Scartree Trail

forcutty

Wakerley Woods new 6km trail.
25mins from Peterborough Max
15mins from Corby/Stamford
10miles from Oundle,Via Kings cliffe
Has anybody been and tried it yet :?:
Rutland cycles have opened up a new cycle store up at Fineshades too now aswell.
It's finally looking good around Northamptonshire at last 8)
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/ourwoods.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandNorthamptonshireRockinghamForestWakerleyGreatWoodWakerleyWoodCarParkScartreeTrail

forcutty

So I biked over today


It's only half done but you can ride the whole loop! Just!!
They've not got all the aggregate down but who needs it
It's a great laugh, nobody else was about and all the trail markers are up.
Will be going back tomorrow to get more pics.

forcutty

Here are the pics
No one else around again. i'm loving this
I know it's only been open a week but :shock:

Quiet Start as usual.

Gonna be tough when wet them roots

Trail stops and starts for no real reason?

Nice flowy downhill section

Another nice flowy bit

Reminds me of A witchs ring

Trail bed stops here!

yet more flowyness

easy loop section

Blue Route Rock garden up at fineshades

lots of dips like this throughout

forcutty

My Pictures really don't do the place justice
Oh and you can start at Fineshades or Wakerley woods car park.
The cake at Fineshades is damn good too :P

hoochylala

Ooo... Thanks for the heads up and pictures - living in Leicester, this gives me another option! Need to head over to Rutland Cycles, so might take a look in the new shop at Fineshade instead!

How does it ride?

forcutty

hoochylala wrote:

Ooo... Thanks for the heads up and pictures - living in Leicester, this gives me another option! Need to head over to Rutland Cycles, so might take a look in the new shop at Fineshade instead!

How does it ride?

Same as FTD at Cannock

hoochylala

Excellent

I did a quick you tube search and found a few vids of the rutalnd water staff having a go before it was 'open' how long did a loop take you? worth while doing a couple of loops id imagine

toby_winkler

Oooohhh, that doesn't look too bad actually! Being in Northampton its certainly another option, only about 30 mins away. Will definitely have to make a trip there over summer!

forcutty

I'd say it's as long as FTD to be honest.
Probs about 45min per lap, though I was'nt clock watching!
But it's not finished fully yet and sections are to be added though.
The Arrow indicators jump from 11 to 15 for example, went looking for any trail but it had not been cleared ended up cutting my self up in a bramble pit :oops:
Still I did 2 laps.
Loads of unofficial stuff too
I ride over from Oundle all 11 miles so I don't park etc. So I couldn't really hit the trails the same as if I was fresh. :P

forcutty

Toby_Winkler wrote:

Oooohhh, that doesn't look too bad actually! Being in Northampton its certainly another option, only about 30 mins away. Will definitely have to make a trip there over summer!

Google says 1hr from Northampton town center by car, straight along A43 though

phz

Popped over to have a go this afternoon. Only 20 minutes drive from door to car park which is nice.

As has been said still unfinished, but quite a good trail nonetheless (certainly the best 'built' trail round these parts for a fair way).

Short trail but decent mix of techy stuff, fireroad bash and singletrack. For my personal taste could do with something really quick and flowing (but to be fair the unfiinished section might provide that once surfaced and bedded in).

Only saw a couple of other groups of riders (one of whom were heading the 'wrong' way round the trail on BSOs... ).

According to SportyPal, if you're a 41 year old bloater on a heavy-ass hardtail then it's around 25 minutes a lap if you're not trying too hard.

Overall, decent little trail and I will be back (maybe even tomorrow).

slainte 8) rob

forcutty

25mins eh
I'm setting the timer tomorrow
Kinda glad you found it and did'nt make me look to much of a fool when commenting on it.
I've seen only one other person riding it.
The bit with the barbed wire fence on the left could get a bit gnarly though
probs be there about 11am if you want to meet

toby_winkler

forcutty wrote:

Toby_Winkler wrote:

Oooohhh, that doesn't look too bad actually! Being in Northampton its certainly another option, only about 30 mins away. Will definitely have to make a trip there over summer!

Google says 1hr from Northampton town center by car, straight along A43 though

Hmm, directly from my house in Northampton said around 45mins, so lets say around 30

forcutty

Set timer 22.35 mins was my best though LOL
I must be fat though turning the wrong way wear it's not finished did'nt really help :roll:

phz

Was down there again this morning, by the time I left around 11 had seen a few bikers there today so word seems to be getting round (also sadly think I saw some 'unofficial' trail building/modification going on - not sure though). Also found a couple of nice little 'off-piste' singeltrack sections (one of which bypasses one of the boring if fast fireroad sections, which is nice)

Few more pics -

Trailhead Chute


Alternative off-piste Trailhead Chute


I hate switchbacks!


Sweet Fast Singletrack


Off-Piste


Smooth flowy bit - shame this is the section they haven't finished yet


One of the fun little chutes dotted round the trail


Irritating stony uphill corner round a tree - took me 5 attempts to clean it!


Uphill blast at the end of the trail (if you start from Fineshades end)


slainte 8) rob

phz

forcutty wrote:

The Arrow indicators jump from 11 to 15 for example, went looking for any trail but it had not been cleared ended up cutting my self up in a bramble pit :oops:

You found markers 12-14 now? If not you are missing out on a rooty wooded singletrack section.

