London Calling

Helter

Hello Warriors!!

Have been trying to catch up with everything and check in once in awhile but there must be a good 100 pages or so to wade through, you lot do like a good chat don't you.

I wish a speedy recovery to the crash test dummies, may your wounds heal and your bikes be rust free.

It's been ages but dare I say it, aw shucks, I'm just gonna say it, I'm up for a bit of Sunday morning madness this weekend so SH sounds super.

Cooldad - you still thinking 10 at Peaslake?

sandy hill

It's the time of year when the need to cycle to the coast rears its head.

Meet at the carpark for St Martha's Mount,just outside Guildford, at 0730hrs for a 0745hrs start.

As it is a Bank Holiday there will be plenty of 'traffic' on route, so this will be a leisurely bimble down to Brighton via Shoreham. It would be fair to say that little experience is needed just a working bike and a good set of legs. There are numerous refuelling opportunities en route so there is no need to carry the world. The total distance is a little over 38 miles flat miles of the Downslink (an old railway line) with only three hills with which to contend.

Once in Shoreham its Bacon Butty time before heading along the coast to Brighton for a few hours chillaxing bfore taking the train back to Guildford.



Or you could go to a DIY store or garden centre.

cooldad

Welcome back Helter, we were wondering where you'd got to.
Right Sunday, Peaslake, 10am is on.
@Sandy Hill, the ride sounds good but not very keen on trains. Means rubbing shoulders with commoners.

thel33ter

I'm sure I posted something earlier. Silly forum.

Anyway, welcome back Helter, Basically, not a lot has changed, Popstar still posts random nonsense, Cooldad is the style icon and Supra, Bungalistic and I do all the knarly stuff.

Anonymous

Suspect Supra and Bungalistic are doing Cwm or Aston.

And welcome back Helter!

Should get together on another ride some day. See if we can't break your bike again. Redlands is calling

The Brighton thing would be do-able for me I suspect, except for the distance given the months of little exercise. Plus I wouldn't want to slog all that way on my tank of a bike. Fun as it is for chucking down things (or chucking me down things).

But anyway, 07.30! Such a time does not exist.

Might see if there's anything I can occupy myself with in tame XC style around SH area on Sunday or Monday. If so might be able to meet up at some point. Will see how it goes. Back still feels great to me.

Atz

Still not sure if I'm off to Manchester. If not, I'm going to do a 36 mile loop (home, dorking, box hill, leatherhead, home) on the road first thing tomorrow then might come do SH on Sunday morning.

DK - offer is still there for you to borrow my SS road bike if you want to ride to Brighton

pieman71

Nearly the weekend

CD & the L, you still heading around swinly tomorrow, anyone else about?

where and what time you meeting?

nice afternonnn ride sat and then SH sunday maybe

njee20

Anyone doing SH tomorrow morning? Was gonna head up there for a bit of a pootle around.

Anonymous

Atz wrote:

DK - offer is still there for you to borrow my SS road bike if you want to ride to Brighton

Think a SS would be a struggle for me for that :shock: (or a struggle for me in general ).

What was that compression suit you mentioned by the way, I forgot?


@pieman71 and others - might be around Swinley tomorrow. Again just pootling around at my own pace on flat and tame. Might hop over the fence again and around the MOD stuff. A lot more over there than I expected and can do plenty of big loops.

Have to see. Awaiting seatpost replacement but it's rideable with the dodgy post I've got. The BB link stuff is wonky again though. Think I may have to go for the £160 kit to replace it all and get the new BB on.

Atz

I've got a 661 vapour you can try on. If it works we can sort something out, if not it's off on ebay

And with regards to the SS, it's just a question of effort really. You can happily spin along the flat and it's geared so that hills are possible providing you keep the momentum up. Helped me a lot with getting some of the cobwebs blown off after a few months of little riding. Still really like it, just have something more interesting for the road now

pieman71

Atz,

can I dibs on trying the 661 if no good for DK, have a pretty crappy suit at the mo and may be in the market for a proper one.

DK,

Think you got my mobby, if were about swinley sat then give us a buzz catch up and see the scars etc.

Cheers

thel33ter

@DK, what size is the seatpost? I've got a spare 27.2 lying around if you want to use it till you get your new one.

And if it's £160 for all the bearings, it may be worth spending a bit more and getting a decent secondhand frame which is a bit lighter than your GT, something like this for example, it;s being sold by a guy on here for around £200.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Whyte-46-mountain ... 3cb856fc41

Anonymous

It's 31.6, but seatpost is in the post anyway . Might be here today. Supposed to be uber bombproof AM job.

The BB/pivot kit is all the bearings, the big pivot things, bolts, plus the bottom linkage piece which is the floating BB on the GT. Someone did have one going spare which if still available I could get cheaper. Not sure if the BB link needs facing though.

Will give it one more go at servicing. Last time, chucking in loads of grease got the play out but it's worn again. New bearings in the pivot perhaps but it may be shot, plus I've seized the BB cups on anyway hence was after new.

