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Date:
7th January 2007 A Happy New Year visit to Pitch Hill and Mark has turned up who I haven't ridden with since March 2006. We have also arranged to meet Nick in the car park and despite setting off up the trails with us, he isn't feeling too good and makes a swift exit before I even get my camera out. Come back soon Nick. We follow a slighty strange route as I am trying to keep trails 1 to 5 to the end of the ride and we do a fair bit of riding in circles as I don't have a set route in mind. I keep on making last minute decisions as we get to junctions as I keep thinking of alternative ways to get to the next interesting trail section. Most of the trails are badly cut up but it's still an enjoyable ride and the final descent back to the car park is great fun. Let's hope it stays dry when it turns cold over the next few days.
READ MORE: Single
speeding
13th January 2007 For about the last 12 months the bearings on my shimano Hollowtech II XT crankset have been loose and graunchy giving a bad pedalling experience. No-one seems to know where to buy replacement bearings but I finally tracked down some replacement cups and bearings from a great little place in the states; Enduro Fork Seals. I ordered a set of cups and bearings which duly arrived and I got down to fitting them yesterday. For the full procedure check out the external bearing replacement page. They have made a real difference to the ride being really smooth and have much improved the whole feel of pedalling.
READ MORE: Single
speeding
Date: 14th January 2007 Riders: Richard, Rob, Huey, Sue, Keef, Paul, Orlando and Simon Box Hill and Back Weather: 7°C  At last it's a dry weekend and eight of us meet in the car-park at Epsom Downs. Orlando has a chance to display the mobile work-stand he has with him. No wonder his back-pack is so big. I am riding the titanium frame on which I replaced the bottom bracket external bearings yesterday with a set from Enduro Fork Seals. They are really nice and smooth and it makes a change for the pedalling action to be so sweet instead of it's usual rattling feel. We head off for Box Hill. The trails seem to be covered by miserable horse riders with uncontrolled dogs today and despite the fact that we always respect all horse riders we get an earful from a couple and respond in the same manner. We decide to do the punishing route, i.e. the one that takes us along Stane Street before branching off over Mickleham Downs and dwn a nice twisting descent before dumping us at the bottom of Box Hill.This means we have the long, long climb up Happy Valley back to the top. Simon is struggling, not having ridden off-road too much and he also discovers that he is not quite as fit as he thought he was. But it's worth it for the cake and tea stop at the top of Box Hill. The cafe resembles the starting area of the Rough Ride as there are dozens of roadies out today duck-walking towards the tea shop. Heading back we go along a rutted road covered in large puddles. As is the usual way we all start bunny hopping over them for fun and then into them trying to splash each other. Unfortunately, as both Keef an Huey hop a massive puddle both trying to soak me, they collide in mid-air and crash heavily. Aside from being wet, the collision has broken the drop out on Huey's Pace carbon forks and twisted one of the fork stanchions totally out of true. We decide to leave Huey where he is and Sue will ride home with us and pick up the van and then Huey from the area. Let's hope Dauphin ycles is open as that is within walking distance of the crash. Back across Headley Heath with some more sneaky singletrack before finishing up back at Epsom Downs - a really great ride that took in a lot of different trails to the usual way we ride to Box Hill.
READ MORE: Single
speeding
Date:
21st January 2007 A meeting point of Westcott Green today as I don't have access to the car. It's nominally warmer than last week but a strong and biting wind makes it seem far colder. We head off to do the Ranmore Common loop in reverse as I fancy coming down The Greensands Way for the final return. But more of that later. For the moment we head off onto Ranmore and along the bridleways down there. We get to a fork in the trail and the fork we want is closed by a large fallen tree. Don't worry Rob, I say, let's take the other fork and cut across. As we cut across and down a slight incline I am about 12 inches away when I remember there is a gated field with three-strand barbed wire fencing. I yank on the brakes but go head first over the barbed wire fence, catching my right leg and body as I go over. It's a fairly soft landing but I have a small rip in my jacket and what looks like a snake-bite above my right ankle. The barbed wire is fairly new but Rob has a disinfectant wipe which is soon covered in diluted blood as I wipe my leg down. There's nothing too serious and we push on. Across the gated field and down the bridleway to the road. There are 4 or 5 smaller fallen trees at various points although only one is actually blocking the trail and we stop to lift it out the way. Up to Holmbury Hill and across the top before the long climb up to Leith Hill tower. As it's quite early in the route I manage this quite well today; it's not my favourite climb and one I will normally avoid. The tower is busy with walkers and families but not too many other riders and we head off to mess around on the various singletrack trails that take us back down to the quarry. Up to the top again and over towards Summer Lightning. As we pause for breath and I take the opportunity to snap Rob, another rider appears; "You're Diaryofamountainbiker arent you?" says the rider who turns out to be Phil, one of our regular readers who has recognised the titanium frame. We stop for a good old chat and Phil promises to hook up with us once he recovers from his recent broken ankle. Then it's Summer Lightining and down Wolvern's Lane and back to Westcott. Finally we ride into Dorking to Head for the Hills as I want to introduce myself to Oli who is a regular poster on the forum.
READ MORE: Single
speeding
Date:
28th January 2007 Another spin round Pitch Hill but this time the trails are much drier and are riding really well. Just the right amount of grip in them and that lovely soft feeling under tyre when you can see and even feel your tyre imprinting into the loamy soil.
...we get to
a fork in the trail and the fork we want is closed by a fallen
tree...
READ MORE: Single
speeding
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February
2008
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