MTB RIDE THIS SUNDAY

[Snoop Doug]

marco this sounds top but this wekend I'm going for the cr as I desperately need to prove to meself that I can actually do 25 miles plus before the SCCU 25 next week. Keen to hear about how this goes and pls post up if you plan to do another - it sounds like great fun.

Cheers - Snoop

[higg]

The plan was to take the tarmac option to Coulsdon and then head south through Farthing Downs, turning west along the North Downs Way and then skipping Box Hill and taking the short cut to Epsom Downs. This plan would bring us home in plenty time to get some lunch and watch the end of Paris Roubaix.

5 of us left East Croydon but unfortunately only three of us got round. Bob took a slow motion tumble on some roots going up Farthing Downs and fell hard. After a few minutes he was just about standing but still quite shaken so a cab was called to bring him home. (Haven't heard from you yet, Bob. I hope you're OK.)

200yds further up the hill Macro stopped and started prodding his back wheel saying something didn't feel right and sure enough, the rim had started to crack through and bulge the braking surface. He knew he couldn't carry on and risk the wheel collapsing completely so he let some air out of the tyre, unhooked the back brake headed back.

There were thoughts of abandoning but given the weather was so good we carried on, taking it fairly cautiously down the ski slope into Happy Valley, just in case there was another casualty. Luckily things didn't happen in threes today and we got back home via some seriously dry and dusty trails (and an ice cream at Epsom Downs).

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[Bo-Gilly]

Yep, the [ extremely very ! ] good news for me was, that nothing was broken. The bad news is that for the time being I can't cycle, work, put my socks on or, get in and out of a bath ( as I've discovered )

Still, I'm rediscovering the 'chillin' delights of opiate derived pain killers

I have to say that, as is usually the case, my tumble was totally predictable. I was going far too fast over multidirectional roots on rigid forks. Unfortunately, having only just a couple of minutes earlier been catapulted over my handle bars and landing several feet in front of my bike without a single scratch ( when the front wheel snagged in a hidden gully ), I had decided that I was in fact superhuman and clearly indestructible.

I hope in future, I remember that I'm sadly mortal and not tempted to say " If I fall I fall " to myself.

I would like to say how grateful I am to all you guys for helping me, you were all brilliant. God only knows how long I would have been lying there had I been on my own. Thanks to you all for sorting me out

It looks like you all ( except Marco ) went on to have a great ride.

BTW I spoke to Pasquale last night and he told me that he had also lost control on the deeply rooted section, only he didn't go over just slammed his arm into a tree. He said it wasn't until he was having a shower that he realised just how badly he'd hurt himself.

[Wal]

I brought a camera along on the ride hoping to get some good action shots/movies, but as usual I was too busy enjoying the biking to be bothered getting it out of my Camelbak.

Hopefully the cracking weather augurs well for the rest of the summer!

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