Looks like I’m off to a family gathering near Ipswich this summer. First thoughts were along the lines of “Please God let there be enough riding nearby to get me safely far away during most of the day”. I’ve found Rendlesham/Tunstall forest which looks like a gentle pootle – any other areas worth looking at? I’ve had a peek at the OS map & played ‘spot the contour’ so I’m not expecting too much!

Hills are generally conspicuous by their absence…it is Suffolk and it is on the coast-ish.

Rendlesham and Tunstall are race venues and have a decent trail network. I’d recommend getting in touch with these guys TROG as they will know the best places to ride.

You will have to be used to pedalling a lot. None of this gravity assisted loafing round here! :o)

Your’e right there is not a lot in the area.
Tunstall does hold some local races but nothing to exciting apart from forest track and a bit of flat singletrack.
I woudl head for Thetford forest. Probably about 30 minutes away but the best riding in the area.

I ride around Danbury near Chelmsford which is about 45 minutes from Ipswch. Some trails we have pieced together over the years. Happy to guide if available!

Personally I would rate Tunstall above Thetford – better flow and less damage. TROGs have done an excellent job on the trails.

Thetford is fine but is no longer the venue it once was. While Timber have done as good a job as any small group of volunteers can be expected to do, the amount of traffic has had a negative impact on the general state of the trails and IMO the fun of riding there.

A lot of the really good stuff has also gone thanks to harvesting etc.

If I had the option of Thetford or Tunstall and I was driving from Ipswich. I’d probably take the latter, though this may have something to do with the fact that I don’t like riding on busy trails.

OTOH, try both and let us know what you think!

OTOH, try both and let us know what you think!

You are a genius! “Yes dear I have to be out ALL day because I’m doing some research for the internet”.

Give me a shout closer to the time and I’ll (health willing) show you a from the door in Ipswich ride (win as SWMBO gets to use the car). Lots of small hills but if you know where to look you’ll end up with a decent cumulative total.
Warning if you’re averse to “cheeky” trails I’m probably not your man. Short travel hard tail will do the job for what I propose.

Which side of Ipswich? I tend to think of Thetford as a lot more than 1/2 an hour by car from Ipswich, but that’s because I’d be starting from the east of Ipswich. Tunstall has a pretty decent looking jump spot if you really want to break yourself, but most of the riding is flattish and sandy round there…

I used to live in Ipswich – there was some surprisingly good bits of singletrack to be found. No hills, but loads of narrow trails through woods that could be hit at warp speed due to the flatness.

There was some good stuff to the east of the town – around Foxhall Stadium, and one of my favourite bits of trail from the dip in Foxhall Road down through the woods.

Also some excellent cheeky trails around Orwell country park, but I fear they may have washed into the sea by now, as they were getting visibly closer to the edge on a weekly basis, and that was 8ish years ago.

Tunstall was excellent. I’d also recommend it over Thetford. Many of the best trails are hard to find though – I stumbled on many of them just through exploring – definitely worth trying to hook up with someone who knows the network. As it’s flat, there are no landmarks and it’s quite easy to lose your bearings (don’t rely on a network connection for maps on your smartphone!)

Foxhall Stadium…..I can remember doing an awesome CX race there a while back. The descent was sketchy with rubbish brakes and narrow tyres, kept wanting to go back for more though.

Thanks all – may post up again closer to the time if it looks like I can take up any of your guiding offers.