I am looking to combine some cycling on trails (like Cannock Chase) with an overnight stop in the camper van.

 

Can anyone recomend a place where there is a decent intermediate trail route and a camp site?

 

Preferably within two-three hours drive of Birmingham.

 

Cheers

Have you contacted the visitor center on Cannock Chase they should be able to help with the trails and over night site.

 

Bob

The OP appears to live in Birmingham so I expect is looking for a Cannock-type centre a bit further afield.

The Forest of Dean has a popular trail centre with a cafe. There's a blue and red graded trail (Verderer's and Free Miner's) as well as an easy green pootle round the forest. That would be under two hours from Birmingham. Here's the website link http://www.pedalabikeaway.co.uk/advancedriding.html . And you can read about my experience of it here http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/so-i-went-to-a-trail-centre.18964/ . You shouldn't have any trouble finding a campsite in the area as a quick Google reveals there to be several.

 

A bit further a field, but still within three hours is Bike Park Wales http://www.bikeparkwales.com/ . I haven't been there yet but it's proving very popular and there are buckets of trails there. I have read that the uplift service is so busy it needs to be booked in advance (I've no idea if this is just at peak times or not) but you probably don't need that if you have electrically assistance anyway. As for campsites, I'm not sure as Merthyr isn't the nicest area itself, but you might find some to the north as you head into the Beacons.

 

Cwmcarn Forest has some trails and is a similar distance but I think they may be closed now for a good while as they have been struck with larch disease (No 1 : the Larch (sorry, couldn't resist)) and sadly have to fell large areas of forest.

 

Also closed now to my knowledge, but worth considering for the future is combining Cwm Rhaeader with Coed Trallwm (I saw a sign that Cwm Rhaeader would be closed for felling in November but the latter might still be open). Cwm Rhaeader has my favourite red so far and Coed Trallwm has a blue and a red and some very beautiful roads to ride from the car park. Neither has facilities open at the moment. There's a nice campsite at Rhandirmwyn that my parents have stayed at which is very near to the Cwm Rhaeader forest.

The Forest of Dean has a popular trail centre with a cafe. There's a blue and red graded trail (Verderer's and Free Miner's) as well as an easy green pootle round the forest. That would be under two hours from Birmingham. Here's the website link http://www.pedalabikeaway.co.uk/advancedriding.html . And you can read about my experience of it here http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/so-i-went-to-a-trail-centre.18964/ . You shouldn't have any trouble finding a campsite in the area as a quick Google reveals there to be several.

 

A bit further a field, but still within three hours is Bike Park Wales http://www.bikeparkwales.com/ . I haven't been there yet but it's proving very popular and there are buckets of trails there. I have read that the uplift service is so busy it needs to be booked in advance (I've no idea if this is just at peak times or not) but you probably don't need that if you have electrically assistance anyway. As for campsites, I'm not sure as Merthyr isn't the nicest area itself, but you might find some to the north as you head into the Beacons.

 

Cwmcarn Forest has some trails and is a similar distance but I think they may be closed now for a good while as they have been struck with larch disease (No 1 : the Larch (sorry, couldn't resist)) and sadly have to fell large areas of forest.

 

Also closed now to my knowledge, but worth considering for the future is combining Cwm Rhaeader with Coed Trallwm (I saw a sign that Cwm Rhaeader would be closed for felling in November but the latter might still be open). Cwm Rhaeader has my favourite red so far and Coed Trallwm has a blue and a red and some very beautiful roads to ride from the car park. Neither has facilities open at the moment. There's a nice campsite at Rhandirmwyn that my parents have stayed at which is very near to the Cwm Rhaeader forest.

 

Hi, I read your blog on the Forest of Dean a while ago, whne I said intermediate I probaly meant a bit better than a beginer lol. You're right though lots of camp sites came up in a search so I might give it a go in later this month.

The OP appears to live in Birmingham so I expect is looking for a Cannock-type centre a bit further afield.

 

Yes the Cannock Chase C&CC site is great but less than half an hour from my house. We do stay there on occasion though(good for checking out the van)

Hi, I read your blog on the Forest of Dean a while ago, whne I said intermediate I probaly meant a bit better than a beginer lol. You're right though lots of camp sites came up in a search so I might give it a go in later this month.

Did you mean you wanted black trails then? The Forest of Dean has downhill but not black, but Bike Park Wales and Coed Trallwn have a black. I was under the impression that blue was beginner and that reds were intermediate. That's what all the information boards say. Have fun wherever you go, there's loads of places to ride in South Wales if you don't mind the drive.

We do stay there on occasion though(good for checking out the van)

 

Very wise - a dry run on the front drive is just never the same.

Did you mean you wanted black trails then? The Forest of Dean has downhill but not black, but Bike Park Wales and Coed Trallwn have a black. I was under the impression that blue was beginner and that reds were intermediate. That's what all the information boards say. Have fun wherever you go, there's loads of places to ride in South Wales if you don't mind the drive.

 

I'm after somthing about beginer standard., its been a while since I did anything MTB wise. Just been pootleing on tow paths and old railway paths

I'm after somthing about beginer standard., its been a while since I did anything MTB wise. Just been pootleing on tow paths and old railway paths

 

Dalby Forest near Pickering, north Yorkshire, is just about within range.

 

Several easy cycling trails, visitor centre and other bits and pieces.

 

Let me know if you decide to have a run at it and I may join you for a ride.

 

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-8yzdgq

I'm after somthing about beginer standard., its been a while since I did anything MTB wise. Just been pootleing on tow paths and old railway paths

You have me a bit confused as first you said you wanted stuff like Cannock Chase which are red graded trails (classed as intermediate on the Cannock Chase website) so I suggested a bunch of reds including the red at the Forest of Dean, but then you seemed to say they were not difficult enough (because I had managed to ride them) and that you wanted tougher. Well that's black. But in your last post you say you want something beginner as you want to ease back in gently which I would say is blue.

 

So my initial suggestion of blue then red at the FoD seems a good one after all.

All these colours reminds me of the old joke:

 

What's black and white and red all over?

A nun rolling down a hill?

How do you make a Swiss roll?

 

Push him down a mountain.

 

How do make a Venetian blind?

 

Poke his eyes out.

I do confusion quite well

What do you call a deer without any eyes?

No idea.

What do you call a deer without any eyes?

 

No idea.

 

How do you make a hospice?

 

Give it lots to drink.

And what's the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison?

You could drive an extra half hour, take part in this event that is based from a camping site, then spend time exploring the area. http://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events/wiggle-purbeck-hill-a-saurus-mtb/

The Wiggle event looks good, I have another thing going on that weekend :-(

And what's the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison?

 

Go on, then, what is the difference?

And what's the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison?

You need to live in South Staffs for this to work properly.

You can't wash your hands in a Buffalo

What's the difference between a stote and a weasel?