Offroad ride Sunday 2nd Sept

[Wal]

Spent a thoroughly enjoyable few hours exploring some of the tracks around Leith Hill today.

[img]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o271/MJWallace/DSC01562.jpg[/img]

Mike

[stu23]

t'were rather good. foudn some lovely new bits of singletrack on leith and holmbury. who needs wales??

cheers to everyone who came and marco for organising it all

[Ian A4size]

Well what can i say- Joanna and myself really enjoyed oueselves, so did my mate scott.
It has been a while since i have ventured off road, probably about 3 months, which to be honest is a bit shaming as that is what i originally started doing when i started riding again after a 8 year break.

To say i was a little rusty is an understatement! As I am off to the alps in about 8 days, it really took the edge off my riding.
Knowing the local trails where I live meant that I could still race around them- even with a big gap between rides, but this was a whole new world.
The old "fat nav" had packed right up and I never had a "doctor" where we were.
Not off to a great start tho as Bob went up the back of my mate whilst fiddling with levers and stuff. Turn a corner and up we go, well nearly- ping! there goes the first chain break of the day.
Scott sighed and said dont worry i will roll back to the car park, Marco was having none of this , so out comes the chain tool- 5 mins and some greasy tools and hands and we are off again.
A little climb more then its down the first trail- lightning ( i think), boy that was fun, switchbacks, drop offs , a few berms ,humps, bumps and roots a plenty.
This bought on the second "mechanical" of the day- and it was a recurring one at that- no one had the right spanner to tighten up a loose sphincter!
I certainly did not know these trails at all, and with a cycling holiday looming i was behaving like an absolute wuss. Great care was taken, whilst it seemed Marco et all handled them with no problem.
Ah just a bit of ring rust I thought, I'll soon be ok( it never happened)

Marco was always there to offer encouragement after or just before a huge drop or sketchy descent- then pointing to a huge divot in the ground where his mates 'nads made contact- couldn't walk straight for weeks he said.
Various climbs and descents whose names i have forgotten, barriers, yoghurt pots, regurgitation all came and went.
Tea and cake at the tower, the other more accomplished riders had the chance to "injure themselves" as Marco put it.
Also we went out to Holmbury hill to the viewpoint- lovely stuff indeed.
A super twisty, bermy, rooty, loggy, drop off downhill to peaslake that went on forever and pumped up my forearms no end.
We said our goodbyes at peaselake as Jo and I had to get back, cos i was cooking my dear ol' mum dinner.
Two fairly stiff road climbs to get back to coldharbor.
Big grins and tired legs all round.
All three of us really enjoyed it, it made a great change to go somewhere different and hopefully learn new trails.
Thanks to Marco and Bob for nursing us round and to all the others for waiting....and waiting for us to catch up.

[Kasper]

Great Photo Wal!!!

Looks like i missed a good one today huh

Spent the day putting together my trimetal bike box for storing bikes only to end up tonite with the door still only 3/4 on. Oh well?!

Still I know where i'd rather have been and your photo proves it/!!!!!

Well Done Ian and Jo (Patronising tone alert) for making it around after yesterdays roll out.

Also Marco it must have been nice to be back to your natural habitat, i remeber the last time the club were out that way and i had terminal rear brake failure and had to make it round on a front brake only, what joy?!?


What are your plans for next weeks ride?SOmething equally momentus i hope? (Ignore if you plan on starting a new thread).
Well Done all involved,
ps. You had a guide????Someone knew the place better than Marco and cushtie combined??? I wouldn't believe it if itwasn't written by your own fair hand.

[stu23]

Kasper-I've got a wee plan for next weekend- keep your eyes on here!!