# Bridleway bashing



## ChrisEyles (10 Mar 2018)

Went out for a lovely afternoon explore of the local bridleways around mid-Devon today. Rode out from the house and was out for around three hours.







Didn't cover any great distance but managed to link up the bridleways so 2/3 or so was off-road... though I was glad I wore my walking boots as I ended up walking a lot of the steeper slopes! Saw plenty of wildlife along the way too, the highlight being a massive family of long tailed tits while I enjoyed a thermos of tea.








Most of the riding was distinctly non-technical and some sections were a real slog in the tussocks and mud (although the full-susser was a bit overkill I was grateful for it over some of the fields). But it was great fun exploring a new area wth the OS map and riding (erm... and walking) through some beautiful countryside.








It's such a different beast from trail centre riding (which I also love, especially for a day out with friends). I find the riding a bit frustrating at times by comparison, but the scenery and sense of adventure more than make up for it.






What do most folks on here prefer riding, bridleways or trail centres?


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## Salty seadog (10 Mar 2018)

I like both.


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## ChrisEyles (10 Mar 2018)

Yeah, me too  Probably prefer a long day out with the OS map and a packed lunch if I've got the time though.


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## I like Skol (10 Mar 2018)

Looks like you had a fantastic ride? I like both, the trail centres are good up to a point but there is nothing more challenging than riding unknown tracks as you never know what naturally occurring obstacles you will encounter. Some of the most technical and cruel sections I have ever attempted to ride have been out in the real world, constructed by mother nature and the weather!


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## Elysian_Roads (10 Mar 2018)

Would vote for both too, @ChrisEyles. New to mountain biking, but it's nice to ride the few miles and back to Swinley Forest on bridleways where possible. Envious of some of your bridleways. Great pictures.


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## ChrisEyles (10 Mar 2018)

I like Skol said:


> Looks like you had a fantastic ride? I like both, the trail centres are good up to a point but there is nothing more challenging than riding unknown tracks as you never know what naturally occurring obstacles you will encounter. Some of the most technical and cruel sections I have ever attempted to ride have been out in the real world, constructed by mother nature and the weather!



Yeah, it was awesome  

I personally prefer riding trails I know, otherwise I tend to be a bit over-cautious in case there's something scary around the corner... mind you despite my best attempts I'll never be a technically gifted rider. 

My all-time favourite section of trail is on Dartmoor from Princetown to Burrator (the "widow maker", though it doesn't really deserve the appellation), a lovely long but not overly steep descent full of chunky rocks and plenty of opportunities to get a bit of air. But it's always nice exploring new areas too.


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## Dave 123 (11 Mar 2018)

Living in Cambridgeshire it's bridleways most of the time. The problem round here is the sticky, clingy clay soil. It really is bloody awful. Due to recent rain I chose to go out on my road bike today.

My local trail centre is Thetford Forest. It's ok, but it's a 40 minute drive for me. The plus about Thetford is that it's flint and sand, so it drains well.

I've yet to get to Chicksands and Fineshade.


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## delb0y (11 Mar 2018)

Brilliant. I want to experiment with some bridleways this year. I'm not technical in the least, so will probably be very slow and cautious - but those photos are exactly the sort of riding I'd like to be doing.


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## PeteXXX (11 Mar 2018)

@Dave 123 Fineshades is fun, with quite a few 'off-piste' trails if you know where to look  Make sure you ride the trails on the other side of the A43 from the cafe/shop as well. Much better riding, and less pedestrian traffic, especially at weekends.
Chicksands has proper downhill raceways and jumps so stupid that it'd be easy to launch into a low orbit! 

Also, check out Woburn Sands.


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## ChrisEyles (12 Mar 2018)

@delb0y go for it! 

My local bridleways are very variable, some bits are ace for riding, others less so (too steep/muddy are the main problems I encounter). It's great fun planning out new routes with the OS map and going exploring though. 

My local trail centre is roughly the same distance drive as Exmoor or North/East Dartmoor so I'm spoilt for choice... but from a practical point of view I'm more likely to ride loops I can access from my front door just by hopping on the bike. 

Best piece of advice I can offer is to wear walking boots, especially when exploring untested routes at this time of year, as you'll almost certainly end up walking through ankle deep mud at some point!


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## Venod (12 Mar 2018)

I am very much with the bridleway choice, I don't mind the odd trail centre ride now and again but much prefer to find my own way than be guided. I am looking forward to the MTBO events this year.

https://nymbo.org.uk/


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## dan_bo (12 Mar 2018)

Yesterday's bridleway


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## fossala (12 Mar 2018)

What's the best way to find bridleway routes? I'm new to this MTB thing.


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## dan_bo (12 Mar 2018)

fossala said:


> What's the best way to find bridleway routes? I'm new to this MTB thing.


where are you based foss


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## fossala (12 Mar 2018)

dan_bo said:


> where are you based foss


Cornwall.


