Well not quite. I rode Hadleigh Park, the centre that the team behind the Olympics created the 2012 Olympic cross country course at.
Getting to it is super easy. Simply head to Hadleigh in Essex’s and it’s just on the outskirts, just follow the signs. Parking costs £6 and then you’re done.
So what’s it like?
Well first and foremost it’s not the most well signposted trail centre. I rode both the blue and the red. In short, forget the blue, it’s wide open and not terribly inspiring for the experienced rider. The red is where you want to be. You’ve got about a 15 minute loop with optional black rated features which are pretty tasty. Climbing is equally balanced with desents so you’re never short changed. Given the Olympians road the same course, especially the black rated rock gardens on high XC bikes, certainly gets you thinking they’re more than race horses!
So after getting lost a few times admittedly we ran out of time to do a proper loop. So you’ve read this far and gone “great, that was pointless”. Bare with…
It’s worth a trip for sure!
What I did discover/find out, is that it’ll be an awesome place to do laps round. The trails are really well built, with the optional black rocky features keeping you on your toes. Riding a 150mm trail bike also feels like the best option to really get the most out of the centre and features.
The place also sports a well built tarmac pump track and a decent trail head. The views aren’t bad either over the Thames estery!
So one for your list next year for sure. See you there!
Peace out.
