Richmond Park cyclepath
Discussion
Anyone here use this? Went down there this morning for the first time in yonks and could not believe the state of the cyclepaths. Don't they do any maintenance anymore, or is this just another ploy to get the off road cyclist back on to the road? In places it's like riding through a gravel pit and traction is almost non existent. I also see lots of my favourite little places where you can leave the track and drop down into ditches and bombholes or straight line corners have been blocked off, whether by the park authorities or the killjoys that don't approve of fun I don't know.
And the joggers! 3 abreast down the path and not moving aside for anyone or anything. Even at the mandatory 10mph (pah!) a 6' tall 14 stone mountain biker on 28lbs of mountain bike is going to hurt you if he collides with you! Can't we co-exist peacefully?
Rant over.
Where is left for a free spirit to ride anymore? What's this Swinley Forest I hear about?
And the joggers! 3 abreast down the path and not moving aside for anyone or anything. Even at the mandatory 10mph (pah!) a 6' tall 14 stone mountain biker on 28lbs of mountain bike is going to hurt you if he collides with you! Can't we co-exist peacefully?
Rant over.
Where is left for a free spirit to ride anymore? What's this Swinley Forest I hear about?
It does seem odd but like all interests it seems people are divided by what area of the same scene they enjoy- i.e. the classic car guys don't like the retro modded scene, the mods didn't like rockers etc. etc. and joggers don't like bikers!
Just today I took part in an MTB event that was clearly sign posted and the trail was marked as closed for this activity, now there are plenty of other trails in this area but needless to say I still came across 10+ horseriders, most of whom where very appreciative when I stopped to allow them past with plenty of room but some where a bit sniffy and barely acknowledged the fact that I'd waited a few minutes for them to pass. But worst of all were the joggers, running two or three abreast and failing to move out of the way or giving the minimum of room, oddly through the middle of them rather than moving to one side! Regardless, I greeted them all with a friendly 'good morning' as we all know it's the walkers/joggers that get us banned from all the best routes! :-)
The bikers don't own the trails but if I was to be trampled by a horse after choosing to ride through a clearly signposted horse event (that would only be unavailable to me for a few hours on a Sunday morning) then perhaps one might suggest I was asking for trouble!
Just today I took part in an MTB event that was clearly sign posted and the trail was marked as closed for this activity, now there are plenty of other trails in this area but needless to say I still came across 10+ horseriders, most of whom where very appreciative when I stopped to allow them past with plenty of room but some where a bit sniffy and barely acknowledged the fact that I'd waited a few minutes for them to pass. But worst of all were the joggers, running two or three abreast and failing to move out of the way or giving the minimum of room, oddly through the middle of them rather than moving to one side! Regardless, I greeted them all with a friendly 'good morning' as we all know it's the walkers/joggers that get us banned from all the best routes! :-)
The bikers don't own the trails but if I was to be trampled by a horse after choosing to ride through a clearly signposted horse event (that would only be unavailable to me for a few hours on a Sunday morning) then perhaps one might suggest I was asking for trouble!
Hi guys,
It's true that the Richmond Park cycle paths are certainly not set up for mountain bike riding anymore, and all the fun bits have been straightened/blocked.
Swinley Forest is on the south side of Bracknell (next to the Bagshot -> Bracknell road, and often referred to as Bracknell Forest) and the best place to enter by car is the Look Out discovery centre which has a large car park. The area contains many firetrails, shared with walkers, horses, dogwalkers etc, but generally they are pretty wide and people get along okay. It's also got lots of wonderful singletrack riding hidden in the forest, so it might be useful to follow some locals or just have a bit of an explore.
Hope that helps.
It's true that the Richmond Park cycle paths are certainly not set up for mountain bike riding anymore, and all the fun bits have been straightened/blocked.
Swinley Forest is on the south side of Bracknell (next to the Bagshot -> Bracknell road, and often referred to as Bracknell Forest) and the best place to enter by car is the Look Out discovery centre which has a large car park. The area contains many firetrails, shared with walkers, horses, dogwalkers etc, but generally they are pretty wide and people get along okay. It's also got lots of wonderful singletrack riding hidden in the forest, so it might be useful to follow some locals or just have a bit of an explore.
Hope that helps.
