MTB rides at the weekend

[higg]

There hasn't been a mountain bike ride in a while so how about one of these ?

Register interest here (esp. for the Friday ride) and if we have enough people I'll confirm the times.



Friday 4th - Box Hill loop (via Epsom Downs and Reigate Hill) 5pm start from Wallington Cycles (old Action Bikes) on Stafford Road. This will be a steady pace ride to get back to Coulsdon by 8pm (i.e) before dark.

Sunday 6th, from Peaslake Village Stores, 10am meet for 10.30 start. This is easy pace, searching out the best tracks in the area, returning to Peaslake for coffee/cakes every now and then. Probably 3-4 hour in total but easy to bail out earlier.




Aodan.

[Snoop Doug]

Friday 5pm...? I'd miss Crackerjack for this. Count me in pls. Can't do Sunday

[higg]

[quote="Snoop Doug"]Friday 5pm...? I'd miss Crackerjack for this.

[higg]

3 of us out last evening, starting off with the bridlewys around Surrey Oaks park then heading for Epsom Downs. I forgot this was Epsom Racing week. We arrived around 6pm to see the remanants of the Ladies Day crowd leaving, racing was over so we were able to make our way across the racecourse although we did have to divert around the helicopter park at the top. On along the rolling Roman Road to the Juniper (down) Hill, with some dramatic berm riding by Marco. A long drag up alongside the Box Hill zig-zag, first time for Doug on this one, we were telling him it was easier because it just goes straight but I don't think he believed us. Carrot cake and ice cream at the NT cafe and then back on the road via Walton-on the-Hill. At Kingswood we ducked off-road again to cut through on bridleway direct to Bansted. The sun was just goning down as we descended back into Wallington. Thoroughly enjoyable evening's riding making the most of the sunshine and completly avoiding rush-hour traffic.


The horses-eye view of the run-in at Epsom.
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs554.snc3/30304_395687581867_565591867_4275564_1241585_n.jpg[/img]

Box Hill climb
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs514.ash1/30304_395687561867_565591867_4275562_6386643_n.jpg[/img]

Return at sunset
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs534.snc3/30304_395768546867_565591867_4278105_1459020_n.jpg[/img]

[higg]

Tomorrows ride is now confirmed for10.30 start (so far there's only 2 confimed but there might be others).

Direction by road: From the petrol station at the Guildford end of Gomshall (on the A25), take the road opposite the petrol station and keeping going for 3-4 miles following the signs for Peaslake. There is a second small car park behind the pub (avoid the pub car park) or a larger one on the right hand side 400m past the Village Hall.


Aodan.

[Sylv]

Is that the same as Simon's ride? We're meeting same time at Landslip car park

[Snoop Doug]

enjoy yourselves today. Great pics Aodan, dunno how I managed such a relaxed looking smile, I was grovelling by this v late stage.

[higg]

A quick report today, the pictures tell the story

A new track to Leith Hill, a shortcut in mountinbiking usually just means steeper
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs550.snc3/30104_396210266867_565591867_4292163_3027633_n.jpg[/img]

[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs530.snc3/30104_396210276867_565591867_4292164_461954_n.jpg[/img]

[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs530.snc3/30104_396210291867_565591867_4292165_1237589_n.jpg[/img]

The play area near Leith Hill
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs530.snc3/30104_396210296867_565591867_4292166_5322561_n.jpg[/img]

[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs550.snc3/30104_396210301867_565591867_4292167_336428_n.jpg[/img]

We ran into Sylvain and Simon who were out for a training ride
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs510.ash1/30104_396210306867_565591867_4292168_3641014_n.jpg[/img]

Then we met Richard Wood who was bringing out a group from VC Deal
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs510.ash1/30104_396210311867_565591867_4292169_8343258_n.jpg[/img]

[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs550.snc3/30104_396210326867_565591867_4292170_7245337_n.jpg[/img]

A bit of posing before the final run down "Barry Knows Best"
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs530.snc3/30104_396210341867_565591867_4292171_4460857_n.jpg[/img]

We also met Ashley who used to race with Addiscombe in the early 90's
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs510.ash1/30104_396210351867_565591867_4292172_3199933_n.jpg[/img]

[Snoop Doug]

Wicked. As the late great Joe Strumemr used to say "we gonna pose, we gonna pose, we gonna pose til the house falls down.."

I can't believe how big my smile is on that Friday pic, I was completely knackered yet clearly had a brilliant time, looks like you all did on Sunday too - great work!

[Sylv]

Yep a great ride thanks to Simon's navigation, 51km in all. If anyone else is interested in faster rides let us know.

[kieran]

marco, only you could get away with that top and no comments so far!

[Grahame]

[quote="kieran"]marco, only you could get away with that top and no comments so far!

[Andrew G]

[quote="kieran"]marco, only you could get away with that top and no comments so far!

[Sylv]

Nothing wrong with a bit of Nakamura - FYI Marco I once had one of their mountain bikes

[img]http://www.aspttvttchalons.com/dossiers/photos/97_nakamura_complite.jpg[/img]

[Sylv]

They are the in-house brand of Intersport-la Hutte - bet that's where you got the jersey