XC in kent- Any willing volunteers!!!

pittpony

/\ /\ /\ second that - well worth a visit. Worth working out a route first though as its not got a waymarked trail like Bedgebury. Surrey hills are also worth a look, awesome riding to be had there

deadpool2e

oh well me and russ have gone to afan today. Just done wall and of to do whites in a sec. Lovely weather as well.

pittpony

deadpool2e wrote:

oh well me and russ have gone to afan today. Just done wall and of to do whites in a sec. Lovely weather as well.

Aaagh i'm soo jealous!! Hope you had a good one (I don't know how you wouldn't have done)!! Let me know next time you're planning it - i don't need too much notice to get a day off

RussAlf

pittpony wrote:

deadpool2e wrote:

oh well me and russ have gone to afan today. Just done wall and of to do whites in a sec. Lovely weather as well.

Aaagh i'm soo jealous!! Hope you had a good one (I don't know how you wouldn't have done)!! Let me know next time you're planning it - i don't need too much notice to get a day off

Sorry guys for not inviting anyone else but it was a last minute decision, we were waiting for good weather. Also the whole doing it in a day idea is only sensible in my car as its got really good economy, we averaged 57mpg the whole trip. With 2 bikes in the back there is no room for anyone else, sorry.

RussAlf

Quick pic from yesterday

impished

Cool pics fellas.
I'm assuming you realise NONE of us are talking to you now :evil:

deadpool2e

LOL....sorry Ade dont be like that, as Russ said it was not cloak and dagger stuff just we was off on the sameday and the weather all week in wales was looking perfect so we just did it. Next time i promise i will drive and we will ask you all if you want to come But will did leave bloody early......

pittpony

Can someone tell me what Russ and Mark said? I refuse to read their posts any more

Glad you had a good trip. Met Russ in London this morning to pick up the Revelations as i was passing through. Looking forward to fitting them this afternoon 8) I've now seen Russ' workplace and i can confirm the satelite dishes he speaks of are both numerous and impressive.

impished

To be honest I'm soooo jealous :twisted:

I did notice the time on the picture of you arriving at Afan was 7am :shock:
What time did you guys leave/get back?

Bet the trails where SOOO much faster than last time?
Any vids to look forward to?

andyturner28

I was a right grumpy bast***d after i found out, everyone was asking me what was wrong! All i could think about was you two hammering down Skyline in the dry while i was humping shite about and listening to everyone bitching about the outragiouse price of fags. We have got to do another weekend there before X-Mass!

What time do you want to meet tomorrow then Russ. I have to drop my van into Barrets tomorrow morning because the clutch release bearing has gone, so won't be able to leave till 9 earlyest. Can you remember how long it took to get there last time Nick? Oh and dose anyone know if Downlands stocks FSA headset bearings? Think mine is knackered due to Jetwashing it in the past :evil:

pittpony

Russ was talking about meeting at 12ish tomorrow. I'm happy with any time. I can't remember exactly where the car park is so sugest we meet at Bury Hill Car Park on the left off the A25 once you're through Dorking. You can see it from the road. Russ if you like i'll give you a call when we're near the start of your journey. Are you going from Tonbridge or from near Clackett's?

It'll be an hour and a half from Canterbury to the meet point give or take 10 mins. Andy are you ok to pick me up or shall i come over to yours first?

RussAlf

We left from Caterham (my GF house) at 04:40am! We had a clear run all the way into wales where we made are first stop at 07:30am

How many bikes can you fit in a Ibiza

Arriving at Afan Wall Centre at approx 08:30

Do you think hes taking the pss Nick?

Some Loser attempting to jump

What a view, started whites approx 09:00

Fireroad ascent on Wall

Start of 373

Just Before the Graveyard section

Finished Whites at around 11:00ish


Drove over to Glyncorrwg for Lunch and Whites

Mark Digging in

Mark on the excellent Whites ascent

Ugly Sod

Mark on Black Run


Me on Black Run


Did we mention it was dry dusty trails?

Getting the camera ready

Finished Whites both in pain!!

So we decided to ride up most of the Whites Ascent again and do the last section of Skyline, mark at the finish

Think we left Wales at about 17:00, Arrived back at Home at 20:45



Hard long long long day but well worth it, im still recovering from it now.

pittpony

Very nice, looks like a great day. Hilarious pic on the bridge Also - are those Marks feet waving in the air outside Skyline cycles??! :shock:

deadpool2e

And there was me trying not to do any silly pics........ I got home at about 21:30 and was totally Fooked. I think it is the most exhausted I have ever been.

Have a good ride today guys looking forward to a ride report.

RussAlf

Yup i was totally fooked to, not going to do it again for a good while but i would do it again.

Ive got videos of it all but i still need to finish the ones from are group trip first!

Does anybody want to buy some Race Face ODI Lock on Grips? very good condition and only £8 They are these ones:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=794&categoryId=73

impished

Put me down for them Russ 8)
My grips are smoother than cling film now!!!

Bmjboy

Please STOP with the Wales pictures!!

24 Days to go til Im there! and this is torture!

Can I ask if its a Kentish ritual to fall off (or pose falling off) on that bridge?



If so, it will be a pictorial priority to do the same!

deadpool2e

Well the story goes that you go around the hardest bits of wales and end up fall on a wet bridge on the way back to the centre...starting to be a bit of a urban legend.

Im sure Nick (pitpony) will let you know how it started

pittpony

A quick ride report from our trip to Surrey today. Had a great ride in gorgeous weather. The trails were dry and fast rolling and both Russ and I were very happy to ride some bits we'd not managed to before. In my case i rode most of the stuff i chickened out of last time so am really pleased with how my riding has come on. In Russ' case he rode the most ridiculous dropoff you'll ever see. I swear he is a machine with no human emotion or fear whatsoever. Damn impressive mate.

