London Calling

rosierosie

damn dude, I would have offered to go riding with her if I still had a bike (grumble). Let her take some time just to get used to riding - bridleway stuff man. Just let her ride at her own pace and figure it out for herself. You can't add speed or pressure when the confidence isn't there. Was that her first time MTBing? Patience! Also, from experience, less advice is sometimes better. Love, support, laughter... good distractions from the technicalities and just focus on having a good time. Hope that helps. Best of luck.

Atz

I took my other half out not long ago and it turned out she hated the bits on country roads, was ambivalent about the uphill bits but quite liked the fast downhill bits. Letting her decide when she wants to ride again and where, I'm just the tour guide until she's comfortable riding more tech stuff. I figure that she'll either get into it like me or it will be the occasional jaunt, both of which are good enough for me (plus I don't have room for more bikes and if she builds a collection like mine, we need a new house).

Anonymous

I'd do Swinley tomorrow, but it's not enough of a work out for me to burn off the excess weight from Christmas , so it's back to Surrey Hills again hopefully. Main thing for the exercise is the hill climbs. I hate them, but they're great for burning calories and the reward is great. It still amazes me how unfit I get if I don't go for a week or two as the climbs are so much harder.

Swinley by comparison is a lazy afternoon ride kind of place. There's some good singletrack in there though and still keep coming across new stuff. Just Surrey Hills are so much more raw and harder work. Best for getting really out of breath in Swinley is the area around The Labyrinth.

Though was looking at the trails marked on openstreetmap and there's stuff I'm missing in Swinley that's outside the main Swinley area, Crowthorne wood and stuff like that.


P.S. Another Surrey Hills thread by the way for those who haven't seen it.

Atz

I prefer a longer ride if I'm hitting the downs... for a couple of hours, Swinley makes more sense for me. If I'm just looking for fitness and strength, it's onto the SS for a couple of hours of road work.

Anonymous

Nah, roads don't do it for me. May as well go to a gym it's about the same level of boringness . Though I do the road up from Peaslake as that's one of the main workouts for me, but doesn't take too long, or the tree rooted path up Pitch Hill for non road, but the main attraction is all the singletrack once you get to the top.

But then SH is only 20 mins away from me and I can do a "quick" 2 hour blast round there, but could easily spend the whole day. 2 hours in Swinley and I'm bored, though I like going there for a change on occasion and try to find something new. Swinley is also interesting in different weather. Was a bit tough in the deep snow though!

Atz

Hate the gym personally and if I'm going to be bored, may as well not have to pay for it

popstar

Planning to go to Surrey Hills this Thursday-Friday, if anyone interested let me know, can take you.

Anonymous

Work day

CrazySmudge

planning an early morning ride this Saturday at Swinley - havent been riding for ages and bike is feeling left out.....

popstar

Doing training fit rides in SH* Thursday-Friday before setting off to Coed y Brenin. This saturday will go with me wife to CYB** ... hope to ride not only blue+red trails, even if that would mean to bribe me wife to stay with champagnes'n'strawberies at the inn while me doing business. Don't even have a clue if CYB can be remotely compared to Surrey Hills. At least will get some experience to compare with ... now I am watching my watch for Saturday to come -tick tock tick tock. :?:

p.s. ordered GoPro HD cam* fingers crossed it will be delivered and ready before the epic trip.

gregsd

...Don't even have a clue if CYB can be remotely compared to Surrey Hills...

LOL! They actually have hills in Wales, you know Lets see what you say when you get back...

popstar

Yea , wish me luck!

Helter

Bring on the trumpets!!

Parts have arrived, hoorah! Provided we don't find anything else wrong with the beast I should be up and running for this weekend. Saturday/ Sunday ride anyone in Swinley or Surrey Hills?

Atz

I'm going nowhere near Swinley again until I get told by one of the people who live right by it that the quagmire has dried a little. The trails are getting destroyed right now and even the armoured ones are falling apart.

Could tag along a downs ride if someone wants to guide though, I'm not familiar enough to not get us lost (it's why I ride mostly solo and with a gps in my bag away from trail centres).

supra-man

Im up for a ride in surrey... i know the area of leith hill , can go to summer lightning But haven't explored the rest of the area. so sat or sunday for moment are free for me,just depends on weather.

Anonymous

supra-man wrote:

Im up for a ride in surrey... i know the area of leith hill , can go to summer lightning But haven't explored the rest of the area. so sat or sunday for moment are free for me,just depends on weather.

There's was mention in the Surrey Hills thread about doing this Sat.

Not sure if that's still planned. I might go along.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... &start=140

Atz

Starting at 12 is a bit late for me unless it's a day-long ride as it blows out any chance of doing much other than riding (i.e. family and friends restricted).

Anonymous

Yeah, I come across that a lot. Got no family myself so not a problem . But typically if I ride with anyone it's got to be stupidly early to fit in with the 'pass' they are allowed

Atz

Not so much a pass thing, the wife won't mind if I'm out all day. Mostly because I'll just feel I've wasted opportunities to do other stuff.

Atz

Actually if it's not awful weather this weekend, I'm off down to race in the Merida Brass Monkeys round near Fleet.

