pretty much ride for an hour solid, stop for wiskey/cake, ride for an hour, the fast lads just get to the front more often and hold more gates/mark more turns.

BOB if you like rules and stopping to faff.

BTW If you want to see kids doing serious digging take a wander to the jumps in the trees on south side of M3 just of Minley Rd.

Indeed, you can go & ride the trails at 4a.

There are some pretty big sets there.

Yea, used dig/ride 4a when i used to live in these parts. Rode there last summer, itll be my go to evening spot this summer i reckon.

Trolls – a great club

Yep, there is some faff on the more leisurely BOB rides, but that’s what you get with large groups of leisurely riders

For the non-leisure rides, we work well

Rules – not sure what you mean there, unless your having another dig at the intro ride?

OP – you’ve moved to a great MTB area – enjoy! 🙂

Gonna be moving out to Farnborough from Central London for work soon, during the week anyway. The only advantage of this was the thought I could get out on my bike of an evening down there! So pleased to hear there some decent trails knocking about.

Minley had good stuff but much has been wrecked by logging, but what’s there is maintained by the likes of Gorrick or related people, especially for race events.

MoD areas, please don’t go digging without permission. If you see the army change your route and keep clear of them. At night if you come across them, cut your lights or look away and clear out quick to avoid blinding their night vision. If asked to move on, don’t argue, be polite and move on. Sometimes you can have a friendly chat and they’ll say where is best to ride and keep out of their way. Basically don’t bother them as there’s a fair amount of issues and threats of making all the land no public access.

Generally around there’s surprisingly a lot of riding. Many MoD areas, common lands, then you’ve got Swinley nearby, and to the east of Guildford there’s the Surrey Hills.

And a big +1 for the Trolls. Not quite a formal club, though rides are well organised. Friendly bunch. Though mainly night rides and you’ll struggle to learn the area at night. I know them well in the day but still a bit lost at night. Fair to say the Trolls isn’t dirt jump stuff though 😉

jaffejoffer: If you need a flat to rent (furnished) let me know. Moved to Sydney but kept my place on.

batfink, ill definitely be needing somewhere – send us some details…

Please don’t go digging in Hawley, it will only wind up the MOD who will then smash your new trail to smithereens with a JCB, or fell trees across it 😆 far better to join a club (as mentioned above, Trolls or BOB – both are friendly). You could also enter some of the Gorrick events in the area http://www.gorrick.com/index.php .

Also, there’s an adventure race/event in Hawley once a year http://trailplus.com/adventure-challenge-series.php which leaves a few trails behind.

If you see the army change your route and keep clear of them.

I regularly come across army and particularly gurkahs on barossa common on my way into the back of Swinley, either waving me through with their automatic rifles, or just sitting in a ditch as I pass by! War zones have civilains wandering around so its good training for them 😆

I used to live by Hawley Woods on Sandy Lane. Didn’t ride in those days but used to go running through the woods, once came face to face with a tank which fazed me slightly.

War zones have civilains wandering around so its good training for them

I have always thought along these lines as well, but the MOD don’t seem to have considered it………