Whilst at Lee Valley, I also had a go on the MTB trails – though I haven’t got any photos to show. That’s probably good as by this point I’d already been on two fitness indoor bikes and spent an hour on the track.

Inside London isn’t really the first place you’d think of for some technical MTB practice – but some inventive soul at VeloPark has made sure the mountain bikers are catered for with miles of trails on blue, red and black graded courses.

Where to Ride: 5 Awesome Mountain Bike Rides Near London

As a bit of a MTB newbie, I took a hire bike out for a quick smash around the blue and red trails – finding some awesome ridges, technical-but-not-scary rock gardens and proper switchback berms along the way.

Of course – there are moments when you look to your right and realise there is a busy road there, and the venue is never going to even attempt to offer the kind of epic getaway you’d find at a proper trail centre.

However, mountain bikers need short training sessions as well as all-day excursions, and those they can surely get at VeloPark. Blasting around the network of trails provides a good, hard workout, and there are plenty of technical sections to hone your skills, as well as specific coached sessions for those after guidance. All inside London  – not bad!