Mountain Biking - Bedgebury?

[Dan_K]

Am getting back into mountain biking again (due to trade up to a Boardman FS Team soon too.....) and was thinking of heading down to Bedgebury in the next few weeks.
Haven't been in a while. Have the trails improved much since 2009?

[Grahame]

There's a few new sections, but if it has rained in the few days before your trip, beware of the mudfest that it becomes. Oh, and the parking charges have increased.

I'd recommend going to the hills around Peaslake instead. Much more "winterproof".

[Dombo]

Second that. Peaslake and the surrounding hills, Leith, Pitch and Holmbury drain very well, have excellent trails and are free of parking charges. The swooping downhill from Holmbury down to Peaslake "Barry Knows Best" has been upgraded a couple of years ago and is a fantastic section. The village stores have a good selection of snacks and teas, while the NT place in Leith Hill Tower does arguably the best fruitcake in the know universe (though check with Higg; if they've found his boson at CERN this might have changed).

The bike shop Nirvana Cycles http://www.nirvanacycles.com does guided rides around the area on Saturdays and Sundays and even after 15 years of riding around there I still discover something new when out with them. Simon who owns the shop is a top bloke.

Grahame and I would be happy to ride around with you - as a Chartered Engineer with three degrees he should be able to fix your bike if the chain comes off or you get a puncture; while as an overpaid bank clerk I can direct you to the nearest cashpoint if you need money for a cab home (that's if I've remembered to shovel enough tenners in the back of it after staggering out of Corney and Barrow the night before!). Failing that I could restructure your broken steed into something resembling a working bicycle and flog it for three times its value to some unwitting punter. For a fee of course