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If you ain't entered at least one enduro event this year you ain't nuthin'

1st June 2003

At last, the date for the Marin_Rough_Ride has arrived. Here are a selection of pictures, and a full report

8th June Richard, Paul and David - Leith_Hill/Holmbury_Hill

Leith Hill has been calling and we return to try out the best bits of singletrack this week.

After leaving the YHA car park, a short climb up Holmbury Hill brings us to the monument. A brief pause for breath before setting off the other side for the rollercoaster section - somewhat boggy after this weeks rain.

Exit onto the main bridleway and turn left, climbing back up the hill heading towards Reservoir_Dogs. We make the right turn into the entrance, fighting past the rhododendrons and shortly afterwards disaster as my rear mech decides to explode! One of the fluorine coated pins has popped out (lost) causing the tension from the chain to bend the main arm and tear one of the jockey wheels in half.

Not to worry though as a quick conversion turns the expensive full susser into a heavy singlespeed. We exit at the Reservoir and then over the road to the great descent that is Barry Knows Best.

Down into Peaslake and then I experience the joy of a singlespeed climb back to the top of Holmbury. My thighs are stinging as I reach the top and I decide to head for home as Paul and David continue.

A quick return down Telegraph_Road to the car park. Just as I get into the car it starts to rain - great timing!

15th June Richard, Keef, Elliot, Martin1, Martin2, Jez, Ed, Greg and David C - Leith_Hill/Holmbury Hill/Pitch Hill

A superb ride today. The trails are desert dry, dust kicking up everywhere and the sun is shining. I have just replaced my broken rear mech with a new XT model (bling, bling!) and I'm riding sweeter than a bagful of sticky buns.

Myself, Elliot and Keef have hooked up with Keef's riding mates from work. The sun has bought out hundreds of riders and walkers but strangely only one horserider. Before we even set off from Coldharbour we have already been passed by Mark from Uponthedowns . We head straight onto Regurgitator (a brutal climb on cold legs) then Summer_Lightning and before we get to Leith_Hill for the first time Elliot and Keef manage to pile into each other leaving themselves scratched and bruised. Elliot has an impressive couple of chainring tattoos on his forearm from Keef's bike.

After tea and cake it's over the top and down to Reservoir_Dogs and Barry Knows Best before another stop in Peaslake. An off road climb back up to the top (stopping to change a quick flat for Martin) before we head on to Holmbury Hill.

Up the side then down through the yoghurt_pots and back up Leith_Hill. Another liquid stop and then it's Deliverance. There are about a dozen people already there as a girl has come off on the way down and is shaken up.

They wait whilst the two Martins attempt it - a big audience is very off-putting. Martin 1 goes full pelt and it looks like confidence is going to get him through until his front wheel slips away and he rolls off his bike to the side raising a huge dust cloud. Then it's me and plenty of rear brake plus some 'rhoid buffing (arse over the back of the seat, sitting on the rear wheel) gets me down. Martin 2 then goes and after a couple of false starts he slides off spectacularly too. Unsurprisingly the others bottle it and we head back to Coldharbour, battered, bruised, sweaty and sunburnt but grinning from ear to ear. This is the life...

22nd June

I didn't make it out this weekend because I was busy fixing my road bike. I was knocked off by a car whilst commuting into work. Nothing serious but I had a number of scrapes and bruises which took a week or so to heal. The bike needed a bit of TLC plus a new front wheel which I have just picked up from the new Evans at St Pauls - a Mavic MA3 rim laced to a Shimano Sora hub.

But there was plenty of riding still going on. David undertook the Big_8 on his own whilst Keef was busy doing the Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem 24 hour race. I haven't heard from him yet so I am hoping he survived okay but I am sure he will submit any photos that he took. Meanwhile, the regular Wednesday evening rides around Belmont Downs are still taking place. Contact me if you are interested in joining us.

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29th June Paul, Richard and Keef - Leith Hill / Pitch Hill / Holmbury Hill area

Another ride starting from Colharbour finds the 3 amigos out on their trusty steeds. Paul has picked up a pair of Formula B4 hydraulic discs from e-bay to replace his cheapo cable operated discs and they look very impressive in their flash gold colour.

Keef sets the tone for the day by falling off his bike at the start of an overgrown Summer_Lightning trail - right in front of a group of six or seven other riders. No point in trying to impress them any more then.

The ferns are about 3 feet tall and right up to the edge of the trail and it's only because I have ridden the trail so much recently that I am able to follow it in places. I fly around one corner and suddenly see Keef out of the corner of my eye as he extracts his bike from the shrubbery. Apparently he lost his front wheel in a dip and combined with some over zealous braking left him 'bringing_home_a_Christmas_tree'.

The day is baking hot and it's a hard climb up to the summit of Leith_Hill where Keef decides to re-shim his front disc to resolve a horrible whining sound (insert your own joke here). This provokes a lot of interest from the other riders taking tea and cake who seem incredulous that someone would try to do this 'in the field'.

Over the crest and it's down to the drop-off / play area to test our nerve before heading off to Holmbury Hill and 'Barry Knows Best' before retracing our steps back home. Despite the heat, we have set a fast pace today and Paul and I are suffering although Keef seems to have boundless energy today as he surges ahead.

A sneaky bit of road work gets us quickly back to Coldharbour and the sanctity of an air conditioned car but it's been a great morning with plenty of hard riding.

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