The summer holidays are finally here at FOD HQ. We’ve had a taste of summer warmth and we’re hopeful there’s more days like it to come.
There’s loads going on at the Cycle Centre over the holidays, so well worth planning your next visit!
Wye MTB kids coaching
Looking to get your kids more proficient at mountain biking? Our sister company, Wye MTB has a range of kids coaching sessions all summer.
Every Monday and Wednesday, there are beginner, intermediate or advanced kids MTB sessions – so something for every level from age 5+.
They also have the Fodders Academy for 10-16 years old every Tuesday and the Youth Gravity Camps (14-17year olds) each Thursday.
Plenty to keep your little rippers entertained!
Late Night Thursdays
These continue all through the summer with café open until 9pm every week.
Our Chef Jason will be rustling up a range of hand stretched Pizzas and of course, we’ll have lots of Wild Boar Cider and Sheepskull Ale chilling in the fridge to wash it down.
Join us and escape for a quick post work ride and stay for food afterwards!
Saturday afternoon Bike Hire and evening Burgers
Want a lazy start to your Saturday? There’s now an afternoon bike hire slot (3pm – 6pm) if you want to start your ride a bit later. Our café is also open until 7pm on Saturdays until the end of the holidays, serving a range of delicious burgers in the evening.
That’s still more than enough time to get in some laps of the Colliers Trail (previously known as the family cycle trail), the Verderers or just session some of the downhill trails….
Don’t forget to book your bike hire in advance!
Need to cool down?
The short diversion off the Family Cycle trail (now known as the Colliers Trail) to Mallards Pike is the perfect spot to hit up with the kids.
Not only are there plenty of lakeside shady spots, but there’s also the Gruffalo Trail for the kids to follow, our café serving cold drinks and ice cream, and a Go-Ape site (pre-book only) for those who are feeling at little more adventurous.
See you on the trails!
At last, there’s holiday sunshine in the forecast, upgraded trails, a new hire fleet and the FOD Thursday (Race your Mates) dates are available to book! We are also closing briefly between 12th-23rd June for a rewiring project. Read on for more detail.
With the final May Bank Holiday and half term just days away, our hire bikes are booking up fast. We have a wide selection of leisure and mountain bikes for all the family plus e-bikes and accessories such as tagalongs, child seats and trails. We typically do sell out this time of year so if you are thinking about a ride in the Forest of Dean – please book to avoid disappointment.
The Cafe and Shop will be closed on Wednesday 24th May and then again from 12-23rd June with a limited outside cafe service on 17th & 18th June. Please note Bike Hire will be open from 16th-18th June.
29th June, 6th & 20th July – Now includes an earlier session for U16s. As usual food and drink included in your ticket. Book your slot(s)
Our popular Late Night Thursdays continue every Thursday with a cafe special each week – last food orders at 8.15pm. Showers & toilets also open until 9pm.
If you would like to help out with trail digging get in touch with Dean Trail Volunteers who are always looking for more hands!
There’s now just a few of our ex-hire bikes left! As well as a selection of Specialized Sirrus and Whyte mountain bikes in small and medium sizes (great for kids and smaller builds!), we also have a large full suspension Orange Switch, plus a large Whyte e160.
All bikes have been regularly serviced and come with 3 months warranty. They can be collected from the Cycle Centre or delivered free within 10 miles or couriered anywhere in UK for £20.
Going, going…
Pedalabikeaway in the Forest of Dean is open for most of Christmas and New Year, only shutting on Christmas Day itself – though the mountain bike trails will still be open so you can get a Christmas ride in.
Don’t forget, if you want to hire a bike over the Christmas Holidays, we have eMTBs, leisure bikes, kids bikes and trails available to hire!
There’s a new rental bike on the block, and it’s pretty damn badass. The full-suspension Whyte T-160 S boasts 29er wheels, 150mm of frame travel, powerful brakes and an all-mountain geometry that means it’s ready to handle whatever you throw at it. If you want to really experience mountain biking at the Forest of Dean, this is the bike to go for.
Take your skills to the next level
The Forest of Dean is famous for its wealth of purpose-built off-road trails that make the thrills of mountain biking accessible to all. Graded trails allow you to progress from beginner to expert, developing skills along the way, and the Whyte T-160 S is ideal for that progression.
This bike is perfect for anyone who loves to ride the more technical trails in the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre; the red-graded Freeminers Trail or some of the downhill tracks in the Sallow Valets area.
It’s capable and confidence inspiring, so it’s perfect if you’re looking to progress your skills and try more technical or challenging riding, since the bike geometry and suspension travel are designed to work particularly well on steeper, gnarlier tracks (and also make intermediate technical features a whole lot easier).