New frames / bikes / etc are in the plans but want to really work out what's good for me. Money isn't much of an issue, just dip into my company pot, declare another dividend, job done.

Anyway, all getting ahead of myself. Still supposed to be taking it easy, gentle stuff. Still may pick up a HT though.

Atz

pieman - if I come out on Sunday I'll throw it in the car, that way if DK doesn't want it, you at least know if it fits

Anonymous

I may be a way off doing DHilly stuff anyway!

supra-man

hi all tomorrow I'm off to Cwm carn with bungalistic, sunday not sure or catch up in afternoon. but if any one is out on monday im up for it..

@ Nav Can do the ride on monday, ill teach you to jump.

Naveed

deal Supra!

I'm out tomm for a peaslake sesh, if anyone's up for it let me know, should be out for 10

ThePriory1978

@Saturday Swinley riders.

Is there a meet? When and where? How serious? Can injured and accident prone join in?

thel33ter

Around 2pm at the lookout, I think. Ride will be whatever bits people feel like doing

pieman71

greetings, will be heading to swinley later, are you meeting at the gates by go ape?

Atz

Road ride done. 67km in total. Not a great average speed but got over 40mph and like njee said, Box Hill is fine (not that I did it at any great speed) and worth the climb really. Brakes need sorting though

cooldad

Sunday 10am Waliking Bottom, Peaslake.
So far me, thel33ter, Helter, Pieman, Atz?, DK maybe for a bit.

Blind Danny Johnson

First morning at Swinley, and in fact first morning mountain biking for a very long time, probs 15yrs, was amazing! Started at 11 and took many a bad turn but everyone I came across was helpful and friendly! Found loads of cool stuff but I'm sure there was so so much I never got to try. Thanks CoolDad for giving me a call but I was nearly done by then, would love a tour another time if you and anyone else are about soon?

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Atz

I'm out for today (may ride tomorrow). Legs need a day to recover as does my back.

Anonymous

Mine was complaining a bit yesterday (back that is), annoyingly as it had been good all week.

Anyway, usual aches this morning from sleeping and just waiting for them to clear. Hopefully they will and then I'm good to go for the day.

Won't make 10am, maybe just a little later and I don't think I'd keep up anyway, but I'll have an explore. Loads of fireroad and flat-ish trails around Winterfold which I may explore then into Peaslake for lunch and maybe meet up and see how it goes from then.

daniel-g

Big thanks to Charles & Russ for the spare tube at the tank traps today! It would have been a long boring walk home.

First time without a pump and spare tube and I had to learn my leasson the hard way!

Anonymous

Nice gentle ride around Surrey Hills today, and nice to bump into the usual posse at lunch. Shame I missed the ride you did but given you were knackered by lunch I suspect it was a good thing.

Headed round Winterfold and despite "just fireroads", ended up doing xmas pud anyway, as fairly smooth and flowing, just the odd rooty section. Then some exploring on Holmbury, going further north than we usually do.

Found a few little bits and pieces I hadn't seen before but all fairly small, but also found the entrance to the unsanctioned trail in the middle that was demolished with a sign up explaining it. Not sure how big it was, but saw various things along the ridge which look like either just forestry work or the trail that was. If it was the trail they'd done a serious amount of building. Looked like trees cut down too, but maybe that was the forestry stuff.

I can understand why people want to build, but seriously, Hurtwood and the ranger support MTB and all it takes is to ask first and get a sanctioned trail built. Or get involved with sorting out BKB which needs repairs now (yeah, I ended up finishing on BKB even though I know I probably shouldn't, but just did it from the latter section. Still got a bit of speed up on the berms).

Surprised that climbing up Radnor Road wasn't much of a problem at all. Was expecting it to be a real struggle having not ridden there for months, but cruised up.

cooldad

Knackered was the right word.
Bit of Swinley yesterday with thel33ter, pieman and Thepriory. then SH this morning with thel33ter and pieman.
Not sure we actually covered much ground either day but felt a lot.
Bumped into DK at Swinley and again for lunch in Peaslake today.
He's looking fine and I think ready for gnarly stuff again. Trying to interest him in the strangely named Tims Drop, but he doesn't seem too keen, can't imagine why.

@BDJ keep an eye out here, probably be there one day next weekend.

popstar

Went to Swinley Forest with Apprentice to work on fitness and techy bits. Saw cool Cooldad's BMW with bikes heading towards SH but then decided we weren't fit for SH bonanza anyway and nice pootle around Swinley would suit as well. Apprentice as always keeps true to his tradition of having at least one crash a day, the man never listens to buy some knee-elbow pads so sheds a bit of blood. I don't mind though, as long as it doesn't hurt me all agony going around is fine.

Daniel-G your welcome. Hippies like us should always help fellow MTB-ers. High five.
p.s. that bike of yours is quite sexy, and I fancy it ...

Anonymous

Is anyone out today by the way?

Not sure myself anyway. Two days in a row and got other things I should be doing.