Muddymoles mountain biking in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley

The Pineatery at Bedgebury

Posted by DaveC | September 22, 2009 | 12 comments so far

As my fellow moles will tell you my appetite and love of cakes is legendary! So on a recent trip to the singletrack around Bedgebury forest I was pleased to see some improvements at the Visitor centre.

For those of you who don’t know Bedgebury, it offers an 11km singletrack “RED” route plus a small “black” freeride area as well as a family “blue” route all around the forest. Swinley it isn’t, but what it is is worth riding twice so it’s a worthwhile day out for any level of rider.

I’ll keep it brief about the trail improvements as I suspect the trails themselves can be somewhat “organic” as it’s a working forest. Changes I noticed were a section on recently cleared area which included some large berms to hammer round, a section with low level planks for about 20m and another section of singletrack I just don’t remember at all!

Post ride, the changes were very apparent. The bike shop has moved into it’s own cabin nearer the car park and this move has enabled the cafe area to expand. I recall the refreshment facilities being somewhat lacking last time I was there with smallish portions of cake. Things have changed thought! With the expanded area comes bacon, sausage and onion rolls! Add a cup of hot chocolate to that and I’m happy to give the Pineatery a 5-mole rating out of 5! BUT apres sausage, a cake was still in order.

Now I like a piece of flapjack and what was served up to me at Bedgebury may well take a piece of flapjack from Box Hill and give it a right slapping before standing tall and proclaiming “Who’s the Daddy!”. £1.50 bought me a huge piece of cake, dripping in syrup (or maybe treacle) and I think I detected the odd choc chip in there as well.

I was buzzing on the way back to the car I can tell you! This may not be to everyone’s taste in flapjack but there were a few choices and the portions all looked similar. I should have taken a photo but by the time I had realised I was just left with an empty napkin… sorry.

DaveC

About the author

Dave's been riding seriously since about 1997 and is one of the founding Molefathers — along with Matt and Mark — that came up with the idea of a MTB website for Mole Valley riders.

He's had several different bikes but it's now mainly 29ers in Dave's stable, apart from an Orange 5.

Current Bikes: Orange 5, Salsa Spearfish and Kona Big Unit

There are 12 comments on ‘The Pineatery at Bedgebury’

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  1. Easynow Nick says:

    Hiya Dave, I havent said Hello or been out with the moles for a few months. I must change that in the near future.

    Bedgebury is improving all the time, I seem to remember talking to you and Matt about it the last time we all went to Swinley.

    As you say it doesnt compare to swinley, but that said, two laps of the place is pretty knackering.

    There is a number of new sections and its improving all the time. The singletrack crosses back and forth over the main fire road which in the wet can end up axle deep in mud in places. The local bike club and trail buiders have been doing a sterling job in building new sections that bypass the muddy fire road and linking it all up rather nicely.

    The last time I went in May, large sections of it had all recently been armoured and was still yet to bed in but it showed just how much work was really going on there. Its definately an evolving place.

    Wandas trail is one of the better new sections.

    As for the cake shop, may I also recommend the fench stick breakfast rolls. Sausage, bacon, egg and cheese in a french stick and all cooked just right.

    Loveerlee 🙂

    Catch you all soon

  2. Matt says:

    Is there still excessive wind in the gents?!

    I remember last time the hand dryers had enough force to strip skin from the bone…

  3. Andy C says:

    … only if you follow up a french stick breakfast roll with a sausage and onion, Matt.

    (you’d lined that up for one of us. You feed me the bullets, naturally I’ll fire ’em)

  4. Dave says:

    Actually the wind speed in the gents was normal as the “turbo nutter bastard” hand dryer was out of action.

  5. Andy C says:

    Stuff the riding, let’s check out the hand dryers in trail centres around the UK.

    Is this a new hobby, hand dryer spotting? I hear there is a Mitsubishi Jet Towel in Coed y Brenin. You know, the one on which the Dyson Air Blade was modelled. Men in anoraks that used to lurk at the end of station platforms can now be seen loitering furtively, notebook in hand, in lavatories up and down the length of Britain.

    Ah, just spotted that there could be a bit of a drawback (or unintended consequences) as a result of all this hanging around gentlemens conveniences.

    Apologies for these fevered ramblings again, I must cut out that extra shot in my Caramel Macchiato

  6. Dave says:

    AndyC,

    Just had a thought.

    Could there be a connection with Matt’s pink anodising fetish and his ability to remember the wind strength in the gents?

  7. Andy C says:

    It was pointed out to me on Sunday that he was expressing an unhealthy interest in Colin’s brown ring, but I couldn’t possibly repeat that scurrilous gossip.

    Oops.

    Clang, we have reached the gutter.

  8. Easynow Nick says:

    There is an airblade dryer in the shopping centre in Epsom.

    I was so impressed with it I went and wet my hands again.

    I got a couple of funny looks…

  9. Steven Dunn says:

    I am impressed (I think) that you guys actually wash your hands. LOL

    Steven

  10. Muddymoles says:

    BikeRadar Demo Day at Bedgebury, March 28

    BikeRadar are holding a Demo Day at Bedgebury on 28 March 2010 where you can try some unusal and exotic mountain bikes such as Lynskey, Tomac and Ragley.

  11. Helen Carpenter says:

    Love you love my cafe guys! Aww thank you x

  12. Related: BikeRadar Demo Day at Bedgebury, March 28 | News, 2010 | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley

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