Where are the best family rides in the New Forest pls?

Have to admit that the printed maps are hard to follow with precious few roads showing to help guide you to the trail start points. Managed to find the start of the disused railway line at the end of the Sway Road by where the ponies congregate under the railway bridge.

It seemed to come to a t-junction type stop at a country road, and your only choice towards Burley was a long false flat road that was dead straight that eventually went back onto the old railway line by the "Station" tea rooms / pub. Fine for adults, but a bit of a fast road for small children. Don't know if we missed a stretch of trail... anyway sat in the Cider Pantry which is a nice place to stop for tea!

Trail is lovely where it's trail. Open to many more suggestions for the rest of the week..... ;-)

retrocomeback":1767g26c said:

This PDF Map should help you, it has all the 'legal' off road (some partially on road) cycle routes listed across the entire forest.

http://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/Publicat ... p-2013.pdf

Nothing in the forest is too technical for a 9 year old (perhaps save the 25% gradient Blissford Hill near Fordingbridge), and there are coffee and cake shops practically everywhere for when the legs get tired. I usually save the forest for my road riding, so if you see a roadie on a white Felt dressed in black and white Rock Racing kit give me a wave! Enjoy.

Click to expand...

Thanks very much for the link - will check it out when we get back to the cottage this evening.

rjsdavis":ol5sl54q said:

Have to admit that the printed maps are hard to follow with precious few roads showing to help guide you to the trail start points. Managed to find the start of the disused railway line at the end of the Sway Road by where the ponies congregate under the railway bridge.

It seemed to come to a t-junction type stop at a country road, and your only choice towards Burley was a long false flat road that was dead straight that eventually went back onto the old railway line by the "Station" tea rooms / pub. Fine for adults, but a bit of a fast road for small children. Don't know if we missed a stretch of trail

Click to expand...

when you follow the disused railway, the first section, it comes up on a road, turn left onto the road and ride down the hill for a couple of hundred yards, then take the first track on the right after you have gone over the little bridge, this trail will take you towards burley although you will have to cross the a337 (i think! the road to christchurch) once you have crossed the road follow the small lane down the hill, if you follow this road you will end up in burley.

actually, i'll link to my strava thing, it has the map of this ride.

http://www.strava.com/activities/64112731

hope that helps

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/265301189 for the barton to lymington ride

Thanks very much indeed jonnyboy and ellist for the links
Very kind....

Just wanted to say thanks again for all of the suggestions in this thread. Really kind. We had a great holiday and got in some good riding.

In addition to the suggestions above, I heartily recommend the Moors Valley Park too, which is great as it's fully enclosed and therefore completely safe for all youngsters, but also has the "through the forest" singletrack which loops around a purpose built 7km lap. Feels like a nice cross country race course and was the kids (and wife's) first intro to tight (ish) singletrack riding. Very good indeed.

Would it be worth adding an extra forum thread/sticky or similar for readers favourite rides for main counties or really popular cycling destinations? New Forest/Peak District/Lake District etc etc etc for us to refer to for holiday use?