XC in kent- Any willing volunteers!!!

andyturner28

impished wrote:

Anyone out and about later?
Sitting at work at the mo :roll:, but I fancy getting out in all that mud and wind :twisted:

I think i speak for everyone when i say YOUR NUTS! Having said that though, if i saw this post earlyer i would have suggested Blean, but oh well. Did you go out anyway?

So what dose everyone fancy doing next week? I am assuming Bedgbrury will be a swamp for another couple of months again, as i get the idea it is very slow to dry out. How about BBH on Thursday evening, and then Surry on Saturday if Russ is still able to ride?

Andy.

Scott reflex JJF

Hi there , me and a freind are keen MTB ers and are looking for other people to ride with. At most there is about 3 of us who take the 1h 30 mins train journey to bedgbury for some fun on the singletrack and trails area. I think it is a great place and is the closest single rtack we can get to somewhere such as wales. We are just looking for more poeple to ride with any age group we lke competition !!

Replys back would be much appriciated

pittpony

Scott reflex JJF wrote:

Hi there , me and a freind are keen MTB ers and are looking for other people to ride with. At most there is about 3 of us who take the 1h 30 mins train journey to bedgbury for some fun on the singletrack and trails area. I think it is a great place and is the closest single rtack we can get to somewhere such as wales. We are just looking for more poeple to ride with any age group we lke competition !!

Replys back would be much appriciated

Lol not sure how much competition you'll get from us lot, but everyone is welcome when we arrange rides. We ride XC at a moderate pace for fun and try to have a few laughs along the way. If that sounds like your kind of thing watch this space for the next ride!

Andy - i'm still making plans for Thursday so will let yo uknow about BBH. I'm well up for a Surrey ride on Saturday but it will depend on transport

deadpool2e

i may be up for the a surrey ride on sat. If i can get the wife to agree to come home early. Will check forum next time i can hijack a wi fi point.

andyturner28

pittpony wrote:

Scott reflex JJF wrote:

Hi there , me and a freind are keen MTB ers and are looking for other people to ride with. At most there is about 3 of us who take the 1h 30 mins train journey to bedgbury for some fun on the singletrack and trails area. I think it is a great place and is the closest single rtack we can get to somewhere such as wales. We are just looking for more poeple to ride with any age group we lke competition !!

Replys back would be much appriciated

Lol not sure how much competition you'll get from us lot, but everyone is welcome when we arrange rides. We ride XC at a moderate pace for fun and try to have a few laughs along the way. If that sounds like your kind of thing watch this space for the next ride!

Andy - i'm still making plans for Thursday so will let yo uknow about BBH. I'm well up for a Surrey ride on Saturday but it will depend on transport

I am going to try and knick the car again on Sat, so hopefully transport won't be an issue. Are you still off on Sat Russ?

markjohnlewis

HI, ive been reading your posts and im intresting in tagging a long some time, i've been riding for a few years, but want to do more and to get off the roads !

Scott reflex JJF

Thanks alot ill look out for the next ride !

RussAlf

Hey guys, yeah im really up for a surrey ride but i can only do the afternoon as im working nights and finish at 8am saturday morning. I can usually sleep at work but like to get a bit more sleep at home otherwise ill be a right grumpy git. So could do early afternoon or we can do a late afternoon and ride into the evening?

pittpony

I have a wedding to go to on Sunday so fortunately have no plans Saturday evening. Any time is good for me and i can ride as late as you want. Great news about the car Andy, looks like you may finally get to see the Surrey hills!!

andyturner28

Yeah i can ride as late as you want too, i'll bring both sets of lights in case we run out of light.

Russ- have you got any energy powder left? I have some if you want it. I know from doing nights in the past no matter how much sleep you get you still feel like crap. Thank god i never have to do that again!

I can definately use the car on Thursday if you want to do BBH as well.

Andy.

impished

Late Saturday sounds interesting.

I'm going to Blean tonight if anyone's interested. Probably about 6 to 6.30 @ the car park.
It's been raining most of the day so should've washed all the mud away, eh

andyturner28

impished wrote:

Late Saturday sounds interesting.

I'm going to Blean tonight if anyone's interested. Probably about 6 to 6.30 @ the car park.
It's been raining most of the day so should've washed all the mud away, eh

Blean will be an absolute mudbath today! I rode there yesterday and i think i would have been better off with a boat, so interesting is one word you could use. The wooden bridge towards the end of the red route was washed about 6 foot down stream, so i had to do my own bit of trail repairs to get over it. I wonder if it is still there at all today!
I would join you but i am going out tonight straight after work. Are you able to ride Blean tomorrow evening?

Andy.

impished

Only problem with tomorrow is I take my kids swimming straight after work so wouldn't make it to Blean till 7 at the earliest. If that's good for you let me know.

