Rethinking the road ride, from exhaust fumes to fresh forest air

Despite being an ardent roadie, born and bred within a few miles of Box Hill, even I am fed up with riding in air thick with exhaust fumes, potholes deep enough to swallow my front wheel and swarms of impatient, ill-tempered drivers. Unfortunately, this is the new norm for cyclists braving our densely packed roads. Fortunately, however, there is respite from the chaos, from constantly looking over one’s shoulder and the pervasive tang of diesel that taints every inhale.

Covering more than 1,500 sites across the country, Forestry England woodlands offer a literal breath of fresh air for cyclists. There are no cars, no fumes, and no close passes. Instead, you get the hum of forest tracks beneath your tyres, deep tree-lined valleys, and a profound immersion in nature. The worst traffic you’re likely to encounter is the quiet passage of a small herd of roe deer moving from glade to glade. The closest pass? A meandering butterfly seeking a warm ray of sunlight. The taste hanging in the air? Nothing but the earthy goodness of the forest floor laced with the pungent aroma of wild garlic in spring.

Now that I live in the Cotswolds, my local woodland is the legendary Forest of Dean, but when visiting my cycling-obsessed brother in the south Lakes, we both love exploring Grizedale Forest. There’s no greater joy than pelting down the thrilling gravel trails while taking in the epic views over Coniston Old Man and the Langdale Fells. In fact, wherever you live in England – even within large cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester – there will be a Forestry England woodland within a 90-minute drive. Access is completely free if you walk or cycle in, but if you're driving and want to escape parking fees, which can quickly mount up, it makes sense to become a member. For a limited time this autumn, Forestry England is offering a 15% discount for Cycling Weekly readers, so there really is no better time to join.

Forestry England manages and maintains more than 1,500 miles of high-quality fire roads, gravel tracks and bike trails across the country. Built and maintained for easy navigation and every skill level, from beginner to white knuckle (Green to Double Black), these vast networks let you clip in and ride uninterrupted for hours. It’s no exaggeration that, in my opinion, there is no finer place to introduce children to cycling than Forestry England sites. Many have outstanding facilities too, including cafes, bike repair centres and bike hire, all sensitively integrated into the forest environment.

Holding a Forestry England national membership covers your whole household, enabling you to pull into any of these locations year-round without worrying about parking fees. This turns the entire forest network into your personal cycling playground, whether you are planning a quick weekend spin, a family day out or an endurance epic.

Inspirational forests

Whether you are hunting down a fun yet gentle adventure with your young family, massive wilderness loops, flat winter endurance miles, or fast 'champagne' gravel, Forestry England woodlands offer world-class terrain. Here are just a few of the many forests available to you.

Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

My spiritual riding home. Rooted in deep woodland mining history, the Forest of Dean boasts wide, interconnected forest roads, tracks and trails. The Colliers Trail, for example, provides a beautifully waymarked 9-to-10-mile compacted gravel loop that avoids major climbing, making it wonderfully accessible for families. Originally, an iconic MTB destination, beyond this, the trail choices get as gnarly as you like. Superb facilities.

Kielder Forest, Northumberland

As the largest man-made woodland in Northern Europe, Kielder Forest offers unparalleled scale and isolation. Bordering Scotland, its vast network of remote fire roads provides true wilderness riding with (optional) massive elevation gains. The standout option here is the Lakeside Way, a premier 26-mile multi-user trail that follows the entire shoreline of Kielder Water. It provides a completely traffic-free, beautifully surfaced gravel loop that serves as the top destination in England for gravel endurance and bikepacking.

New Forest, Hampshire

Famous for its smooth, sweeping ‘champagne gravel’, the New Forest features rolling, low-elevation tracks that transition seamlessly between ancient oak woodlands and open heathlands. Countless wide fire roads connect directly to local historic villages, country pubs, and coastal corners around Beaulieu. Local hubs like The Woods Cyclery regularly share excellent 40-plus mile gravel loops, while the minimal elevation gain is invaluable for building base fitness or trying out a gravel bike for the first time.

Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire

Situated in a sweeping valley, Dalby Forest pairs hard-packed limestone tracks with deserted back roads and gentle singletrack. Riders can stitch together a 30km-plus loop starting from nearby Thornton-le-Dale, using the smooth forest drive and multi-use fire roads to take in stunning panoramic views across the North Yorkshire landscape.

Unlimited Forest Access with 15% Off

For cyclists who regularly drive out to escape urban routes, parking charges at individual trailheads can accumulate quickly. A Forestry England National Membership eliminates that overhead entirely by providing free parking in more than 40 forests across the country. It ensures hassle-free, year-round access to quiet, safe, and beautifully maintained gravel trails. Your money is reinvested in building and maintaining cycle paths accessible to all, planting millions of trees, conserving wildlife, and making our country's forests more resilient to climate change.

To help you get started on the woodland trails, Cycling Weekly readers can claim an exclusive 15% discount on a new Forestry England National Membership by using the code below before Halloween 2026.

How to Claim Your Offer:

To take up the offer, visit forestryengland.uk/national-membership and enter the discount code FECWGR26 when prompted towards the end of your checkout journey. Please note, this offer is for new Forestry England membership purchases only.

Terms and conditions

Terms and conditions of the offer:

Use the code FECWGR26 when purchasing a Forestry England National Membership online between 15 September and 31 October 2026 to enjoy 15% off (was £96 per year, new price £81.60). The offer is valid for National Membership only, is available to new members only, and is not available on Direct Debit. The discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer ends on Saturday 31 October 2026, and the code cannot be redeemed after this date or applied to any membership previously purchased or renewed. If you experience issues redeeming your code, please contact membership@forestryengland.uk.

• This offer is for new members only
• This offer is on Forestry England National Membership only
• The offer is not available on Direct Debit
• The offer is redeemable only between 15 September and 31 October 2026.
• The code cannot be saved and used at a later date
• Forestry England members receive one free visit to Westonbirt the National Arboretum in Gloucestershire.