I do envy you mountainbikers

jonny_trousers

Whenever I see anything to do with mountain biking on TV I end up wishing I was out there doing it. The problem is I live and work in London and simply do not have the time to head out to find quality singletrack. Oh well, those of you with beautiful country trails to zip around, pity your poor city cousins. One day I'll move out of town and then there'll be no stopping me.

getonyourbike

The commute to me is training for the mtbing. If/when you do get out on some singletrack, be warned that 20 mtb miles is really quite tiring compared to the same on the roads. I'd say it was at least the equivalent of 40 road miles +

tlw1

Still fun going urban, always jumps, steps and tight turns

tlw1

Still fun going urban, always jumps, steps and tight turns

roger_merriman

I live sw though very edge of london and have swinley and north downs 30 min drive away, esher woods are 30ish ride away, though a MTB is serious overkill for that.

a car can make a lot of sunday morning places do able.

jonny_trousers

matthew h wrote:

Still fun going urban, always jumps, steps and tight turns

True, and I'll no doubt find a terrible excuse to buy a decent MTB at some point, but there is no doubt that skinny wheels with slick tires work better for my commute.

bartimaeus

London Calling

iPete

If you have a car, stick a tent in the boot (maybe your bike) jump on the M4 and don't stop till your deep into Wales and head for the Afan forest bike centres. Done. Spend the weekend minimum.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_JbX_21ILo

meanredspider

I have a forest out the back of my house and I'm surrounded by fantastic trail centres - I'm ashamed to say that I don't go as often as I should having done 120-160 miles through the Highlands during the week, I feel like doing something different at the weekends.

RedGT

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Whenever I see anything to do with mountain biking on TV I end up wishing I was out there doing it. The problem is I live and work in London and simply do not have the time to head out to find quality singletrack. Oh well, those of you with beautiful country trails to zip around, pity your poor city cousins. One day I'll move out of town and then there'll be no stopping me.

You could try the Thames path from Woolwich all the way to Erith & on to River Cray,
not exactly the countryside but plenty of the rough stuff.

nation

Moving from Glasgow to Brum is the reason that my MTB has seen very little action recently.

I've managed to get out and about, but it usually requires hiring a car. I'd been meaning to try getting the train (with bike) out to Rugeley town (for Cannock Chase) or Great Malvern (for the Malverns), but that's on hold until I fix it.

Plus I'm not sure it would be worth it right now given the shortage of daily and that it would be about an hour and a half's travel each way to get out to either.

Stevo_666

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Whenever I see anything to do with mountain biking on TV I end up wishing I was out there doing it. The problem is I live and work in London and simply do not have the time to head out to find quality singletrack. Oh well, those of you with beautiful country trails to zip around, pity your poor city cousins. One day I'll move out of town and then there'll be no stopping me.

Sometimes you just have to make use of what you've got - I get an occasional quick MTB fix bombing around Beckenham Place Park but have to get out of town down to Bedgebury or Surrey Hills for some proper fun - always a weekend job.

The commute by bike takes my mind off it a bit but it's not the same as MTB'ing !

dewei

nation wrote:

Moving from Glasgow to Brum is the reason that my MTB has seen very little action recently.

I've managed to get out and about, but it usually requires hiring a car. I'd been meaning to try getting the train (with bike) out to Rugeley town (for Cannock Chase) or Great Malvern (for the Malverns), but that's on hold until I fix it.

Plus I'm not sure it would be worth it right now given the shortage of daily and that it would be about an hour and a half's travel each way to get out to either.

Clent Hills and Lickey Hills are not too far if you live in southwest Brum. True the trails are limited but that's still better than nothing.

nich

It is possible

There's a load of bikers that hop on the train at Victoria or Croyden and head south into Surrey every weekend - not a long journey and lots of riding there.

To be honest, I haven't been on the mtb for over a year now, but there's good riding and some nice loops heading out towards the Keston and Leaves Green area - it's not a long cycle from the SE.

Bigfootbikes have a club too and I'm pretty sure they have regular rides if you wanted to get out more.

http://www.bigfootbikeclub.org/

nation

dewei wrote:

nation wrote:

Moving from Glasgow to Brum is the reason that my MTB has seen very little action recently.

I've managed to get out and about, but it usually requires hiring a car. I'd been meaning to try getting the train (with bike) out to Rugeley town (for Cannock Chase) or Great Malvern (for the Malverns), but that's on hold until I fix it.

Plus I'm not sure it would be worth it right now given the shortage of daily and that it would be about an hour and a half's travel each way to get out to either.

Clent Hills and Lickey Hills are not too far if you live in southwest Brum. True the trails are limited but that's still better than nothing.

I'm definitely within reach of them (though I'm on the wrong side of the M6), what's always put me off is that I can't seem to definitively determine whether bikes are permitted on those trails. I can't wrap my head round the rights of way system down here.

dewei

I must say I have not done the Lickey hills but I know forum guys that ride there regularly.
As for Clent Hills, there are a few paths where bikes are not allowed but most trails are fine.

Get in touch with the guys and gals on the Wyre Forest thread. They ride the Wyre Forest (of course!) but also Clent Hills, the Lickeys etc

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12602037&start=2880

Sassysarah kindly showed me some of the trails 2 months ago.

