![Beginners Railway Loop @ Waitrose Swindon | England | United Kingdom](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IMG_0027.jpg?fit=300%2C225)
Something a bit different this week, we will be doing a short (6 mile), gentle loop using the excellent cyclepath along the old railway line round Old Town, back to Waitrose via Croft.
The ride is aimed at all, but beginners in particular. We will be able to help people check over their bikes before we begin and we will go at the pace of the whole group (so no-one gets left behind or feels uncomfortable)
Meet out the front of Waitrose at 6.30pm
Please remember to bring your helmet
![Family Railway Ride @ Waitrose Swindon | England | United Kingdom](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IMG_0196.jpg?fit=300%2C300)
![Wednesdays After Work at Croft and beyond! @ Croft Cycle Trail | Swindon | England | United Kingdom](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_1941.jpg?fit=300%2C225)
Weather looks good this week, so come along to Croft and have a cycle with us.
As well as doing a few laps, there is a nice beginners loop we can do from Croft, with only gentle uphill and 3.5 and 7 mile options which we’re happy to do if there’s demand for it.
Davinia will also be there if anyone wants to do Ladies only groups.
![Urban Moonlight Ride @ Coate Water Cafe | England | United Kingdom](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/14991936_10206963720563857_7676686699131407177_n.jpg?fit=300%2C169)
For the next Tuesday evening ride, we are going Urban 😉
Starting from Coate water cafe (next to the diving board), we will head to lydiard park via the cycle route 45 and do a lap once there. After that we will head to shaw forest and again do a lap around there! Then move onto moulden hill country park, do a lap and then head back to the Sun inn pub next to coate water for a nice refreshing beverage 🙂
Approx 20miles.
Please bring a helmet, NO HELMET, NO RIDE! Please also bring some lights and wrap up nice and warm.
Look forward to seeing you there folks 🙂
![A Tail of Two Trails @ Croft Cycle Trail | Swindon | England | United Kingdom](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_0029.jpg?fit=300%2C225)
Something a little bit different this week – a lap of Croft followed by a ride out to Shaw Forest on route 45 for a lap of there, before heading back to Croft.
This is a perfect ride for beginners, with a well surfaced, largely flat route, with optional fun bits! It’s 10 miles to Shaw and back, so that’s the minimum, plus how every many laps of Croft / Shaw Forest you want to do.
It will be dark obviously, but the route to Shaw is well surfaced and lit in places – lights are essential though, as it’s very dark in other places.
Meet in the Croft car park for a 6pm set off.
![Quantocks Club Ride @ Quantocks, Holford Bowling Green Car Park | England | United Kingdom](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Great-Wood-autumn-sm.jpg?fit=300%2C222)
Matt will be leading this club ride around the quantocks on the 23rd July.
Ride distance will be approx 28km with climbing in the region of 800m so a reasonable level of stamina will be required, but we’ll all stay together and obviously no one’s left behind.
This really is a great day out on the bike, great descents, with views and scenary to match, a lovely place to ride. There is a pub nr the car park for post ride refreshment. The ride is doable on a hardtail, but more fun on a full suss.
There are no shops or cafes on route so a rucksack with food and water is a must, as is a helmet.
The ride starts from Holford bowling green car park TA5 1SA at 10am
![Chilterns Spring Excursion @ Watlington](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/26173446_1688288991233967_4808361557540665114_o.jpg?fit=300%2C225)
Place marker for your diaries for a chiltern away day, led by Robert Wine.
This will be a ride around some of the best of the Chilterns taking in Wormsley Estate (Getty owned), quaint villages like Turville, and nice, wooded singletrack. Nothing technical, but a good mix of up and down (repeat several times), a bit of Tarmac, trees, roots, horses, mud.
It’ll be about 35km/700m and when it’s dry it’s got lots of fast flowing paths; if it’s wet, well, we may just change the plan a bit.
![MTB-Marathon - Hope Valley @ Hope Valley College | Hope | England | United Kingdom](https://i0.wp.com/swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fullsizeoutput_537d.jpeg?fit=300%2C225)
So we’re going to do this excellent final round in the amazing Peak District in 2019.
Although the main event is on the Sunday, there are also a Ladies Ride on the Saturday morning and a night marathon on the Saturday night, which has a choice of distances and light hire available from Exposure Lights.
On the Sunday 3 distances are available – Mini (25km), Half (45km) and Full (65km!). Bear in mind it’s in the Peak District, and the hills are big too, as well as the distance!
We’ve got members booked on the Half, but all routes start out together.
Full details here:
https://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/1st-2nd-september-2018-hope-valley-peak-district.html
![😊](https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t1e/2/16/1f60a.png)
From the 3 Trees we will head out on the Ridgeway out to the bottom of Barbury Castle. This is further out on the Ridgeway from where we will drop down into the beautiful Vale of Rockley. A short sharp climb takes us to the top of a byway down to Ogbourne Maisey and then home along the old railway line cycle route.