Date:
2nd July 2006 Me and my two sons visit the urban games on Clapham Common on a blindingly hot day. At £20 a pop it's an expensive entry but the amount of giveaways soon make up for this. There's plenty to see ranging from riding to skateboarding to hip hop, scratching and b-boy dance-off's. Not something I expected to like but it was pretty impressive. We spend many hours there and all get burnt in the process but it's been a great day with plenty of pictures taken. A selection are below but see the 2006 Urban Games photo album for the full set of over 70 pictures.
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Date:
7th July 2006
A rare early night out from the office sees me on my first evening ride of the year - a perfect way to round off a tough week.
We follow a shortened version of Rob's Rabbit Route known as "Gareth Gates" due to all the gates and styles on the trail.
It's a beautiful warm summer evening and the trails are fast and dry and despite an unforeseen diversion we are back within a couple of hours.
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Date:
9th July 2006 Despite the dry weather of the last 7 days it's a light drizzle that greets us as Tim and I set off from Coldharbour. We are meeting up with Richard who has the Giant Reign loan bike from Nirvana Cycles in Westcott and he plans on giving it a really good test as he is in the market for a new bike now that his Specialized HardRock is on it's last legs. We head over to Summer Lightning and Homlbury Hill via all the various singletrack trails on the way. Up to the top of Holmbury, down via the Yoghurt Pots/Parklife which are amazingly dry and down Barry's to Peaslake. Tim and Richard have been swapping bikes regularly as Richard is also interested in a Specialized Stumpjumper and he wants to compare how the two ride on the same trails. As it turns out, the Giant Reign rides a lot better once I have had a quick spin and we realise that the rear shock is still in the lock-out position! We then decide on a circuitous return route via Telegraph road then across the road to The Volunteer pub and up the bridleway behind there across to Ranmore Common and back into Westcott before heading up the Greensand Way back to Coldharbour. All because I hate the climb back up Leith Hill from Holmbury. The second ride of the weekend for me and another great day out with the rain blowing over after a couple of hours and the sun coming out. Tim and I covered 20 miles plus with Richard having covered around 30 miles so a very good test ride for him. I look forward to seeing which bike he decides to go with.
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Date:
15th to 22nd July 2006 Here's a few photos to wet your appetite:
For more details click here for all the 2006 Alps photos Click here for the full 2006 Alps report Date:
29th July 2006 Back from the Alps and a trip around Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill with two junior riders in tow. Sam is riding my Specialized SX Trail and after a week in the Alps I am back on the titanium hardtail. Grant is riding his newly built up battleship grey dialled bikes prince albert with rock shox Pikes. It's a mixture of riding as we session a few of the jump spots on Leith Hill including Grant casing a double in the Quarry and getting a pinch flat before Grant and I conquer a very sketchy Deliverance (first time for Grant) followed by a more XC return to Westcott via Ranmore Common on the killer loop section of trail that is a nice little diversion from the usual stuff. Despite being on the heaviest bike, Sam is full of energy and powering away up front while Grant is struggling by the end of the ride. For me, it's a good stretch of the legs and my fitness is still there after all that downhilling.
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December
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