Anyone else?

pittpony

Well after a day of trying to find Tracklogs in town followed by a couple of hours cutting and pasting Multimap, i have finally plotted a route along and around the North Downs Way from Otford back to Canterbury. There seem to be a few 'bail out' stations along the way so i'm going to give it a go tomorrow. I think i might be a bit tired for Blean as if i do the lot its looking like 60 or 70 miles :shock: WIll let you know how i get on, unless i give up after 20 miles in which case you'll never hear from me again :oops:

deadpool2e

is sat still good? Can not do it when its dark as i dont have any lights but early afternoon / evening is good for me until sun goes down. Whats the weather meant to be like sat. (doing this all from my mobile)

andyturner28

pittpony wrote:

Well after a day of trying to find Tracklogs in town followed by a couple of hours cutting and pasting Multimap, i have finally plotted a route along and around the North Downs Way from Otford back to Canterbury. There seem to be a few 'bail out' stations along the way so i'm going to give it a go tomorrow. I think i might be a bit tired for Blean as if i do the lot its looking like 60 or 70 miles :shock: WIll let you know how i get on, unless i give up after 20 miles in which case you'll never hear from me again :oops:

60 or 70 miles, bloody hell :shock: Good luck with that, bet it's a bit muddy up there. Have you got a GPS now then, or are you just following a printout? I need a GPS, i still get lost round Blean!

Ade- yeah i can do 7 if you want. I'll be in the area from 6:30ish anyway. What time dose it get dark now? I'll bring my lights anyway.

Andy.

pittpony

Had to rethink the 60 or 70 miles as i'm relying on maps and my printer doesn't work So its a quick trip into town to get some nice printouts and a shorter route from Chatham instead. Should still be a good distance, although i'm really disappointed i can't get out early enough to have a proper go at the full route i had planned.

As for Saturday, how about a 4pm start? Or would you rather make it later Russ?

impished

ANDYTURNER wrote:

Ade- yeah i can do 7 if you want. I'll be in the area from 6:30ish anyway. What time dose it get dark now? I'll bring my lights anyway

Can't do tonight now Andy Got to go get beered up :P
If you still go to Blean tonight Andy make sure you take the over-shoes! It's MUDDY :twisted: Managed about 6-7 miles there last night before I got fed up with the (extra stinky) mud, gave up and ended up riding round Canterbury and the Crab & Winkle for another 18 miles.
p.s. That hill you 2 ride up before riding Blean is good fun, eh :twisted:

PITTPONY wrote:

As for Saturday, how about a 4pm start?

I should be good for 4 on Sat. Just gotta clear it with "'er-indoors" 1st :roll: What the journey from Sittingbourne? 1hour? Where in Surrey we planning to meet? Post-code?

deadpool2e

when we have been before we have meet at clacketts lane services and its about 30 mins from there. Maybe we should meet there about 3.30 to start for 4 (remember i have no lights) but of course its up to russ. I need a ride not been out for a week and its driving me nuts.

impished

Clacketts sounds good to me.
I've got 2 lights, so if it does get too dark you can use 1 of mine.

andyturner28

Both Nick and i have 2 lights too, so it getting dark is no excuse to stop riding It would be handy to know the road name where we are meating, that way i can plan a route on my phone, which has GPS.
So what time do you reccon i should leave Whitstable to get there by 3:30?

Andy.

andyturner28

impished wrote:

ANDYTURNER wrote:

Ade- yeah i can do 7 if you want. I'll be in the area from 6:30ish anyway. What time dose it get dark now? I'll bring my lights anyway

Can't do tonight now Andy Got to go get beered up :P
If you still go to Blean tonight Andy make sure you take the over-shoes! It's MUDDY :twisted: Managed about 6-7 miles there last night before I got fed up with the (extra stinky) mud, gave up and ended up riding round Canterbury and the Crab & Winkle for another 18 miles.
p.s. That hill you 2 ride up before riding Blean is good fun, eh :twisted :twisted:

No worries mate, i am thinking of bailing myself anyway, unless it stops raining in the next half hour. What hill do you mean, there arn't any big hills on the Crab and Winkle :?

Andy.

Papa Smurf

Are you guys doing a ride around Surrey this weekend then? I would like to see what all the fuss is about down there and with my headtorch on I reckon I could survive a night ride... Possibly :twisted:
Am busy Sunday with this re-inactment in Maidstone but would come out Saturday, I would be getting the train that comes from Sittingboune and goes down to Victoria eventually, trouble is, I could do with meetiung someone on the train or at the train station as I wouldn't have a clue where to get off and where to go from there, any details on what stop I should get off at and is anyone else going down by train??
Take it there's no over night involved?

