London Calling

Anonymous

popstar wrote:

Really tempted to ride in SH, Redlands and some Gnar on Leith but doing it alone may be not a good idea.

Want to check out Caesars Camp? I'm not sure how it will compare though having not tried it before, but I believe it's an army favourite (but then it is their land ), and a Gorrick race area.

I don't know how many hours our Sunday session would take up.

Oh, and other places to explore around the area are Minley (Yately way, haven't tried it yet but it's a Gorrick XC race/enduro popular area), and Tunnel Hill which is more MOD stuff, seemingly small area but some good stuff hidden away. Popular night ride place.

thel33ter

Minley is really boring, or the Torq 12:12 course bit is anyway, all soft loamy slow trails and one impossible jump/drop thingy onto a rooty downhill. There are a few bits between West End and Tunnel Hill, but not a lot. I'll keep an eye out for stuff around Caesers Camp when I'm there.

Buckaroo

Not been meself but is only down the road from me. Is a pretty big (but big and pretty) flat, foresty area.

This upcoming Enduro up the road from there has a little videothat shows the likely surroundings a bit.... Actually tempted to enter.

thel33ter

Buckaroo wrote:

Not been meself but is only down the road from me. Is a pretty big (but big and pretty) flat, foresty area.

This upcoming Enduro up the road from there has a little videothat shows the likely surroundings a bit.... Actually tempted to enter.

I got overtaken by the guy on the Orange 5 Although I was sitting down waiting for the guys who were actually doing the race :roll:

Naveed

popstar wrote:

I can't tell anything yet, don't know if will survive Friday epics with Buckaroo. My wife made perfectly clear, she doesn't want to see me whole Sunday. That leaves me and a bike. Don't think I should clean'n'talk to it.

Really tempted to ride in SH, Redlands and some Gnar on Leith but doing it alone may be not a good idea.

Naveed, don't rush with riding, recover first.

Thanks for the wise words, I'm going to ease my way into it, gonna build up the fitness by doing the Boxhill climb/loop on Saturday, but if you or anyone fancies doing a Sunday in SH for a ride let me know, obv I'm going to be in super safe mode and won't be doing anything too crazy.

Anyway, I'll decide for sure on Friday but my current progress is quite good.

Richard2118

popstar wrote:

I can't tell anything yet, don't know if will survive Friday epics with Buckaroo. My wife made perfectly clear, she doesn't want to see me whole Sunday. That leaves me and a bike. Don't think I should clean'n'talk to it.

Really tempted to ride in SH, Redlands and some Gnar on Leith but doing it alone may be not a good idea.

Naveed, don't rush with riding, recover first.

I am up for a ride Sunday Pm if your interested , i am sure i can find some KNAR as you put it fairly easy.....

Nav

Just get out and ride , the sooner your back in the saddle the quicker you can get your confidence up if needed...

Richard2118

I also found a new trail in winterfold.....

Buckaroo

popstar wrote:

I can't tell anything yet, don't know if will survive Friday epics with Buckaroo.....

Should I be concerned about the way Popstar keeps using words like 'epic' and 'survive'?... :? ... maybe I'll pack that Ray Mears book just in case.

Richard2118

Buckaroo wrote:

popstar wrote:

I can't tell anything yet, don't know if will survive Friday epics with Buckaroo.....

Should I be concerned about the way Popstar keeps using words like 'epic' and 'survive'?... :? ... maybe I'll pack that Ray Mears book just in case.

No don't worry he just likes words

natrix

thel33ter wrote:

one impossible jump/drop thingy onto a rooty downhill.

Not impossible at all, merely technical, requiring a modicum of ability 8)

popstar

Ability = Speed?!

Buckaroo, I may intrigue with words like a fine chef chopping asparagus with truffle, wrapped in dry cure bacon drizzled with balsamic vinegar 'n' extra virgin olive oil dressing and a good lump of Ciabata with herbs and sun dried tomatoes!

That was some KNAR outburst, deff attention grabber.

thel33ter

barnesr wrote:

thel33ter wrote:

one impossible jump/drop thingy onto a rooty downhill.

Not impossible at all, merely technical, requiring a modicum of ability 8)

Probably true, I was just in sensible race mode, not ' how close can I get to an epic faceplant mode' [/code]

popstar

Quite a busy week, wednesday in Swinley with apprentice, thursday ride in Redlands with Ramala and friday ride in Afan. Can't wait.

Ramala, when you come back home to the land of Vodka&Sauna HERE is your little present.

Anonymous

So far, it's looking like I'm going nowhere this weekend. Bike in bits and I'm still trying to get the damn headset cups off but they're seized solid. Can't put the old headset back on as it's wrecked.

Will keep trying but it's going to involve heavy duty tools (drill, hacksaw, etc) or a trip to the LBS but need a decent one and not monkeys.


Edit: - Sorted. Just required a hell of a lot of effort and the cups are now out (flying fast across the room in the process!).

