MTB Sunday 31 Oct anyone?

[ceejay]

The clocks are going back on Sunday, so what better way to welcome the winter than to fit the mud tyres to the MTB, dust off the overshoes and head out onto the trails? I'm thinking of two choices, if interested please post with which option you prefer:

1) Meet Coulsdon South Station just after 10am for a 2 to 2 1/2 hour loop (Happy Valley, Merstham, Reigate Hill, Banstead Heath, Kingswood, Banstead Wood and back to Coulsdon)
2) Meet at Peaslake Village Stores at 10.45am for a few hours of all the favourite Holmbury, Leith and/or Pitch Hill trails
3) Happy with either 1) or 2)

Hope you can make it,

Colin

[Jamie AP]

Hi Colin, I can't do this Sunday, shame, it sounds fun.
Jamie

[Snoop Doug]

Hi Colin - fraid I can't make either this weekend. I am interesting in the Coulsdon loop maybe the Saturday after if you and others fancied it??

Cheers - Snoop

[RachelB]

]I'll do a slow ride from CSS no problem

Oh looks like the ballbuster has all been forgotton amid the MTB Mafia??

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="RachelB"]Oh looks like the ballbuster has all been forgotton amid the MTB Mafia??

[quote="Snoop Doug"][quote="RachelB"]Oh looks like the ballbuster has all been forgotton amid the MTB Mafia??

[higg]

I be at the CX on Sunday but could do with something like that on Saturday.


Aodan.

[quote="Snoop Doug"]Hi Colin - fraid I can't make either this weekend. I am interesting in the Coulsdon loop maybe the Saturday after if you and others fancied it??

Cheers - Snoop

[Dombo]

i'll be there, css at ten

[Dombo]

Brilliant ride. I was initially reluctant owing to the weather and a desire to complete GTA IV on the playstation but mrs dombo's will prevailed and after a hearty breakfast I found myself waiting damply at CSS for ceejay's and anybody else's arrival. He turned up and after 10 minutes wait the two of us set off over Farthing Downs and down into Happy Valley through slippery mud and roots onto the NDW. A fantastically muddy blast down a field and under the M23 saw us clock the top speed for the day at 32mph then it was up the trail to Reigate Hill and along the top, past the Sportsman pub and down some new trails (to me) that looped around Banstead Common to pop us out by the Kingswood Roundabout on A217.
At this point a quick mechanical check revealed my front brake pads to be non-existent but we boldly pressed on, laughing in the face of danger (well, to me anyway if I needed to stop in a hurry!). After some more nicely wooded trails we found ourselves on a road leading down to Chipstead Valley where we split, ceejay off to CSS and me straight up and over the next hill towards home. I managed to hold off some roadies on the hill, then a quick climb to home and much amusement from mrs dombo and the little dombos as I and my bike seemed to be carved from a single piece of mud.
Great ride, thanks ceejay.

[ceejay]

Well, the Hallowe'en weather chose to go for "trick" rather than "treat", and an early rear-wheel slide going down the ski slope was an accurate sign of the conditions to come. As Dombo says, all in all a great morning out, to the enjoyable soundtrack of mud splattering on aluminium...

Not really a day for standing around posing for photos but we do have a quick one from the refuelling stop (which I definitely needed after Dombo stretched me beyond my usual leisurely climbing pace) - lots of MTBers out, distant views despite the drizzle, and spectacular autumn colours.

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