MTB Mecca to Reading RG1 - Anywhere to ride?

Crash7

Help – Has anyone ridden in or near Reading? Are there any trails, no matter how small worth riding?

I have an issue where due to a dream job coming up I have to move from what could be described as a UK mountaining biking Mecca of South Wales to Reading!!

Having slogged all winter through wind, rain and mud, I was looking forward to the dry, dusty, quick technical trails on offer to me in my local area

In my current location, I have the formidable Rheola downhill 10 minutes away, the trail centres of Afan and Glyncorrwg are 20 minutes, Brechfa forest and Cwm Carn 40 minutes. And on top of this the abundance of natural trails on my door step, as well as those that exist in the Brecon Beacons!

From this I go to what appears to be a very flat Reading!!  Is there any altitude anywhere? If not, which I don’t expect there to be, how about some technical trail rides, or somewhere I can improve my air time skills? Or ………., ANYTHING!!!!

Although I will be travel home occasionally, I would like to try and find out if there is anywhere I can ride mid-week

All help hugely appreciated

Eranu

Swinley/Bracknell Forest is probably the closest riding to you that I know of.

http://www.gorrick.com/swinley/

I'm sure other more local people will be able to give you more advice.

tuxpoo

Loads of stuff around reading.

Berks on bikes ride around swinley, crowthorne etc
http://www.bobmbc.com/

CTC reading to regular rides.
http://www.readingctc.co.uk

Gorrick run race events...
http://www.gorrick.com/index.php

The shop mountain high run rides ( i think)
http://www.mountainhigh.co.uk/

Little further afield is the ridgeway and west is watership down.

Tux

junglist_matty

There's a small woods called Sulham woods, about 5 miles from central Reading, there's a car park there aswell, and both sides of the road have woods, one side used to have a load of dirt jumps and a few DH runs and the other had a few runs and a couple of fun bombholes (if you can find them - they are off the main trail). A few bikers go down there at the weekends, its nothing compared with Wales, but its better than sitting around getting bored.

There's always the ridgeway, a good starting point is a little village called Ashworth there's a good pub there called the Bell aswell, should be able to park somewhere in the village and then there's endless tracks to ride, there's also a motorcross track with small jumps etc.. that you can easily ride on a bike.

There's a lot of good XC rides in the villages to the west of Reading (I grew up in Theale and Pangbourne). If you get familiar with the tracks, you can do a lot of fitness riding without having to touch the roads - its not that challenging and can be boring!

If you want a leisurely ride, I used to love riding down the Kennet and Avon canal towpath, its really relaxed and there's plenty of pubs on route to stop and taste local beers!

As for downhill, there's a few secret places I know of between Pangbourne and Goring [we built up one of the tracks]; you'll have to find em' for yourself - there's also a place called streetly hill with a fun DH track.

However this was 5+ years ago, I don't know what state the trails are in now as I've not ridden them for years! Have fun tho, there are some good places to ride - and plenty of forest to build your own tracks.

Crash7

Guys,

Many many thanks for the info! It is all very much appreciated and having had a quick scan on the net the areas sugested look good!!

Swinley has all of features that I love but am not as good as I want to be so it will be perfect to practise!! (Gaps, hips, transfers etc)

If anybody has any other info please dont hesitate to post!