30th December all day ride around the Long Mynd, Shropshire
puddle-rider
Posts: 295
I’m intending to go out to the Long Mynd on Wednesday 30th December to work off the Christmas turkey! So if anyone wants to join me then get in touch.
For those of you that don’t know the area the Long Mynd is to my mind one of the best if not the best areas of natural single track in England, What Mountain Bike recently described it as ‘the Quantocks on steroids’
The infamous descent is Minton Batch, 2 miles of smooth flowing single track which can be taken at any speed from novice to expert. The other is the permissive bridleway locally known as the Pole Brook descent this is also two miles in length but for the main is wider and more grassy than Minton Batch but nonetheless does have some nice techy bits of single track within it.
With all this lovely downhill there has to be some pain, this comes at the start with a long hard slog to the top. Once here I’m planning on going up to the Trig Point, down onto the road and along to Minton Batch at the bottom of Minton Batch we will work our way back up through Priors Holt, a steep, long fire road through the forest but doable by any one with the legs. From here across the Gliding Club, watch out for landing gliders, back along the road to Pole Cottage and down to the Pub at Little Stretton for a well earned pie and pint. We will have then covered 14 miles which should have taken about 2/3 hours.
After lunch I am proposing that we cross the main road for a little circuit around Hope Bowdler, I have not ridden this but from reading What Mountain Bike, this involves some road work, a long climb up the western slope of Hope Bowdler followed by a promosed glorious single track down hill along the eastern flank and then back along the road to Church Stretton and the car park, all in the whole ride comes out at about 23 miles, say about 4/5 hours including the pub stop so a full day out.
For those of you that don’t know the area the Long Mynd is to my mind one of the best if not the best areas of natural single track in England, What Mountain Bike recently described it as ‘the Quantocks on steroids’
The infamous descent is Minton Batch, 2 miles of smooth flowing single track which can be taken at any speed from novice to expert. The other is the permissive bridleway locally known as the Pole Brook descent this is also two miles in length but for the main is wider and more grassy than Minton Batch but nonetheless does have some nice techy bits of single track within it.
With all this lovely downhill there has to be some pain, this comes at the start with a long hard slog to the top. Once here I’m planning on going up to the Trig Point, down onto the road and along to Minton Batch at the bottom of Minton Batch we will work our way back up through Priors Holt, a steep, long fire road through the forest but doable by any one with the legs. From here across the Gliding Club, watch out for landing gliders, back along the road to Pole Cottage and down to the Pub at Little Stretton for a well earned pie and pint. We will have then covered 14 miles which should have taken about 2/3 hours.
After lunch I am proposing that we cross the main road for a little circuit around Hope Bowdler, I have not ridden this but from reading What Mountain Bike, this involves some road work, a long climb up the western slope of Hope Bowdler followed by a promosed glorious single track down hill along the eastern flank and then back along the road to Church Stretton and the car park, all in the whole ride comes out at about 23 miles, say about 4/5 hours including the pub stop so a full day out.
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Comments
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Dam, going back to work on the Wednesday!0
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Throw a sicky!!0
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Ben - me too. We could look at night rides!!!!!
Look at signiture - new bike bought today!!!!0 -
Hi Guys and Gals, any more takers for this, the weather forcesat is not bad and so far we are a very small group so we could do with a few more.0
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Hey Look at the weather forecast, about the only good day of the holiday!
http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/14d ... 20stretton0 -
Not the same date i know, but myself and another small group are riding the Long Mynd on Sat 16th Jan. Planning on having a look at some of the cheeky trails in the woods at the SW end, and also having a bimble over to the Hope Bowdler, along with the usual Minton Batch, Pole Cott and The Batch descent (At the Northern end).
It'll be one of only 2 rides that i'll be doing in the UK during the first half of the year, so i'm looking to try and make it quite a big day out.0 -
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Hi,
Your'e welcome to come along and the ride will not be fast, it's very much a lesuire ride and those that want to go fast can and then wait for the others to catch up. There's only 4 of us so far one of them being a 14 year old, mind you most young kids can ride me into the ground any way
Should take you about 1 hour to drive from Solihull i'll send a PM with meet location and time.0 -
May be see you there.
I'll be riding with a few fast mates to reccie a route for club a spring ride.
We'll wave :twisted:0 -
John Moore,
Have you any idea what the conditions are like on the Mynd now?
There is heavy snow forecast for Tuesday followed by sleet from 9.00pm onwards and light sleet all day Wednesday. The snow and sleet does not bother me but if the top is already frozen if this lot lands it could become interesting :evil:0 -
Thanks for the info.
I think as it's not warming up we will give it a miss, especially as we live over 90 minutes away it's a long way to drive for no ride. We'll be back in Feb/March time though.
We'll be heading over to The Marin Trail as that sounds to be the only easy non thinking about route option that's nearby and open this Wednesday morninginstead.0 -
Hi mate am still off work am not back till $th Jan so am up for a junt on the Mynd
Just lest me know times and place of meeting
ThanksCurrent bike Specialized FSR XC0 -
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Hi Guys,
Sadly i'm going to have to call this off and rearrange for another day when the weather is better
The problem is that Minton Batch and Polebrook Cottage are both very narrow tracks little more than 12 inches wide in places with steep drop off's to the side, if there is any lying snow or even worse ice you'll be off in an instant
Given that the Mynd is some 500 metres above sea level, it will be much colder at the top and therefore a greater risk of ice and lying snow than down in the town, which will make navigation on these narrow tracks very difficult, better to wait for a better day than risk breaking something. Add to that I have developed a stinking cold, the prospect of a two hour drive for what may turn out to be a not very good ride has finally put the mockers on tommorrow
It won't be too long as I love this area and hopefully we can do this on a Saturday in few weeks time
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No prob mate get well soon
Drop me a note if your out this way againCurrent bike Specialized FSR XC0 -
any ideas on the next ride other than this saturday?go flat out or fall out!0
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Sh1t - just realised this is this Saturday!
Sent the wife off to a Spa for the weekend by mistake - so left with the kids!
This is after the ride has been so well sold too!0 -
Mathew, the 23rd is next Saturday not this one!0
