Ridgeway Loop Saturday 26th April

BoboGib

cool, look forward to it, i'm going to be back around the 14th july ( i know its a while off ) but i got 2 weeks in cyprus to come, plus it gives me time to talk the wife into letting me go out.

Bossangel

I usually have to earn my rides out by doing housework and...the dreaded shopping. Its worth the pain as very few things beat ripping up the ridgeway on your bike though i would like to try some new routes, have a good holiday

forgotrafe

Bossangel wrote:

rafe just likes to ride whenever whereever

LOL! Not as much as you. But I do like my riding and have even been known to ride a road bike

I can do lots more routes around the Ridgeway/Wiltshire. Mostly done in LandRover not on bike, but we can go exploring sometime if you want.

Rafe

strodey

does building some little jumps at the side of the track sound good?? wouldn't get in the way of walkers and i can't wait any longer for the puddles to dry out!
Me and a friend are thinking about doing it on the section after white horse hill thats quite a small gradient and where there is lots of room

Bossangel

I haven't done jumps since i used to jump bonfires on my bmx as a kid, sounds fun though, another reason to fall off i guess.

SiWhite

Strodey,

Where is that single track section by WHH? I'm near to Lambourn and am still looking for some good riding.....

strodey

SiWhite

You have a PM!

Bossangel

I'm up for a ride tonight if anyone else is, havent been out on my bike for a week due to things happening with the dog but now i can't keep the steed locked up any longer

forgotrafe

Only thing with making a small jump is that you are of course breaking the law.

Indeed, that bit of singletrack by WHH is private property with no public right of way through it. So you're not supposed to be there at all.

Obviously we do ride it and I doubt we'll get shot without first being asked to leave But that's the risk we take.

Rafe

Bossangel

ah the voice of reason. Maybe we could just make them and plead ignorance. Or use a shovel and dig them so they look natural and they belong. My forks might not handle jumps though. So any riders tonight?

strodey

I think people would prioritise the gypsys that live up there from time to time than some small bumps!

Bossangel

lets just do it, rafe is away for another 2 weeks but i'm ready to rumble

strodey

Anyone out on weekend?
I'm hoping to get out if i manage to sort my back brake out, it was working fine till i decided to take it apart for the hell of it, now have brake fluid everywhere and no idea how to sort it out!
trip to bike shop 2moro me thinks.
Hopefully all sorted for a good rip up sat, fell off last weekend, does anyone else ever get stuck (accidently) in the rut on the way down from white horse hill? tried to pull out but wheel got caught and over i went.

Bossangel

i came down that hill at 30 when a woman and dog stepped out in front of me and the back wheel ended up coming off the frame held on by the chain. Its not that hard a hill but if you get the line wrong you're toast. I'm up for a ride this weekend but would need to be evening. I'm also up for a ride this evening

strodey

Will be out saturday and sunday evening provided the brake is sorted (tempted even if it isn't)
It saddens me to think that my bike may have a bell fixed to it soon if the traffic on the ridgeway gets busier, i try to be as polite as i can but its really frustrating when you have to slow down for people!

yarocin

Anybody is riding this week? And whereabout?

Chris

Bossangel

group of us are meeting in birdlip at 730pm to ride, if you can get to cricklade for 7 you can put your bike in my van and i'll drive us up

forgotrafe

Well, I'm back in blighty. Had a hellish time in Cannes - I worked 120 hours in 9 days, plus a couple of more normal days either side. Then my return flight was delayed by 9 hours

But I'm back and have had a couple of days off playing with bikes - yesterday was one-to-one MTB training. Still very tired so it was a job to take it all in, but learnt a lot and had a good day.

Need to put what I learnt into practice plus "190 miles in 2 days" trip is only a couple of months away so need to get fitter. Problem is that I really hurt my wrist sometime yesterday so might be a while before I can get out.

Rafe

yarocin

Sorry, but I didn't check forum yesterday afternoon. Anybody is riding today or later this week?

strodey

Still have poorly bike but hoping to borrow something for weekend! Its a giant warranty job as when shop went to fit new crankset they had cross threaded the existing one so new frame on its way!

Bossangel

I also have a Giant but mine is a 2003 jobby i bought off ebay, serves me well. I am deffo up for a good long ride this weekend

strodey

Bikes fixed, picked up today and looking good! New frame on warranty! I'll be out this weekend sat and sun, not sure what time yet but weather looks great!

Bossangel

me and forget rafe are planning on being out too, i have pm'd you my cell number if you want to liase.

forgotrafe

Bossangel and I are meeting in the layby by the Shepards Rest pub, Foxhill at 6pm tonight - just look out for a bright yellow land rover. Short notice I know, but if anyone wants to join us, then great.

PM me if you want a contact number, will check email around 5pm.

Bossangel

some of the sections of the ride were pure hell, i rode through a thorn bush because i thought everyone else had, some of the grass we rode through was nearly 6ft high and we were pulling it out of the rear cassettes the whole time i panted all the way round and nearly threw the bike away lol. However i will be out from the same location monday eve approx 730pm to torture myself and try and get back some level of fitness i can be pleased with, i will avoid the part that felt like hell though

strodey

Bugger!
I'm too late to join, out wednesday! Went out weekend but never checked if anyone was about, ridgeway busy though so may have passed some or one of you! (4 lovely ladies out and about on the bikes)
The thorn bushes and long grass wouldn't be when you turn right after the single track then down into lambourn would it? i did that few weekends back, getting a bit hairy out there, worse bits are when the grass covers the deep tyre tracks and you get stuck in them, ouch!

forgotrafe

strodey wrote:

The thorn bushes and long grass wouldn't be when you turn right after the single track then down into lambourn would it?

That's the place, the climb back towards WHH after the singletrack. Think that'll have to wait until winter. We'll just have to do the singletrack, turn around, and go back

We can start planning now... This Saturday (we've not discussed times but presumably evening) BossAngel and I are thinking of doing a route near Barbury Castle.

No idea what it'll be like, I've just plotted it on Memory-Map so all I know is that it's legal.

Bossangel

I dont know if it is lambourn though it is you turn right after some sweet single track, the grass was unbelievable and the thorn bush covered the whole track. Wednesday could be a possibility for me though so could tommorw as well

forgotrafe

Just checked diary and I might be out Thursday eve.

strodey

definitley the same place, i think i turn later to end up going down to lambourn, i did it couple of weeks ago and it was bad then so don't know how the hell you guys managed! I'm not 100% sure as to what day this week as depends on work and where i'll be (and traffic) 6.30 - 7ish thurs would be good how far do you guys usually go?