Usually, for one of our Trail Crew reports, a few MBUK regulars turn up at a trail centre or bike park, meet up with one or more locals and spend the day riding, snapping photos and getting to know the trails well enough to give you all an idea of what it’s like to visit. With Swinley Forest, it’s slightly different. I’ve been riding there for over 30 years and have seen it go through various evolutions in that time, from the myriad multidirectional, Crown Estate-tolerated trails of dubious legality in the ’90s and ’00s, through to the waymarked, graded and well-maintained offerings of today. It’s been a gradual progression, designed to cope with the ever-increasing numbers of riders visiting the forest, which it does very well. Owned by the aforementioned Crown Estate, the approximately 24km of trails are maintained by The Swinley Bike Hub, a privately-owned concession that operates several strands of MTB-related activities here, including bike hire, a bike shop and workshop, The Summit skills area, MTB coaching and social rides.
History in the making
I meet head honcho
