London Calling

LarJones

Atz wrote:

What was the silver framed bike BTW? It looked a lot like the Merlin Malt my wife has (not saying it's a girl's bike or anything)

It's just a Brand X xc aluminuim frame, bought it new for £80 about 3 or 4 years ago when I realised the Kona i had was stupidly small. Far better than it has any right to be really (I'm guessing they just stole the geo off someone else!) but it'll be going in a few weeks to make way for better things...

Anonymous

skiing-cyclist wrote:

Is there anyone else in my neck of the woods who wants to discover the joy of MTB?

You're welcome to join any of the rides posted here, or if you're off somewhere round this way, post and someone may join you. Generally it's all the same bunch and we're mostly from the W/SW London, Surrey sort of areas (and a few strange people who live north of the river).

Most common place we go is Surrey Hills. Many of us know Swinley and occasionally we venture further.

We're no club, just a bunch of people who get together to ride for fun. Ability is mixed and there's no expectation to do anything beyond your abilities (although Popstar may be disappointed ).

popstar

Recently many riders switched to berserkers mode and started flying around, and landing in bizzare shapes and forms. Think it must be hot summer for hormones to play the part.

I only try to record Sunday warrior heroics, never ask to do daft things.

supra-man

I totally agree land weirdly often get up very dusty , but still ask for more.
flying is good word, id add drifting through the dusty berms some on their wheels others on their backs..... but its all fun
slow and steady learning curve. 8)

Alenk

Just from trolling around for a little bit makes it sounds like there are plenty of trails around but which are better suited for those who chronically suffer from pedal ineptness?

smallred

seriously thinking of sticking the bike in the car tomorrow afternoon when I drop my mom to the airport then heading for Holmbury St Mary or somewhere thereabouts for a couple of hours. Give me a shout if anyone's out & about! (Is there a better place to park up if I'm coming from the Gatwick?)

Going to go to AH then next morning to try out new tyres

smallred

Alenk wrote:

Just from trolling around for a little bit makes it sounds like there are plenty of trails around but which are better suited for those who chronically suffer from pedal ineptness?

Whereabouts are you?

popstar

AH made me realise how unfit I am. Preparing from now on to conquer all climbs on XC loop without defeating breaks. From now on, I won't show up in group rides with that shamefull perfomance I have shown.

Skiing-cyclist, what day do you plan to go to Breacons?

Alenk

popstar wrote:

AH made me realise how unfit I am. Preparing from now on to conquer all climbs on XC loop without defeating breaks. From now on, I won't show up in group rides with that shamefull perfomance I have shown.

Skiing-cyclist, what day do you plan to go to Breacons?

That is absolutely the wrong attitude and requires way too much work. A little bit of wd40 on the brakes and a few cans of your favorite beer and I guarantee you'll go faster downhill without all the other nonsense.

In all seriousness that was one of the first times you were going down those trails, for not knowing the lines or even whats coming next I don't see how you can say you rode bad.

Smallred, I'm based in Mile end. What about you?

smallred

Alenk wrote:

Smallred, I'm based in Mile end. What about you?

Woohooo someone near me!! I'm in Hackney (Homerton), not far at all. Have you been up to Epping Forest?

Alenk

smallred wrote:

Alenk wrote:

Smallred, I'm based in Mile end. What about you?

Woohooo someone near me!! I'm in Hackney (Homerton), not far at all. Have you been up to Epping Forest?

I've never been there every time I get some free time I somehow end up in AH.

popstar

Smallred, how Epping forest compares to Aston hill? Enough of XC, Downhill?

smallred

I'm not too big a fan of Epping Forest, but maybe that's just cos I've only gone on my own so I've never found anything very interesting up there. It's dead close to me though so I've gone wandering about there a bit. Could do with someone native showing us some good trails. I don't think there's any DH there, all gentle xc trails really (I think). Loads of people/horses/dogs/mtbers at weekends. Impossible to find parking up by the top tea hut at High Beech (or anywhere near there) when the weather's good at the weekends. Sometimes better off parking further south where the green bits meet the burbs and riding up to High Beech...

