Bike
MTB
6 of the UK's best MTB loam trails
Light and loose dirt is extremely fun to ride, but hard to find. These are the best places in the UK to get your loam fix.
When we think of loam, we think of Whistler and the north shore crew jumping from skinnies into roosting corners, with fresh loam kicking out towards the poor cameraman's lens. It makes us want to grab our bike and shred.
Unfortunately for all you loam-lovers, trail centres and bike parks usually have to build trails that are easily maintained and that can withstand large volumes of riders all week long, so finding that perfectly loose dirt can be hard. But don't worry, we've got you covered with this list of the best trails to get all the loamy goodness you could ever dream of.
Our top picks:
- Surrey Hills
- Revolution Bike Park
- Triscombe
- Forest of Dean
- Woburn
- Your local natural trails
1. Surrey Hills
Surrey Hills is a pivotal location for mountain bikers based in the south of England, and more specifically Peaslake, having become an English riding sensation thanks to the likes of Brendan Fairclough bringing it into the spotlight.
Covered in a multitude of trails, you can easily have a full day out on the bike exploring the whole Surrey Hills area by bike and get rad kicking up some loam in the process.
We recommend: Grab your enduro bike, hardtail, or even your fully rigid, and go explore the Surrey dirt.
2. Revolution Bike Park
An exception to the bike park rule is Revolution Bike Park, situated in North Wales and nestled among tracks like Bala and Llangollen. Revolution continue to add to Wales’ impressive list of downhill riding spots by building a new black graded track named 'Loam Track'. Be prepared to take your downhill riding back to the ‘au naturel’ days, with its steep ruts and natural terrain.
We recommend: Get out the big bike. Make the most of the uplift service and get shredding some good Welsh soil.
3. Triscombe
Another English loam hub is Triscombe. It is based in the Quantock hills just north of Taunton, with over 25 downhill tracks and a weekend uplift, and is renowned for its loam tracks.
Triscombe is perfect for both downhill and trail bikes, with a wide variety of terrain to choose from depending on your preference. The trails range from a mixture of steep, technical and flowy runs with a large dose of loam included.
We recommend: Making a day out of the pedals as it's perfect for bikes of all sizes. Or if you prefer, you can jump on the weekend uplift to get continuous runs full of fresh, loamy action.
4. Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a central mountain biking hub on the border of England and Wales which offers a wide range of tracks for all abilities.
The cross-country loop is predominantly rock surfaced; however, their downhill tracks have a great mixture of terrain and style. The Cougar Root track is part of their loamy section and the team at PedalABikeAway have also cut in some new lines just off of the Corkscrew downhill track, which is a fun way to mix up your downhill run with a sprinkling of loam.
We recommend: Pedal or uplift, Forest of Dean can be enjoyed by all.
5. Woburn
Situated just outside of Milton Keynes, Woburn Sands has a variety of cross-country and enduro tracks. With a mixture of jumps tracks and more technical sections, Woburn makes for some brilliant loam roosting sessions. You might even run into local boy Matt Jones.
We recommend: Whip out a hardtail for a good session at Woburn, or you can also jump around on a bouncy enduro bike. This location is pretty much an all-rounder.
6. Your Local Trails
Last, but not least, your local trails.
One of the main reasons why there aren’t many loam trails at popular riding destinations is that they are difficult to maintain with such a high volume of riders. Your local trails are likely to be quieter, and therefore local loam trails will last longer than those at popular trail centres.
Run by dedicated trail builders, it’s likely that they are constantly on the hunt to cut some fresh tracks, so get in touch and give them a hand. Remember, no dig, no ride.
Try the Trailforks app to see if there are any hidden gems you didn't know about.
