Hopton Wood Mountain Biking

Ell:

Great trail, mixture of trail surfaces, root section, jumps, fast singletrack and interesting features and even that killer climb

Fun, fast and not busy like most trail centres

Jack Stanton-Warren:

During early February this year I decided that it was time to deviate from the road and search for a new thrill on the less 'cycled' path. I scraped together every last penny id saved up from my summer job and managed to buy a middle of the road mountain bike, perfect! Luckily I still had a friend who was keen on doing some XC mountain biking so we got together and headed to Hopton Woods, which is only a short 20 minute drive from Ludlow. The perfect place to have an introduction to the sport! It was a cool Saturday morning, the floor was damp and a fresh wooded smell lingered in the air, I felt apprehensive about what lay ahead on the 'Pearce Cycles Red Route'. It had been a good few years since I had last plunged down a rooty wood and I was unsure if my bike handling skills and second hand bike were up to the task. Before embarking on the long 12.6km red route, we decided it would be best to warm up with the short red loop. The short red loop is roughly 1 mile in length (1.6km) and it is a perfectly crafted trail with roots, drops, short uphill's and technical bits to get you ready for what's to come. I now felt much more relaxed and was fired up to get round the real thing! The long red xc loop starts with a fast flowing downhill. You descend through swooping bends, rocky downhill's and hairpin turns, this quickly comes to an end at a small stream where you negotiate a small flat technical section before being launched down the fire road towards the bottom of the wood. By this point in the ride my confidence was growing but I knew that the red route wasn't all downhill and I sensed that a long climb was rapidly approaching. The route takes a detour off the fire road up a short sharp hill that can catch you out if you're not ready. I wasn't ready and failed to change gear in time. Fortunately it was only a few metres to the top before another short descent which enabled me to gather speed and get back on track, this moment reminded me that such quick changes in pace do not happen in other sports! Another short rocky sections follows before you are back on the fire road and 'the trig point' climb starts. This climb starts on the fire road with a few bends, continues through some single track with hairpin bends and eventually leads back up to the top of the woods. The climb is technical and very tough! By the time you get to the top you deserve a rest. Me and my friend at this point were breathing hard and worn out from the Category 3 climb that reaches a max gradient of 20%! Fortunately though, the climb was well made and there was no excuse to get off and push. Nice job, Dave Pearce! After a short rest, we started to descend down the steep rooty woods of the 'black route' which is fun, well made and completely natural. The winter had made the roots slippy and hard work! The downhill is only short and you are back on a fire road for a short period before winding your way back up through the woods and towards, what I believe, is the best bit of the route. It is important to mention that the route is well sign-posted throughout and there is an option of cutting the route short; making it just 7.5km. We didn't turn off at this point and instead carried on up the fire road for a few more hundred metres before taking a left turning and descending quickly to the open section of the woods. The open section of the woods is spectacular. It is fast, well made and offers a great view across the whole of Hopton and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, this section comes to an end after roughly 0.5km and then you take a hairpin turn that takes you back across the top of the common and towards the final short climb. This final climb is tough and requires the right tyres. It was quite slippery on this day and my tyres didn't manage to grip the surface which meant a final push to the top. After reaching the end of the climb you spend 100m or so on the fire road before you dive into a very fun and quick downhill section that tests your skills one last time. Finally, you find yourself on a fire road which you follow for 150m or so before arriving right back where you started. THE FINISH! I felt a good sense of achievement at the end which i'm sure you will all be familiar with! The route literally has everything you can ask for aswell as providing a much more natural and peaceful feel than a trail centre like cannock. My confidence was brimming by the end and although I felt tired I had the urge to do more. The loop had instantly got me hooked! I grabbed my bike and pedalled off down the first section. C'mon, just one more lap !

- Great variation of terrain - Well sign-posted throughout - Easily accessible - Never to busy - Provides a short warm up loop

Matt:

Hopton is a brilliant introduction to downhill, the trails are easy to find, and vary in difficulty, making them excellent for the budding youngster and veteran alike. The cross country loop is one of the best natural loops i have ever ridden. If you are looking for a true natural ride hopton is the place for it, the unsurfaced track proves a good challenge in the wet and provides endless fun in the dry with high rolling speed and endless grip. It is definitely worth a look if you are confident about your riding ability and don't mind a few roots.

Natural terrain and lines Flowing trails Line choice Good challenge Fun

shropshiremtb:

Pearce Cycles have done an excellent job over the years developing the downhill tracks in the wood and now there's the excellent red trail.

Red XC trails The downhill tracks