Thetford trails.. wtf!

Just been out with Jnr. We took the short option before we fell asleep on the Blue trail to quickly get back to the Red trail. Encourage by rolling over a rock on entry we hit the red with enthusiasm and…. waited and… waited and… oh, finally got to the Beast and… waited… and then got to the end.

Holy shit what have they done to the place, this has to be the largest commercial sanitisation of trails I’ve ever seen. I was here many years ago when the trails were natural and far more fun, but this is very, very dull, so disappointing.

We had planned to go back Thursday but unless I can find some off piste trails to spice things up we may not bother. Any locals here who can recommended / direct us to something fun?

Bump for visibility…

finally got to the Beast

Careful now, that used to be a Black, you could have easily been killed (eg died of boredom) 😉

To be fair, there are some lovely bits of single track, all off piste and it moves about a bit as they fell various bits of the forest. Used to enjoy night riding there on a Wed evening.

It’s a flat forest. There’s really only so much you can do with it.

Most of the waymarked trails are the same as they have always been but have been changed a bit to make them ride better in the winter – built up with a stone surface. It’s less of a slop-fest than it used to be from October to April now.

I enjoy it there for a blast round. You just need to go into it knowing it’s not a Welsh trail centre.

There’s tons of natural trails, but mainly on the Brandon side. Problem is if you don’t know them they can be hard to stitch together, or find in the first place.

The waymark trails are really heavily used, the Beast is easily three times wider and smoother than it used to be when I started riding there. Head off-piste Brandon side, someone kindly marked some nice segments with green and purple dots on the trees which mostly piece together. Or head up to Shouldham Warren which although a lot smaller is a lot more interesting.

Depending on where you are, Phoenix Bike Park and Twisted Oaks might be more fun. The former is a classic jump track, the latter has jump lines and a fairly short but sweet XC loop.

But basically, you’re riding in the only waymarked trails for miles, in the flattest part of the country.

Many years out of date, but there certainly used to be loads of trails…

Thetford trails by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

I think stumpy01 has it – like Aherwood Pines or Cannock, they can only do what they can do with the local terrain. Not everywhere is CYB or Glentress

Though Thetford FC is hugely hesitant to add features to the trails or work with the local trail crew, unlike Cannock who really do work with the landscape they have and with local volunteers.

^ I think the highpoint of that map is a 53m spot height, with the river at the 10m contour.

43m total ascent and descent.

Of course it will be a little ‘bland’.

My garden has 20m!

Did you ride the totally sick pump track as well?

There’s some dirt jumps in Norwich if that’s your thing. Sam Pilgrim did a video there a while back.

Unless they have changed it since I last went, the blue is a waymarked fireroad tour (to be avoided), and there are two (optimistically graded) reds.

It’s a flat forest. There’s really only so much you can do with it.

It can be made fun by pedalling hard at it on an xc bike (so possibly uninspiring at jnr’s pace). Most of the off piste is on the brandon side, but is still similar in terms of difficulty, if not as worn out.

It can be made fun by pedalling hard at it on an xc bike

Yep. And for that it’s great. I’ve done several years of the Winter Series races there and a few D2Ds as well.

It used to be our weekly night ride venue several years back when I worked at a place in Cambridge with several keen riders.

Unless they have changed it since I last went, the blue is a waymarked fireroad tour (to be avoided), and there are two (optimistically graded) reds.

They’ve changed it. 🙂 The reds are now blue with red bits. Some of the red bits are actually red, rock garden climbs and so on, but they’re short and avoidable.

It can be made fun by pedalling hard at it on an xc bike (so possibly uninspiring at jnr’s pace).

Indeed, it did occur to me it’d be a good high end aerobic effort, and I’ve raced Thetford before with much more excitement.

Jnr is fairly quick for his age but me and him are more “on the ground” than the Weeksy clan for example, but even he got bored 3/4 of the way around. Even the roots have been “paved” over.

I like it. You need to give it some beans to get the most out of it.

gravel bike make it more exciting?

Its never been that gnarly,

that said, I folded my downtube in half & snapped my top tube whilst (not)landing a jump on the Beast many years ago!

Maybe your bike is wrong!!
I enjoy it there, but I ride an old 26″ wheeled In-Bred. Maybe it is a bit flat on a ‘modern’ bike.

If trying to find the trails round Brandon isn’t going to work and you want something nearby that’s a bit more exciting you could try and book yourself a slot at Phoenix for the day. Not really any proper trails but plenty to keep busy on if you like to get some air.

https://www.phoenixcycleworks.co.uk/

Edit: you can find most of the off piest sections of trails on the Brandon side on open street maps, or through an app like viewranger

https://osm.org/go/0ERqVnHU-?layers=C

I’ll never forget someone shouting “Man down on The Beast” at some early 2000s SS race/piss-up there. Details hazy, but important bit isn’t.

I’ll never forget someone shouting “Man down on The Beast” at some early 2000s SS race/piss-up there.

I still remember a STW forumite describing The Beast as “nothing more than a slightly agitated squirrel” on first riding Thetford (again, the very early days of D2D or SSUK).

Even the roots have been “paved” over.

In my mind, one of the biggest losses from the work by terrible contractors was paving over the first bit of trail on the long route after the split. It was a great stretch of rooty chaos… which is now six foot wide and smooth.

