TRAILCREW CHICKSANDS BIKE PARK

These superb Bedfordshire trails boast massive variety and a ton of features packed into a compact woodland site just 30 miles north of the M25

- Steve Behr

They've been busy at Chicksands since we lasted visited a good few years ago. For a start, they've put a nice new office in the car park, which was the brainchild of Tom Dowie - local coach, 4X legend and our guide for the day. More importantly, they've added to the existing trails and features. The trail guide now reads like a shopping list of track types, many of which aren't usually found in the same riding spot. Tom's protégé, 14-year-old Lucas Rose, is already kitted up and raring to go while we wait for Tom to finish his early coaching session. Two Focus Bikes ambassadors, Olly Wilkins and Ben Deakin, make up the rest of our crew for the day. After checking the selection of snacks and merch for sale in the office, we head over to the 4X track, as it's close to the car park and we have to start somewhere. So many choices!

Smorgasbord of treats

Probably best known for its national race-standard 4X track, back in the day Chicksands was also famous for its dirt jumps, and its proximity to the classic Woburn trails meant it was often mentioned in the same breath as a destination for dirt jumpers to visit. But that's not all it has, not by a long way. Pump track? Tick. Downhill tracks? Tick. Dual slalom? Of course! Singletrack, flow lines, drop-off area, mini BMX... all present and correct.