Suggestions for MTB Routes near Birmingham please
Discussion
Hi all, please allow me to explain.
I live near Exeter, and my brother lives in Sheffield. Birmingham is roughly half-way-ish, more on driving time I guess. It's a one day trip, so we both need to be able to get there without too much tiny roads. Cannock Chase was my first thought. But are there any other options?
We want to meet up for a bit of exercise and a catch up in person. We're both half decent cyclists with hard tail MTBs, and enough skill to not kill ourselves on a typical Forestry Commission "red" route, for example. My local site at Haldon just outside Exeter has a "dark blue" route which is a bit more the sort of thing that suits. Fun single-track without the rock-gardens and so on.
We're both fairly fit, so could handle a circular or out-and-back route of up to 40 miles, I guess, so gravel routes might work too.
I hope this hasn't come off too rambling. I have a Garmin so can run a map on that for the route if need be, but something not too complicated is prefered!
Please try to keep "roughly halfway between Exeter and Sheffield, not too far off the motorway network" as a bit of a caveat.
Any other cool ideas?
Thank you all in advance!
I live near Exeter, and my brother lives in Sheffield. Birmingham is roughly half-way-ish, more on driving time I guess. It's a one day trip, so we both need to be able to get there without too much tiny roads. Cannock Chase was my first thought. But are there any other options?
We want to meet up for a bit of exercise and a catch up in person. We're both half decent cyclists with hard tail MTBs, and enough skill to not kill ourselves on a typical Forestry Commission "red" route, for example. My local site at Haldon just outside Exeter has a "dark blue" route which is a bit more the sort of thing that suits. Fun single-track without the rock-gardens and so on.
We're both fairly fit, so could handle a circular or out-and-back route of up to 40 miles, I guess, so gravel routes might work too.
I hope this hasn't come off too rambling. I have a Garmin so can run a map on that for the route if need be, but something not too complicated is prefered!
Please try to keep "roughly halfway between Exeter and Sheffield, not too far off the motorway network" as a bit of a caveat.
Any other cool ideas?
Thank you all in advance!
The options are extremely limited aside from Cannock, but it does appear to fit the bill of fun single track without rock gardens, so I’d have to say go with that. For a catch up with your brother it will provide a good day out.
Hopton and Llandegla are too far out west. Forest of Dean too far south.
Hopton and Llandegla are too far out west. Forest of Dean too far south.
Monkey Trail : 14miles
https://www.forestryengland.uk/cannock-chase-fores...
Follow the Dog : 7miles
https://www.forestryengland.uk/cannock-chase-fores...
https://www.forestryengland.uk/cannock-chase-fores...
Follow the Dog : 7miles
https://www.forestryengland.uk/cannock-chase-fores...
PurpleTurtle said:
Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield Europe's biggest urban park and although it does not have designated MTB trails, you could spend an entire day riding it, doing circular routes.
Mix of road and off road terrain. Not as challenging as Cannock Chase, but very accessible.
Sutton Park is lovely, I live right next to it and regularly go riding with my mate early morning around it. However, the circumference is no more than 8 miles which takes us a leisurely 50 minutes. Even criss-crossing back and forth, I don't think it'll meet the OP's 40ish mile requirements. Mix of road and off road terrain. Not as challenging as Cannock Chase, but very accessible.
louiebaby said:
Cannock sounds the right place then, and I might take a Garmin to be able to find my way back to the car park if we go off-piste!
:thumbsup:
If you're planning a weekend trip the Monkey and Dog trails (plus car park) get very busy. There's plenty of off piste trails if you fancy something quieter though.:thumbsup:
There's the 14 mile Dog + Monkey Trail and the 12.5 mile Abraham Valley loop of the Blue Sherbrook Trail.
That sounds like a great start, one before lunch, one after lunch, then see what we fancy after that. Maybe in the future we'll look at having an overnight stop somewhere a bit more remote / not so close to a motorway, but this will do nicely for the weekend.
(I know it will be quite busy, but I'm happy to not be smashing round. I want to catch up with his news too!)
Thank you to all for suggestions and advice. Hopefully my replacement dropper will be delivered in time. No one likes a saggy dropper!
That sounds like a great start, one before lunch, one after lunch, then see what we fancy after that. Maybe in the future we'll look at having an overnight stop somewhere a bit more remote / not so close to a motorway, but this will do nicely for the weekend.
(I know it will be quite busy, but I'm happy to not be smashing round. I want to catch up with his news too!)
Thank you to all for suggestions and advice. Hopefully my replacement dropper will be delivered in time. No one likes a saggy dropper!
How about Wyre Forest? Near Bewdley.
https://www.komoot.com/guide/674241/mtb-trails-aro...
