Questions:
These are the frequently asked questions that get asked on the Hill most weekends. Got a burning question? Have a read through here first. Also, check the essentials page for more local knowledge.
- Why is Aston Hill Bike Park pay to ride?
- How much does it cost?
- How do I get a day pass or join the club?
- How many trails are there on Aston Hill?
- How old do I have to be?
- How difficult is Aston Hill?
- I’m new to mountain biking - is Aston Hill for me?
- Do I have to wear a helmet to ride on Aston Hill?
- Do I need a full-face helmet and body armour to ride on the downhills?
- Is my bike good enough?
- Can I hire bikes at Aston Hill?
- I’m tired of pushing up. When are you getting an uplift?
- I’d like to get involved. What can I do?
- Who is Beardy Ben?
Answers:
Why is Aston Hill Bike Park pay to ride?
Aston Hill is volunteer-run and unlike many other bike parks, receives no outside funding. Running a bike park doesn’t come cheap; use of the land, maintaining the trails, administration and insurance all eat up your membership subs. Because Aston Hill isn’t currently funded by any other means, paying to ride is the best way to ensure quality and development at Aston Hill, as well as keeping it a legal and challenging place to ride.
Want to join the club? You can do so by clicking here.
It costs £6 per person to buy a day pass online or £7 per person in the Aston Hill car park from a ranger. Memberships are currently available online and are £45 for an Affiliate Membership and £68 for a Full Membership which also gives you unlimited access to Rogate and Tilgate; you can read more about them on the Membership and Fees page. Don’t forget that membership is a one-off payment for 12 months unlimited access* to Aston Hill!
How do I get a day pass or join the club?
You can buy a day pass by either clicking here or on the link on the right for £6, or in the car park on Aston Hill for £7. Memberships are currently only available online or by calling the CTC directly on 0844 7368451.Don’t that forget membership is a one-off payment for 12 months unlimited access* to Aston Hill; check out the Membership and Fees page for more information.
How many trails are there on the Hill?
There are five downhill trails (including the Surface to Air freeride track), a five mile cross-country (XC) loop, a 4X track and a pumptrack.
How old do I have to be to ride at Aston Hill?
There is no formal age limit at Aston Hill because we’ve seen super-talented 10 year-old raggers and super-careful 30 year-old first-timers. What we recommend is that if you’re under 16 you come first of all with an adult for a walk or easy ride around, to get a feel for the trails.
Aston Hill is a purpose-built technical mountain biking destination with a variety of trails, including four dedicated downhill runs; if you enjoy a technical element in your mountain biking then there will be a trail that will challenge you, whatever your ability.
It is also worth bearing in mind that Aston Hill is built on a mixture of classic southern chalk and clay, which adds an extra level of difficulty to the riding in the wet and during the deep winter months. Even though all trails are designed with water run-offs and sustainability in mind to make Aston Hill a year round venue, due to the added technical element these conditions add we would only recommend Aston Hill downhills to more experienced riders when wet.
I’m new to mountain biking - is Aston Hill for me?
Yes! Despite its reputation, Aston Hill has a great and varied range of trails; if you’re looking to take mountain biking seriously then there is something for you. From the top loop of the XC course for those new to cross-country riding to the upper section of DH3 for new downhillers, there are runs that you can enjoy and progress on whatever your level.
Do I have to wear a helmet to ride on Aston Hill?
We highly recommend that you wear a helmet for your safety. You’ve only got one head - look after it!
Wearing pads is also a good idea - there are a lot of really good soft pads on the market now that you can pedal easily in and the flint on Aston Hill is sharp and unforgiving. Your knees may thank you for it!
I’ve heard I need a full-face helmet and body armour to ride on the downhills.
Is this true?
The downhills at Aston Hill are generally a lot steeper and more challenging than other riding around the Chilterns. Wearing an open-face helmet for riding the cross-country route is fine, but if you’re purely riding the downhill runs then a full-face helmet is recommended.
If you own armour we also advise that you use it - Aston Hill is on the Chiltern escarpment which contains a lot of sharp flint! We’ve seen several injuries that could have been prevented by simple knee and elbow pads.
Aston Hill is a technically challenging venue and will test your bike. Because of this your bike should be in a good state of repair with working brakes and well-treaded tyres, as well as being capable of riding in a testing off road environment.
A good guide to buying a suitable bike can be found here. If you have any doubts, take your bike along to one of the shops listed under Friends of Aston Hill for some professional advice.
Can I hire bikes at Aston Hill?
Not at Aston Hill, but give Lovelo Cycle Works in Berkhamsted a shout as they have a bike hire fleet that ranges from XC to out-and-out downhill. As an added bonus (and if you supply biscuits) should you want to session the downhills they’ll even sort you out with a day’s Aston Hill access, provide armour and give you a lift over. How’s that for service?
I’m tired of pushing up. When are you getting an uplift?
If the club were given a pound for every time someone asked or suggested that Aston Hill had an uplift we would probably have one already!
Over the years there have been all kinds of proposals from the sublime to the ridiculous. The big problem is that there is very limited access across the golf course that makes accessing the bottom of the runs near enough impossible (unless in an emergency) and no path big enough to provide vehicle access from the bottom of the Hill to the top (the cost of building one is around £75,000, which is before getting the required permissions from the Forestry Commission). We’ve also looked into cable lifts – the cost of installing one of those is £1.5m - £2m.
Of course we’d like nothing more than to be whisked back to the top for another run! However, we are in the Chilterns, and the push isn’t that harsh. With the downhill run record standing at 28 in day and most average riders being able to put in 5 or 6 runs in a morning/afternoon (8-10 runs per day) Aston Hill is never going to compete with the Alps and its ski lifts. However, considering we’re in the flat south east of England, it’s still a good day downhilling.
I’d like to get involved. What can I do?
Great! The club is made up of volunteers that want to take Aston Hill forward. Sign up to the digging list to get all the digging emails, keep an eye on our Facebook page or speak to one of the committee, and we’ll be more than happy to let you know how you can get involved.
Who is this ‘Beardy Ben’ or ‘Bearded One’ I have heard so much about?
Beardy ‘The Bearded One’ Ben is a mythical creature that apparently lives on Aston Hill.
Rumour has it that he has also been spotted on uplifts at Cwmcarn and the Forest of Dean, and even overseas in the French Alps (which means he may even have a passport). Wherever he goes it is noted that conversation about contemporary furniture becomes more enlightened, female mountain bikers unexplainably swoon, the police are put on high alert and livestock goes missing.
There are more semi-truths and outright lies about him here.
*Subject to trail closures, events and restrictions.