Black Cycle Trail

(Average user rating 5 unrated

4.6/5)

This is the most strenuous and technically challenging waymarked trail in Hamsterley forest. It sports steep technical climbs, smooth contouring single track and some superb rooty descents. This character stays with the trail for its entire length and boasts some great natural riding that will challenge even the best cross country bikers. The Black trail starts from the forest drive just beyond the visitor centre. At the half way point beside the Grove House you can lengthen your ride by combining it with the 10 mile Red trail which starts from the Grove car park.

Download a trail map.

Click here to find out what else you can do in this forest.

How to get there:

Black Cycle Trail can be started from Hamsterley Forest Visitor Centre in Hamsterley. Hamsterley, Witton-le Wear, Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland, and Durham are the nearest towns or villages.

Turn right in Hamsterley village following the brown tourist signs, turn left in hamlet of Bedburn to enter the forest and access the forest drive and car parks (GBP 3 toll fee)

OS Grid Reference: NZ092312
For details of public transport visit http://www.transportdirect.info

What's on in Hamsterley

February

Monthly Club Ride
Sunday 12 February 2012
Sunday 11 March 2012
Sunday 8 April 2012
Sunday 10 June 2012
Sunday 8 July 2012
Sunday 12 August 2012
Sunday 14 October 2012
Sunday 11 November 2012
Sunday 9 December 2012
Sunday 13 May 2012
Trailbuilding Session
Saturday 18 February 2012
Saturday 17 March 2012
Saturday 14 April 2012
Saturday 19 May 2012
Saturday 16 June 2012
Saturday 14 July 2012
Saturday 18 August 2012
Saturday 15 September 2012
Saturday 20 October 2012
Saturday 17 November 2012
Saturday 15 December 2012

March

Monthly Club Ride
Sunday 12 February 2012
Sunday 11 March 2012
Sunday 8 April 2012
Sunday 10 June 2012
Sunday 8 July 2012
Sunday 12 August 2012
Sunday 14 October 2012
Sunday 11 November 2012
Sunday 9 December 2012
Sunday 13 May 2012
Trailbuilding Session
Saturday 18 February 2012
Saturday 17 March 2012
Saturday 14 April 2012
Saturday 19 May 2012
Saturday 16 June 2012
Saturday 14 July 2012
Saturday 18 August 2012
Saturday 15 September 2012
Saturday 20 October 2012
Saturday 17 November 2012
Saturday 15 December 2012

April

Monthly Club Ride
Sunday 12 February 2012
Sunday 11 March 2012
Sunday 8 April 2012
Sunday 10 June 2012
Sunday 8 July 2012
Sunday 12 August 2012
Sunday 14 October 2012
Sunday 11 November 2012
Sunday 9 December 2012
Sunday 13 May 2012
Trailbuilding Session
Saturday 18 February 2012
Saturday 17 March 2012
Saturday 14 April 2012
Saturday 19 May 2012
Saturday 16 June 2012
Saturday 14 July 2012
Saturday 18 August 2012
Saturday 15 September 2012
Saturday 20 October 2012
Saturday 17 November 2012
Saturday 15 December 2012
Easter Trail
Sunday 1 April 2012 to Sunday 15 April 2012
Deer Watch
Saturday 14 April 2012

View all events

User Comments

4 Stars
Great natural trails mixed in with well designed and built new (2010) trail centre stuff - including fast and flowing bermed descents with drops and jumps. Hamsterley Forest appears littered with tracks so it would help to ask a local to show you round if possible. The routes are also very poorly signposted - surely this would be easy and cheap to sort out and make the experience much more user friendly?? The only slight criticism is there are a fair amount of fireroad climbs rather than singletrack. There are also several technical DH tracks on the south side of the forest (with possible uplift.)

MK, 1/Jan/2011

4 Stars
It's a great place it's just the sign-posting needs to be much better and the black route needs to be much more challenging for a severe track! It's easy and I'm 15!

Jimmy, 7/Oct/2010

4 Stars
started on the black route ran out of signs so we had a go at the skills loop great fun then we found another part of the black route which was a great section in all we coverd thirty miles and the only drawback was the badly signed routes overwise had a great day exploring all the route options.

rob, 2/May/2010

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