TRAILCREW: WOBURN BIKE PARK & TRAILS

This classic spot on the Beds/Bucks border has something for everyone

- Steve Behr

When we talk about Woburn as a riding destination, what we're really referring to is the collection of trails and jumps in and around Aspley Woods, just southeast of Milton Keynes, on the Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire border. Mountain bikes have been ridden here pretty much since the sport was conceived. And when dirt jumping grew in popularity in the mid-to-late '90s, Woburn became a top venue for airtime, too. Over the years, it's sometimes been a contentious place to ride, with locals having to work hard to secure its future. Pro riders including Matt Jones grew up riding here, with many others following a similar path. So, it's good to see that the XC trails and jumps have both been developed, waymarked and, hopefully secured, to give current riders a great venue to explore and allow future generations of mountain bikers to develop their skills.

Triple thrill

I turn up at Woburn Bike Park to meet the crew for the morning session. Tom Cardy, Kara Beal and Chris Smith are raring to go, and we head on into the park, where Chris and Tom immediately try to outdo each other in the skills area. Tom is clearly getting more air on the tabletops, but Chris then perfects a manual through the rollers to even things out.

We move on up to the transfer line in the freeride/ downhill area. It's a fun, flowy line, and we decide to grab a shot of Tom jumping over the trail with Kara in the berm. They nail it first time, although Kara gets too close and looks terrified - if she'd been much closer he'd have taken her head off! We move over to the Constipated Snail trail, where we don't encounter any snails, but do come across a triple line that provides another good photo op.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Locals do...

Stick to the existing trails and give way to walkers and horses