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Glentress Mountain Bike Trails
© Neil Roger
MTB
10 of the best XC trails in the UK
There's no time like the present to get out the trail bike and head to the hills for some XC action.
Written by Claire Gormley
5 min readPublished on
The UK is full of great cross country riding, so we’ve picked 10 brilliant trails (in no particular order) that will appeal to beginners and all the way up to the most experienced riders.
  1. Limeburner trail – Thetford Forest, England
  2. Glentress blue route – Scotland
  3. Ladybower loop – Peak District, England
  4. Witches Trails – Fort William, Scotland
  5. The Red Trail – Dalby Forest, England
  6. Follow The Dog + The Monkey – Cannock Chase, England
  7. Elan Epic – Elan Valley, Wales
  8. Blue Scar – Afan, Wales
  9. South Downs Way – Sussex
  10. Hadleigh Park – Essex
Read on to find out more about each trail...

1. Limeburner trail – Thetford Forest, England

The flat fens of the East Coast may not seem like a top mountain bike location, but there’s still plenty on offer to get your off road fix. A must-try spot has to be the Limeburner trail in Thetford Forest. Here you’ll find high-speed singletrack, which offers loads of grip and even the odd bomb hole – a relic from the military activity centred around this area in the Second World War.

2. Glentress blue route – Scotland

Glentress is a mecca for mountain bikers of all styles and abilities, with a particular favourite for beginners and intermediates being the blue trail. It’s about 10 miles long and includes plenty of climbing for those who like to feel the burn; after that you’ll be hitting fast flowing descents, including the classic Berm Baby Berm.

3. Ladybower loop – Peak District, England

The Peak District is brimming with classic mountain bike routes full of rocky terrain and incredible views. We’re recommending this beastly 28 mile loop, which skirts around the Ladybower Reservoir; featuring equally tough rocky climbs and descents. We’d suggest tackling this challenging route in fine weather, due to the exposed nature of the terrain.

4. Witches Trails – Fort William, Scotland

Perhaps better known for it’s downhill track, Fort William also has some great XC trails for all abilities. Broomstick Blue is especially good for beginners and families, where as The Witches World Champs is for experienced riders only, having been designed for the 2007 XC World Championships.
Find out more here.

5. The Red Trail – Dalby Forest, England

Dalby Forest knows a thing or two about XC riding having hosted a round of the XC World Cup back in 2010. So, if the terrain’s good enough for the pros, it’s good enough for the likes of us. The Red Trail is fairly long at 21.5 miles and combines just about everything you’d want in an XC loop, including tricky climbs, singletrack and some more technical features.
Find out more here.

6. Follow The Dog + The Monkey – Cannock Chase, England

Cannock Chase’s relatively central location means it atrracts riders from far and wide, with their Follow The Dog and Monkey Trails combining to make an awesome 14.19 mile loop. It starts fairly flat, but features plenty of fun climbs and descents by the time you get on to the Monkey Trail. Cannock Chase can be a real brake pad eater in the wet, so we’d recommend sintered pads when the weather’s bad.

7. Elan Epic – Elan Valley, Wales

The Elan Valley features some of the most picturesque riding the UK has to offer. So whilst this route may be as epic by nature as it is by name, you should have plenty of opportunity for ‘Insta bangers’, to help show the world how gnarly you are. Much like the rest of Wales, the Elan Valley can get very wet and from bitter experience we’d suggest trying this route after a spell of dry weather.

8. Blue Scar – Afan, Wales

Blue Scar is a great trail for beginners who are looking to push their skills on to the next level. It’s 4.3 miles long with 347 metres of climbing, so requires some decent fitness. However, you’ll be rewarded with fast forgiving descents and the odd steep section, which should help you build up to tackling the longer trails that Afan has to offer.

9. South Downs Way – Sussex

If you’re after a long distance cross country challenge, then the South Downs Way is a classic route that stretches a mere 100 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne. Most riders complete it in two days, however finishing in a single day is possible for the strongest riders. Although some like to take the pain and masochism even further by completing the South Downs Way double – basically there and back. The record is a staggering 15hrs 35mins. Don’t forget to take some tough tyres if you’re attempting this route, as the surface is a real magnet for punctures.

10. Hadleigh Park – Essex

Want to experience a world class cross country race course? Then the 2012 Olympic venue of Hadleigh Park in Essex should be top of your list. It’s man-made, but the combination of steep climbs and tricky rock gardens make it a real challenge to be ridden at race pace.
Find out more here.
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