Delamere Forest Mountain Bike Trails

Delamere Forest in Cheshire, features two official mountain bike trails, short skills loop and two bike skills parks. The site offers a visitors center, cafe, bike shop and bike hire.

Grey and Blue bike trails

Grey trail has a long route (10km) and a shorter route (7km). The Blue trail has 10km or 7km options, both include 4km of Blue-graded singletrack. 

The Grey and Blue trails mostly follow the same route. The Grey sections provide a link between the blue route sections as well as being a less challenging trail in it's own right. Start your journey at the Skills Loop where you can try out a few example features and decide which route is best for you. From there you can follow the signs to the start of the trail.

The Grey route is of Forest Road grading so ideal for people just starting out on their off-road cycling journey. Due to the forest environment, the gradients are variable and surfaces may be uneven, loose or potholed - but that is what makes off-road cycling so interesting. Look out for other users (including pedestrians), vehicles and forestry work - this route is multi-user.

At various points along the Grey route, there are places where you can choose to follow a Blue route for a section before rejoining the Grey route. Blue-graded trails are of a moderate level so are usually better suited to those with a bit more off-road experience. Expect to see a mixture of climbs and descents with moderate gradients, technical features like tree roots and rock steps; jumps and berms. These are rollable features at controlled speed and again you can expect variable surfaces (you are in a forest after all!).

The Blue sections of the trail are single-track trails which means they must be ridden the right way. Riding these sections in reverse could be dangerous and damaging, so we have clearly signed which way you need to enter the section (and which way you must not enter the section).

Skills loop

This compact trail offers an ideal environment to practice and improve cycling skills without traffic interference. Perfect for beginners, returning cyclists, and those wanting to test their abilities, this skills loop provides a safe, traffic-free space with various technical features. Accommodates all ages and skill levels.

Manley Hill Bike Park

Manley Hill Bike Park in Delamere Forest features a compact skills area with a 4x track, dirt jumps, and berms. A complete run takes 30-40 seconds. Some cyclists session the features for hours, while others incorporate it into longer forest rides. Even if you're not a park rider, the detour is worthwhile as all features can be easily bypassed.

Manley Hill bike park can be accessed from a fireroad towards the bottom of Ashton Road – head into the forest via a gated entrance almost opposite the Outdoor Education Centre.

Adjacent to the bike park is a short downhill track – which has slowly fallen into disrepair over the years! There are a number of lines to choose from, incorporating a few berms but mostly just rutted and rooted steep terrain amongst overgrown foliage – Its OK but nothing special. Access via a track that runs off the right side of the main bike park

Old Pale Downhill

The Old Pale Downhill trail, originating at the summit (Pale Heights), represents a highlight within Delamere Forest. This rutted singletrack allows riders to achieve significant speed. The trail divides into two separate routes before reconnecting near its conclusion, offering riders alternative experiences. Using what3words you can find the trailhead here 'jazz.rainfall.coasters'

Wild Blighty is a great resource for finding the hidden stuff in Delamere Forest.