Date: 5th February 2006
Riders: Richard Mark and Cas
Box Hill and Back
Weather: 7°C

A good ride today with the trails lovely and dry again. Cas and I tackle one of our favourite xc trails with a pre-arranged meeting with Huey and Sue at Box Hill Cafe.

They are out on the tandem as Sue begins her return to fitness following a long lay-off with a broken wrist.

The great conditions made for some good photos shown here and if you want more inspiring photos see the pictures from last week's killer ride or the Alps 2005.

I was out on the Prince albert today not having bought replacement kit for the ti frame yet

Cas on Headley Heath

Richard further up the same trail

Cas, Huey and Sue at Box Hill cafe

Oi mate, where's yer partner?

the bottom of Box Hill

Cas on Stane Street

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Date: 11th February 2006
Riders: Richard Mark C and Mark
Swinley Forest
Weather: 7°C

A return visit to Swinley forest which has dried up nicely since my last visit. Again, I was riding the Prince Albert and flat pedals today with the ti frame still awaiting a chain and rear mech replacement.

Mark showed off his new ride. With the purchase of a Giant Trance he has finally sold out and bought a full suspension bike. Quite a change from his racelike Klein Attitude. It looks like a nice bike and Mark was obviously excited by it as he set a fast pace and kept it up all day.

Unfortunately I seemed to have forgotten my riding skills and I blundered my way around always feeling slightly out of control. A few token jumps were tackled with no luck and 3 runs down the gully were frankly pathetic.

Still, it was a good ride and with Mark leading we managed to do the first hour's riding on some lovely trails that I have missed on my last four visits. Now I just need to remember how to get to them next time.

Mark's Giant Trance

Swinley Jump Gulley

Mark in a Trance

This guy scared himself by pulling up too high and almost flipping backwards - but he cleaned the whole run sweetly a couple of times after this

another guy launches himself

Mark climbing Surrey Hill

Mark

Mark C

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Date: 26th February 2006
Riders: Richard, Cas, Rob, Huey, Sue and Tony
Box Hill & Back
Weather: 2 °C

A cold and windy ride today but a good turnout. We even spotted Adrian in the car park who we haven't ridden with since August 2004, but unfortunately he had to head back as he was just out for a short training ride.

Huey and Sue had not showed and three of us headed off across the downs. Within minutes, I had a flat from the recently trimmed hedge thorn's lying on the bridleway. A quick change and we were on our way again.

Tony was back for a spin out with us after first riding with us at the start of January and he was on his hard tail Kona Pahoehoe with v-brakes. It rode ok until he spotted a broken spoke just as we had finished crossing Headley Heath. After tightening the surrounding spokes and realising that we were half way round the route anyway he agreed to push on.

No time for a tea stop today and straight down the great descent at the back of Box Hill where I picked up another thorn in the tyre. As we set off again, we met Huey and Sue who starting a bit late had come the opposite way round the route to meet up.

The rest of the ride was uneventful although I struggled against the strong wind at the end as we were re-crossing Epsom Downs.

A nice run out and a good feeling in the legs and feeling like I need a good kip this afternoon as I sit typing this.

a pause for breath

The group heads up "the wall" on Stane Street

Rob with a tint

Cas heading towards Headley

Tony looking cold

Cas goes by in a blur

Tony - open your eyes mate!

Cas on the chalky descent on Box Hill

Sue

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