Helter

Bikes fixed!!

Noon start's too late for me so who's out and about a bit earlier this weekend? Have been to Swinley once but not ventured to them there Hills so would prefer to tag along with someone who knew the area better than me, not difficult though

popstar

Weather this weekend around London would be perfect and shiny. Atz*, how long did it take you to train in order to be fit for races? You sound scary in terms of keeping pace with you, at least for us ex-couch potatoes and weekend warriors to be.

Came back from today's ride ... and found some really-really nice trails on Pitch Hill* ... even accidentaly flew in the air, happily landed fine , guess need to work on my concetration better and train me eyes against the wind not to cry. God, so hate it ... even bought glasses to shield me eyes yet they only marginally help.

Anyway, how is Rosierosie doing ... poor lass so quite these days?!

Got meself nice shiny gopro hd camera, now only need few buddies to make some nice vidzzz ... woop-woop!

supra-man

Helter wrote:

Bikes fixed!!

Noon start's too late for me so who's out and about a bit earlier this weekend? Have been to Swinley once but not ventured to them there Hills so would prefer to tag along with someone who knew the area better than me, not difficult though

sent you a PM,


9am at leith hill sat or sunday ? do you know the way??

Atz

Fit for races? God no. I'm a mess but it's somewhere new to ride so its worth a punt.

popstar

Atz** ... i've met a man while on my ride, he suggested me to explore North Downs, which as he said ... the 4th hill and on other side. As Pitch-Holmbury-Leith hills usually overcrowded during weekends, that idea seems to be tempting. Even then I rather preffer those standard places ... didn't explore them all. Seems would have to concetrate on Leith hill, as that one is far away from other two. Not saying that I know Pitch+Holmbury like the back of my palm.

Anonymous

I've only really stuck to Pitch and Holmbury and yet to fully explore Leith (done Summer Lightning and down wolverns lane). Wouldn't say Pitch and Holmbury are overcrowded at the weekends though. The car park perhaps, but once you're out there it's easy to end up with no one in sight for miles. Once you go off the well known trails, the rest is usually all yours. Swinley is far worse, though even then you can find places away from the crowds (bigger problem at Swinley I find is damn dog walkers on the singletrack!).

Only time it's been busy was middle of summer when the fine weather lot get out on Barry's and there were maybe 3 sets of bikers doing it at the same time (with one having no consideration for the riders in front, yelling at you to get out of the way because you're not as kamikaze as they are).

It's great this time of year though, even quieter than it usually is as few venture out in the cold, rain & snow.


Anyway, been venturing a bit more over towards Winterfold Wood (next hill to the left of Pitch), and found some more stuff by accident. Only a little bit but sure there must be much more. How to find it again I'm not sure, and I was losing my bearings a lot. Doesn't help there's was some deforestation and replanting recently which changes the look of the place entirely. I get confused a lot by the roads as I drop out onto a road and think I know where I am, then it turns out to be a different road.

popstar

I know when you do explore, you sacrifice your fun time on general trails ... which isn't always fair. However if you concetrated on workout then that certainly covers it. Myself don't have proper sat-nav, but I use "outdoors" on me I-phone, it puts me back on track ... but still you must have actuall map with trails marked and then simply track them via "outdoors app", well thats the way I do.

I agree that Pitch+Holmbury hills convieniently stand close to each other, which in turn makes it lovely. Leith hill must be ridden on its own, unless you fancy long workout to reach other 2 hills. I personally can last only for 3-4hours of ride (maybe more until my legs seize), but when I attempted to ride 3 hills with me mate ... took us bloody 8+hours to make. Don't know how many times had we lost but that was epic! Love that tower on Leith hill where you can buy tea+sarnies on weekends, so cozy!

Anonymous

supra-man wrote:

Helter wrote:

Bikes fixed!!

Noon start's too late for me so who's out and about a bit earlier this weekend? Have been to Swinley once but not ventured to them there Hills so would prefer to tag along with someone who knew the area better than me, not difficult though

sent you a PM,


9am at leith hill sat or sunday ? do you know the way??

Looks like Evade isn't making it for the noon ride anyway, so I might be up for anything tomorrow. 9am is early for me though, especially after some Friday beers!

Can't do Sunday this week. Maybe next week.

rosierosie

popstar wrote:

Anyway, how is Rosierosie doing ... poor lass so quite these days?!

Hey people, thanks yeah since I don't have a bike, makes it difficult to go out riding with you! In other news, I just decided to take a job in Edinburgh for 6 months, so hopefully will catch you again on my return to London. Will be looking for a new bike in the next month or so and do some riding up there. Should be fun. It's nice to see you've organised yourselves into a bit of a group - keep it up - and catch you in the summer!

Rosie

metalmonkey

I new so hi

I live in Middx as well, North-West of London do many of you ride up this way at all? I got my bike in December, its a Felt Six Comp I manily use for getting to and from work at the moment but I want get my fitness up and go off road as well.

My fitness isn't great as I have a long term injury which is going take a while to over come, so I'm not fastest. I work shifts so I'm free at w/end and week days it just depends when my days of fall. So would be up for riding mid week as well.

I don't have a car at the moment either, but I could use the train to get about.