My last visit to Clent Hill was on Xmas eve when we had the powder snow. It was -8c that morning with blue skies. A ride to cherish for ever.

Nearer to my house in Edgbaston we have the Harborne old railway track that leads to Summerfield Park and close to Edgbaston Reservoir. Absolutely non-challenging cyclepaths but still a lot nicer than cycling on the streets.

A bit more interesting possibly is the huge canal network... from Brindley place to Spaghetti Junction, Wolverhampton, Kings Heath, Olton, Catherine de Barnes

jeremyrundle

getonyourbike wrote:

The commute to me is training for the mtbing. If/when you do get out on some singletrack, be warned that 20 mtb miles is really quite tiring compared to the same on the roads. I'd say it was at least the equivalent of 40 road miles +

And more and more

http://www.woodlandriders.com/

It depends what you think of as MTBing.

Some people confuse XC with downhill MTBing.

Regards

JR (Secretary)

jonny_trousers

Yeah, I do get that it is possible and being in South East London I'm sure there will be some decent single track not too far away. Maybe I'll look into it before too long. Perhaps if I could find somewhere that I could hire a bike and have an instructor take me out...

I think it appeals so much as when I was a kid me and my mates would spend hours bombing around the woods on our BMXs. I love that I am riding regularly again on my commute, but I think if I was to take my riding more seriously I would be more interested in the off-road thing. Just jealous of the guys who can ride out of their drives and be lost in the forest within 5 minutes.

getonyourbike

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Just jealous of the guys who can ride out of their drives and be lost in the forest within 5 minutes.

If only, I spend a good 45 minutes on the bike just getting there before the fun starts.

EKE_38BPM

RedGT wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Whenever I see anything to do with mountain biking on TV I end up wishing I was out there doing it. The problem is I live and work in London and simply do not have the time to head out to find quality singletrack. Oh well, those of you with beautiful country trails to zip around, pity your poor city cousins. One day I'll move out of town and then there'll be no stopping me.

You could try the Thames path from Woolwich all the way to Erith & on to River Cray,
not exactly the countryside but plenty of the rough stuff.

Yeah, the Erith end is tarmac but it gets rougher the further west you go. I know its rough because I blame that for the crack in my roadbike frame.

SickAsAParrot

I live on the edge of the Peak District, Winrar!!!

However I do not have a mountain bike

jonny_trousers

SickAsAParrot wrote:

I live on the edge of the Peak District, Winrar!!!

However I do not have a mountain bike

Failrar!!!

meanredspider

getonyourbike wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Just jealous of the guys who can ride out of their drives and be lost in the forest within 5 minutes.

If only, I spend a good 45 minutes on the bike just getting there before the fun starts.

I'm normally 45 minutes into my forest ride 45 minutes after leaving home - I can literally throw a stone into the forest. In 45 minutes I can be in the Cairngorm National Park by car. In 15 mins I can be at either Learnie Red Rock or Strathpeffer. The view out of my front room is of snow-capped moutains and the Cromarty Firth And yet I work for a blue-chip multinational.

bails87

meanredspider wrote:

getonyourbike wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Just jealous of the guys who can ride out of their drives and be lost in the forest within 5 minutes.

If only, I spend a good 45 minutes on the bike just getting there before the fun starts.

I'm normally 45 minutes into my forest ride 45 minutes after leaving home - I can literally throw a stone into the forest. In 45 minutes I can be in the Cairngorm National Park by car. In 15 mins I can be at either Learnie Red Rock or Strathpeffer. The view out of my front room is of snow-capped moutains and the Cromarty Firth And yet I work for a blue-chip multinational.

I'll get the pitchforks, who's got the flaming torches?

cee

My house is less than 15 minutes ride into the centre of edinburgh, but if I ride for half an hour in the opposite direction, I can be in the pentlands.

Within an hour of leaving the house, I get this:



I love edinburgh!

Pufftmw

The Bromley cycle club refered to in Bartimaeous's post link has regular mtb meets - interested myself but their nightrides are all taking place when I have karate

jeremyrundle

cee wrote:

My house is less than 15 minutes ride into the centre of edinburgh, but if I ride for half an hour in the opposite direction, I can be in the pentlands.

Within an hour of leaving the house, I get this:



I love edinburgh!

I used to live in Invergordon, the Highlands, before I got a bike, now I live in Devon and have bikes, god I wish I was back in Invergordon............................

meanredspider

bails87 wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

getonyourbike wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Just jealous of the guys who can ride out of their drives and be lost in the forest within 5 minutes.

If only, I spend a good 45 minutes on the bike just getting there before the fun starts.

I'm normally 45 minutes into my forest ride 45 minutes after leaving home - I can literally throw a stone into the forest. In 45 minutes I can be in the Cairngorm National Park by car. In 15 mins I can be at either Learnie Red Rock or Strathpeffer. The view out of my front room is of snow-capped moutains and the Cromarty Firth And yet I work for a blue-chip multinational.

I'll get the pitchforks, who's got the flaming torches?

No need - they're here already - I live in a small enclave of English in a Highland village. This is how far I have to travel before I'm riding