Anybody know any good trails in swindon

lexiekay

with regard to the riding club... anyone here use facebook? might be a good place to set-up a group and plan rides out.

Yep I do...

forgotrafe

Ask a daft question... But what's wrong with using this forum?

All I was going to do was suggest a regular meeting place at a regular time. Turn up if you can.

Englishsid

no issue with here, was just thinking facebook group might be easier to share routes and plan rides...

Although first I guess we should go on a ride :-)

I normally go out Monday and Thursday nights. So we could plan either a ride to South Cerney from north Swindon or a trip up and over the Ridgeway (starting from where?)

dirtbiker100

One night a ride towards South Cerney would be good, then i can meet you half way, all head back to swindon and I'll return by myself.

forgotrafe

Posted a suggestion for two evening rides this week here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... 1#14883561

Englishsid

Here's my favourite after work route starting out from Swindon, its about 30km:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Bi ... e-Ridgeway

Attempted to follow this route today, my plan was the following :
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/The-big-loop

Messed up at Quidhampton Woods and turned away from the planned route :-( . Ended up following this route instead, still 30km with some good (hard? or am I still unfit??) climbs

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Small-loop

Question: As you make your way past/through Quidhampton Wood, there is a clear split in the path (after crossing Hay Lane). One leads around the wood and one goes through (via a steel gate). I went around the wood, but would be interested to know if going through is also an option, as those damn stinging nettles have killed my legs.

FYI : The part I did follow up from Elcombe was excellent!

lexiekay

Question: As you make your way past/through Quidhampton Wood, there is a clear split in the path (after crossing Hay Lane). One leads around the wood and one goes through (via a steel gate). I went around the wood, but would be interested to know if going through is also an option, as those damn stinging nettles have killed my legs.

You can do it either way, but its much better to go through the steel gate! If you pass through that, then follow the track down almost to the house, then there is a steep bit of single track up to the left, that leads you into the woods. From here you can basically explore (which is why my map of this bit is a bit rubbish - I tend to spend a while messing around going down side tracks and stuff).

The wood is pretty steep, with some good downhill type bits. You can either keep to the top, which will eventually lead to a gate in the far corner from where you can carry on the loop. Or you can ride down to the bottom of the woods, and come out in a valley. Bincknoll Castle is ahead up a (very!) steep slope, this has loads of earthworks and little steep tracks so good for playing! If you get up to the top of the valley opposite the woods you can also continue with the loop.

Hope this makes it a bit clearer... And I agree, the stinging nettles suck!

supercarl

Am I right in saying this is the old quarry?

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=sparce ... %20SN5%205

Englishsid

I created this google map to what I think is the old quarry at Sparcells. There are a couple of way into it...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en& ... 0&t=h&z=16

Pity the google image is so old, as there are quite a few paths up there now.

lexiekay

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Barbury-Marlborough-Knapp-Hill-Barbury

I did this route yesterday - mainly off road except for one bit in Marlborough.
The views are amazing though

forgotrafe

@EnglishSid - whats the "deal" with riding the old quarry? Is it popular? I presume it's private land? But then so is a lot of land but the owners give "permissive rights" or don't really care. Sounds interesting though.

Just south of the quarry on is an excellent shop: http://www.thebigadventurestore.co.uk/ They fitted my front forks on Saturday and I was very impressed at the service I received.

forgotrafe

@ lexiekay - interesting route. BossAngel and I were around there on Sat evening. As you say amazing views.

In the Ridgeway thread I'm suggesting a ride on Tue/Thur evenings this week. Anyone around?

Bossangel

forgotrafe wrote:

@ lexiekay - interesting route. BossAngel and I were around there on Sat evening. As you say amazing views.
We did less than half what you did lexiekay but as you both say the views were amazing and we got to see a new born calf, so new born it was only 20 minutes old
I

forgotrafe

LOL I wasn't implying that we'd done the whole route. Just that we were in the vicinity and yes the views were amazing.

supercarl

thanks Englishsid, thats where i thought it was, didnt know you could get to it south of sparcells, will go there soon!

