South Leics Trails?

Does anyone know of any good mtb trails in South Leicestershire / Warwickshire border?
Thanks

Muddy bridleways, farm tracks and canal towpaths are probly all you’ll find.

Clent, Fineshades/Wakerley Woods and Woburn for wheels on the ground riding, Woburn, Chicksands & the 4x track in Lem for more exciting stuff would be you closest bets, I think.

Hi DPoints, whereabouts are you.
I’m based in Hinckley,

Hi Simpsan, I’m in Lutterworth area.

Nothing to see here, move along please. I used to live in Hinckley and it nearly ended my bike riding career such was the vacuum of riding. The best thing about it was it was close to the A5 so didn’t take long to get to wales!

Hi dpoints, I’m also in the lutterworth area. There really isn’t much of interest to ride in the area at all. There are plenty of bridle paths etc so you can string a route together with no problems but don’t expect anything taxing. If you’re going to drive somewhere you might as well nip over to Cannock for a blast.

As I live fairly close to Lutterworth I thought I’d try and give you a different perspective to some of the replies so far – I’m assuming you already know there are no mountains nearby, and that if you want techy gnarr you’re going to have to travel.

Having said that, there is a vibrant MTB scene in South Leics. There are lots of informal groups that ride out from the local villages and several well run clubs on your doorstep including Welland Valley, Rugby Velo and CATS MTB. The Friday Night Summer Series is reckoned to be the longest running MTB race series in the country, and whilst it’s serious at the front, at the back it’s just a ride before a beer or two afterwards.

There is some reasonable riding in the Warwickshire direction, but I think the better option is to the east. If you get a map and draw a circle moving clockwise from Lutterworth through Fleckney, Kibworth, Market Harborough, Desborough, Rothwell, Birixworth, Crick and back up to Lutterworth – then look inside that circle. You’ll see a large area with miles of bridleways that can be linked using just country lanes, all of which you could ride from your doorstep.

It’s probably too far to ride from your doorstep, but if you go slightly further east you’ll find more good riding – draw a circle clockwise from the eastern edge of Leicester through Oakham, Uppingham, Corby, Market Harborough, Kibworth and back up to the eastern edge of Leicester – and again look inside that circle and you’ll see miles of bridleways and in this area it’s possible to build quite long loops that take in some reasonable hills.

A good thing about these areas is they’re rideable all year round – the bedrock is all gravel so it drains really well. Having said that, how much you enjoy it will very much depend on what floats your boat. If you only enjoy MTB when the trails are steep, rocky and challenging to ride then you’ll not get too much from the area. On the other hand if you enjoy getting out into the countryside with mates and messing about on bikes there’s lots of fun to be had.

If you ever get in the Fox (bottom of the hill into Lutterworth) on a Friday night you might see a bunch of guys drinking too much and regaling each other with tales of mountain bike daring- do, if you can ignore the bullshit do come and say hello!

Many thanks for the info – I may be down the aforementioned drinking establishment this evening!

I’m in Hinckley too, who’d have thought. We are in a bit of a wasteland from a tech perspective. It is a case of having to drive unfortunately, Having said that the Peaks and Cannock are a little over an hour away, Shropshire not much more, Wales also accessible easily.

Between Potters Marston and Calor Gas at Stones Stanton there are some old quarry workings that are used by a motorcycle trials club, okay for playing in and there are bridlepaths in the area you can link up. Not the Lakes but still time off-road on your bike.

Hinckley here too. Use the bridal ways over that way myself plus a bit over Croft Hill.

Other than that usually travel to Cannock, Shropshire or Wales.

Just been passed the quarry workings, you can see them from M69 their on the left when heading to Leicester, and the Caravans n most of the mess from the “people of mobile abode” has gone.

I used to go down Calor when I was a kid, it was pretty sick back then

That place is the Earl Shilton Trails Club – http://www.estc.co.uk/

Think it’s all self built rather than anything to do with the quarry, may be wrong mind.

All v. interesting re: the quarry.

Anyone know anyone involved in it/think they might like to let some engine-less bikes in for a donation to their cause?

It’s all bikes innit 🙂

P.S.
Did a 25 miles loop from Leire today, some of it was quite good and defnly in a better state for riding than a fair bit of my local bridleways in the Langtons

Whenever I’ve been up “Calor” if any trial bikes turn up I’ve just got out of their way. Nothing has ever been said to me.

Think I’ll pop along. Wouldn’t mind seeing them do what they do anyway.

Drop us an e mail, I can point you in some directions on the north warks/ leics border