They are definitely there (checked today) - about 300-400 metres after marker 11 there's a 90 degree right hand turn but the marker number is facing away from you so if you don't see it you could easily carry on bashing along the fireroad to marker 15. If you turn right there you are turned sharp left into the woods after about 100m - the section runs parallel to the fireroad then spits you back onto it just before marker 15.

slainte rob

forcutty

Yes i did find it
That uphill round a corner bit i cleared 6th time
However I still cannot clear the second bombhole/ditch before it. I can do the other ones just not that one!! though it does make for a soft landing with all the leaves at the bottom
I think a spade may come out to take the top off
Though i'm going to persist a little longer though :evil:

phz

forcutty wrote:

However I still cannot clear the second bombhole/ditch before it. I can do the other ones just not that one!! though it does make for a soft landing with all the leaves at the bottom

Is that the steep sided one in the wooded section after the carpark/picnic area?

If so I've only got down and up it cleanly once myself - usually get down into the bottom easy enough but never carrying enough momentum to climb out the other side. time I did get through was hardly elegant and involved stalling out about 2/3 way up usual and then kind of hopping/lurching awkwardly to the top.

slainte :oops: rob

forcutty

Yep thats the one
Spade time me thinks

BorisSpencer

I fancy giving this a go on Thursday evening, and also checking out the green/blue for a possible family day out.
Is the Scartree trail way marked from the Fineshade car park?

phz

Just head out from the Fineshade car park on the road, blast down the hill, over the A43 at the crossroads and ride up towards Wakerley Woods. Just as you hit the edge of the wood you will see the big sign at the trailhead on the left-hand side of the road. From their just follow the numbered red route posts (1-27 IIRC).

slainte rob

TrekinDan

Looks like this is going to be a sweet trail when finished.

Does anyone know the postcode for satnav? Cheers looking to check it out on saturday.

TrekinDan

pHz wrote:

Just head out from the Fineshade car park on the road, blast down the hill, over the A43 at the crossroads and ride up towards Wakerley Woods. Just as you hit the edge of the wood you will see the big sign at the trailhead on the left-hand side of the road. From their just follow the numbered red route posts (1-27 IIRC).

slainte rob

Haha i didn't see the second page! Just checking it out on google maps. Cheers

BorisSpencer

I did go the other Thursday, I was very impressed with the effort that's been put into this.
Also took the kids over on the Sunday and rode the family trail with the blue skills options, currently there are three around the 5.5 mile circuit, but speaking to the guys in the shop afterwards they are expecting another three sections to be opened by the end of this month.

TrekinDan

Well my brother and I went over and rode here on saturday. Very cut up in places and boggy because of the recent dry patch then heavy rain. Alot of the trail is closed for harvesting works

Looks like it will be a nice smaller route to have on our doorstep. Also spoke to the youtube guy "rutland..." in the shop, he said they are building more routes at the other side of the wood.

Dan

andermt

Headed over there today and it's looking like becoming a decent little trail centre.
Did a lap of the family trail and there looks to be a few new 'blue' taster loops about to open (this coming week according to the Rutland Cycling staff).

Then headed over to Scartree, trail head says it's closed but as it was a Sat morning I assumed there would be no harvesting going on, I was right.

Was a fun little red and despite the fact 1 section I couldn't find due to the harvesting (10-12) and a couple of sections lead out to a wall of harvested trees, also a couple of bits with trees over the trails which was a shame as it was one of the nice flowy bits.

Will be taking the family over there soon and hope the Scartree is fully open by then.

phz

Was over there for the first time in a while this morning. Harvesting is over so everything is (officially) open again and they have now finished all the 'surfaced' sections and this has improved the trail a fair bit (no more lumpy bumpy bits on the 'back' section anymore). The trail now also (just about) has the one thing it was lacking - a swoopy if all too short downward gradient section).

Also there are some new 'skills loop' sections open over on the Fineshades side to liven up the Green route there (makes a nice little warm-up for Scartree). Actually, they need to transplant the biggest downhill berm section from Fineshades side over to Scartree (or build something similar over there).

Also noticed more 'serious' bikes today (including a quite cool looking white Orange5 and a nice LaPierre) than I've seen riding Scartree before - local word must be getting out.

slainte rob

snik

did this last weekend, great little ride. have to do it a few times to really get a buzz, and work up some speed once you get used to it. it's pretty nice to do fineshade after 3 runs just to have a chill ride and play on the skill sections. beats doing rutland every weekend, and fill's the gap between getting up to cannock. off this saturday morning early if anyone is around

andermt

Was over there this morning for a few loops, very quiet but a few looking like they were about to start as we left, took the kids round for a loop of Scartree for their 1st proper off road experience, it was slow going.

They have opened up a new section which extends the loop slightly and adds what I think will be a nice extra bit, just needs riding in at the moment. Unfortunately it doesn't shorten the fire road section but does mean you avoid the grass area at the car park.

snik

lots of guys go from fineshade shop at 6.30 on a wednesday, mate went last night and said there is huge amount of track you wont know about. hardly any firetrack which is good

phz

snik wrote:

mate went last night and said there is huge amount of track you wont know about. hardly any firetrack which is good

Don't doubt it. Found a few obvious sections myself already. Keep meaning to spend a full day or so there exploring and putting together a longer trail.

slainte rob