holiday!!

chris_101

hi everybody

I'm looking at booking up my 1st biking weekend away. Il'll be on my own. But can anyone name some good place please. I havent got great fitness and what kind of stuff will i need to think about taking along with me also i'm rubbish at reading maps.

ali$tair

I guess a trail centre would be best as you wont need to worry about maps, and with you being on your own if you come off and are hurt, there should be a decent flow of people to help you.

North Wales has a good selection in a small area.

welshkev

it depends where you're based and how far you want to travel?

where are you and how far do you want to travel?

chris_101

im in Canterbury, Kent and i drive so it doesnt really matter where it is

welshkev

i'd possibly reccommend afan? straight up the m4 only about 4 hours from you. there's enough trails and a 4x track to keep you entertained for a weekend, then stop at cwmcarn on the way back (it's less that 10mins from the m4)

the trails are around 17 - 23km and aren't too taxing and you can push/walk it if you want to. forest of dean isn't too far out of your way either.

there's campsites at glyncorrwg vistors centre (afan) and cwmcarn with cafes at both. maybe take a disposable bbq and some grub you can cook yourself and a good lock to secure your bike (even if it's in your car), this time of year a good few changes of riding clothes would make it a more enjoyable trip, there's nothing worse than putting on wet riding kit :evil:

hope that helps

chris_101

Yeah i've read about those places i think ill have to start booking 1 up asap. I need to invest in some more suitable clothing.
thanks for the tips they seem to give me enough info to get started

welshkev

check out go outdoors and mountain warehouse, they'll have base layers, fl;eeces and waterproofs really cheap. also check out aldi and lidl. not much of my winter clothing is bike specific.

here's some links to afan and cwmcarn if you need them:

http://mbwales.com/en/content/cms/centr ... mcarn.aspx

http://mbwales.com/en/content/cms/centr ... _park.aspx

forest of dean is a really short, nice waymarked trail but with some good exploring you can find some really good natural riding:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recr ... ycleCentre

sara flowmtb

I'd also vote for Afan/Cwmcarn - plus other welsh trail centres. They're nice and easy to get to and to find your way around. The trails are also graded so you can start with the easier ones and progress up if you feel ready.

Enjoy!