My suggestions would be No 1, Hop Pole Loop from Bewdley, 11.3m, the grub at the Hop Pole is first class btw.
No 14 Loop from Upper Arley, shorter only 6.8, but if you look at the map you can extend across into Postenplain near the rocket test site and down to Upper Arley itself, Severn Valley Railway station, and also across the road into Hawkbatch, but not Mon-Fri for next 4 weeks as forest is closed, in middle of felling and thinning. Folks ignoring the signs are being a right pain.
Also can park up at the Forest visitor centre at Callow Hill, cafe toilets etc there, komoot and Forestry England shows just family trails but there are plenty of others where you can devise your own, some of the hills are knackering, and you're glad for a spell on the old railway line that ran from Bewdley towards Cleobury Mortimer and ultimately Tenbury Wells.
I'm sure not applicable to you but there have been complaints from walkers about fast and close passes on downhill sections.
https://www.komoot.com/guide/674241/mtb-trails-aro...
My suggestions would be No 1, Hop Pole Loop from Bewdley, 11.3m, the grub at the Hop Pole is first class btw.
No 14 Loop from Upper Arley, shorter only 6.8, but if you look at the map you can extend across into Postenplain near the rocket test site and down to Upper Arley itself, Severn Valley Railway station, and also across the road into Hawkbatch, but not Mon-Fri for next 4 weeks as forest is closed, in middle of felling and thinning. Folks ignoring the signs are being a right pain.
Also can park up at the Forest visitor centre at Callow Hill, cafe toilets etc there, komoot and Forestry England shows just family trails but there are plenty of others where you can devise your own, some of the hills are knackering, and you're glad for a spell on the old railway line that ran from Bewdley towards Cleobury Mortimer and ultimately Tenbury Wells.
I'm sure not applicable to you but there have been complaints from walkers about fast and close passes on downhill sections.
FiF said:
How about Wyre Forest? Near Bewdley.
https://www.komoot.com/guide/674241/mtb-trails-aro...
My suggestions would be No 1, Hop Pole Loop from Bewdley, 11.3m, the grub at the Hop Pole is first class btw.
No 14 Loop from Upper Arley, shorter only 6.8, but if you look at the map you can extend across into Postenplain near the rocket test site and down to Upper Arley itself, Severn Valley Railway station, and also across the road into Hawkbatch, but not Mon-Fri for next 4 weeks as forest is closed, in middle of felling and thinning. Folks ignoring the signs are being a right pain.
Also can park up at the Forest visitor centre at Callow Hill, cafe toilets etc there, komoot and Forestry England shows just family trails but there are plenty of others where you can devise your own, some of the hills are knackering, and you're glad for a spell on the old railway line that ran from Bewdley towards Cleobury Mortimer and ultimately Tenbury Wells.
I'm sure not applicable to you but there have been complaints from walkers about fast and close passes on downhill sections.
That's a great post, full of useful information, thank you very much.https://www.komoot.com/guide/674241/mtb-trails-aro...
My suggestions would be No 1, Hop Pole Loop from Bewdley, 11.3m, the grub at the Hop Pole is first class btw.
No 14 Loop from Upper Arley, shorter only 6.8, but if you look at the map you can extend across into Postenplain near the rocket test site and down to Upper Arley itself, Severn Valley Railway station, and also across the road into Hawkbatch, but not Mon-Fri for next 4 weeks as forest is closed, in middle of felling and thinning. Folks ignoring the signs are being a right pain.
Also can park up at the Forest visitor centre at Callow Hill, cafe toilets etc there, komoot and Forestry England shows just family trails but there are plenty of others where you can devise your own, some of the hills are knackering, and you're glad for a spell on the old railway line that ran from Bewdley towards Cleobury Mortimer and ultimately Tenbury Wells.
I'm sure not applicable to you but there have been complaints from walkers about fast and close passes on downhill sections.
It's sort of my turn to do a few more miles, so I think I'll stick with Cannock this time, but next time he can come past Birmingham, and that looks spot on!
Thank you again!
If you are travelling that far for a catch up Cannock is great, if it's more focused on the ride and you are pretty handy you may be disappointed.
Cannock is less than an hour from me, I think I've been 3 times from memory... not very challenging for me certainly.
There's always North Wales, but will possibly be further for one or both of you - Llandegla is always a good shout, good XC trails, parking, decent food, or maybe something more natural - Shropshire - Long Mynd maybe?
Cannock is less than an hour from me, I think I've been 3 times from memory... not very challenging for me certainly.
There's always North Wales, but will possibly be further for one or both of you - Llandegla is always a good shout, good XC trails, parking, decent food, or maybe something more natural - Shropshire - Long Mynd maybe?
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