Mountain Biking in Swinley Forest - suitable for beginners
2 people attending
4 places left
Come and enjoy some great mountain biking in Swinley Forest. The area has dedicated trails which are fast and flowing and are ideal for beginners and more advanced riders alike. The day will be fun and relaxed and is not meant to be a test of endurance or a time-trial so all abilities welcome.
Swinley has two trails are totalling 22km, we will start with the blue trail which has some wide sweeping berms and some easy rollable trail features. We will then move onto the red trail, which has more features including some small drop-offs (which can avoided or walked if required), fast flowy berms and some larger rollable jumps. The main route can be found here.
Just off the red run are some faster downhill trails, each taking around 5 minutes to loop; these are optional and some members of the group may wish to do these while others wait.
A fully working hardtail or full suspension mounain bike is essential - bike rental is available at the Swinley Bike Hub but book in advance as they get very busy - http://www.swinleybikehub.com/
It's January so will be cold and may be wet; bring gloves and waterpoof clothing. I'll bring some snacks for the trail, but it will likely be too cold to stop for lunch.
By nature mountain biking is unpredicatable so timings are very approximate and depend on the group/weather/punctures etc..
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IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete the Cycling Participation Statement in addition to booking your event space before attending a cycling event.
What to bring
ESSENTIAL:
- A working mountain bike - hard tail or full suspension (or pre-book one at the on-site cycle centre in advance here)
- A Helmet!
- Spare inner tube
- Any tools specific to your bike
- Snacks & Water
- Appropriate clothing for cycling & the forecasted weather
NON-ESSENTIAL
- Elbow & Knee guards/protection
- Sunscreen
- Bike Lock
- Eye-protection & gloves
A mountain bike with suspension is essential. Hard tail or Full Suspension are suitable. Hybrids or Road Bikes cannot be used on this event.
Appropriate clothing for the expected weather - synthetic or man-made materials are recommended as they dry quickly - avoid cottons/denim. Shoes should provide good grip of your pedals. Keep in mind that you'll be warm when cycling but you cool down quickly when you stop.
Consider a change of clothes & shoes for afterwards as you may be muddy and wet.
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of snacks you can eat on the trail.
Water is essential, at least 1L
There is a cafe at the Look Out Discovery Centre for buying snacks/lunch pre-ride and post ride those who want to can grab a drink/snack