I’ve done a lot of riding this week. Well, I say a lot, and my standards it is a lot, by others’, probably not so much. But I digress…

I’ve been on a bit of a mission this week. Firstly, I wanted to make the most of the stunning weather that’s descended on the UK (or my little corner of it at any rate), and secondly, I wanted to track down some elusive off-piste singletrack in my local woods.

The first section I found was initially greasy, root-infested and off-camber, and I loved it. I spent a large portion of the week sessioning it, getting faster and developing more flow, but it wasn’t enough: I wanted more. I asked about on some of the local forums (fora?) and was given a set of directions. Suitably prepared, I gathered my trusty wingman, and out we went…

After a brief spell of fire road bashing, we hit the jackpot: a well-constructed drop, with a rollable alternate line for those of us on a shorter travel bike leading to a great section of single track rejoining the fire road. It was, I have to say, great fun. But, you’ve guessed it, I still wasn’t satisfied…

And so I hit Strava. Love it or loathe it, it’s a fabulous tool for finding those hidden gems. Out I went for a Sunday afternoon solo explore. Oh, my word, did it pay off. Not one, but two trails, beautiful, flowy, sinuous ribbons of dirt, interspersed with just enough loam and roots to make things interesting, with an easy pedal back up to have another go.

Guess what though, I’m still not satisfied, and so next week, I’ll be back out again, hunting down more hidden gems. Ride with me, and I might just show you a few.

PS: If someone should share your favourite piece of off-piste, don’t threaten them, it’s just not cool…