Just done my first ride in Swinley Forest...
Discussion
....and christ am I knackered.
Met 2 friends there and another top bloke who rides there with one of my mates most Sundays. I warned them I was a beginner, don't do [up]hills and may slow them down, but off we went. We did 23.56km
Didn't take notice of the full time, but we started about 9.45am and ended up at the Lookout for a Jam Doughnut and a hot chocolate at about 1pm[ish]
I normally do 20 road miles a few times a week on my MTB, and have done Ceasars Camp a few times with the same friends, but this was a whole new level
Met 2 friends there and another top bloke who rides there with one of my mates most Sundays. I warned them I was a beginner, don't do [up]hills and may slow them down, but off we went. We did 23.56km
Didn't take notice of the full time, but we started about 9.45am and ended up at the Lookout for a Jam Doughnut and a hot chocolate at about 1pm[ish]
I normally do 20 road miles a few times a week on my MTB, and have done Ceasars Camp a few times with the same friends, but this was a whole new level
Great there innit? I have been riding Swinley for the last 12 years or so and have seen it develop from a few bits of single track to a full day out!!
Looking at your map your mates use know it quite well as you seen to have found the majority of the 'features', labyrinth, full nine yards, stickler, seagull run etc etc . . . good first ride I would say!, although it looks like they kept you away from the few small bits of downhill in the 'expert area' - which was probably not a bad thing. .
Next time you are there keep your eye out for a bloke on a bright orange 'Blue Pig' or Trance - wearing a bronze coloured Urge skid lid - that'll be me!
Looking at your map your mates use know it quite well as you seen to have found the majority of the 'features', labyrinth, full nine yards, stickler, seagull run etc etc . . . good first ride I would say!, although it looks like they kept you away from the few small bits of downhill in the 'expert area' - which was probably not a bad thing. .
Next time you are there keep your eye out for a bloke on a bright orange 'Blue Pig' or Trance - wearing a bronze coloured Urge skid lid - that'll be me!
Great there innit? I have been riding Swinley for the last 12 years or so and have seen it develop from a few bits of single track to a full day out!!
Looking at your map your mates use know it quite well as you seen to have found the majority of the 'features', labyrinth, full nine yards, stickler, seagull run etc etc . . . good first ride I would say!, although it looks like they kept you away from the few small bits of downhill in the 'expert area' - which was probably not a bad thing. .
Next time you are there keep your eye out for a bloke on a bright orange 'Blue Pig' or Trance - wearing a bronze coloured Urge skid lid - that'll be me!
Looking at your map your mates use know it quite well as you seen to have found the majority of the 'features', labyrinth, full nine yards, stickler, seagull run etc etc . . . good first ride I would say!, although it looks like they kept you away from the few small bits of downhill in the 'expert area' - which was probably not a bad thing. .
Next time you are there keep your eye out for a bloke on a bright orange 'Blue Pig' or Trance - wearing a bronze coloured Urge skid lid - that'll be me!
hurstg01 said:
I did the Corkscrew, and was shown 'The Wall' but from the top, not the bottom 
and may / may not have done others that you mentioned
Is there a map with the names on? Or are they called different things by different people?
Openstreetmap.org has a lot of gps traces with the names applied, you will be able to recognise the majority of your route from it. and may / may not have done others that you mentionedIs there a map with the names on? Or are they called different things by different people?
All of the locals will recognise the trails names, next time you are there stop a few and have a chat, most guys will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. The wall is not too bad, trick is to descend in top gear and be light on the trigger on the way up, I always find more traction on the right hand side, once you spin out you've had it though!!!
Corkscrew is great fun, couple of tricky bits in there, particularly the last turn with the small drop off, have seen one friend break a wrist and another bend his front wheel on that bit! Thankfully I have not wiped out there yet, but it did take me a couple of months before I would do the drop in.
Hope to see you over there some time soon!
MadDad said:
hurstg01 said:
I did the Corkscrew, and was shown 'The Wall' but from the top, not the bottom and may / may not have done others that you mentioned
Is there a map with the names on? Or are they called different things by different people?
Openstreetmap.org has a lot of gps traces with the names applied, you will be able to recognise the majority of your route from it. and may / may not have done others that you mentionedIs there a map with the names on? Or are they called different things by different people?
All of the locals will recognise the trails names, next time you are there stop a few and have a chat, most guys will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. The wall is not too bad, trick is to descend in top gear and be light on the trigger on the way up, I always find more traction on the right hand side, once you spin out you've had it though!!!
Corkscrew is great fun, couple of tricky bits in there, particularly the last turn with the small drop off, have seen one friend break a wrist and another bend his front wheel on that bit! Thankfully I have not wiped out there yet, but it did take me a couple of months before I would do the drop in.
Hope to see you over there some time soon!
This web site has just appeared and lists most of the key routes.
http://www.rideswinley.com/
Cheers
Simon
p.s. I'm out in Swinley most weeks - usually Wednesday evening until late!
http://www.rideswinley.com/
Cheers
Simon
p.s. I'm out in Swinley most weeks - usually Wednesday evening until late!
Mr Pies said:
Can I just ask, which would burn more calories, 10 miles of road riding or 10 miles of trail riding?
Rough rule of thumb is every trail mile is worth 2 - 2.5 of road miles (depending on terrain, hills etc), not sure if there is any science behind it but it is the generally accepted conversion!!Mr Pies said:
Can I just ask, which would burn more calories, 10 miles of road riding or 10 miles of trail riding?
I take my Garmin out with me on both.This first ride, assuming you can see what I've put up in Garmin Connect, is completely off road. We covered 12.45 miles in 1hr 51 minutes, climbed a total of 261 metres, and I supposedly burnt off 1,291 calories.
This one is my typical morning commute, covering 3 miles more, but only climbing 121 metres and taking only 1hr 09 minutes. This one reckons to burn 822 calories.
That works out (for me) at 104 calories per mile off road, and 53 calories per mile on the road.
The calorie burn is only an estimate, but it's calculated the same way for both rides, and takes heart rate and weight into account, so I'd assume the ratio between the two is reasonably accurate, even if the total amounts aren't.
As for Swinley, I had no idea there was that much to ride there! Might have to give it another try some time.
Wow, looks a whole lot better than when I used to ride there as a kid.
For a start it was just called "The Look Out", calling it "Swinley Forest" was a bit of a grandiose title for what was essentially a pine plantation with some fire breaks between it.
Will have to check it out again.
For a start it was just called "The Look Out", calling it "Swinley Forest" was a bit of a grandiose title for what was essentially a pine plantation with some fire breaks between it.
Will have to check it out again.
It was 'The Look Out' before the MTB'ing really took off there; 'The Look Out' is more for the cafe and kiddy play area than the Forest itself - now they have some decent man-made tracks in the forest, MTB'ers call it Swinley Forest
Oh, and BTW - the yummy mummys at the cafe are nice eye-candy whilst resting with a hot chocloate and jam doughnut after a long hot trek
Oh, and BTW - the yummy mummys at the cafe are nice eye-candy whilst resting with a hot chocloate and jam doughnut after a long hot trek
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