Riding in Cambridge

jenar23

My husband and I have just moved to Cambridge and are looking for good places to ride - any suggestions, please? I've been told Thetford and Chicksands are good, but is there any a little closer we can just ride too?

junglist_matty

Cambridge is poor for mtb'ing, where are you based? I live in North Cambridge in Orchard Park.

Don't bother with Thetford, its way too bumpy to have any fun, if it were on a hill it could be fun, but its flat and bumpy, hard work and no fun at all... The red route is slightly better, but I won't be going there again, mainly because the routes are overcrowded and also because its really sandy!

Chicksands is really small, its basically a freeride park so if you enjoy jumps, drops etc... then its good but don't bother at the weekend because its too busy.

There's a few good XC loops you can do going out to the west of Cambridge round the villages, but other than that get a bike rack and drive somewhere fun!

gareth84

I think you are being way too harsh about Thetford. Its never busy when i go and the red run, bomb holes and off piste stuff is well worth the trip. There is also woburn sands not too far away.

puddle-rider

I think your all being too hard on Thetford, I was shown around by a local and thought it amazing, some really fast single track with excellent berms to really get going, OK a few bouncy bits but having ridden, the Peak District, most of the Welsh trail centres, the Long Mynd, Sherwood, Cannock Chase and the North York Moors, in my opinion Thetford is well worth a visit, but get yourself a local guide to appreciate it properly

BeardedDave

junglist_matty wrote:

Don't bother with Thetford, its way too bumpy to have any fun,

What? Do you normally ride race track quality tarmac? I've been riding Thetford for quite a few years and have heard many critisisms of it but never that it's 'too bumpy'! And is that even a valid critisism of a mountain bike trail?

There is loads of fast flowing singletrack there, but the best stuff is off the main signposted routes, so you have to explore or find a local (like me! ) to show you around.

davidmiller

to go back to the original thread Cambridge is certainly no MTB mecca!!! I work on the Science Park and commute in from Swavesey (usually on my road bike - about 10 miles WNW).

I only got into MTB this year after a few years on the road so I'm not the most expeirienced ( ). However, Thetford was good on the morning I went. Took a day off work to avoid any crowds, got there at 8 am and rode all four routes before lunch without meeting many folks. "Pleasent" rides can be had at Grafham water (8 mile loop with plenty of walkers) and also at Rutland (about 25 miles with fewer walkers) but I've also had some fun just riding the old bridleways and greenlanes around here - of which there seem to be many. Get the OS map out and off you go. If you can get west of the A1 you'll start to find a few contours and I think that helps. Have fun!!
David