That said, the Beast is now also six foot wide and smooth, and that’s entirely down to sheer weight of riders.

Rode it a couple of weeks ago on a rigid single speed as I was passing and knew how flat it is.
It was ok, better than the road. The parking charge however… I was pleased to have got away with the lower charge iirc it went up to 8 quid after 2 hours.

I remember nearly destroying myself doing D2D there on my SS. With no elevation it’s just pedalpedalpedal, no freewheel respite. And twisty. At first the gearing’s a bit easy and coming out of corners and getting ‘on top of’ the gear takes no effort.

Then it becomes the right gear, and you feel like you’re ‘making progress ™’

Then it becomes a bit overgeared and every corner nags a bit, and a bit more, and a bit more…..as each effort takes a bit more toll on you.

Then the sun comes up and it’s all alright after all.

jamesoz

The parking charge however… I was pleased to have got away with the lower charge iirc it went up to 8 quid after 2 hours.

Park at Brandon Country Park (much cheaper) and it’s a 5min Singletrack schralp (ahem) to the bottom of the Beast…

My first (& only) xc race was Thetford winter series in about 1999
I’d prepped the night before by going to the pub & eating pizza.
Was 3 laps of flat(literally) out pedalling with a couple of bomb holes
Lap 1, after I’d got over the sharp elbows of the ‘pros’ at the start, was quite fun, 2nd lap, I’m feeling a bit crap, 3rd lap every single bump my stomach is heaving.
Make it over finish line, throw my bike down and proceed to puke up breakfast & last night’s pizza in front of a family with a load of hot dogs from the snack van 🤮

So… if you haven’t been since before covid, has it got worse?
And definitely park at Brandon – the cafe’s better too

Park at Brandon and no money goes back to the trails. It’s not just a charge to park, it’s a charge to keep everything running. It’s the same argument as buying all your beer in a supermarket and moaning when your local pub shuts!

Park at Brandon and no money goes back to the trails.

That’s no bad thing. They’ll just spend it on more sanitisation. The trails are incredibly boring. I don’t believe they can’t do more with what they have, they just don’t want to.

As others have said spend your money at Phoenix or Twisted Oaks.

Not been to Thetford but it sounds like Ashton Court in Bristol in terms of what they have to work with. It has a blue loop that pretty much stays on the flat all the way round (there are some bits of hill they could potentially work with, but hasn’t been used to date).

I think with the recent years bits of revamping they’ve done pretty well to be honest. It’s not a gnar fest but they’ve made a trail that complete beginners can have fun on, but if you really go for it there are quite a few rollers that can be doubles up and little features. This isn’t even funded by the FC I don’t think / all by charity fundraising and donations + work from volunteers.

Even flat trails can be made quite fun with berms and rollers etc.

Even flat trails can be made quite fun with berms and rollers etc.

Hicks Lodge, for example

Hicks Lodge, for example

Has HL changed then as the last time i rode there, it was great for kids to learn on but aside from that pretty dull.

Thetford was fairly dull compared to the likes of CyB or even Cannock 10 years ago.  I imagine the contrast is even starker now!

Again, depending where you are..

Tunstall Viking Trail is a 10 mile loop, plus about the same again in off piste, not much more gradient than Thetford, but more of a natural feel (and much more fun IMO)

Twisted Oaks is a great day out. A short but sweet XC loop, and some very progressive jumps & features to play on – real good fun for all ages and abilities.

Phoenix has just had a major facelift but I haven’t been yet so can’t comment any further. Looks good though.

Has HL changed then as the last time i rode there, it was great for kids to learn on but aside from that pretty dull.

The berms and rollers make it fun, especially at speed.

Given that it is billed as a family/beginners trail, it does what it says on the tin

Cheers for the vote for the cafe at Brandon,  I’ll be in the forest Saturday or Sunday and do remember the cafe at Forest Lodge not being great.

Although it was mitigated somewhat by being a complete barstad and not paying for parking and rode in.

Given that it is billed as a family/beginners trail, it does what it says on the tin

“Proficient mountain bikers with good off road riding skills and fitness. Good mountain bikes. Challenging climbs, tricky descents & technical features such as drop offs and large rocks”

…is there own description here: https://www.forestryengland.uk/sites/default/files/documents/High%20lodge%20Cycle_Trails_Map_2017.pdf. Also look at the same “Lime Burner” trail description top right.

I’d be very pissed off if I’d have travelled to Thetford based on those descriptions, it ought to be re-written.

It’s almost like that text is FC standard…

you could try and book yourself a slot at Phoenix for the day.

Hardly the same though, it’s a pump track in the middle of nowhere (well right next to the A14), not exactly scenic single track – makes Thetford look like the Rockies. I’ve ridden my Orbea Orca round it when stopping there mid road ride….

I’d be very pissed off if I’d have travelled to Thetford based on those descriptions, it ought to be re-written.

It’s a glorified CX course (for beginner CXers).

It’s almost like that text is FC standard…

Desperately trying to avoid anyone claiming for injuries as it was more dangerous than advertised is the more likely reality.

piemonster

Cheers for the vote for the cafe at Brandon, I’ll be in the forest Saturday or Sunday and do remember the cafe at Forest Lodge not being great.

Here’s a rough map if needed of how to get from the Brandon car park to the start of the trails on the High Lodge side….

Brandon car park to trails. by STW stumpy01[/url], on Flickr