Ashton Court is home to the Nova Trail, a purpose built blue-graded trail that winds it’s way around the estate. At only 4 miles long and with only short sections of climbing it’s the perfect place to try a proper mountain bike trail. It’s recently undergone renovation and everything on the blue is rollable, there are some sections of red graded and more technical trail for those wanting to improve their skills but for those new to mountain biking or a bit nervous about getting out on the trails this an excellent place to begin.
We’ll meet by the cafe/toilets for a 10:30am start and we’ll spend the morning on the Nova Trail. We’ll stop and session bits if people want to and Adrian will be on hand to offer coaching.
After a break for lunch we can either pop over to the 2 mile long blue graded Yer Tiz trail just over the road in Leigh Woods (which also has a progressive skills loop) or head back on to the Nova Trail to perfect our skills.
There is more than one car park at Ashton Court, please make sure you head for the car park at Pedal Progression BS8 3PX, it’s through the stone archway just after the Clifton Suspension bridge. Parking costs £1.20 for the day.
Bike hire is also available at Pedal Progression – booking in advance is essential though.
Wednesday rides are back with a new format.
The evening will be split into two parts:
6-7pm will be a Croft trail ride, laps of the trail (when it gets lighter we will also be sessioning some of the features). This week this bit shouldn’t need lights 😀
7pm-8pm will be a local, fairly flat route, less than 10km in total.
PLEASE LET US KNOW BY POSTING BELOW IF YOU INTEND ONLY ATTENDING THE 7PM RIDE, so that we know to wait for you, as we leave promptly.
These rides are part of our GetintoMTB series, designed for anyone just starting mountain biking, coming back after a break or just wanting a shorter, flatter ride 😊
Helmets are compulsory and you will also need lights for the ride out at 7pm.
Meet in the Croft Trail car park for both rides
Wednesday rides are back with a new format.
The evening will be split into two parts:
6-7pm will be a Croft trail ride, laps of the trail (when it gets lighter we will also be sessioning some of the features). This week this bit shouldn’t need lights 😀
7pm-8pm will be a local, fairly flat route, less than 10km in total.
PLEASE LET US KNOW BY POSTING BELOW IF YOU INTEND ONLY ATTENDING THE 7PM RIDE, so that we know to wait for you, as we leave promptly.
These rides are part of our GetintoMTB series, designed for anyone just starting mountain biking, coming back after a break or just wanting a shorter, flatter ride 😊
Helmets are compulsory and you will also need lights for the ride out at 7pm.
Meet in the Croft Trail car park for both rides
The Peak District is simple awesome for mountain biking – stunning scenery and brilliant riding.
I’ve done lots of riding up there and am putting together some of the best in one long weekend.
We will be based in the Hope Valley, which has a great selection of campsites, B&B accommodation, cafes and bike shops. Personally I’ll be camping and will make a recommendation for a campsite after sampling a few, but there are plenty of great B&Bs for anyone that doesn’t like camping.
For the riding, we have 3 days:
A scenic starter, along the Monsal Trail. Starting at Bakewell Station up to Blackwell Mill and back. This is a former railway line that has been converted into a bridleway, using all the old features, including a number of viaducts and 4 tunnels through the Peaks. This gives us the chance to soak in the gorgeous scenery along the route, as well as a stop to enjoy them with a drink.
Day 2 is an epic XC ride starting in Hope and heading over Mam Tor out towards Derwent Water and back. The views on this route are even more stunning than the previous day, but the riding will be amazing too, with some epic descents – this one isn’t flat! 😉 We will be doing 25-30km with 1200-1500ft of climbing (depending on the weather), but the pace will be relaxed.
The final day will be a trip to the brilliant (but short) Lady Cannings trails, which we will use to end a 10km loop of the local Blacca Moor, which is another Peaks “must do”. That should see us finish at lunchtime, on the Bank Holiday Monday.
If you are planning on coming, please register either on the Facebook group event or by sending an email to adrian@swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk – just so we know to keep an eye out for you before setting off anywhere.
Wednesday rides are back with a new format.
The evening will be split into two parts:
6-7pm will be a Croft trail ride, laps of the trail (when it gets lighter we will also be sessioning some of the features). This week this bit shouldn’t need lights 😀
7pm-8pm will be a local, fairly flat route, less than 10km in total.
PLEASE LET US KNOW BY POSTING BELOW IF YOU INTEND ONLY ATTENDING THE 7PM RIDE, so that we know to wait for you, as we leave promptly.
These rides are part of our GetintoMTB series, designed for anyone just starting mountain biking, coming back after a break or just wanting a shorter, flatter ride 😊
Helmets are compulsory and lights are advised for the ride out at 7pm.
Meet in the Croft Trail car park for both rides
We will start and finish at the Carpenter’s Arms in Miserden. It’s a great pub with excellent post ride sustenance and even a sweet shop inside.
Helmets are compulsory as always and knee pads are advised.
Full suspension bikes recommended – the uphills are just as rocky as the downs!
The next stop on Mandy’s Get (Back) Into Mountain Biking series will take us to Swinley. It’s a step up from Ashton Court with a longer trail, more climbing and steeper descents, but it’s a great place to get used to riding at a trail centre and everything we do will be suitable for novice riders.
We’ll start with a lap of the green trail to get everyone warmed up and then do a lap of blue. The blue trail is 9km (5.5 miles) with some moderate climbs, berms, and fun descents. We will take it at a pace to suit the group and stop to look at each section before we ride it. Adrian will be on hand again to offer coaching advice.
The car park at Swinley gets very busy so please arrive in plenty of time. We will meet at The Bike Hub ready to ride at 10am.
Parking is £2 for 4 hours or £4 all day. There is a cafe, toilets, and bike hire facilities.
Helmets are compulsory.
We would like to invite everyone and their families to celebrate the start of the summer.
We will meet at the children’s play area at 11am, find a good picnic spot nearby and enjoy some family time, playing games such as rounders, football, frisbee and anything else we can find in the shed!!!! We will be close to the play area, cafe, toilets and most importantly the ice cream parlour!!!
Bringing bikes is optional. We will be there to take small groups around the outside of the park, if required.
Most importantly we want everyone to come together to have some family fun.
Don’t forget to bring a picnic and a picnic blanket and/or chairs to sit on.