Forgotrafe, thanks for the link to the shop, need to get my gears checked so will pay them a visit

Englishsid

RE: Sparcells forest/quarry : it's not private land, I believe it was one of the millennium forest projects (certainly my eldest planted a tree up there ). It's never busy, maybe a few locals walking their dogs. Tracks are well marked out with stone paths. To be honest not much to see up there at present, only a few silver "chimneys" to release the gas when this was a land fill and lots of very tiny trees. For me it makes a nice detour on my way home if I have any energy left to climb up to it and do a few laps.

However looking at Google maps, there does appear to be something more quarry-like the other side of the old railway line. I've no idea what this is.

RE: big adventure: Excellent shop, bought my new bike and shoes and from them in March. Really friendly service. (I got 5% discount on the bike and 10% on the shoes with my gym membership too)

RE: Thursday ride, I've arranged a ride already with some old friends from West Swindon up to Barbury Castle (following lexiekay's route up through Elcombe) hopefully this time I would get lost after Quidhampton wood. If I see anyone up there I will say hello

I've still to master the speed of release with my new shoes at least once during every ride and fall off and look a tit with my bike attached as I lay in a puddle of mud.
:oops:

forgotrafe

@englishsid & lexiekay - perhaps can meet up with you guys sometime as you seem to have some good routes going. I've had a good browse at englishsid's 3 push-pin map which has helped me get a vague idea of the old railway track, quarry and sparcells.

I live just north of Swindon (Watchfield) and don't know it that well. Only been there 4 years after all

lexiekay

@englishsid & lexiekay - perhaps can meet up with you guys sometime as you seem to have some good routes going. I've had a good browse at englishsid's 3 push-pin map which has helped me get a vague idea of the old railway track, quarry and sparcells.

I live just north of Swindon (Watchfield) and don't know it that well. Only been there 4 years after all

Yeah be good to meet up, I keep meaning to join you guys on a ride one night but i seem to have been a bit busy recently! Maybe next Thursday?

And if you live in Watchfield have you been to Badbury Clumps near Faringdon? Some good trails there, with jumps, berms etc that might be worth checking out...

Englishsid

sounds like a good idea!

I am away next week :-) holiday

but back the week after and will be in need of some peaceful fresh air after a week in a Cornish cottage with my 3 children.

To follow Lexiekay's route up through Elcombe a good starting/meeting point is either the Mays carpet carpark or Matalan just off the great western way.

forgotrafe

lexiekay wrote:

have you been to Badbury Clumps near Faringdon? Some good trails there, with jumps, berms etc that might be worth checking out...

Nope. Another place you'll have to take me too sometime Jumps, berms etc. LOL! We've obviously not met! Though the fitness is getting better and maybe the weightloss will follow

I tend to head towards the Ridgeway - I used to be involved with rights-of-way up there (specifically with respect to greenlaning) - so that's my "comfort zone".

Do a couple of local loops around Watchfield but nothing exciting. One is an ok little 7 mile loop from home via Cothill and Bren_gun promises to show me some tracks coming off that loop. Good for a quick blast.

Also had some MTB training over at Woburn Sands. Want to go back there sometime.

Englishsid

Managed to follow the route set out by LexieKay last night... Mannington > Coate > Barbury > Elcombe

Much easier to follow that way around and I even managed to climb the hill up to the cafe at Barbury castle.

Excellent route!!!

forgotrafe

I know this is resurrecting a really old thread but hopefully some of you will still get an email notification...

I've just created a website http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/

It's work in progress, but all the infrastructure is there (including the ability for people to subscribe) and it already has quite a bit of content.

Am hoping to enhance the Ridgeway section with some maps of your favourite routes if you have any.

forgotrafe

I've done some more work on the site so what I need now is people to give me some routes so I can fill out that section of the site. Full details of what I need are here:

http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/ridgeway/submit-a-route/

Any help would be much appreciated!