XC in kent- Any willing volunteers!!!

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  • RussAlf
    RussAlf Posts: 706
    I have a 2 year warranty on the frame. ill ring merlin in the morning and take some picys with my dslr to send off to them if need be.

    Yeah i have heard of a few cracking in the same place, i meet a guy at surrey 2 weeks back that was just finishing his ride and had a big crack in his top tube on a 5.5
  • deadpool2e
    deadpool2e Posts: 625
    RussAlf wrote:
    I have a 2 year warranty on the frame. ill ring merlin in the morning and take some picys with my dslr to send off to them if need be.

    Yeah i have heard of a few cracking in the same place, i meet a guy at surrey 2 weeks back that was just finishing his ride and had a big crack in his top tube on a 5.5

    Gutted.......... :cry: I feel your pain, told you to check the shock mounts, do you think that was what was making the clanging noise??

    Warrenty should cover it all, wonder if you will get a front triangle or a whole frame?

    Bad luck buddy :(
    http://www.sketchymtb.co.uk/Blah.pl the new XC in Kent


    http://deadpool2e.pinkbike.com/channel/Afan-Vids/

    MOUNTAIN BIKING- The pastime of spending large sums of money you don't really have on something you don't really need.
  • breezer
    breezer Posts: 1,225
    Thats not good! :(

    If its a common problem for them, whats to say it wont happen again or worse when you ride the replacement frame....
  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    Gutted Russ :( Should definitely be a warranty job though. Are you just trying to keep up with Mark with all his new frames? ;)

    I know i don't ride as hard as you and Mark but i've never thought to chack my frame for cracks. The XTC has a few lovely chips out of it now but i think they are just cosmetic and have mostly been casued by the chain :(

    Good luck with Merlin - i'm sure they'll see you right
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • impished
    impished Posts: 1,092
    I'm assuming the crack has put paid to you chrimbo spirit then Russ. Hopefully won't take long for a replacement.
    (slopes off to wash off mud and check frame :shock: )

    SketchyMTB
    My Pics
  • Bmjboy
    Bmjboy Posts: 680
    Hi All - just thought Id pop in to say hi, not been on for a while.

    We done Swinley yesterday which I thought was very quiet?!? - All those "losers" going out xmas shopping with the missus' no doubt! :lol:

    Well, we explored a lot more and we even found the Corkscrew - My first attempt was awful, but much better on the second attempt, I dabbed 3 times I think - the boggy mud caught me out throughout - bet its great when dry though.

    We need to find some ST which links the west and east parts of the area, we only found fireroads, which are in essence, dull!.
    "I don't do double-entendres, but I do like to slip a big one in occasionally"

    Giant Trance X2 / Garmin Edge 305 / Empty Wallet
  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    The corkscrew is good fun - i was disappointed not to be able to find it last time. How was the mud over at Swinley Ben??

    As for this weekend, i'm out on Friday and Saturday nights but i could probably do a Saturday ride if its not TOO early and is somewhere fairly local like BBH... Any takers? You're welcome to a lift Andy.

    Also defo on for Wednesday evening. Forecast is cold and dry. 6.45pm at Blean car park anyone?
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • Bmjboy
    Bmjboy Posts: 680
    pittpony wrote:
    The corkscrew is good fun - i was disappointed not to be able to find it last time. How was the mud over at Swinley Ben??

    It was muddy, but not impassable, the corkscrew was very muddy and drying, which mean the mud was quite thick to power through on the bottom of the roll-ins.

    I did struggle with it first time, but grew some balls and went harder at them the second time around which worked way better.

    Not as wet as the day we met you Nick! - but cold!

    Cant wait to attack that place in the summer months! Just need to get a route planned to keep it all flowing, got a bit fed up of the fireroads.
    "I don't do double-entendres, but I do like to slip a big one in occasionally"

    Giant Trance X2 / Garmin Edge 305 / Empty Wallet
  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    Russ and Mark have some good routes put together at Swinley and i don't remember getting bored of much fireroad riding apart from the inevitable few short bits.

