Sutton Park is the most accessible off road location for most people in the north and east Birmingham. It offers a little something for every one, from traffic free metalled roads to some nice wood land single track. Whatever your style of cycling please be aware that the park is heavily used by families with small children, dog walkers and horse riders so be careful as you never know what may jump out of the next bush!
Maps:
Cycling Map (showing off-limits areas).
Sutton Park Map-multimap.co.uk
Some routes: (please note that these have not been checked for legality - please do so yourself before riding)
Mark Green's first route
Mark Green's second route
Nick Garbett's route
It's possible to be occupied for a good two or three hours riding in Sutton Park, however, the best trails need a bit of effort to find. If you put this effort in you will be well rewarded. The most challenging riding to be found in the Park is found north of the railway line and in the wooded area north of Keeper's Pool.
There is good XC riding to be found all over the Park, just turn up and ride off in any direction and you'll find some nice trails soon enough. If you get lost (it may look small on the map but the first time you ride there it's easy enough) then just ride in a straight line until you hit the perimeter and then follow it until you get back to the gate you entered through. Sutton Park is an excellent place for Single Speeders:- I run a 34:18 and have got up all the hills so far (with plenty of grunting and gurning).
For all out downhillers there isn't anything to get excited about in the Park - nothing that would tax a downhill bike (I swapped my Full Susser for a hardtail after riding there a few times - am now on a rigid SS). Best downhills (if you can call them that) are from the north east down to the Boat House car park and access road at Bracebridge Pool.
For those that like a few jumps and drop offs rather than the XC stuff there is the 'Punch Bowl' (square E2 and F2 on the cycling map) south of Four Oaks Gate - a small lumpy quarry area with a bermed track (which turns to goo in the winter) running into it from the north and a nice rooty track out of it to the south. Has some nice drop offs too. To the NW of the Punch Bowl is the 'Ladder' - a sweet little rooty bit of steep single track. Good drop at the end of Blackroot Pool if you can find it - remember to duck under the fallen tree at the bottom. There are also 'The Sandies' some sand banks with drop offs and a jump very close to the Town Gate - some time site of the National CX Champs. For more on 'Free riding' and mtbing in Sutton Park see Sutton Free Ride.
Warning: the Park is heavily used for all forms of recreation, please do not ride reclessly: there may be a small child, dog, horse, etc around the next corner. Recently there has been a lot of conflict between the various user groups in the local papers. So far mountain bikers have come out of this fairly unscathed - let's try to keep it that way eh? It should be noted that not all of the Park is open to bikes, at the moment the authorities tend to turn a blind eye to riding in the off-limits areas because we have mostly behaved our selves. However, no permission has been given by the authorities to dig jumps, berms or destroy plant life to create trails. The Park is a site of Special Scientific Interest and is Scheduled and as such you can be fined upto 5000ukp if found harming the park. The Park is a great place to ride so let's not spoil it.
Myself and some others have requested some bike facilities in the Park - an area for jump building and some weather proofing of the better single track. So far no joy. The reason given is that the Park is a Scheduled Monument and thus EH won't let any development happen. Not totally convinced by this as they have got permission to extend the visitor centre and they have built a children's play ground recently! The fight goes on. Please write (politely) to the Park Management to request better bike facilities:
Park Manager
Sutton Park Visitors Centre,
Park Road,
Sutton Coldfield,
West Midlands B74 2YT
0121 355 6370
If you are interested in 'giving something back' then join the Friends of Sutton Park and help out with conservation work: FOSPA.
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