Good off-road locations???

[Dapaltimboy]

I'm new to mountain bikes.
Does anybody know any good off road cycling in & around London? It'll be great to experience more than just tarmac

[hamster]

I'd go for the North Downs. Train to Reigate / Redhill or Dorking. Buy OS Landranger 187 and you can see loads of bridleways.

[workhard]

hamster has got it covered if sarf or sarf west is where you want to be. If West is your thing then the Chilterns are also in easy reach of London and have great off roading, Thames Valley has hills running either side of it and some very interesting trails. Cotswolds must be do-able by train by I've done very little MTB'ing there.

From Victoria you can be in Brighton in an hour and on the South Downs 20 minutes later, and if you go SE out of London you'll find the forest ridges of the High Weald and the eastern end of the North Downs. Plenty of MTB'ing to be had if you're London based.

Don't know what Essex has to offer or the counties due north of the smoke......

[Dapaltimboy]

Thanks for that hamster, i'm gonna check out that map

[Dapaltimboy]

workhard, lots of info, will be looking into those options. Living SW London will also look into finding somewhere in which i could cycle to, get dirty (hopefully not too much) & back home again.

Thanks for your help

[workhard]

workhard, lots of info, will be looking into those options. Living SW London will also look into finding somewhere in which i could cycle to, get dirty (hopefully not too much) & back home again.

Thanks for your help

Follow the A24 SW out of town - fun starts at Leatherhead. Big chunk of territory in a rectangle shape with Leatherhead, Guildford, Shalford/Chilworth and Dorking at thee corners is (y)our playground. Some of the best off-road riding in SE England.

South Morden & Cheam DA members may be able to advise on fun/easy/traffic free routes out of town and off road stuff nearer home in your neck of the woods.

[Dapaltimboy]

Follow the A24 SW out of town - fun starts at Leatherhead. Big chunk of territory in a rectangle shape with Leatherhead, Guildford, Shalford/Chilworth and Dorking at thee corners is (y)our playground. Some of the best off-road riding in SE England.

South Morden & Cheam DA members may be able to advise on fun/easy/traffic free routes out of town and off road stuff nearer home in your neck of the woods.

workhard can't thank you enough. Anymore info you have in the future, would be glad to hear it.

once again thanks dude

[pk]

I'm new to mountain bikes.
Does anybody know any good off road cycling in & around London? It'll be great to experience more than just tarmac

Depends if you are looking for "off road" or "in the wood and mud"

Off road, the Thames towpath out from Putney via Richmond, Kingston/Hampton court to Walton is a good run, with Richmond park and bushey park as detours along the way.

[Dapaltimboy]

Depends if you are looking for "off road" or "in the wood and mud"

Yo pk, i'd like to try a bit of both, thanks for your suggestion. Do you know of any woods/forests or mud?

[pk]

Depends if you are looking for "off road" or "in the wood and mud"

Yo pk, I'd like to try a bit of both, thanks for your suggestion. Do you know of any woods/forests or mud?

Surrey CC have a set of free cycle maps which cover both on and off road trails throughout Surrey. very good and very useful -but best if you know the area.

If you google cycle shops in Surrey you will find that some run day/evening rides in the muddy woods of the surrey hills and skills sessions - sorry i don't have the links to give you. A good start to learing the area and possibly a link into groups to join

Some of the cycle clubs in surrey have off road/mtb sections - they might be a good source of advice. the surrey hills have a great range of off-road stuff from woodland trails to adrenaline pumping downhill challenges.

[MTB rider]

Try Swinley Forest in Bracknell.

[stoobs]

workhard, lots of info, will be looking into those options. Living SW London will also look into finding somewhere in which i could cycle to, get dirty (hopefully not too much) & back home again.

Thanks for your help

Follow the A24 SW out of town - fun starts at Leatherhead.

Indeed, but keep going down to Washington, and head east or west on the South Downs!

[pk]

workhard, lots of info, will be looking into those options. Living SW London will also look into finding somewhere in which i could cycle to, get dirty (hopefully not too much) & back home again.

Thanks for your help

Follow the A24 SW out of town - fun starts at Leatherhead.

Indeed, but keep going down to Washington, and head east or west on the South Downs!

For the OP:

North downs off road = trees & mud

South downs = open rolling chalkland

Both fun in their different ways

[catherine.142]

If you really look for an offroad location you can find them anywhere! My brother is a profecional mountain bike and when i was on the road with him it was just crazy: the was just a bridge over a highway and after passing it there was a crazy downhill - OMG i though he will kill him self - but no he just drove down like it was a normal road! He told me that the best offroad locations are those that noone else see!

[Dapaltimboy]

Thank you all for your suggestions, very grateful & open to more. Will be trying them out as soon as my bike arrives.