What's Thetford Forest like?

[bobb]

It looks quite good, but I haven't been there since I was a child. I remember riding a donkey there, but not a bike!

I was thinking of nipping up on the train avec mtb for the day maybe next week to check out the trails. Is there anything I need to know?

[PaulR]

Don't be tempted to ride round Grimes Graves on your bike, even though it looks like a BMX park.  But it's lovely, despite the undulations being on the mild side.  And it's really quite big.

[mike]

its a great laugh, went a few months back with little brother.  No hills, obv, but lots of twisty stuff round the trees and they use the slope well on the black run so the last bit feels like it's downhill..

the mud is quite 'gritty' rather than sticky, so it's not too bad when it's wet.

[bobb]

So how much of the following is true?

The Black Mountain Bike Route is for experienced riders only. It has been graded as very difficult and highly technical. The tracks are narrow and difficult with varied surfaces. There are also very steep rises and decents.

They make it sounds like some kind of extreme, experts only type deal! I suppose they're just covering their arses in case little Timmy breaks his neck....

Edit: Oh - how easy is it to get to from the train station?

Edit 2: Will I get shouted at if I don't wear a magic hat?

[JT]

Lots of bomb holes everywhere, some sections of the Red route are quite good with some built-up berms, and The Beast section of the Black run is great fun - particularly considering you're on basically flat terrain.

Cross-post: I'd say The Beast is quite technical and a kid or novice could fettle themselves quite badly if they crashed there.


Edit: You'd go MTB'ing in a large forest on your own without a helmet? I never wear one on the road but I always wear one off-road as I'm far more likely to fall off. I am a crap MTB'er though but.

[bobb]

I don't bother with a h*lmet if it's just easy trails, but I do when I'm launching myself off near vertical 30 ft drops such as at Danbury!

I'll take a lid if there are good bomb holes and air to be had 

[mike]

It's technical in that there's a lot to hit, I wore a lid because of all the trees.   The bomb holes are a great laugh. 

it's v. close to brandon station, a bit further from thetford.

[Wobbly John]

Most of the trails in Thetford forest are around Brandon, so that is the better station if you are going by train. From the station, head across town for Brandon Country park, and when you get there, find a trail into the woods opposite and follow it until you pick up the black route. it's mostly sandy, slightly uphill firetrail from there to High Lodge and the start of the trails.

If you go by car, High Lodge, where the trails start from is expensive to park.  Those in the know park at Brandon country park, which is cheaper and has a better cafe. There is some free parking at Mayday farm, but it has been a target area for theives in the past.

Trails - plenty of fun swooping single-track on the red & black routes. More fire-roads on the green & Blue.

I would expect you to find the more difficult bits pleasently challenging. I have seen inexperiencd (and some moderately experienced) people get quite broken attempting some of the 'bombholes'

Most riders wear a helmet. I doubt you will get shouted at for being bare-headed. You don't get hair that cool by stuffing a lid on it. 

The 'Beast of the East' is part of the black route that had a reputation for being the knarliest trail in the area, but it has become a 'must do' 'rights of passage' ride over the years and has got very worn. some of the parallel trails to it are better, but get fewer riders, so if you fall off you could be lying there a few hours if you are on your own. 

I have some helmet cam video from one of the Retrobike forum rides there a couple of years ago - doesn't show the best bits of the trails, but from 2.40 to 4.00 are quite good.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z49VClXUzJU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Z49VClXUzJU&rel=1</a>

[tom_e]

So how much of the following is true?

The Black Mountain Bike Route is for experienced riders only. It has been graded as very difficult and highly technical. The tracks are narrow and difficult with varied surfaces. There are also very steep rises and decents.

They make it sounds like some kind of extreme, experts only type deal! I suppose they're just covering their arses in case little Timmy breaks his neck....

Arse covering drivel - you'll be disappointed if you come here expecting a normal "black" standard loop from experience elsewhere.  It's mostly simple singletrack to blast around, which is pretty good considering the lack of height to play with.  I'd say the red loop is a very similar standard to the black.  The Beast section of the black is fun at speed, but I'd say no more than a red rating.  It's tight, so you could hurt yourself if you go too fast, but you don't need to.

Main feature is lots of bombholes you can stop, look at the runs through them and take or leave as you please.  Some features are pretty damn hard/hazardous if you choose to do them.  There's a vicious entry drop in with a tree root across it near the centre I've never dared try.

I wouldn't do mtb without a lid, but that's coz a) I'm more likely to fall over, and b) I'm more likely to fall at a lower speed a lid will actually help at.

It's worth a blast if you're in this area of the country, but not worth travelling too far.

[Pip]

Dusk til Dawn enduro took place at Thetford last night. Started at 8p.m and finished at 8 a.m. It was only my third time on an MTB and the build up in the week before was fraught for various reasons. This was augmented by severe traffic on the North Circ. causing me to arrive later than hoped for and it was wet. (The rain started about two hours before the event).

As part of a two man team, my partner completed the first circuit in about 75mins. Lots of incoming riders had mentioned that it was quite greasy. My turn was not too bad. the bike gripped ok, the twisty stuff was taken slowly and the bomb holes caused me to nearly crap myself. Some of the grassy trails were a little slippery and I only hit the deck once.

Second time around I had announced that I would ride round twice. After about 200 metres I knew this was a big mistake. It was like riding on ice. No grip front or back. Tree stumps had appeared from nowhere and I ended up on my back in the ferns about 4 times and suffered a spectacular fall on some slippery roots just after the hair raising second bomb hole. This was no place for a windy 53 year old to be at 1 o'clock in the morning. It was fortunate that I couldn't clip in on the left side, as I would have fallen off much more.


So what is Thetford Forest like. Well, it's very dark at night. If it rains, it is as slippery as shit on a stick. The bomb holes need looking at as the entry lines do have gnarly obstacles. It's not all flat, there are one or two little drags, and loads of bumpy singletrack.

I would definitely always wear a lid.

[bobb]

Sounds good! I've thought about doing the Dusk til Dawn in the past. Maybe we could get a yacf team or two together for next year?

[teethgrinder]

Sounds good! I've thought about doing the Dusk til Dawn in the past. Maybe we could get a yacf team or two together for next year?

What a very good idea.
I'd be up for that.

[PaulF]

Sounds good! I've thought about doing the Dusk til Dawn in the past. Maybe we could get a yacf team or two together for next year?

What a very good idea.
I'd be up for that.

I'll regret this but I'll put my hat in the ring too

[bobb]

Most Excellent!

teethgrinder can do 10 hours and we'll make up the rest 

[Si]

I've only ever raced at Thetford so don't know what it's like for leisure riding, but for racing I found it bloody hard work despite the flatness.  I think that it's the amount of twisty single track - you are always having to scrub off speed for the corners and then accelerate out of them....takes it out of you if you having been doing any sprint training or are used to more open courses.  But it's excellent fun!  I wouldn't worry about all the warnings, if you take it at your own pace there is nothing dangerous there.

As for the D2D, I didn't mind the slipperiness so much when I did it - it was the pea soup fog at three in the morning that nearly did for me.

[teethgrinder]

I'd only be riding for fun and a bit of a laugh (also hoping that beer will be involved). I'm pretty crap at off roading and only do it for fun so won't be taking it as serious as I do the Mersey Roads 24.