Bike Parks in the UK - 6 of the best

Fancy a day at the park?

As the popularity of mountain biking continues to grow we are seeing more and more bike parks popping up across the UK.  These new facilities offer bikers the opportunity to squeeze more riding into a shorter period of time, helping them improve their skills and ultimately have more fun. In this article we explore 6 of the best bike parks in the UK, highlighting what to expect and who they are best suited to.

Descend - Hamsterly

 Head north east to find Danny Hart's Descend in Hamsterly, near Durham.

The park is currently in its 17th year of operation, making it an 'old boy' of the bike park scene. With such established roots, it's no wonder that park is popular amongst the advanced crowd as well as newer riders.

The park contains 5 main downhill tracks, running from the top to the mid-way point. These top sections flow fast, offering green lanes and chicken runs. At mid-way the top routes branch into 8 optional bottom sections, each more technical, including multiple line options. 

Farmer John's Bike Park - Peak District

Rider owned and run, Farmer Johns Bike Park is located in Marple on the edge of the Peak District.

'Farmer' John Thorpe, his wife Jill, their team of riders and builders have created and maintain the tracks. The park has been designed with a downhill mountain biking focus, catering for more experienced riders, with all trails graded red to black. However, the site also contains two dirt jumping parks for a range of styles. 

Forest of Dean - Wye Valley

The Forest of Dean is famed for its beauty. It is also home to a huge range of mountain bike trails.

The area is known for its root-filled descents that cater to a mix of styles and features. With 10 official downhill trials, there are options for those that are new to dirt tracks and advanced riders alike.

BikePark Wales - Merthyr Tydfil

Built by riders for riders, BikePark Wales is located in the heart of South Wales and is the UK's first full scale bike park.

The park delivers a world class biking experience in the UK for intermediate and seasoned downhills pros. It also provides a 1km green run and expert coaching to help those looking to get into the sport to find their feet. 

Queen Elizabeth Country Park - Hampshire

Weaving through stunning natural scenes, biking in the Queen Elizabeth Country Park is an absolute pleasure.

The parks bike trials went untouched for years after falling into a pretty sorry state, but have since undergone repair at the hands of the volunteer group QECP Trial Collective. This development has made two small but well maintained trails available for riding, one blue and one red. 

Revolution Bike Park, Llangynog

Another jewel in the Welsh bike park line up.

Revolution Bike Park is based near the Snowdonia national park and boasts 125 acres of forest and quarry area to play in. It provides a mix of steep and technical downhill tracks with rough roots and tight corners that attract some of the world's best riders.

Offering an uplift service means that as a rider you can make the most of your time at the park. 

In this article we have just scratched the surface, highlighting just some of the best bike parks to explore in the UK. As the sport continues to grow in popularity we will likely see some of these parks expanding and new ones popping up. We look forward to watching this happen and trying each of them out!

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