There's a huge amount of good quality off road riding to be had on MOD and crown estate sites in Surrey and Berkshire (in the Deepcu/Bracknell area). these could certainly provide sufficent challenge to the riders, but I don't know if they could support the spectators and media that would accompany them...

Bit of a no-brainer when it comes to Essex and hills. Don't get me wrong there are some hills but no way near enough for a contest of this magnitude. Bit pointless going for it in the first place really.

Epping Forest is probably too dense for the size you need for such an event also.

I think they should stop messing about with this 'local' games crap. It's not like the sailing is going to be close by, because there isn't an appropriate venue, so why should MTB be any different? I'm sure places like QE park at Petersfield and a bunch of other venues in the South with actual experience of putting on events could be used to better effect. However, if I'm honest I'd want to see a proper big course put on a bit further up North. Rivington at the Commenwealth Games was spot on, and something similar shouldn't be too hard to find.

Thi is a perfect chance to showcase British Mountain Biking, so why have it at one of the many excellent riding spots around the country that can and have produced excellent and challenaging events, the competitors will enjoy it more and so will the spectators

What is this fixation with the SE of England all about? This is the world wide Olympic games, we have never run the National mountain bike champs in Essex, why the Olympic games or is there a desire to become the laughing stock of the world in yet another respect? Eastridge, Shropshire Hills is the place, great venue and has been used for the nationals in the past.

Why don't we look at using the best courses that are used for the national races at the moment?! We should be show casing the best and toughest riding that the UK has to offer to challenge the elite riders and raise the profile of British mountain biking. They need to drop the idea of the even being as close to London as possible. This will also make it more accessible to everyone if the races were further a field.

It'd need an act of Parliament or something to get it at Epping Forest - as organised sporting events are not allowed there as it's Corporation Of London-owned. And, of course, its highest point is a mere 93 metres, so how they'd get a 300m difference in is beyond me.

They do keep going on about the Games being the London Games and not the UK games.

But as everyone has pointed out there are some events that just cannot be held in the London area.

I think the best place close to London would be Swinley Forest. With Great access from major roads surrounding it wouldn't need loads of new roads built. It also has a great network of fire roads for TV cameras, photographers, spectators etc.

"It'd need an act of Parliament or something to get it at Epping Forest - as organised sporting events are not allowed there as it's Corporation Of London-owned."

Really?

So how come there has been racing there in the past? OK it was 18 years ago but a Round of the Southend and County Wheelers Winter Series was held in the Forest.

Also the forest is regularly used for orienteering competitions.

The Epping Forest Act of 1878 created the forest as we know it for the recreation of the public, Olympic mountain biking seems to fit that definition.

And getting a new Act of Parliament would not be so difficult, the Highways act was rewritten to allow the Tour de France to come to the UK in the '90s

I would have thought I Welsh trail centre was a no brainer ?