# London mtb



## mtbharrod (Nov 20, 2011)

hey guys, ive just gotten myself settled in London. Living in Plaistow. Can anyone suggest any good bike shops nearby or any mtb clubs?
Happy riding!!


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## phatpat29 (Feb 12, 2013)

I will be moving from Australia to Reading, UK next month. 
Interested to see responses. I'm hoping there are good trails not too far away!


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## danielpj (Mar 27, 2006)

What kind of riding are you looking for? If you're into downhill and free ride, checkout Chicksands mtb park and Woburn sands trails. If you're looking for xc, checkout Hadleigh Farms. That's where they held the Olympic mtb event.


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## phatpat29 (Feb 12, 2013)

XC/technical single trail is my thing.

Thanks for the advice.


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## mbco1975 (Feb 28, 2012)

I used to ride with the guys from the epping Forrest mtb club when I lived on the isle of dogs. This was back in 2001, so not sure if they still exist. Either way there used to be some fun fast singletrack up there which isn't too far. 
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## phatpat29 (Feb 12, 2013)

Is it pretty easy to get to trails via train? I've never been to England before and I probably won't buy a car.


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## rzat (Sep 1, 2012)

Dorking/ Surrey hills is great and easily accessible via train

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## jm-lh (Jan 30, 2012)

I'll also move to London very soon and look for some ride buddies/club for road, XC and trail riding. Not sure yet where I will be situated as I still look for flats.


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## phatpat29 (Feb 12, 2013)

jm-lh said:


> I'll also move to London very soon and look for some ride buddies/club for road, XC and trail riding. Not sure yet where I will be situated as I still look for flats.


I think I will get to Reading around Aug/Sept. PM me if you are ever looking for a MTB buddy.


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## PaulClift (Feb 20, 2013)

I'm moving to Newbury/Donnington this weekend, just down the road from Reading, and not far from Newbury.

I ride mostly XC/Trails.

I know near where I am moving there is the Ridgeway and lots of Bridleways, but I'd like to find some nice woodland single track.

If any of you London/Reading guys fancied getting together for a ride then I'm 1.5 miles away from Newbury station and right on the edge of town and down the lane from Donnington Castle. From my little scout about while viewing the property I noticed some footpaths sign posted by the castle that look like they may lead north to the Ridgeway.

Information for cyclists, horse riders and carriage drivers - The Ridgeway - National Trails

I don't know the area yet, but I intend exploring


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## Reign2Rider (Jan 28, 2010)

For Reading, Swinley forrest not far away..


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## op12389 (Jul 26, 2013)

Swinley Forest in Berkshire, Bracknell is the one.


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## piesoup (Feb 9, 2009)

I lived in Reading a few years ago. There is plenty riding in the area. Swinley Forest is great, park on the Crowthorne side as its free. Get a map or GPS as it can be confusing!
In Reading, you are not toooo far away from wales. S Wales has up lift parks and N Wales has great trail centres. Google MTB Wales. 
Surry Hills near Farnborough has good trails too. There is a club I used to belong to, Tunnel Hill Trolls. They do night rides, weekend rides and enter the races too. 
Look on Singletrackworld, wealth of UK MTB stuff on there.
And bring waterproofs!


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## thriftyarek888 (Aug 10, 2013)

One great club I have been proud member of for past 3 years is VCGH - Godalmings cycling club. THey have road & off road. For whole year membership is only £15! THere are on average 2 or more 20 miles + easy paste rides every month. Lead by nice girls such as Julie. More info here:

https://sites.google.com/site/vcghonline/mtb


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## jm-lh (Jan 30, 2012)

I am settled now for a few days and the bike is almost ready to go, but I wonder what is the best way to get to the trails. I live in Earl's Court, fairly close to the station, but I do not own a car or even hold a driving licence. So any suggestions where I should go riding? And can you take a bike on the tube?


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## piesoup (Feb 9, 2009)

Howdie! How are finding it so far?! 
Bikes aren't allowed on the tubes, unless its a folder. Your best bet would be to get an over ground train as close as you can get to the trails. Perhaps a pre booked taxi with your bike in the back. Clapham Junc would be your best bet. Do you have an iPhone? There is a great app called City Mapper, I use it to get around London. Got EVERY mode of transport there for you to see. 
Bracknell or Crowthorn station for Swinley Forest. They have just re done the trails there and it's outstanding! 
Good luck!


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## GraemeTee (Jan 24, 2013)

jm-lh said:


> I am settled now for a few days and the bike is almost ready to go, but I wonder what is the best way to get to the trails. I live in Earl's Court, fairly close to the station, but I do not own a car or even hold a driving licence. So any suggestions where I should go riding? And can you take a bike on the tube?


You can take the bike on some Tube lines outside of peak hours. Check the TFL website for more info.

From Earls Court it would be easy to get to Clapham Junction station then you've go plenty of easy connections to Swinley Forest or Surrey Hills. The nearest station to Swinley is Martins Heron and the forest is a couple of miles away. All the trails at Swinley are marked so it's easy to find your way around.

Surrey Hills has some fantastic trails but the difficulty is finding them and linking them together. You can get the train to Dorking and head out from there.

I regularly ride both Swinley and the Surrey Hills so if you're interested in a mid-week ride at some point I don't mind showing you around.


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## hpcbmw (May 21, 2008)

Hey Guys, my wife and I are headed to London in late October. I expect it to be cold and rainy, but if the weather is decent, we'd like to do a day of riding. I checked out Chicksands which was mentioned in this post, and it looks like a cool place to ride. Is there a place to hire bikes anywhere near there? It would be great to take a train to a station near Chicksands, hire a bike and ride out to Chicksands for the day. 

We live in Northern California and ride in the Auburn and Lake Tahoe area weekly. We love to find rides when we travel. 

Any suggestions on how easy or complex this will be?

Thanks!

Haven


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## thriftyarek888 (Aug 10, 2013)

Anyone ride with bromley cycle club? am looking for more rides each month please? ta Arek

Bromley Cyclists | The voice of cyclists in Bromley


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## thriftyarek888 (Aug 10, 2013)

Looking for rides. ANyone organizing please? ta


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