Anyone here know their way around there well?

skiing-cyclist

popstar wrote:

AH made me realise how unfit I am. Preparing from now on to conquer all climbs on XC loop without defeating breaks. From now on, I won't show up in group rides with that shamefull perfomance I have shown.

Skiing-cyclist, what day do you plan to go to Breacons?

I'm off to the Brecons tomorrow, Thursday til Sunday or Monday depending on the weather. Friday may be rain. I'll be in a campsite just outside Crickhowell.

popstar

Damn, can't fit into your schedule. Have Sunday-Monday day off, always wanted to crack -raven trail- at Breacons.

Richard2118

smallred wrote:

seriously thinking of sticking the bike in the car tomorrow afternoon when I drop my mom to the airport then heading for Holmbury St Mary or somewhere thereabouts for a couple of hours. Give me a shout if anyone's out & about! (Is there a better place to park up if I'm coming from the Gatwick?)

Going to go to AH then next morning to try out new tyres

I am aboutin the Pm and going for a ride probably Holmbury and pitch. from gatwick ( i work there ) its easier to go to leith but no big hassle to get to pitch or Holmbury.

PM me if you fancy a ride

smallred

Richard2118 wrote:

I am aboutin the Pm and going for a ride probably Holmbury and pitch. from gatwick ( i work there ) its easier to go to leith but no big hassle to get to pitch or Holmbury.

PM me if you fancy a ride

That crash on the M25 meant things haven't gone exactly to plan in the last 24 hours! Got to Gatwick about 3-4 hours late and ended up staying around to put my mum on the 1st plane this morning instead, sigh!

No way I'm going to AH this morning then, bed is calling me!

Next time though Must go explore more places to park because Holmbury is the only place I know, and it's a bit of a ride to get to some of the runs from there...

LarJones

smallred wrote:

I'm not too big a fan of Epping Forest, but maybe that's just cos I've only gone on my own so I've never found anything very interesting up there. It's dead close to me though so I've gone wandering about there a bit. Could do with someone native showing us some good trails. I don't think there's any DH there, all gentle xc trails really (I think). Loads of people/horses/dogs/mtbers at weekends. Impossible to find parking up by the top tea hut at High Beech (or anywhere near there) when the weather's good at the weekends. Sometimes better off parking further south where the green bits meet the burbs and riding up to High Beech...

Anyone here know their way around there well?

I definately don't know Epping well, but there are some fun little DH style trails lurking around. If you take the fire track that leads out of the car park by the tea hut, there's a couple of runs off that to your left, one before the road, a few more the other side. Nothing special but a bit of fun for an evening blast.

Me and Tony (Bungalistic) usually ride there once a week in the evenings. I'm leaving London soon but Tony might show you the limited stuff we know. I'm told there's more, but I tend to go somewhere better at the weekends so I haven't bothered finding it yet.

Anonymous

smallred wrote:

Next time though Must go explore more places to park because Holmbury is the only place I know, and it's a bit of a ride to get to some of the runs from there...

For Pitch / Holmbury, a better place to start is in Peaslake. Walking Bottom car park is good.

Longer trek to get to Leith. Alternative for the Leith end is parking near Coldharbour or around Dorking.

Though we've done epic rides, from Walking Bottom, up Pitch (and from there a bit of Winterfold), down again, up Holmbury, down the other side, the long slog up to Leith, and all the way back again (with lots of singletrack along the way).

Next up on the epics is to link in Redlands, Ranmore and Box Hill with all that lot

In fact we did do Dorking -> Ranmore -> Pitch -> Holmbury -> Leith -> Dorking, with Richard once. Totally shattered after that! :shock:

bungalistic

smallred wrote:

Anyone here know their way around there well?

As Lar' says I know a little of the area but only really what we've found near high beach, I live out in Newbury Park a 20 min tube ride from mile end (a place i sometimes go climbing if weather sucks).

So feel free to come along one evening for ride out. Alternatively get in touch about weekends as I don't always want to drive 60 miles to surrey or wherever, i've heard Danbury is ok and it's much closer.