Now just got to fit the new ones! :shock:

popstar

I still struggle with my headset too. Installed new fork on Hardrock, and there is play in it. If I overtighten starnut by very little bit to kill the play, then bars are bloody hard to turn. Keep riding with play in it, at least that way it's rideable. And yes, I did take old crown race from old forks and installed them to the new ones. Seems there is mystery.

Anonymous

The old one was a mystery with play developing all the time after having got rid of it and then riding a bit, but the bearings were screwed anyway. Got the "indexing" syndrome when steering and on inspection they were well worn. Cheap cage bearing job anyway. I think adjusting the headset was just causing the bearings to dig in more and something wasn't right as it crushed the cheap plastic dust shield.

Replacement are cartridge bearings and all metal stuff. New crown race, cups, bearings, the lot. Now got me a cup removal tool (which did the job in the end) and headset press which I'm about to use. This is where I end up wrecking the frame .

I assume I'll need to remove the bearings from the new cups before pressing in though. They're wedged into the cups fairly well but assume they come out. Must be to replace them.

popstar

I may restrain myself from showing video how I remove old fork from Hardrock, I only had a foldable chair and some allen keys. Foldable chair served as a hammer to knock crown race off and a stuck fork out of frame :roll: . Looked like a riot or WWF style.

Anonymous

I was almost at the point of taking a run up at the thing and would have sent the whole frame flying!

supra-man

popstar wrote:

I may restrain myself from showing video how I remove old fork from Hardrock, I only had a foldable chair and some allen keys. Foldable chair served as a hammer to knock crown race off and a stuck fork out of frame :roll: . Looked like a riot or WWF style.

sooo mate afan part 2???


Ill be off riding for a few weeks or at least any rough stuff, got knee injury. light exercise fine . but cant go wild any more...

well time for the Enduro's overhaul now.

Buckaroo

Did a 1hr sunset special at Swin'ers earlier as a warm up for tomorrow's jolly to Af'ers .... nearly flipped out 360 on a berm and was close to eating a whole heap of dirt/tree/puddle/rubber..... perfect...

Roll on S.Wales.

Anonymous

Headset done . Next up... wheel truing .

I think the wheel may have to be a LBS job on Saturday. My last attempt took hours and still wasn't right.

Anyway, enjoy Afan.

Still up for Caesars myself on Sunday. Doubt I'll have much time on Saturday but might test run at Swinley or Tunnel Hill later in the afternoon.

cooldad

I am on for Sunday. Will subject myself to your navigational skills. Just confirm when and where (although prefer after crack of dawn)
Might even try out thel33ter's Kona if I'm feeling adventurous.

Anonymous

I'm relying on others for the navigation as I know nothing about the place, even though it's out the back of work, I've just never ridden the place.

To quote from Sandy Hill who's arranging it: "0830 start from Total garage at GU10 5AD", so crack of dawn unfortunately!. Google map link a page or few back.

There should be a few others he knows coming along.

Style... to quote: "Caesar's has got a mix of single track and downhilly sections as well as more cross country sections as well. The great thing is it isn't relentless and offers recovery time between the excitement"

cooldad

Ok, I'll set my alarm. Probably use my bike though at least I know how fast (or slow) I can go. Will need to experiment with the La-Z-Boy settings otherwise, unless I have time to fiddle on Saturday.

dubcat

Guys my fitness level is too low to join you on your rides and I'm completely new to mountain biking so wouldn't be able to join you on the trails you do. I live near Reigate and I was wondering If someone could link me a google map with a good route for me to solo in surrey hills. I'd like to have a go at riding off road but have no clue as to where to go.

Anonymous

Dubcat - no worries about fitness. Always welcome to tag along an sounds like there are a few at the moment with injuries who are up for slow rides . We're not Uber XC fitness freaks really.

Or just ride with Popstar and he'll take you down the black downhill at Afan on your first ride, as he's done before !!

Seriously though, it's worth tagging along to find the routes.

But still, for solo first time out, you might be better off over at Swinley, though you can spend ages on fireroads and miss the trails. Or for Surrey Hills, head for Peaslake and pop into the bike shop for a map and some pointers of where to go. Start off with the famous Yoghurt Pots and Barry Knows Best, although you'll need to climb Radnor Road up to the top of Holmbury Hill. On a busy day there are loads of people about to show the way and will be riding the same routes.

Atz

You'll be fine most rides. Honestly we stop too much unless we have a proper plan to do 3 hills or something. Come and try

cooldad

Some of us are pussies as well, so we do the chicken runs around bits that look too scary.
As far as I know we've never left anyone behind to die in the woods.
As Atz said, we tend to ride in between rest stops.

Richard2118

Is anyone else up for Sunday afternoon , me an popstar at mo probably 14.00 peaslake?

Anonymous

Will see how the morning run goes. If I'm done by then and have the energy I might pop over.