MTB RIDE THIS SUNDAY

[Sylv]

mass email on its way!

[stu23]

whats titsey dh marco?

just the blast down the big track that goes directly down and then under the motorway?

[stu23]

ahhh, was somewhat more exciting when full of draininage ruts and a good layer of gravel theres some awesome secret stuff around the area I'm going to go out to soon and have a poke around, a big bowl similar to Wall of Death but bigger!!

as for me this weekend, busy playing exams racing weekend after then weekend after that I may be back if you need help leading rides etc

[mblaseby]

Hi Marco and co,

I won't be able to make the ride this weekend or next, which is a shame as last week's was so much fun (glad to unleash the Pace again ).

I'll keep an eye on the forum, and hope to see you on the trails again soon.

Cheers again for leading a good one last week,

Matthew

[ciad]

I really miss these sunday rides, might have to get my fat arse out on this one. will be well slow though.

[higg]

I'll be out again tomorrow. We'll try to follow Marco's route, it's been good for the last two weeks so let's make it 3 in a row. I'll bring a map just in case though.

[Bo-Gilly]

bash-tards

[higg]

Good to see you're at least thinking about cycling again, Bob. Any idea how long it'll be before you're back again or is it too early to tell ?

Not wanting to rub your nose in it but there was a big group out this morning for the MTB ride. I didn't believe it at first, I was expecting 3 or 4 but actually by the time we left there was 14 people in total. Route master Marco led us out of Croydon in the Lloyd Park direction with a view to getting us out to the top of Titsey hill by the easiest route.

Even on the easy routes though there is scope for making things interesting with some "special" loops around Croham Hurst and Selsdon woods. The climb up through Farleigh golf course seems to get trickier every time I get there. Loose flint combined with an upward slope demands concentration to avoid ending up in the bushes.

An impromtu photo session in front of the Norman church led us onto the cylce path by the Croydon road.

A quick warning at the top of Titsey about about the gate at the bottom of hill and we were off. I was last to start and managed 30mph on my skinny tyres and rigid forks. Not sure what the guys up front managed but it couldn't have been much short of 40mph. Just hope they spotted the gate early enough.

After a quick regroup and map check at the bottom we skirted round the back of Oxted and up Chalk Pit Lane. OK strictly speaking this is not offroad but it is steep enough to offer a challenge.

The flint house downhill was next. This looks like a straightforward grassy slope but add in the dried hoof prints on the ground and this is enough to shake your fillings out. Maria entertained everyone when her back wheel started skipping from one side of a rut to another. Her survival instinct kicked in and she managed to stay upright and was able to laugh about it at the bottom.

Next up was the choclate eclair hill which is only 600m long but a fairly vicious bridleway, 10% average gradient, with sections at 20%. If this isn't bad enough the surface is loose shingle with shoulder high nettles and ferns on both sides. The name comes from Marco's offer to buy anyone who can cycle up it a box of chocolate eclairs at the Warlingham Sainsbury's just after the top. Over the last few years I seen a few people try but nobody really got past the first 10 yards, most just walk form the bottom.

Today Joel led up and just didn't stop. Legs spinning like a washing machine he got up the steepest part, just about managing to get enough traction to maintain momentum. As the trail levelled off to 10% he kept going with me running up behind him pushing my bike eager to be a witness the complete ascent. Then disaster struck, 10 yards before the trail re-enters the wood and the suface improves, a loose rock and some ferns conspired to drag his front wheel off course then to a standstill on the edge of the path. So near ... maybe next time.

From here it was mostly downhill back to Croydon. Welcome respite after a reasonably long but enjoyable day, 40k in just over 4 hours.

[Roastbeef]

I'm trying to add google map of the route we took on this ride, appologies if this is gobledegook!

[img]http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=901309&l=17705&id=542577325[/img]

or

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9 ... =542577325

21.6 Miles.

[stu23]

where's this chocolate eclair hill then exactly?

[stu23]

chocolateeclair hill eh...sounds a good challenge to me. las time i was up there it was ridiculously overgrown to the point where you couldnt walk it let alone ride it...presume its better now is it?