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Anyone welcome. Ride will be as fast as the slowest rider - good news for me. I'm heading out on the train from Waterloo and will probably get to the trailhead for a midday start. Happy to meet at either spot.

I'm keen to give the ~20km red route a bash, but if people just want to chill on the ~10km blue I'm cool with that too. Both trails are open now - map of new trails is attached if you're interested.

Enjoy..... The blue trail is quite flowy with some small features, the red you can have fun on

Cheers Nick. Yeah quite enjoy the blue run-a good confidence builder

I was planning on riding Epping Sunday but the weather is going to make it an even more massive bog. Might head over to Swinley instead.

My google skills seem to be evading me but is there a website for Swinley? Everything I've found seems a bit vague and disorganised

cheers Dan

Info here, Dan
http://www.essexhertsmtb.co.uk/mountain ... t2081.html
now a parking charge instead of permit, i think

Yeah its parking now....

Cheers for the link Chris.
Change of plans, looks like I have to ride saturday now, you ok if i tag along Coney?

Not too bothered which route but I haven't ridden outside of a gym since october so the blue might be better, especially if it's lashing it down tomorrow. Can always wait till the red trail and decide then.

Meeting at The Look Out ok as I'll be driving?

Sorry Dan mate-I'm gonna has to bail. Had a mate unleash engagement and baby news on us over quiet pint...all champers and shots. Enjoy the trails!

Did you head out in the end? Must have been a pretty wet ride...

Yeah I was there for a couple of hours, did two laps of the blue trail. Headed out earlier though as I knew the afternoon wasn't going to be great weather, managed to fit both runs in and get my stuff into the car before it started raining.

Trails were pretty good but I did find the flat sections a bit uninspiring and not all that flowing at times. Really liked the downhill sections and the berms, even on a hardtail they're nice to ride.
Looks like they've made a real mess of some of the forest during the trail construction, quite baron looking in patches.

Think i'm going to make a point of heading there once or twice a month over the summer.

Nice! yeah I know what you mean about uninspiring...there's a ten minute section with all these switchbacks and berms that make use of the flat ground - very challenging to keep your flow going the whole time. I still quite like it though. My challenge is to nail some doubles next time around - I wimp out all the time and lose my speed.

I'm keen to head out there more often too. next visit is with a mate next Sunday (21st) - should be fun. no bailing on this one! If you're keen come along.

That part with the all the berms, it is possible to keep your speed up by pumping but damn its hard work !

there doubles on the Red or Blue loop ?

I have questions
How long the train journey take?
Is times went you can't take bike on the train?
Many road miles to Swinley trails?

ta

mm time to Youtube Swinley forest MTB

Yeah there are doubles on the blue, maybe 10 of them? they're all rollable, but there is a distinct take-off and landing transition...I might be throwing round terms without knowing exactly what they are.......but that's my understanding of it. Given the standard of some riders on here, I think they'll be considered pretty tame, but I have a mental block about them at the moment...just need some balls!!!

Train journey is via Southwest Trains - 50-55 minutes from Waterloo to either Martins Heron or Bracknell station. Martins heron is closest at 1.8 miles from the lookout, but not all trains stop there - Bracknell is a surer bet for both to and from trains and is 2.3 miles from the Lookout. It takes a while to ride...best not to puff yourself out riding the road...........this shows the way via google cyclemaps, but I just ride straight up Bagshot Road.
http://goo.gl/maps/g0AL4

The "no bike on trains" restrictions only apply on weekdays, and only to trains arriving at Waterloo between around 7:30 and 9:30, or leaving Waterloo between 4:30 and 6:30 or so...exact times are on the southwest trains website..but pretty much apply just to the rush hour. so if you're a weekend pootler like me you're fine

Many Thanks