    I'm looking forward to riding there in the dry but it seems to hold up as well as anywhere i've ridden in the wet 8) Its all relative i guess!
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • breezer
    breezer Posts: 1,225
    Do the Gorrick race there from their spring series then you will get to find other bits of singletrack as well :)

    I will be there doing all 5 of their rounds like I did this spring

    edit: You dont even need to do the race, you can still ride the course as most people do practise laps anyway, just make sure you dont get in the way of racers
  • Legless
    Legless Posts: 119
    Blean Car Park sounds good to me 6.45 Wednesday, see you there Nick...
  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    Legless wrote:
    Blean Car Park sounds good to me 6.45 Wednesday, see you there Nick...
    Just a thought, but the close the gate at some point in the not too late evening. Unless you want to risk getting your car locked in you might want to park on the road just before the turning into Blean woods and ride the 200 metres or so to the car park :)
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • Legless
    Legless Posts: 119
    Yeah think it shuts at 9pm will park on the road anyway to be safe... I was thinking i should probably ride to Blean anyway, hardly miles from my house. But then i am lazy and hate riding on roads...
  • impished
    impished Posts: 1,092
    pittpony wrote:
    Legless wrote:
    Blean Car Park sounds good to me 6.45 Wednesday, see you there Nick...
    Just a thought, but the close the gate at some point in the not too late evening. Unless you want to risk getting your car locked in you might want to park on the road just before the turning into Blean woods and ride the 200 metres or so to the car park :)
    OI! That's my parking space :wink:

    See ya Wednesday.

    SketchyMTB
    My Pics
  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    Legless wrote:
    Yeah think it shuts at 9pm will park on the road anyway to be safe... I was thinking i should probably ride to Blean anyway, hardly miles from my house. But then i am lazy and hate riding on roads...
    You can take the Crab and Winkle from the Westgate Towers which cuts off the University hill (or at least makes it less steep!) and is partly off road. Personally i'm always running late for an evening ride so tend to just blast up the road and knacker myself for the rest of the ride ;)

    Russ and Mark - what's the XC riding like at Chicksands? I'm planning a couple of Christmas trips for when i'm home. Is it all mental drops like your vids or is ther other stuff to keep me interested? Its either there, Harlestone Firs, Aston Hill or Cannock Chase
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • Legless
    Legless Posts: 119
    Car is being MOT's on Wednesday so i might be forced to ride it!! Shock horror, your parking space could well be intact...
  • McBlip
    McBlip Posts: 36
    impished wrote:
    As has been mentioned before, when you have a moment , have a read of the XC in Kent thread. We've waffled & posted maps, etc on the subject at various times.
    Come say hello on there and you never know, you even wanna tag along to our next poorly arranged attempt at a forum ride

    Found it - cheers McBlip ...
    The older I get the faster I was ...
  • impished
    impished Posts: 1,092
    Welcome to (possibly) the busiest and most random thread on Bikeradar 8)

    I speak for all the regulars here when I say you are more than welcome to tag along to any of the rides that we do our best at organizing.

    SketchyMTB
    My Pics
  • RussAlf
    RussAlf Posts: 706
    pittpony wrote:
    Legless wrote:
    Yeah think it shuts at 9pm will park on the road anyway to be safe... I was thinking i should probably ride to Blean anyway, hardly miles from my house. But then i am lazy and hate riding on roads...
    You can take the Crab and Winkle from the Westgate Towers which cuts off the University hill (or at least makes it less steep!) and is partly off road. Personally i'm always running late for an evening ride so tend to just blast up the road and knacker myself for the rest of the ride ;)

    Russ and Mark - what's the XC riding like at Chicksands? I'm planning a couple of Christmas trips for when i'm home. Is it all mental drops like your vids or is ther other stuff to keep me interested? Its either there, Harlestone Firs, Aston Hill or Cannock Chase

    Pretty awful, the xc loop is small and difficult to follow,it is not worth going there purely for the xc.
  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    Cheers Russ - my mate suggested the same but i wanted a second opinion. I fancy Cannock Chase as i rode it as one of my first ever off road trips. It scared me a little then but there was nothing i didn't ride so i'd love to see how it compares now!

    McBlip - welcome to the thread. Good luck keeping up with all the nonsense but in between we arrange some rides and you're welcome to come along 8)
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • McBlip
    McBlip Posts: 36
    Cheers P.P. - I can do nonsense ! Look forward to hooking up for a ride, will be cutting my teeth again all over Xmas. Looks like you boys are fairly hardcore, I would be soooo slow by comparison but if you are ever doing a "hangover cruise" one legged give me a shout, then I may get a glimpse of a rear tyre!
    Will keep looking in - feel the bug starting over COS I'm normally asleep by now ...

    Cheers All McBlip of Bearsted ...
    The older I get the faster I was ...
  • Legless
    Legless Posts: 119
    I wouldn't say we are all hardcore, i certainly am not, and i am lacking in fitness! Having been for a ride with these guys, and being fairly new to the thread i can't speak highly enough of just turning up and coughing your lungs up! Looking forward to my second ride with them on Wednesday! Can't wait!
  • McBlip
    McBlip Posts: 36
    How long you ben riding Legless?

