Offroad group ride, Thetford Forest, 15 Aug 2021
Last Sunday a group of us from Catenary Coaching went to Thetford to do the mountain bike trails through the forest. I have never done any off road cycling before so it was very out of my comfort zone, particularly on Tim’s borrowed CX bike which I had never ridden before. I was apprehensive at the start trying to get my head round not always having two wheels on the ground, but when I got used to it I really enjoyed it. Firstly we did the long version of the blue route which was a nice introduction with a mix of trail, sand and gravel to ride over. At the end of the blue trail we found ‘the Bombhole’ which Andy and Tim demonstrated. After a bit of encouragement I decided to take the plunge over the seemingly vertical drop. Needless to say, it was terrifying and left me shaking but also proud that I had tried it, I’m not sure I’ll be doing it again now I know what’s coming!
After the pit we stopped for a snack, and several Magnums later we moved onto the red trail. The entrance involved cycling over a rock which was a worrying indicator of what was to come. There were steps, table tops and some very built up berms to tackle before even reaching the named parts of the course such as ‘Rock and rollers’ and the most ominously named ‘Beast’. All day I had convinced myself not to do the Beast because I didn’t want to ruin what had been a fun day out with a crash at the last hurdle. However, we got there and I was full of confidence. The Beast was effectively a series of small(ish) pits with some on trail and others over rocks and roots. I think not knowing what was coming and my earlier adventure into ‘the Bombhole’ set me in good stead to ride slightly scared but mostly confidently through the tricky section. We met Frances at the bottom and Andy coached Sara down the Beast before we headed back.
All in all, despite a few curse words, a great fun day out! Now I just need to convince my other half that another bike is a worthwhile investment…I’ll keep you posted on that one!
Maddy Henderson
