riding in leicester

40ish

hi im leicester based and new to riding! 40ish and just building up my fitness riding boggy bridleways and around rutland water at the min! looking at doing some trail riding but leicester not great for trails it seems! anybody got any reccomendations? Also any groups to ride with in leicester/shire area?

cooldad

viewforum.php?f=40067

mattv

You've got Martinshore woods near Groby which have some ok trails in, but really don't do well in winter as they become marshy. Swithland woods is a few miles further north and drains much better. Bradgate park too, but alot of it is illegal to ride on (has the best trails in Leicestershire though) or 60 minutes by car is Cannock Chase, 90 minutes is the peaks!

morepower

40ish wrote:

hi im leicester based and new to riding! 40ish and just building up my fitness riding boggy bridleways and around rutland water at the min! looking at doing some trail riding but leicester not great for trails it seems! anybody got any reccomendations? Also any groups to ride with in leicester/shire area?

If you are looking for someone to go out for a ride with let me know.. I have a couple of mates who have a few routes starting from Ticknall and I also try to go to cannock at least once or twice a month... Sherwood pines is not too far if you go for a longer few hours or a day out..... I am like you... Not really fit but trying to get fitter.... Let me know if you are up for a ride out... I am in the same situation as you being in Hinckley with no routes to use and have to travel to get a decent ride out....

DeVlaeminck

Hicks Lodge near Ashby is a sort of mini mountain bike centre - as it's quite close ls probably worth a visit - a bit tame but good if you have kids.

40ish

Thanks everyone for the advice,hicks lodge and sherwood pines are about same distance from me so
will try sherwood pines maybe New Year's Day! Cannock chase is also ok for winter riding?
Hoping then to do a few trails in peaks like ladybower in spring summer!!

morepower

40ish wrote:

Thanks everyone for the advice,hicks lodge and sherwood pines are about same distance from me so
will try sherwood pines maybe New Year's Day! Cannock chase is also ok for winter riding?
Hoping then to do a few trails in peaks like ladybower in spring summer!!

Cannock is fine. Might be going off there or Sherwood Pines this week. Just to try and work off a bit of Christmas stuffing.... lol

There is a planned ride at Cannock on the 26th which has a few people from the forum going and like you I am not the youngest or fittest so you can drag me round parts of it too...

oxocube1

I've been living in Leicester for the last 15 months and have struggled to find anything testing. My local riding is on Croft Hill, south of the city. I also ride Bardon Hill near Coalville occasionally. Some riding there and it's the highest hill in Leicestershire so there is a couple of descents but one of them is split up by 2 fences with stiles.
Martinshaw Woods has quite a few paths but again is very flat like everywhere else.

I've been up to Sherwood pines a few times since being here and over to Cannock as well but they are 1.5 hrs in either direction. Hicks Lodge really isn't worth the time in my opinion. Very flat and basic riding. If you're a beginner I could see it being useful but if you are any better than that it becomes really tedious very quickly.

We do, unfortunately, live in one of the 'Black Holes' of MTB in the UK!

40ish

Thanks for the advice, will try sherwood pines in the next couple of weeks if i can get time,hoping to use winter just to get bit fitter then try some trails in the peaks spring/summer time when days are a bit longer.
I work out hallaton way and have been told there are some decent bridal ways around hallaton,belton and Rutland to ride but at the minute they are just bogs in places! just hoping for less rain and more cold weather to dry them out a bit!!

smegg40

Have you tried Wakerley Woods ?,the Scartree trail there used to be ok and i think they have been building some new stuff ?,plus there is the other side that has got some blue and green trails with some sections of obstacles to practice on,fun day out.

40ish

Apparently the scaretree trail is still closed for maintenance,and the word is that they have turned it into a very basic family trail!been a few people complaining on the forestry website.
Will still go have a look because it's not too far from where I work!