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2nd October 2005 Richard, Markonthedowns and mates - Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill It's definitely autumn now as even though the sun is out there is a definite chill in the wind. Despite starting over an hour past the 10 am meeting time and then losing Jonathan as we left the car park we seem to cover a reasonable distance with 3 newcomers in tow. A couple of them are on rigid bikes and are struggling after a while although Andy's anodised purple bar ends and spoke nipples are a nice throwback to the old days. Jim is on his new e-bay specialized enduro which is looking very nice and gives him a bit more travel than his old stumpjumper - which is nice. Marceo manages to break the bolt on his seatpost that holds the saddle on but after riding a couple of miles standing up, remembers he has another one in his back pack. After a quick repair he is back in business.
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MORE: 6th October 2005 I've had some spare time this week so I have been messing around with Windows Movie Maker™ which is really a fine tool for an amateur editor like me. So here's another production for you, set to a banging tune with a little bit of Napoleon Dynamite thrown in for good measure. You know the score by now; 'Right click and save as' 7.7mb .WMV file
Track 40 Video 'Right click and save as' 7.7mb .WMV file 9th October 2005 Richard and Tim - Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill Tim had posted on the forum about a ride starting from our usual place in Holmbury YHA car park. So I was pretty surprised when I turned up to discover that it wasn't the Tim I was expecting to see that I last rode with back in May (where are you Tim B?), instead it was the Tim that Rob bumped into a few weeks back. And Tim had arranged to meet Troy and Becky, so it was off round the usual trails but with the added spice of 3 riders who are familiar with the area but don't know all the hidden trails although Tim showed me a new rooty descent into Peaslake. The weather was kind to us and lots of riding was packed into about 3 hours before we headed for home.
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MORE: 16th October 2005 If you have been watching the forum you will know that I have been looking out for a new bike/frame for Sam, my eldest, to use for school. His current mode of transport is a Toys 'R' Us™ Blade bike, that he has had since aged 7, weighs a ton and sports 24 inch wheels. I was lucky enough to pick up a 1992 Kona Lava Dome (thanks Jim), in an 18 inch frame with various additional accessories. Sam and I spent today building it up. We decided to single speed it, to keep it simple and also to keep it cheap (I don't think I have any more gear shifters, or rear mech's in the spares box). I went for the classic 32:16 or 2:1 ratio. For the uninitiated, that's 32 teeth on the front chainring and 16 teeth on the rear. So here's a few pictures of the frame and the build to keep you busy browsing the web during office hours.
READ MORE: 19th October 2005 Bought a Dead Head Single Speed Kit - a bargain at £9-99 from the Woolly Hat Shop. This kit converts your existing 7/8/9 Speed hub to single speed. It includes two rings - 16 tooth and 18 tooth plus all spacers required to sit on your rear hub. Sam also managed to strip the thread out of one of the crank arms (it served me ok for four years), so I ended up buying a fairly cheap new crankset too. I removed the large and small ring and reversed the middle ring to ensure that I could tighten the crankset bolts sufficiently.
20th October 2005 Richard, Markonthedowns and Rob - Night riding on Pitch Hill Mark has organised a night ride and after enjoying the last night ride with me back in the summer, Rob is joining us again. However, the weather has definitely turned and after a huge rainstorm last night we are fearing the worst. Yet, true to form, Pitch Hill is still fairly dry although in the dark it feels very remote and eery. We stick to the usual trails covering T1 and Xmas pudding 1 and 2 during the evening. I make the mistake of taking my orange tinted shades which are also quite scratched giving everything an orange glow. We head for home as it starts to get colder and a few spots of rain threaten. This is not a place to outstay your welcome.
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MORE: 22nd October 2005 Richard, Sam and Grant - Swinley Forest It's been a busy week this week (see above) and Saturday morning sees a return to Swinley Forest in Bracknell, Berks where we haven't been since February. M25, M3 and then A322 sees us pulling up into the car park mid-morning. It's only my third visit and the first time I have had to find my own way round rather than following someone else. We spend 45 minutes seaching various singletrack sections, asking other riders "do you know where the gulley is mate?" and receiving a no in reply. But we finally discover the gully, the downhill sections, the rooty lip sections and the drop-off's. Some kids are building berms and massive jumps on the hill near the gulley and I took some great video footage. Sam and Grant manage to session most of the drops and we only call it a day when a simple fall by Sam results in a nasty gash along his forearm.
Here's a nice little video shot on location at Swinley Forest Right click and 'save target as' (9.7mb .WMV file) READ
MORE: 30th October 2005 Richard, Markonthedowns and Mark C - Pitch Hill And just like that it's gone. Without ever really seeming to start, the summer is over. Markonthedowns has made full use of the extra hour and spent it drinking meaning he is looking a bit pale as we roll up to Holmbury YHA car park. However, it is me who has lead-filled legs all day and I struggle up even the slightest climbs. An unseasonal 19 degrees means I am shedding layers and sweating like the proverbial pig. I feel so bad and listless that I am convinced there is something wrong with the bike and keep checking the wheels are spinning freely. But we still put in some good riding and bump into Oink and his team on Xmas Pudding doing what Oink does best. As we are shooting the shit, Simon and a big group from Nirvana Cycles shoot by. I am extremely grateful as we descend Telegraph Road back to the car-park and look forward to lazing in front of the television on a lazy winter afternoon back at home.
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