London Calling

thel33ter

:twisted:

ThePriory1978

You look like a ghetto midget. Down with the homies.

cooldad

A style icon would never wear grey shoes.
I believe jackets made of Sainsbury carriers are very fashionable though.

Anonymous

Much going on then this weekend? Bank holiday weekend too.

Will be doing my own thing mainly till I'm given permission to do proper stuff .

I'm tempted to slog around Surrey Hills to get back to climbing those hills. Just fireroads and some flat trails. Probably not the best place to go for me right now though. It's just the tempting to do the climbs (never thought I'd say that. I still hate them, but going to be so unfit!).

P.S. Got me a copy of The Good Mountain Biking Guide from the book shop to add to my other guide book (Mountain Biking Britain). Bit different from the other book as it seems to concentrate on anything non trail centre or dedicated singletrack, DH, jumps areas etc. It lists these as well, but the detailed maps and descriptions cover all kinds of places I hadn't considered. Think a lot of it will be more XC. Interesting anyway and a fair bit covered around the Surrey Hills area.

Will have to give some of the routes a go anyway. Maybe can do some local stuff this weekend if it's fairly flat stuff.

ThePriory1978

Anything in that book that looks half decent local to Reading or in The Chilterns?

Anonymous

There's a chapter dedicated to The Chilterns & North Home Counties, and some bits I think may be around the Reading-ish and wider area related to The Ridgeway.

Atz

Got quite a lot of work to do but will either Swinley or get some more miles on the road bike in on a route from home down to Dorking and back that someone recommended.

thel33ter

We're around for all three days, gonna be in Swinley on the saturday afternoon, then hopefully sh on one if the other days.

pieman71

Greetings all,

For once it looks like I might be around this weekend, apart Monday.

Whats everyone up to?

Thought I'd have a quick blast round Redlands last night, only to find Foresty Commission signs at the start of most trails warning that there not legal and are damaging the woods and to use summer lightning. Not very helpful and a little ironick given that most of the trails on redlands appear to have been wrecked by the recent filming.

Hope to see some of you over the weekend.

Anonymous

Not legal to ride or are they saying the building of the trail is not legal? There's no law against riding them. They can bang on about trespass though.

I've heard they've threatened confiscation of bikes or getting the police involved, but they can't do either. The police will not be interested anyway. Digging trails is another matter. Criminal damage technically.

Aren't some of the trails in Redlands built by the Redlands Trails bunch (who built Summer Lightning) anyway, just they're "unofficial" or something?

Blind Danny Johnson

Hiya guys,

I'm off to Swinley this weekend I was just wondering if there was any online trail maps anyone knew of for me to print out and take?

Ta.

cooldad

Not that are any use really. We should be there Saturday afternoon if you want a tour.

ThePriory1978

So thats The l33ter and cooldad pottering around Swinley Sat afternoon, and Atz and Blind Danny Johnson pottering around at undisclosed times. Gunna be busy.
If my stitches get removed without drama i'll probably also be pottering around Swinley, but doing nowt more serious than Seagull or Deerstalker.

cooldad

Still need to organise something for Sun and Mon.
SH anyone.
DK up to a bit of Wedgie or Deliverance yet? (joke)

pieman71

defo up for swinley saturday afternoon and SH sunday but not around monday.

post up some details

cooldad

Swinley maybe around 2ish as the thel33ter is getting some new wheels in the morning so need to change bits over.
Sunday very flexible. 10ish Peaslake but any other suggestions?

Blind Danny Johnson

Where do you guys meet up? Will be starting earlier than 2pm and I'm meeting a friend so depending on how we go will try to meet up with you guys. If not this Sat a tour sometime would be very welcome

Anonymous

Blind Danny Johnson wrote:

Hiya guys,

I'm off to Swinley this weekend I was just wondering if there was any online trail maps anyone knew of for me to print out and take?

Ta.

The only one I've seen that gives a rough idea of where the most well known ones are is this

http://www.calcot.plus.com/swinleysingletrack2.jpg

Note that certain people who maintain the trails (i.e. BoB) insist that there's a rule that no maps to trails are allowed to be published. The claim is there was an agreement with the Crown Estate or something like that as a condition of allowing riding there that maps weren't to be published. Odd considering the world and their dog know the trails in Swinley and they are very publicly known and riding there is public (with permit). The trails there are about the worst kept secret in MTB in the area if they're supposed to be a bit hush hush.

The "official" map is this

http://www.gorrick.com/downloads/swinleyforestmap.pdf

Bit rubbish really.

Blind Danny Johnson wrote:

Where do you guys meet up? Will be starting earlier than 2pm and I'm meeting a friend so depending on how we go will try to meet up with you guys. If not this Sat a tour sometime would be very welcome

For Swinley, typically just park in the main Look Out car park and meet by the gate at Go Ape, but flexible really. Sometimes if people coming from odd directions, easier to meet by the jump gully or at the top of the Labyrinth area / whatever-you-like-to-call-it.

Can make Swinley any day at the weekend, but likewise it will be a bit of pottering around. My instructions are "no MTB", but I'll consider anything relatively flat and smooth to be just like going round your average tame cycle path . I feel like I could tackle most of Surrey Hills trails right now though, but I guess I should follow orders. Physio tomorrow and will see what he says but he might say it's down to the consultant. Don't see him until July

popstar

Went with Apprentice to Swinley today, was a bit of work to reinforce all those skillz back into him. That new trail is good at the begining of tank traps. Apprentice was orgasmic about it, so all good. Mostly XC-ed, felt nice to mince pedals instead of posing around. I am fit, doode!

cooldad

@BDJ I've PM'd you my phone no, send me a text so I have yours and will give you a call when we get there and see if we can meet up.

Trouble with the maps is unless you get the starts of the trails it can be tricky. Always looks very different on the ground.

Atz

popstar - When you coming out with the rest of us then?

popstar

This weekend my wife goes to them fancy restaurant fare, so have to stay home looking after child. Hope to claw back other day for cycling.

cooldad

popstar wrote:

This weekend my wife goes to them fancy restaurant fare, so have to stay home looking after child. Hope to claw back other day for cycling.

Still small enough to fit in a rucksack. Just try not to fall off.

Atz

How steep is box hill by road BTW cooldad? Quite fancy it on the way home from dorking.

Anonymous

It's the Olympics climbing stage I think, so should be fairly knackering.

popstar

Naveed is expert in Boxhill, and apparently he reckoned it's the toughest of them all climbs in Surrey. Obviously and unfortunately he didn't climb Twrch in Cwmcarn but that man never lied.

Atz

Well in the Olympics the men are doing 9 circuits of it at the end of a ride over the downs and surrey hills so I'm assuming it's not like the Alps

I'll give it a shot though, see how it goes

njee20

It's not steep at all, it's a nice climb and one everyone should do!

There are far far far steeper/harder climbs around, in fact it's the easiest climb out of Dorking!

I can comfortably ride it in the saddle in the 53t.

Atz

In that case, up and over on the way back to Leatherhead it is. Looks like a relatively reasonable distance and difficulty level for the out and back and I can always add miles if everything is feeling good when I get to Dorking.

Blind Danny Johnson

cooldad wrote:

@BDJ I've PM'd you my phone no, send me a text so I have yours and will give you a call when we get there and see if we can meet up.

Trouble with the maps is unless you get the starts of the trails it can be tricky. Always looks very different on the ground.

Great thanks. Will text soon.