Thetford Forest Mountain Bike Trails - The Black Run Hot

Thetford forest on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk offers a range of mountain bike trails from green, blue, red and black. It also has a pretty well kitted out bike shop (Bike Art) which does cycle hire as well as a Visitors Centre with a cafe.

I was visiting friends in Cambridge and as only 40 miles north I thought I'd check out the Black route.

The black route is around 10 miles in distance. The terrain is,.... well we are talking a pretty flat part of the world here and consists of a lot winding singletrack, roots and has not unsurprisingly with all those trees a forestry feel.

The route is broken up every few miles by a number of ditches like bomb holes with short steep descents and exits. The first one is the most promising as it has both a number of entry and exit lines including rooty drops and one with a fast shoot exit that propels you out into the air with a forgiving sandpit like finish if you undershoot.


The other ditches I think are pretty non technical and for a black route this is a bit of a missed opportunity. So local Forest folk maybe get those spades out!

Overall technically I think the options and diversity is pretty under par to justify the grading of black. There are a few tough obstacles to get up and over but it is a fun beginner red at best if I had been asked to grade it (and on a good day).

The best technical challenge is left till near the end when you enter the Beast section packed with winding rooty dips alternating in switchback like style.

One feature that seems endemic and specific at Thetford is it is built as if there was an enormous layer of corrugated steel under all that dirt. You can't move more that a couple of feet without hitting a small roller followed by another, then another and so on. Ride it seated your body will feel the never ending jitter and your back won't thank you. Ride it standing and you probably have the best pump track training ground in the world. I did wonder if it was this feature that requires quite some endurance that drove the overall grading.

Like all trails you get what you put in. I loved the pump type terrain, the sharp corners and the forest feel.


Bear in mind that under 12's can ride any trail here except the black. Also the High Lodge car park is costly. I hope and assume it is subsidising the trail development to turn the black into a decent black. Alternatively to manage expectations of what is a fun trail they should regrade it and just admit they have made a mistake in the grading.

More info: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandEastAngliaNoForestThetfordForestParkHighLodgeForestCentre