Anytime: 27km, takes an hour and a bit to ride, easy

This is now my goto route for the rainy days. It’s short, but there’s always the option to add a few laps, and nearly all off road, whilst avoiding pretty much any mud. There are puddles for sure but the sort you can wheel through and not expect to slither off or get stuck in. 

Route: The gravel descent down to the thrift is unlikely to be busy in the rain, so makes for a fun start. Then after hopping over the now infamous A421 join the wide tracks at the Marston Vale forest centre. I like the “canal path” heading in, especially in autumn it somehow feels a bit out there even though it isn’t. You can pick any route around the lakes, but the gpx follows the obvious one, and at the time of creation a bridge over Elstow brook was shut off following flood damage.

I definitely recommend going anticlockwise around Rookery North. The short steep hill takes your attention away from the incinerator and then the return on the Stewartby side in the trees is bliss. A real cruise. 

Don’t miss crossing the road to get to the Millbrook railway sidings, where an out and back loop takes advantage of the ballast from the old trackbeds. Means even the single track bit stays fast and dryish, even if the roots might be slippery 😉

Pros: There are plenty of bits in the ride that will put a smile on your face, even on the dingiest and wettest of days.

Cons: If it’s not raining the forest centre trails could be busy.