Best trails North England
Hi,
Fairly new to MTB and was hoping to get some recommendations on where to go next? We've just been on holiday and have caught the biking bug! In the last week we've done the blue route at Glentress (definitely want to go back and do the red route there, was just lacking confidence a bit on the day), the red route at Newcastleton and the red route at Hamsterley and loved them all.
We are based in Leeds and looking at places within a couple of hours away, or maybe a bit further afield where we can make a weekend of it. Ideally places with good red runs, we are relatively fit but don't have great technical skills (Hamsterley red is the most technical place we've done). We especially enjoyed the flowy sections at the places we've done so far.
Does anyone have any recommendations?
Fairly new to MTB and was hoping to get some recommendations on where to go next? We've just been on holiday and have caught the biking bug! In the last week we've done the blue route at Glentress (definitely want to go back and do the red route there, was just lacking confidence a bit on the day), the red route at Newcastleton and the red route at Hamsterley and loved them all.
We are based in Leeds and looking at places within a couple of hours away, or maybe a bit further afield where we can make a weekend of it. Ideally places with good red runs, we are relatively fit but don't have great technical skills (Hamsterley red is the most technical place we've done). We especially enjoyed the flowy sections at the places we've done so far.
Does anyone have any recommendations?
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Comments
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Gisburn Forest. BB7 4TS
Sherwood Pines NG21 9JL
Both are good, but as you are fairly new to mtb, I would recommend Sherwood Pines. It is better equipped and closer for you I believe. I have met quite a few riders from Leeds. Pines has a massive carpark, a cafe, a bike wash (tokens at the bike shop) a bike shop that also does servicing and will help out on the day if you go around the back and ask nicely. You can rent bikes too. It has other stuff too, a GoApe, a massive kids play area, lots of other climbing type things, and loads of walks. Oh, and a 10km running track through the woods, well signposted .
As for biking, It has a skills loop near the carpark (go right at the cafe), a 3 mile Green trail (don't bother), a 7.5 mile Blue trial that is really good fun especially after the recent changes. The Red trail used to be about 10 miles, but it has some diversions right now and I'm not sure whether they make it longer or shorter. There is an easy DownHill bike park (turn off the red at post 11). Also a Dirt Jump area (turn off the red at post 11 and choose DH or DJ at the picnic table). The DJ is worth a go too, it has everything from dead easy table tops to suicidal gap jumps. There are also many miles of off-piste trails and features, some of which are really tough, but hard to find.
Recommendation: Do the Red all the way around. Then do the Blue, but pause at post 11(yes, its a coincidence) and turn left into the downhill bike park (it runs right next to the Blue trail). Have a go there, all the stone drops are rollable even if you can't see when approaching. There are about seven ways down. The exit shoots you out back onto the Blue trail, so you can turn left and climb up to have another go, or carry on to finish the rest of the blue. Depending upon how many times you session the DH or DJ, you are looking at about 2 hours, more if you prefer to saunter along.1 -
Thanks for the recommendations! We did Cannock Chase monkey trail yesterday, found it quite challenging on my hard tail and a bit technical in places but still enjoyed it. Then we did Sherwood Pines today, enjoyed the red trail, ran out of time to do the DH park as it was just a short stop off but already planning in our next visit!0
