XC in kent- Any willing volunteers!!!

pittpony

They are very muddy but rideable. Had a few sections with my front wheel skidding one way and my back skidding the other but I didn't come across anything that you couldn't ride through. It was a bit of a slow ride though as everything was so slippery!

impished

I lost my "night-riding" virginity to Blean last night!!! :P

What a blast that is!!!!! 8) Forget all the energy suppliments and magazine tips on how to ride fast... just put a light on your helmet and let the shadows and animal eyes scare you into lighting-fast-my-legs-hurt mode :shock:

Only problem is that Blean has transformed into a lake!!!! I have NEVER seen it so wet. The little dry stream-bed at the end of the short singletrack near the beginning was a full-flowing stream!!! Even the middle level double track was couple'a cm's deep in most places. :twisted:

Whatever you ask for for Chrimbo, guys, make sure it's lights!!!! :P

pittpony

Ha ha - glad you enjoyed it. I know you've been looking forward to that for a while :twisted: I see it hasn't dried up since the weekend... Not having ridden there for long i didn't realise quite how wet it was compared to usual! Ah well at least it can't get much worse (famous last words )

I take it the lights coped well then?

impished

Lights were great. It's amazing how much more intense a simple bit of trail can be in the dark. And watch out for the buddy rabbits!!!!

andyturner28

impished wrote:

Lights were great. It's amazing how much more intense a simple bit of trail can be in the dark. And watch out for the buddy rabbits!!!!

Yer the rabbits and squirrells are everywhere round there, i'm constantly slamming the brakes on to avoid them.

How are you getting on with your light helmet mounted? Do you have any trouble seeing dips and potholes as well, or is it just me? Are you using reachargables, and if so is the light as bright with them as non-reachargables? I am getting the AA virsion of the Q5 for X-Mass. I know because my Dad is useless at shopping online, so i had to order it!

If you ever want some company riding in Blean let me know. I am going to be round there every weekday evening, unless i can come up with any more excuses not to, as i have been useless lately :roll: Might not tomorrow though as i will hopefully be fitting a new rear mech, if it turns up.

Andy.

impished

I'm using 1 bar-mounted and 1 helmet-mounted. Lets me see enough shadows in the trail to know whats coming.

I'm using 2 Fenix P3D Q5's which use (flippin expensive) camera batteries that only last 1.8 hours on max power :shock: , but I found that the next brightness down was enough. Then the batteries last .... 3.8 hours!!! Oh well, as long as the missus doesn't find out how much they cost, I should be alright

It's not just the rabbits and squirrels that brown my pants at night.. I was riding up one of the double track hills and I could see a small red light moving up-down-around some way ahead of me. Couldn't work out what it was. Bloody smokers

Yeah, we'll have to sort a night ride @Blean soon...

deadpool2e

well im up at the inlaws this weekend and i am planing a ride from herne bay to margate along the coast, if anyone fancys it.

dunnnooo

impished wrote:

Whatever you ask for for Chrimbo, guys, make sure it's lights!!!! :P

How about a hovercraft, by the sounds of things?

impished

How many miles is that Deadpool?

Just gotta check wiv the missus... I'm assuming your looking at Sunday? 8am(ish)?

deadpool2e

hi Ade,
its about 29 miles last time i did it. time sounds good if your up for it. or a bit later if you want.

i went from herne bay (not sure how to describe exact location) to bem bom brothers had a ice cream and came back.

andyturner28

deadpool2e wrote:

hi Ade,
its about 29 miles last time i did it. time sounds good if your up for it. or a bit later if you want.

i went from herne bay (not sure how to describe exact location) to bem bom brothers had a ice cream and came back.

I did that a couple of months ago, only i went from Whitstable. It's an alright ride as long as it is not windy, as you are totaly exposed to it the entire way. I somehow had a headwind there and back last time, was bloody knackered. Oh and don't whatever you do have a pint of beer before riding back from Margate. I felt crap the whole way back.

Andy.

pittpony

deadpool2e wrote:

well im up at the inlaws this weekend and i am planing a ride from herne bay to margate along the coast, if anyone fancys it.

Is that along roads or are there tracks? Doubt i'll be able to make this weekend. 'Tis the season to be jolly and all that - I'll be in London with plenty of free booze

andyturner28

pittpony wrote:

deadpool2e wrote:

well im up at the inlaws this weekend and i am planing a ride from herne bay to margate along the coast, if anyone fancys it.

Is that along roads or are there tracks? Doubt i'll be able to make this weekend. 'Tis the season to be jolly and all that - I'll be in London with plenty of free booze

It's along the sea wall, except for a bit along the top of the cliff into Reculver, and a bit of gravel track going into Minis Bay.

