ANOTHER GREAT ADVENTURE RIDE-OUT

Thetford Forest Miles 50 Good for A proper workout for your adventure bike Best bit The whoops and jumps on the section out of Brandon

It might not have the topography or scenic majesty of the Peaks, but for owners of large adventure bikes, there are few places where you can ride for as long or with the same level of care-free enjoyment as Thetford Forest.

A huge network of byways and lanes crisscross this working forest, and despite the lack of mountains or much elevation, the variety is impressive.

One minute you’re riding through wide-open heathland watching Muntjac prance in the distance, the next minute you’re deep in the forest, bounding over bumps and whoops, dodging the trees down narrow single-tracks.

For a large adventure bike, this destination it is perfect — nothing (aside from some winter flooding) is impassable, and the size of the forest means you’re unlikely to see many others on the trails. It’s still a workout for you and the bike, though — the bumps test suspension as well as your back and thighs. On a summer evening it is truly beautiful.

Best of all, as well as being a test for experienced riders, it is both novice and weather-friendly. The sandy nature of most of the trails means they drain well and the road network means it’s easy to take a detour or head for home at any time. It also means that if you to take a tumble it’s likely to be a slightly softer landing than falling on a rock the Peaks.

This 50-mile loop (which is also a TRF beginner route) is a good day’s ride on an adventure bike.

Just take it easy in the occasional patch of deep sand in high summer and it’s a great ride for any burgeoning adventurer, as well as being just 90 minutes up the A11 from London.