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## fossyant (12 Mar 2018)

26 miles yesterday on Bridleways locally. A very small amount of road. Lots of respect given to walkers and horse riders as there were 14 of us. Just had one grumpy person in 4 hours that complained it was a 'footpath' - he was duly shown the 'bridleway sign'.

I like both, but you have to remember with 'natural' features, some of it's not ridable. Trail centres are all ridable, even if it looks terrifying. We had a good few boggy descents yesterday which made for fun, including landing bum first in the bog at the bottom.


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## dan_bo (12 Mar 2018)

fossala said:


> Cornwall.


Wouldn't have thought you'd be short down there like. Dashed lines on an OS map.


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## ShooglyDougie (12 Mar 2018)

We have no bridleways here, but can pretty much go where we like it's braw. I'm luck enough to live within cycling distance between the Pentland hills and the Moorfoots (as well as hundreds of wee trails and woodlands) and the borders are only a 20 minute drive away, I love being able to do 50/60km days with only the occasional rambiler/dog waker/farm animal for company.


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## Levo-Lon (12 Mar 2018)

Loads of lose yourself tracks around here.
I like both.
Only downside is the bridleways are just too wet and muddy this time of year, so its a real slog in places.


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## ChrisEyles (12 Mar 2018)

I went out for a quick hour long loop this evening - loving the slightly longer days  Found one section which should be pretty good when it dries out.


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## Black Sheep (22 May 2018)

been having a look round locally for bridalways to get out on, we seem to have a significant lack of them

A few old roads round and about but they're not ridable (I've walked them a few times) 

More map study is required...


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## Siclo (22 May 2018)

If that's Rammy as in Ramsbottom this might help http://www.idonohoe.com/mountian_bike9.htm

I suspect it includes the roads you class as unrideable, be warned that loop is horrendously tough. There's a way across to Bacup, decent amount around Edgeworth and Rivington is a blast.


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## dan_bo (22 May 2018)

Black Sheep said:


> been having a look round locally for bridalways to get out on, we seem to have a significant lack of them
> 
> A few old roads round and about but they're not ridable (I've walked them a few times)
> 
> More map study is required...



yep if Ramsbottom you've an embarrasment of bridleway riches.


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## fossyant (22 May 2018)

Black Sheep said:


> been having a look round locally for bridalways to get out on, we seem to have a significant lack of them
> 
> A few old roads round and about but they're not ridable (I've walked them a few times)
> 
> More map study is required...



There isn't much that's un-rideable on an MTB, unless it's very up-hill or down hill.

The trails are very dry at the minute - absolute delight riding them.


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## fossyant (22 May 2018)

We had some old lady called us 'disrespectful' and all sorts a few weeks back as we had to use a wide path (10ft) by the side of the river in Hayfield - we'd ridden it at walking pace, nobody was using it, but as soon as we came onto the tarmac road, this old lady was screaming abuse at us - she was in the middle of a public highway (road). 

You always get the odd one.


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## fossyant (22 May 2018)

Worth getting in touch with a local MTB group - facebook is useful for this. I go out with a local lad that runs his own bike servicing business but he also works for Sports Tours International - you'll get to know a load of folk that know all the 'legit' routes, and they will point out the 'cheeky' stuff that can only be ridden on your own/out of hours (if you know what I mean). 

I've been massively impressed about what's 'legal' for me to ride locally, and lots of it I didn't know existed. We have a killer loop of just 10 or so miles that has about 2000ft of ascent, but doesn't get more than about 3 miles from my house. It's got big climbs, rocky descents, muddy stuff, the lot. Takes about 2 hours to do though.


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## Siclo (23 May 2018)

User said:


> Cornwall Council has a Rights of Way page which has a very handy interactive PROW map.



That page shows just how little bridleway there is in Cornwall compared to the thousands of miles of footpath, I think the Cornish took the attitude if a horse can get up it you might as well make it a road.

@fossala There's some good riding around Stithians, a decent enough loop at Carn Brea near Redruth, good trails around United Downs, lots of green lanes on Bodmin Moor and of course Cardinham Woods but I think that's more of a trail centre these days


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## Black Sheep (23 May 2018)

fossyant said:


> There isn't much that's un-rideable on an MTB, unless it's very up-hill or down hill.
> 
> The trails are very dry at the minute - absolute delight riding them.



One 'public byway' so technically a road would be slow going in a landrover or motorcross bike, the ground is simply boulders and full bricks loosely chucked down. That's the one I was thinking of when I typed, it's uphill too (I'd cope with it downhill)


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## Ticktockmy (2 Jun 2018)

One source of cycling bridleways and local knowledge is the Rough stuff Fellowship, https://www.rsf.org.uk/ Quite a few members are old wrinkles like myself but we do have local knowledge of bridleway/byway and county roads routes. so would be a good contact point for someone not too sure where to ride. I run the North Sussex& Gatwick Section, however I run rides across central sussex and Surrey. so anyone interested in that area can comment or PM me here if they wish.


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