Mmmm.......Free booze

Andy.

pittpony

Hi all,

Short notice i know, but I've got tomorrow off to (ahem) get ready for my gf's Christmas party. Clearly that isn't going to take all day so thought I'd get over to Blean for an hour or two Anyone free to join me??

pittpony

Change of plan for tomorrow (14th) - i'm meeting Deadpool at Bedgebury. Its a nice sociable 10am start if anyone wants to join us and there's a spare seat in the car if anyone wants a lift from Canterbury

impished

Hmmmm,
wonder how many sickies I've had this year

Have a good ride tomorrow guys. Rest assured I'll be sitting at work staring out the window, green with envy.

deadpool2e

Shame you ca not make it Ade.....(go on go sick )

NIck I will pm you my phone number again just in case.

I should be there for about 10:10 as i have to do the school run but will defo be there

RussAlf

Have a good ride at bedgebury tomorrow guys, i was there on Wednesday and it was muddy and rutted up badly in places but in some places it was frozen up solid and ace!

Anybody fancy a ride on sunday morning? Bedgebury?

Russ

giantalkali

I'm not gonna make it this weekend chaps, i am gonna be recovering from a monster work do inflicted hangover of possibly unmanageable proportions. Have a good one and I'll be thinking of you, maybe...

DARK KNIGHT

Hi Dark Knight here ,will be going to Caen in France next Sunday and I`m hoping to get a ride in before I leave ,if anyone is available to show this old boy around on a trail on Saturday let me know .Also am maybe looking to purchase a second steed poss cube reaction ,chris boardman or trek 8500 my budget is £1500 .There are so many to choose from inthis price range and I`m sorely tempted by the Marin Indian fire trail any advice given will be apreciated Ps as you`ve guessed hardtails only

impished

Hope you managed to get out DarkKnight. I've been chrimbo shopping again...
Have you done a search on the bikes you've mentioned? You should be able to get LOADS'a hardtail for that money!!!

Deadpool, you stil doing Herne Bay to Margate tomorrow? I'm still up for tagging along, although I have had a bit of Delhi belly last couple of days... :oops:

dunnnooo

Dark knight- Do you prefer to go uphill fast, or have fun on the downhills?

If you prefer to go up faster, than that trek looks very nice (though I've always been slightly biased towards trek). I think someone on this forum has a marin indian fire trail (look in off-topic, best looking bike thread), might be willing to answer questions about it.
If you like to have a lot of fun coming down (but still climb well), then four words spring to mind- 'cotic soul custom build.' Though there are a fair few five inch hardtails dotting around other than that.

DARK KNIGHT

Thanks for info ,have considered custom build but have just discovered last year 07 model trek 8900 for £1100 ex demo with new wheelset I may just go for that

deadpool2e

yep still doing my Margate run tomorrow if your up for it, seeing as i had to miss my bedgebury run with pittpony (kids not well so had to stay home) was going to start about 9 ish and im coming from in-between witstable and herne bay if you fancy it. I will be pushing myself so feel free to come if you want to impished or any one else for that matter? its about 30 miles ish and last time i did it in just over 2 hours.Will check forum in about a hour or so to see if anyone fancies it. PM me if you want to as well.

Need to burn some off my fat ass calories, also so i dont feel so bad about eating to many cakes

impished

I'm still up for it, but I'll prob be there nearer 9.30 if that's OK....
Where d'ya wanna meet? Can you show on Google maps?

I might have to head back before Margate, depending on how the dodgy guts have left me :oops: :roll: (hmmm, must remember my train fair just in case )

What's the ride like? Mainly fireroad? Any singletrack?

deadpool2e

9:30 is good location should be this 51.369063, 1.097005 in a google maps search. It's along the sea wall, except for a bit along the top of the cliff into Reculver, and a bit of gravel track going into Minis Bay. not at all technical pure distance and test of fitness. like i said last time it took about 2 hour ish but it was in the summer.

let me know mate and have some diralite

impished

Grrrr.... just thought I'd clean the Camelbak :evil: Should a camelbak have a pulse :shock: :roll:
Might have to use bottles for a while....

deadpool2e

see you there at 9:30 then (take a few water bottles)

pittpony

Hope you had a good ride out today. Was thinking about a trip out later on but Christmas shopping has got the better of me too... Had a good trip around Blean on Friday and some of the surface water had started to drain. Still very muddy but a little more manageable at a respectable speed

Dark Knight - did you make it out on Saturday? Hope to meet up soon and show you a few trails. I'm looking for some other routes myself as i fancy a bit of a change from the usual loop i ride

As for your new hardtail - i'm pretty happy with my XTC composite 3 and I think you can get it for around £1100 now. Its definitely an XC race bike though so if you really push it on the DH you might want something a little more robust..

impished

Another good ride in the bag, Deadpool 8)
You know it's been a good'en when it includes 1 crash (inclusive of dramatic double somersault Mark ), one puncture, sea views, uphill, little dose of singletrack, 29 miles. Oh and 29 pee stops (Mark :roll: )

Enjoyed that though. Actually feel fresher after that than I would normally after 10 miles off road. And so much easier to get clean.