    McBlip ...
    The older I get the faster I was ...
  • Legless
    Legless Posts: 119
    Technically since i was twelve, but had lots of injuries that stopped me riding for periods of time. The last one was a broken foot and before that i was quite into it, but that was 5 years ago. Rode my bike once this summer and literally been back into it for about 2 months. I can ride a bike, but i can't jump or do anything flash. Just enjoy getting out into the countryside and getting fresh air. I am no where near as fit as i used to be, but i know if i keep on riding i will get there.
  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    McBlip wrote:
    Cheers P.P. - I can do nonsense ! Look forward to hooking up for a ride, will be cutting my teeth again all over Xmas. Looks like you boys are fairly hardcore, I would be soooo slow by comparison but if you are ever doing a "hangover cruise" one legged give me a shout, then I may get a glimpse of a rear tyre!
    Will keep looking in - feel the bug starting over COS I'm normally asleep by now ...

    Cheers All McBlip of Bearsted ...

    Lol i'd never thought of us (well, me specifically) as being hardcore! We each have our own talents - some are very quick downhill, others are quicker uphill, some are better than others at twisty singletrack some are more 'allround' than others. We don't ride to compete and there are always people waiting at the end of sections for others. Its a good atmoshpere and we always have a laugh so do feel free to come along.
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • McBlip
    McBlip Posts: 36
    Cheers chaps - the reason behind the "hardcore" was what I suspected following a return email after an enquiry to Kent Trails via the website (see below). Are you peeps on here part of the same or have I seriously got hold of the very wrong end of the stick ?

    Confused McBlip of Bearsted :?





    Hi Andrew,

    Unfortunately we do not take novice riders as the group is quite advance. Moreover, the conditions are very muddy at the moment, making the riding very difficult.
    Thank you for letting us know you are a novice and just did not turn up,

    Best regards,
    Michael
    The older I get the faster I was ...
  • McBlip
    McBlip Posts: 36
    " Just enjoy getting out into the countryside and getting fresh air. I am no where near as fit as i used to be "

    That sounds JUST like me
    :lol:
    McBlip (ANDREW) ...
    The older I get the faster I was ...
  • Bmjboy
    Bmjboy Posts: 680
    pittpony wrote:
    some are more 'allround' than others.

    Im an "All-Round" rider - mainly in the stomach area!

    McBlip - Thats a bit harsh not allowing new riders - everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe they should have a seperate ride for those less able(?)

    I can catagorically say the main members who post in the forum always welcome ANY level of rider (although Im yet to "officially" ride with them!!) Its a social thing, and should remain that way. And as PitPony said, everyone is different, and may pickup skills in certain areas where some cannot.

    Im not fast uphills because Im a "big-unit" - but I get up them, I dont walk them (thanks to several months training) but then again I can nail some singletrack quite well imho, but cannot jump a bike if you paid me.

    The majority of us are not in a club, but simply a few lads who like ot meet up for a ride and explore new places. From recent experience, theres no such thing as a regular ride as everyone are normal in the respect they have family/work/education commitments! :lol:
    "I don't do double-entendres, but I do like to slip a big one in occasionally"

    Giant Trance X2 / Garmin Edge 305 / Empty Wallet
  • McBlip
    McBlip Posts: 36
    Bmjboy wrote:
    pittpony wrote:
    some are more 'allround' than others.

    Im an "All-Round" rider - mainly in the stomach area!

    McBlip - Thats a bit harsh not allowing new riders - everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe they should have a seperate ride for those less able(?)

    I can catagorically say the main members who post in the forum always welcome ANY level of rider (although Im yet to "officially" ride with them!!) Its a social thing, and should remain that way. And as PitPony said, everyone is different, and may pickup skills in certain areas where some cannot.

    Im not fast uphills because Im a "big-unit" - but I get up them, I dont walk them (thanks to several months training) but then again I can nail some singletrack quite well imho, but cannot jump a bike if you paid me.

    The majority of us are not in a club, but simply a few lads who like ot meet up for a ride and explore new places. From recent experience, theres no such thing as a regular ride as everyone are normal in the respect they have family/work/education commitments! :lol:



    That's good news BMJB - in that case I will lookout for a ride over Xmas then ...
    The older I get the faster I was ...
  • impished
    impished Posts: 1,092
    Most of the guys here are fitter than they admit but they don't mind waiting for me :oops: to catch up.

    Happy whatsit, everybody :D
    Happyt.jpg

    SketchyMTB
    My Pics

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