As both a runner and cyclist who used to use Richmond Park a lot, I found that cyclists rarely gave enough warning to runners. If we were lucky we'd get a shout of "excuse me" when they were right behind us, more often the idiot would skid to a halt right behind the group - a move guaranteed to annoy people. A shout from a distance usually gives a much more positive response as people have plenty of time to react.
When cycling, I found it safest to assume the pedestrians weren't going to get out of the way so I'd usually go off-trail round them. On a mountain bike, that's not hard and adds some interest to the ride. For those complaining about the state of the path - try some REAL mountain biking, the Richmond Park loop is NOT mountain biking, it's far too easy, you can ride it on a road bike if you're careful! Get out onto the South/North Downs (short train ride) or into South Wales/the Lakes for a weekend. You'll soon get blasé about Richmond.
Just like driving, you'll find considerate runners and cyclists out there and you'll find inconsiderate ones. If you assume everyone is inconsiderate and ride/run to that, you'll be pleasantly surprised more often.
When cycling, I found it safest to assume the pedestrians weren't going to get out of the way so I'd usually go off-trail round them. On a mountain bike, that's not hard and adds some interest to the ride. For those complaining about the state of the path - try some REAL mountain biking, the Richmond Park loop is NOT mountain biking, it's far too easy, you can ride it on a road bike if you're careful! Get out onto the South/North Downs (short train ride) or into South Wales/the Lakes for a weekend. You'll soon get blasé about Richmond.
Just like driving, you'll find considerate runners and cyclists out there and you'll find inconsiderate ones. If you assume everyone is inconsiderate and ride/run to that, you'll be pleasantly surprised more often.
ewenm said:
For those complaining about the state of the path - try some REAL mountain biking, the Richmond Park loop is NOT mountain biking, it's far too easy, you can ride it on a road bike if you're careful! Get out onto the South/North Downs (short train ride) or into South Wales/the Lakes for a weekend. You'll soon get blasé about Richmond.
As the OP, I do realise that Richmond Park is not REAL mountain biking territory. However, living in central London and having other committments, without getting on a train, (whatever that is or however it works), or putting the bike in the car, (much better), Richmond Park has to suffice unfortunately.
Oxleas is on my doorstep and my normal area for riding if I am just going out for a quick blat. Coupling it to some of the other woods like Lesness you can end up with a pretty good ride, especially considering how close you are to London. It's only a few stops out of London on the train and the Station,(Falconwood) is right by the woods. Defo worth considering as an alternative to Richmond.
The Londoner said:
Anyone here use this? Went down there this morning for the first time in yonks and could not believe the state of the cyclepaths. Don't they do any maintenance anymore, or is this just another ploy to get the off road cyclist back on to the road? In places it's like riding through a gravel pit and traction is almost non existent. I also see lots of my favourite little places where you can leave the track and drop down into ditches and bombholes or straight line corners have been blocked off, whether by the park authorities or the killjoys that don't approve of fun I don't know.
And the joggers! 3 abreast down the path and not moving aside for anyone or anything. Even at the mandatory 10mph (pah!) a 6' tall 14 stone mountain biker on 28lbs of mountain bike is going to hurt you if he collides with you! Can't we co-exist peacefully?
Rant over.
Where is left for a free spirit to ride anymore? What's this Swinley Forest I hear about?
And the joggers! 3 abreast down the path and not moving aside for anyone or anything. Even at the mandatory 10mph (pah!) a 6' tall 14 stone mountain biker on 28lbs of mountain bike is going to hurt you if he collides with you! Can't we co-exist peacefully?
Rant over.
Where is left for a free spirit to ride anymore? What's this Swinley Forest I hear about?
Used to live in Chiswick and would ride to Richmond Pk to spin the legs a bit. Too many idiots around, most hate cylists no matter how slowly you ride and how wide a berth you give walkers and dogs. Got lots of abuse for no reason on too many occasions and must admit, i did start to fight back after a while. I would buzz people, splash their dayglo kagouls and scare their yappy muts and swear back at them. very childish I know and feel bad looking back. In the end I just rode round there when it was pouring with rain - much fewer people and tracks a wee bit more challenging. Luckily, my new local park is known more commonly as the Peak District National....
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