How to get there:

First of all get yourself to Coleford (look it up on t’internet) then turn left onto New Road. Entering Coalway
New Road continue forward onto South Road. Entering Broadwell South Road at the crossroads turn right onto Speech House Road - B4226 (signposted Cinderford). Then at the crossroads turn left onto New Road , you’ll see the Pygmy Pinetum garden centre on the left. Finally the car park and Pedal a Bikeaway centre is about a mile down the road on the left.

Whats There:
 

Well the Fod is a massive area with loads of waymarked and unmarked single track, cross country loops and even family trails but for this review I’ll just concentrate on the downhill track. I’ve done the big loop of the forest on my Klein back in the dark ages and it’s not something I’d repeat on anything less than a lightweight XC steed.

How Much:
 

£2 parking, and the price a bacon butty. Only £1 for the bike wash.

Whats it Like:
 

Well first off it’s not signed up so is not too easy to find, I was given the guided tour last year for the first time by Norco Nick and even though I’d spent years cycling round these parts I never knew it existed. If you go to the north of the car park you’ll see a line of pylons making their way up the hill, follow these and you’ll pick up the bottom section no problem, then just work your way up, not too bad a push but again another area where I’d kill for an uplift.

As we made our way up I was pointing out some lines to Craig but to be fair the atrocious weather has given the track a bit of a battering, there was a rain storm of biblical proportions on the way up and it was muddy to say the least. When we got to the top we noticed a set of triples about 50 yds to the right so trudged off to those and followed another line across the top, nicely sculpted doubles, whoops and berms for about a mile so that’s where we started.

After this swooping section we cut back onto the start of the Dh proper, a gentle sloping line with some small berms and roots taking you over the path into a steeper section with 2 big compression/bomb hole jumps. Unfortunately both very wet and puddles in the bottom. Then as you cut across the face of the slope picking up speed but very rooty and a bit sketchy in the wet conditions. This section ends with a very steep drop onto another fire road where we stopped for a breather. Its a bit disconcerting at this point  to find the only FC sign post with info on the track and a map along with a serious warning over the dangers ahead!!

We then had a look to find the infamous Rowan Sorrell gap jump to no avail but Craig spotted a real nice kicker to wall ride cut into the bank which we sessioned for about half an hour.

Pressing on we hit the next section of DH and within 100yds it was apparent the sign from the FC was right, this was getting dangerous for chicken riders like us!! Where the rain of the last few weeks had lashed the track it felt like riding down a stream bed, very rocky, very rooty and very sketchy especially on a hard tail!! Thankfully the rocky sections gave way to a narrow groove of single track snaking its way back and forth across the slope, pity the drainage was shit and every jump had a puddle in front of it which sucked the guts out of any speed being carried. A couple of berms then out into the open section with a 3 line choice, the racers line with a BIG table/double, the stylers line with a big double or the chicken line with a table.

When I went up with Norco Nick I had what Samuel L refers to as a ‘moment of clarity’ and went for the big line –big mistake!!

I remember hitting the lip then woke up on the deck with my bike tangled around me and a cut on my chin, ripped jacket, badly twisted ankle and worst of all severely dented pride so I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice! I just hit the middle line but like most of this track there is no drainage to speak of so was almost brought to halt by the 6 inches of sludge at the base of the take off. A few more berms then a really nice gap jump in 2 sections, one biggy, one not so big so progression is possible, nice open landing, few more berms and then its all over... back to flatland.

Worth a trip:
 

Hmmm… I know for the top level boys this is a worthwhile destination and I’ve seen some guy on a sweet blue M3 absolutely tearing up the bottom section, but for me it’s just a bit too raw. Problem is we are a bit spoiled now especially in the South West, we don’t expect bad drainage, we are used to mud, roots and rocks because that’s what DH is all about but with so many well maintained and designed tracks (the Mojo springs to mind) that are fun all year round I’m in no rush to get back there. Sure there are the free ride areas which have some tasty drops and there is a lovely jump spot about 2 miles back towards Cole ford but if I’m planning a DH session then I’d look to go elsewhere.

What's Around:
 

Firstly the Pedal A Bikeaway Centre (Tel: 01594-860065) need a mention, they’ve  been working hard in this area from way back before MTB was acceptable and still provide top notch service, bike wash and proper mugs of tea. Coleford is the nearest town for provisions, petrol etc.

Links:
 

Pedal A Bikeaway Centre