Can someone PM me any details asap so I can get my sh!t together in time

Cheers

pittpony

Well, my ride today was an experience if nothing else! I didn't plan it as well as i could have. Ended up legging it into town to get a few OS maps and a new speedo this morning, then the train was held up for ages so didn't get to Chatham 'till half 11 I should really have checked the weather forecast as by half 12 it was p*ssing it down and didn't stop all day... I've never seen anything fall apart as quickly as an OS map in the rain - gutted! Anyway i never really felt I got going as I had 2 punctures, had to change my brake pads and fell off 3 times!! One of them was on the really good stepped downhill at BBH (opposite the pub near the lookout). It's not so great now as the rain has washed away most of the track leaving a kind of plastic pond liner to ride down. Very odd. Ah well, back home in the warm now and managed just over 46 miles. Not quite what i set out to do but considering the amount of mud i had to get through with my summer tyres i'm pretty pleased with the effort...

Meeting at Clackets sounds good for Saturday. 3.30 it is as long as that suits Russ. Where are we starting the ride? I know Dorking very well and know some of the hills around there having ridden them a handful of times.

Papa Smirf - from Victoria you'll get in to the main station at Dorking. Turn left onto the main road outside the station and take a right at the roundabout with the massive c0ck :shock: (chicken) on it. I kid you not . Leith Hill is along the A25 towards Westcott and i imagine we'll be meeting somewhere near there. Russ can tell you the exact spot. It's easily rideable if you leave half an hour or so.

Sorry for the long message guys, think i got a bit carried away!

RussAlf

Good ride Nick, 46 miles is not to shabby. How are the legs feeling? did you get lost at all? any compass reading moments? I feel for you on the rain, i got soaked riding to work this evening, clothes are currently hanging up drying.

Andy, sounds good with the drink powder, if you could bring it along that would be excellent. I hate working nights and it really kills my energy.

Tomorrow night work wise is looking pretty dead so hopefully it will all be ok. Clacket lane is a good meeting point, how about about a little bit earlier and meet at 2.45? Shouldnt get dark untill atleast 8.30ish? The loop im planning should take about 3 and a bit hours, roughly 20ish miles and 800m of ascent. Going to cover Leith/Holmbury/Pitch Hill. Aslong as we have a light we will be able to get back fine.

My planned parking/starting point is a fair bit into surrey hills, riding from dorking station id imagine it to take about 45mins. I know ive ridden it with my mate before. Ill load the exact location tomorrow as my work pc wont let me onto google maps.

andyturner28

deadpool2e wrote:

when we have been before we have meet at clacketts

I just read that bit again after a couple of beers and it made me laugh: are you turning Japanese

Nick- I have visions of you in the middle of nowhere with 2 pieces of OS map in each hand and i pile of paper mashe on the floor It dosen't take much to amuse me sometimes! 46 miles in this crappy weather is prety good going though. Makes me feel a bit lame as i chickened out of riding 20miles because it was raining. And it's not even windy :roll:
Oh and if you get fed up with crap flying in your face all the time but don't want to run a front mudguard, the old bit of inner tube cut in half and cable tied between fork arch and crown trick really works.

So dose anyone know how long it takes from Whitstable to Clackets services? I need to know what time i have to leave.

Andy.
Andy.

RussAlf

How many beers have you had Andy? i dont get it????lol

andyturner28

RussAlf wrote:

How many beers have you had Andy? i dont get it????lol

Not many, i'm a lightweight

pittpony

I actually feel pretty good now. I wouldn't have wanted to ride much longer but that was more down to the miserable weather than tiredness. But all things considered it wasn't as hard as, say, 46 miles of south downs way There were some good tough climbs and some descents that would be great in the dry. At one point though i was down to about 6 miles an hour on the climbs AND descents because of all the mud and poor tyre choice I took a few wrong turnings but realised most of them before i'd gone too far. Probably a couple of those miles were going the wrong way!

Can we stick with half 3 at Clacket Lane services? I have a haircut booked at half 1 that's been rearranged 3 times already... If we start at 4ish that still gives us 4/5 hours of daylight...

Andy. Its about an hour from Canterbury to Clackets

deadpool2e

andyturner28 wrote:

deadpool2e wrote:

when we have been before we have meet at clacketts

I just read that bit again after a couple of beers and it made me laugh: are you turning Japanese



So dose anyone know how long it takes from Whitstable to Clackets services? I need to know what time i have to leave.

Andy.
Andy.

Sorry about my grammar but i was doing it on my mobile and I’m sh*t at text.

I agree with nick its about a hour ish from whitstable. We usually meet in the petrol station part. I take it everyone has everyones mobile numbers? Russ and Ade should have mine.