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If
you ain't riding you ain't nuthin! 6th November 20005 Richard and Sam - Belmont Downs Sam and headed over to Belmont Downs to try some jumping. However the chalk surface was so greasy it was impossibly dangerous and the front wheel was sliding out on even the simplest trails. We headed over to Nionsuch Park and this was a swamp so we headed for home - pretty disappointing.
13th November 2005 Richard and the cast of Chocolate Foot - Pitch Hill It's been a while since I rode with the guys that frequent the forum on chocolatefoot so when Jon (JM) arranged a ride I decided to tag along. Aside from JM not making it himself it was a good tour of the highlights of Pitch Hill with a certain master trail builder showing us some sneaky new trails that I haven't ridden before. It was a bit of a dialled bikes/XC jeyfest with Gary riding the new prototype dialled bikes singlespeed frame and very nice it looked too. Gusset Tribal rings with hone cranks, eccentric bottom bracket and a choice of sprockets on the rear. I was on the ti prototype whilst Chris was on a Prince Albert. Another guy joined us later also riding a nice looking dark blue Prince Albert and Adam was on a converted singlespeed too - very unlike the choccyfoot massive. Jo was riding a Mountain Cycles frame with rigid pace forks - despite the chunky look it is featherlite in weight. It was also good to see Ant back in the saddle only weeks after his horrific crash that left him with multiple stitches in his face even if he was on his toy bike (Trek OCLV carbon frame with flat bars and 1.5 tyres). It was good that Dango was there to add some perspective to things "slow down you fuckers, it's not a race". Still, despite the bikes we managed some gnarly action and I even put in a few extra miles heading back to Holmbury to pick up my car - a great ride.
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20th November 2005 Richard, Tim and Rob - Swinley Forest It's minus 1°C as I roll into the car park at Swinley Forest but the weather has been dry all week so the trails promise to be good. Unfortunately, the three riders who know their way around have had to sit this one out and so I offer to lead. Although I have been there 5 or 6 times now, I'm still at that stage of recognising individual trails but not where they are in relation to each other or how they all fit together. Heading out from the Lookout, Rob says "it says no bikes, I don't think we should go down there" "Oh, it will be okay" I reply but then I lose my front wheel in a boggy patch and as I topple to the left I end put my foot down in what turns out to be a ditch filled with 3 feet of freezing, stinking water. I topple over and end up with my left leg, soaked to the waist, and my left arm and part of my chest completely submerged. As I drag myself out, Rob and Tim are barely suppressing their laughter - gits! We decide to press on although my left hand is numb in a soaked glove and I can feel water through my sealskinz. The rest of the ride is good fun although a bit stop-start as I try to remember where the trails are. The benefit of buying and wearing expensive cycling gear is proved as my gloves, trousers and jacket dry out within half an hour. We ride for a couple of hours before calling it a day and then as soon as we turn for home we start discovering some of the better singletrack so manage another half hours riding on the way back. By the time we return to the car park the temperature has soared to a positively tropical 3.5°C. Swinley has loads to offer but it needs a local to show you the way.
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27th November 2005 Cas is still injured but was obviously keen to be part of the day as he dropped in to my house to pick up some stuff before we left and then we saw him en route to Epsom Downs for a brief chat too. The main route was firmly packed although Huey had been checking the OS map at home and had a couple of detours planned for us. We followed these and got a little lost and discovered some very boggy ground but then we got back on track and now have a few more options for trails when summer finally returns. Huey was gadget man as usual and as well as a wrist watch and GPS on his bars, he had a bike computer mounted on the top tube and a PDA with the local OS map loaded onto it in his backpack. Although it wasn't too cold, we maintained a constant speed ensuring that it was one of those days when your nose is constantly dripping and your ears tingle from the wind whipping by. At least that was an excuse to stop for a cuppa at the National Trust Tea Hut on Reigate Hill. A good ride and lots of photos opportunities too with Rob even taking a few shots of me.
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February
2008
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