Hi, planning a trip to swinley forest with a group of mates soon but I’m unsure which bike to take. I currently have a Whyte 629 29er and a cove stiffee running 1×9 and 140 mm forks. The cove is great for jumpy stuff but the Whyte better for xc. Which would be better suited to swinley as I’ve never been before? I realise it could be ridden on a rigid single speed but just wanted some opinions on what’s best suited.
Cheers Pete.

29er if it’s quiet and you’re blasting around.

Cove if you’re going to pootle around behind all the slow people and stop off at the jump gulley for a play.

XC bike, I’d say.

There are not a lot of hills, so you need to pedal plenty to get up speed and make the most out of it.

I’d go for the cove. A lot of it’s twisty, turny, bermy, rumpy, pumpy stuff, and I reckon that’s more fun on a play bike. Certainly the Blue anyway. can you wind the forks down?

The red’s a bit more mixed, with more what you might think of as normal xc trails, but also more serious twisty, turny, bermy, rumpy, pumpy stuff.

Bar some rooty steppy stuff and braking bumps on the red, I had more fun on a mtb than I have for a long time on a 26 rigid SS. Most of it’s very smooth indeed, and none of the hills are long enough that stomping up them gets tiresome.

I realise it could be ridden on a rigid single speed

Yup, that’s what I use :p

Absolute fastest would probably be a 100mm FS XC bike.

Your old Sanderson was there on Saturday, tinas. Looking good, and being looked after! 🙂

The blue is generally baby bum smooth with a couple of doubles (IIRC) and a few swoopy/bermy bits. Red is far more enjoyable if you want something that little bit more hardcore. XC bike does it for me.

FWIW it’ll all be smoother again after this week – BoT are doing some trail maintenance & the fun bumpy bit on the red (25ish?) was closed today.

Whilst it is this dusty and dry you could ride it on just about any bike. I’d take a 29er if I had the choice. Just did a slow lap of the blue and red on the 26″ commuter with semi slick tyres and loved every minute of it. Temp got up to 28degrees. There are three sections closed off for maintenance, and a few bits have been recently patched up. Diversions are well signposted. I noticed one of the doubles on the blue has been filled in, i guess too many people had been caught out by it.

Cheers guys, think maybe the 29er is the way to go. I’ll have to check out the jump gulley as it sounds good as long as my wheels don’t explode.

Careful, now.

personally i’d opt for the cove, swinley may not be gnarr to the max but can be a whole heap of fun, then again I know sweet fa about 29ers

Your old Sanderson was there on Saturday, tinas. Looking good, and being looked after!

I miss it 🙁

Good to hear it’s being well used though!

The cove is a lot of fun on berms/jumpy stuff dickyboy but I have to admit the whyte rides really well! Not had it too long but it rides a lot better than I expected, nice and fast once it gets going and for some reason likes too wheelie and manual! Not what I thought it would ride like!

I,ve found I can get round Swinley blue and red just fine on my 29erHT. Which is handy as I only have one bike and it does all I need.

I’d go for the Cove as you cannot really mile munch at Swinley unless doing loads of laps and there’s stuff to play on, on the Cove including the bermed new trials and jump gulley etc and the climbs are nothing.
imho the new trails are brilliant for what they are, but a Cove will make them more fun.

Hmm, sounds like either one would be fine at swinley, coin toss it is! Heads cove or tails for the 29er.
Thanks for all the advice guys!
Cheers Pete.