The start and ready for the off:


The top of Leith Hill. The views today were superb - nice clear skies


Russ 'enjoying' an uphill. Incidentally he dispatched me on the 2 or 3 technical climbs today. Andy we may have another goat contender in our midst!


Lunch at Peaslake. Nice samosa but not a great mid ride snack...


Russ' huge dropoff action. These pics really don't do it justice:




Who is this good looking young chap?! Yep, i was there too looking gormless as ever


I think this was the top of Pitch Hill:


And here I am showing off my injuries after yet another spectacular crash. Russ said it was one of the best he's seen :oops: In my defence it was a steep, rooty dropoff. I didn't get my weight far enough back and think i clipped a root causing me to dive down the rest of it without my bike :roll: I landed on a rock. It hurt. I was still finding grazes when i got home and my right arm has swolen to twice the size of the left :shock:


Its a real shame you couldn't make it Andy, I hope the knee is on the mend. It was a great ride and I can't wait to get back there again soon!

deadpool2e

Looks like you had a nice ride there guys you wouldnt think winter was on its way.
Russ was that drop off the but we did when i filmed it on my phone??
Nick i like the way you always have a smile on your face after another crash
Andy what happened to the Knee?

Was thinking about you guys out there as i was sat in my little office dreaming of sweet singletrack.


You lot are still prob asleep so will check back later as i should really be doing some work.....

pittpony

Yeah it was gorgeous weather all afternoon. Winter was held at bay at least for yesterday!

You've got to keep smiling Mark, otherwise you'll cry when you crash as much as I do! Anyway it was 9 less crashes than last time i rode there Oh and I re-did the dropoff i hurt my shoulder on last time, no problems (it wasn't as big as i remember :oops: )!

It was also my 'anniversary' ride as on this day last year I took my bike offroad for the first time 8)

RussAlf

Pics came out well nick, your photo doesnt do your injurys justice they looked alot worse and sore in real life. It was one of the best crashes ive seen, i honestly thought i was going to be calling 999. The section was a steep rooty section which you have to pick your line very carefully and have your weight right back. Nick must have flown through the air a good couple of meters down the bank, the bike continued you to bounce all the way down. Nick did choose to land on the worst area, full of rocks, there was a nice soft patch right next to his crash site i happily pointed out to him.

Mark it is that drop off but i did the steeper one this time, the one we said we would go back and do. I also cleared that really steep climb in leith hill, you know the one you tried to take me out on last time.

The trails were really dry and fast, we need to get another ride in there soon. Mark the good "black"ish run down from leith hill to the road was bone dry so all of the drops were rideable, first time ive seen it like that this year.

deadpool2e

RussAlf wrote:

Mark it is that drop off but i did the steeper one this time, the one we said we would go back and do. I also cleared that really steep climb in leith hill, you know the one you tried to take me out on last time.

The trails were really dry and fast, we need to get another ride in there soon. Mark the good "black"ish run down from leith hill to the road was bone dry so all of the drops were rideable, first time ive seen it like that this year.

Glad you remember me trying to take you out (i always forget) :P

The black ish run? is that the one you always dab on....... :twisted:

Seriously though how was that drop off? next time im up there i shall give it a go.

So come on what happened to Andy??

RussAlf

No its the one you always eat my dust on , and dabbing? i didnt dab at all yesterday muhahaha, how was the office yesterday anyway?

Drop off was pretty easy, found a big drop off near the steep bit in leith, ill let you try it first.

deadpool2e

RussAlf wrote:

No its the one you always eat my dust on , and dabbing? i didnt dab at all yesterday muhahaha, how was the office yesterday anyway?

Drop off was pretty easy, found a big drop off near the steep bit in leith, ill let you try it first.

Ahhhh you bit...........Hook line and sinker.....lol

Your all heart about the drop off

pittpony

That drop at Leith is insane. If either of you can ride that then you deserve to be in Mark's DH video collection!

My friend nagged me into getting my arm checked out at occ health as it's still huge. The nurse says she doesn't think it's broken :shock:

breezer

andyturner28: regarding your question back about 3 weeks ago! I have been on holiday sorry. Wildside Cycles in Tunbridge Wells are a Santa Cruz dealer and about 2 years ago they organised a demo day at our woods in Rotherfield which was great. One of the staff there made most of our tracks etc which helped and they are a friendly bunch.

andyturner28

deadpool2e wrote:

So come on what happened to Andy??

Basically i was realy realy stupid!!! :evil: Riding home from work on Sunday i was just pissing around jumping off the cirbs and weaving down the road, went a bit mad and the front wheel slid out and i went strait down on my right knee. Must have landed on a stone as i had a nice hole in my knee, and i thought that was it till yesterday morning when it swelled up like a cricket ball and i could hardly bend it any more! Turns out i'v got fluid under the kneecap, which is forcing it out of the groove it slides up and down in, and of course the swelling is making the cut hurt a lot more too. So i am off to A&E now to see if there is anything they can do to make it a bit more comfortable so it dosn't spoil my holiday. It's so bloody typical though, on ll the rides i have done recently i'v been really carefull not to do anything stupid before we go away, and i go and do it just riding home from work :evil:

Anyway, glad you guy's had a good ride. I am absolutly gutted i couldn't come! Did you do the same route as last time we all rode there? We'll have to do it again once i get back and me knee's better.

Edit: Just got back from A&E where i had the knee X-rayed, and everything looked fine, with no sign of fluid under the kneecap, so the swelling is just a result of the flesh wound being slightly infected.

deadpool2e

Good news there Andy hope you get well for your holiday.
Good news there Nick hope you get well for your.........Oppps Deja vu

RussAlf

Good stuff andy you plonker, no major damage!

Mark what was Swanley like?