For anyone else interested me and LarJones are heading to Aston this saturday morning for some dh fun, no fannying around though this is get down fast as you can, push up repeat repeat repeat

Anonymous

Think it will be a while before I attempt Aston again. It was fun, but it's been very painful and I'm still recovering . Seems I've strained my arm also as well as done the ribs, and got bruises in various places I hadn't noticed before. Didn't hurt at the time though. Probably a sign of a good ride

Some skills and more armour I think before I do it again.

Looked at the Chicksands stuff where that skills course is JonniOne mentioned (don't think it's the same as Jedi's), but it looks pretty serious for me. I need to start on tiny drops, and besides my bike isn't really a DH bike.

supra-man

bungalistic wrote:

smallred wrote:

Anyone here know their way around there well?

As Lar' says I know a little of the area but only really what we've found near high beach, I live out in Newbury Park a 20 min tube ride from mile end (a place i sometimes go climbing if weather sucks).

So feel free to come along one evening for ride out. Alternatively get in touch about weekends as I don't always want to drive 60 miles to surrey or wherever, i've heard Danbury is ok and it's much closer.

For anyone else interested me and LarJones are heading to Aston this saturday morning for some dh fun, no fannying around though this is get down fast as you can, push up repeat repeat repeat

Pm ed you for Sat.

Richard2118

bungalistic wrote:

smallred wrote:

Anyone here know their way around there well?

As Lar' says I know a little of the area but only really what we've found near high beach, I live out in Newbury Park a 20 min tube ride from mile end (a place i sometimes go climbing if weather sucks).

So feel free to come along one evening for ride out. Alternatively get in touch about weekends as I don't always want to drive 60 miles to surrey or wherever, i've heard Danbury is ok and it's much closer.

For anyone else interested me and LarJones are heading to Aston this saturday morning for some dh fun, no fannying around though this is get down fast as you can, push up repeat repeat repeat

DK

Another really good parking spot is Westcott, from there you can do ranmore, then leith, then head to holmbury , and back again.

few weeks till i'm off on a sat or sunday but can show you guys that route as well, should seriously assit with linking the area and much shorter than previous epics we have done ( sorry for that, last one wss fairly long even for me )

smallred

Great - I'll catch up with the Eastern contingent for some evenings soon then (if I survive Fort William this weekend?!).

I'll have weekends free after another couple of weekends so it would be cool to get to know the Surrey Hills a bit better too as I always struggle to find the trails I want!

popstar

Rule me out this Sunday.

This Monday, most probably going with collegue to SWales. Afan for -the Wall- trail. Hope to regain fitness and some stunning views down there. God bless my collegue, hope he survives the climbs there, think he will be allright anyway.

If anyone interested, might even squeeze a bit of space into car for 3rd bike. Mind you, it will be leisurely ride, nothing intense climbing wise.

Atz

I'm going to do SH this weekend. Probably even on the HT for a change to see how it is on a nippier bike

Anonymous

Undecided this weekend. Want to get out, but everything aches, and really need a rest. But that probably means I'll be out . Maybe could do a not too hectic run around Surrey Hills.

Jedi

i dont use chicksands for skills courses.

thel33ter

popstar wrote:

Rule me out this Sunday.

This Monday, most probably going with collegue to SWales. Afan for -the Wall- trail. Hope to regain fitness and some stunning views down there. God bless my collegue, hope he survives the climbs there, think he will be allright anyway.

If anyone interested, might even squeeze a bit of space into car for 3rd bike. Mind you, it will be leisurely ride, nothing intense climbing wise.

We're going this Monday, but planning on doing the Twrch? trail at Cwm Carm, but can do that on the Friday on the way back. What time are you planning on getting there, as we could join you, and train you up on the hills

We're actually camping about 10 miles from Afan so its easy to get there.

@DK + Atz - Maybe explore Leith and around there a bit more on Saturday? Haven't done much there lately.

popstar

Cooldad Co* only if we don't break your flow of enjoying SWales, we could meet up at trail center. Will leave at 6.00 so roughly will be there at 9.00. Mind you, we will not tackle climbs heroic style. Very unfit for that.