Or, if you’ve only ridden a hard-tail and are considering upgrading to a full-suspension bike but want to get a feel for what they’re like and the benefits they can bring to your riding, without committing to buying one outright, then renting one is a much more accessible method.
A premium full-suspension dream machine
The Whyte T-160 S is available to hire as a Premium Mountain Bike from Pedalabikeaway.
It’s a full-suspension all-mountain bike with a 160mm RockShox Lyric fork and a RockShox Deluxe Select shock at the rear controlling 150mm frame travel. A Shimano SLX 1X12 groupset provides plenty of gears for spinning up those Forest climbs, and also getting those sprints on along the flats.
Shimano hydraulic disc brakes provide powerful, reliable stopping power, and of course good quality Shimano wheels with Maxxis High Roller (front) and Dissector (rear) tyres provide the ideal blend of reliable traction, grip and speed.
How to hire this bike
If you want to take the newly arrived Whyte T-160 S out for an adventure, all you need to do is book it via the website.
Pop over to the Bike Hire page, choose the MTB hire section, then select Premium Mountain Bike and you’ll see the Whyte T-160 S as an option. Then just choose which size you need (full size range coming soon) and the date you’d like to hire it for, and we’ll do the rest.
On the day, you’ll need to bring a photo ID such as a driving license, as well as proof of address, then you can head off and ride all day long to your hearts content.
Looking for a family-friendly activity for the August Bank Holiday weekend? Or just hoping to get away from it all in a Forest wonderland? Whether you’re an active family, or you’ve got mountain-bike mad kids – or you’re just looking for something different and fun to do – we’ve got lots of ways to keep you all entertained and happy this bank holiday weekend!
Imagine a beautiful trail that takes in the best that the Forest of Dean has to offer, with towering trees, lake views, sculptures, and wildlife galore. You might spot deer or one of the famous Forest of Dean boars as you walk or cycle around this traffic-free route. There are plenty of rest stops along the way, and tea and fresh cake (and hot food) are available at both our Mallards Cafe and the Pedalabikeaway cafe at the Cycle Centre.
It’s fun to walk, but we think it’s much more fun to ride, and we’ve got a selection of adult and child leisure bikes available to hire, plus child seats, tagalongs (in case those little legs get tired) and baby trails. We’ve even got dog trailers too!
Yes, you read that right! If you want to do things differently, we guarantee riding a tandem will raise a smile and you’ll be greeted by every person you meet! Our tandem is fun, stable, and actually makes short work of hills because there’s two people working together to get up them.
In fact, the only thing you have to choose is who’s going to be the pilot at the front, and who wants to be the stoker at the back!
The mountain bike trails at the Forest of Dean are famous. We’ve even got Olympians coming to train on them, like cross-country mountain biker Evie Richards who competed at Tokyo 2021!
For a taste of the thrills and skills involved, rent one our fun, stable hard tails, or take things up a notch with our premium full-suspension mountain bikes which are perfect for developing skills and making the most of what’s on offer. We’ve even got electric-mountain bikes which will make short work of the hills!
All the trails are graded too, from easy greens to super-technical blacks and downhill tracks, so there’s something for every rider. And all trails start and finish at the Pedalabikeaway Cafe and the cycle centre car park, so you’re never too far from a cuppa and slice of cake.
If beautiful views and historic ruins are your thing, then the Wye Valley Greenway is for you! Newly opened at the start of Summer 2021, it follows the route of the long-abandoned Wye Valley railway, taking you on a ride through woodlands above the River Wye, and through am amazing old railway tunnel, which is home to a rare species of bat – but don’t worry, they’ll be asleep during the day when you ride through! Then stop for lunch in Tintern in the shadow of the beautiful Tintern Abbey, before hopping back on for the ride back.
You can park at the National Diving and Activity Centre just outside of Chepstow where the trail begins, and if you want to hire some bikes, Pedalabikeaway has a rental shop right on the trail with adult and child leisure bikes which are perfect for exploring the route.
Pedalabikeaway have just opened a brand new family-friendly bike park in the Dare Valley in Wales, and it’s a whole lot of fun! Pump tracks are perfect for developing bike and bmx skills, and the trails are all beginner-friendly and smooth. You can ride to the top and do laps, or we also have a bike uplift service; pop your bike in the truck, hop in a seat, and let us do the hard work so you can focus on the downhills!
There’s parking, a cafe and bike hire, so all you need to do is turn up and have fun.
If things have all gotten a bit too much and you want to get away from the crowds, then the Forest of Dean is big enough to offer you a little slice of peace and quiet. Grab a takeaway cuppa and sandwich from Mallards Cafe, and explore the quieter trails the Forest has to offer, watch the world go by, spot some wildlife, and just breathe.