Grizedale Forest

[Lefire]

I went up to the Lake District in May and spent a day in Grizedale Forest. I don't do a lot of Mtbing but really enjoyed the North Face Trail.
It seemed quiet technical as it was almost all single track.

Has anyone else been there ? If so how does it compare to other forests around the country. I live in Essex, so not exactly the hilliest place to Mtb.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-69hbp2

 

[Kirstie]

What did you think of the wooden sections? Apparently they're doing a 24hr race in there next May?! I think.
It compares quite well with the other man made MTB trail centres in the UK (like the welsh ones, and the 7 staines, which I think are a bit harder), but isn't a patch on some of the bridleways/rupps/boats around the lakes (walna scar; claiffe heights; tilbertwaite; hodge close; high arnside; iron keld; blaiwith common; garburn road; kentmere; high street; skiddaw; watendlath etc).

 

[Lefire]

I really enjoyed the whole forest. Even went over to 'Go Ape' for the tree climbing experience. was great fun.

I spent most of the rest of the week I was there on briddle paths. Most were fine but some were incredibly rocky and we ended up pushing our bike more than riding them which was a real shame.

I have been to Thetford Forest in Norfolk which is ok but a bit too flat and not really that challenging.

I'm sure I will go to the Lakes again next year.

 

[Kirstie]

Thetford is fantastic. It's not challenging climbing wise but to get through the singletrack at sustained speed is really quite hard work. It's just relentless, and the beast (supposedly a section of black run) can catch you out. Racing there is hard because there is no respite from pedalling/pumping.

Most of the bridleways around Grizedale are rideable, you've just got to keep going back and practising!

 

[Lefire]

Maybe the reason Thetford wasn't that challenging was because I was with my wife who is more sensible than I and we went a little slower than I usually would.

I spent a day around the Grizdale tracks but was staying over near Windermere so cycled off road where I could.

I was watching a Mtb race in Thetford a few months ago. Were you taking part ?

 

[Kirstie]

I haven't done the winter series there but I do Dusk til Dawn every year. It's usually in Sept/Oct and runs from 8pm - 8am. Last year's was in total darkness as they had it in October.

 

[Lefire]

How does that work ? Is it a race of number of laps / total distance or is it just a jolly ?
Sounds tiring either way

 

[Kirstie]

It's a 10 mile lap and it's as many as you can do in 12 hrs. It's a laugh! You can do it solo, in a pair (single sex or mixed), single sex or mixed team. I do female pairs at these kinds of events.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It's a laugh!

Unless you try to do it solo with no support. Nevertheless, this is exactly what i will attempting again this year!

 

[Kirstie]

I think you should get dr_smut to be your support.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I think you should get dr_smut to be your support.

I asked. He isn't that keen on the idea...

 

[Kirstie]

Oh really? I'll work on him.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Back to Grizedale.....

The only really odd thing about the N Face Trail is the completely arbitary canting (tilting) of the board walks. When it's really greasy, there is nothing you can do as a rider to help stay on them. They are not like the banking on the corners where the g forces increase as you go faster and faster. There have been a number of serious injuries and broken bones at Grizedale on these oddly inclined bits. They have also chosen not to chicken wire the wood like they have at 7 Staines.

The 'Phase 2' section also needs to be built to reduce the amount of fire road along the back stretch above Coniston Water. But although it's nowhere near the best mountain biking in Grizedale Forest, it does add a bit of variety and is okay for a winter nightime blast.

 

[Lefire]

I know what you mean about those boards. I was chatting to a colleague about them yesterday. He had the same problem.

It's probably made worse with the fact that if you come off you don't just fall off but also land in a boggy mess.

Do you wear clipless on your mountain bike ?

I do on the road bike but no way I would going over terain like that on the Mtb.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Yes, clipless everywhere. Speedplay on the road and SPD off road.

In fact I think it's more important to be clippless off road as they help keep your feet in place over the rought bits. We used to use plastic strapless toe clips years ago in winter so we could use walking boots to help keep warm, but now wear winter SPD boots from October to May.