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2nd February: Time moves inexorably onwards and although it seems like we have just got over Christmas we are already in February. This at least though has seen the rain slacken and the colder dryer weather is making the trails more rideable. We set off from Epsom Downs generally aiming for Box Hill. Over the years this route has varied considerably from the route detailed on the site but it's for the better as it now includes Rob's 'secret' singletrack across Headley Heath, the fantastic 'alpine' descent across the side of Box Hill and then the leg-burning climb back up 'Happy Valley'. A stop for tea at the NT cafe and then back across Headley Heath where we ride the secret singletrack for a second time before heading back to the so-called 'Dead Man's bench' at Tattenham Corner where we are entertained by Phil using his car-battery powered jet spray to clean his bike propped casually up against the back of his classic model Porsche 968 Sport. A great ride covering 25 miles for those of us that rode from home only spoiled by the fact I tore the sleeve of my fairly new Fox Convert jacket wide open.
3rd February: A quick road ride with Felix as 'Team Bianchi' covered 20 miles in two hours. This was slightly ruined by the seatpost on my road bike constantly slipping starting from Tadworth until we managed to borrow a multi-tool off a fellow roadie(!) half way up Box Hill (the Dauphin Cycles side of the hill) which sorted it for the rest of the ride. The weather was bright but cold and as my toes were feeling the first sign of frost-bite we called it a day.
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10th February 2008 "£500m Bike Bonanza" I read on the train journey home from work on Monday evening. Apparently twelve cycling corridors known as bike super highways will be created to link key residential areas to the city centre with free access to 6,000 bicycles dotted around the capital (expect to see them upturned in you local pond/stream/river soon). Growing up a middle class household in the 80's being spoon fed my opinions by the daily mail I was not a natural fan of "Red Ken" as he was known then. However, as I have matured and having to work and more importantly travel daily into London I am now a big supporter of Ken as I really do believe he is trying to improve the capital's infrastructure and daily lives of londoners. It was this in mind that I realised how things have changed. As a young lad smoking around the roads of North Cheam on the Raleigh 'racer' with cowhorn bars and knobbly tyres, cyclists were discouraged. No cycling signs were everywhere and you were terrified of being caught by a copper on yer bike in an alley (only slightly worse than being caught by Paul Murphy the local 'rough' lad in an alley). Nowadays all the alleys have become 'cyclepaths' (reminds me again of Paul Murphy the local psycle-o-path) and cars have been recognised as the carbon fuel burning, poison emitting culprits they are and Ken is looking to build more cyclepaths clear across the capital. It's a shame there's nothing going out to Canary Wharf for me but this is great news for bikers. Good on him I say. The London freewheel last year was a great start and this carries on the legacy. Now all we have to convince is the car drivers, pedestrians and idiotic journalists who jump on the 'I hate cyclists' band wagon for no other reason that we are an easy target, not currently protected by any specific laws. It's a massive difference in the weather this week as we are well into double figures on the celsius front. The trails are sweet too, the only mud in isolated sections with plenty of grip everywhere else. We follow a vaguely planned route with Dave leading and me taking us on detours every now and then if we pass close to an interesting trail I know. Plenty of miles covered and plenty of spills as we tackle deliverance, widowmaker, chocolate jesus and all the trails in between.
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17th February
2008 It's f-f-f freezing as we arrive at Hurtwood Control car park 2 for an 8.00 a.m start, yes, that's right, 8 a.m. and it's -0.4°C. I am feeling grumpy having had to get out of bed at the same time that I normally get up for work. However, this soon changes as we set off onto Pitch Hill and discover that the trails are really sweet, with that lovely crunching sound as the continentals roll over the frosted ground. The sun is out too and after 40 minutes or so we are fully warmed up and I take the group on a tour of all the best bits albeit in a slightly different order to normal which makes it fun. To borrow a corny phrase from those mtb DVD's everyone seem's to be feeding off each other today and almost everyone makes some sort of progression, tackling an obstacle they have baulked at before:
Back to the cars via Trails 1 to 5 where it's warmed up to a more reasonable 4°C and down to Peaslake Stores for a cuppa before heading for home. It's great to see Head-for-the-Hills helping Peaslake Stores do away with those land-fill polystyrene cups that make everything taste of plastic and providing them with some proper sustainable carbon-neutral cups. Date:
22nd February
2008 Another visit to Chicksands on a Friday off work. A great turn-out of riders but I really only have one thing on my agenda today; that's right, the large ladder drop. We warm up on the dual course, graduating to the 4x but it's not too long before the jumps and drops are calling. We cross the fire road to the free-ride area and start to warm up on the smaller stuff. Mikey B, Ronan and Grant are going for it, Mikey styling it up on his bright pink 'Porn King' as he tweaks the bars off the large ladder. But I am struggling with my timing and although I do the smaller ladder plenty of times I am very nose heavy off the end and head back to the log-drop. After cleaning this I feel that the 'coffin drop' looks more doable and despite casing the landing with my rear wheel those six inches of plush Fox coil suspension soak it up and I land safely. Another run, slightly faster and pulling up more and I've cleaned it, one more run and I've owned it and time to think about the next challenge. But still I am pondering it and after messing around some more we head back to the car to eat some lunch. Lee and Niall are pretty gutted that the burger van doesn't appear to visit during week-days but I am focused on the afternoon and after heading back I decide to go for it even though I have just seen Ronan break his collarbone in two places on the last double of the six-pack. The run in is smooth and it's fatal to hesitate so off I go with my heart pounding. You get that lovely rumble as the Maxxis hit the ladder and then it's just a fast swoosh in your ears as you realise you are drop, drop, dropping nose heavy and then a heavy landing where this time the Marzocchi Z1 Freerides are helping me out but my wrists take a real pounding. I scream with excitement as I roll out and before I get a chance to think about it too much more I have dropped off this twice more to own this drop too. Fuck me, this is getting scary as I don't know where this is going to end... Date:
24th February 2008 Yes, a road ride as we test our fitness up against the proper roadies. It's a 100km fully signposted loop that takes us from Fetcham, over the long Leith Hill climb and then through some lovely quiet roads in Surrey and Sussex as far as Wisborough Green before turning for home via a monster climb, more quiet roads and then up the tortuous ascent of Coombe Bottom and back into Fetcham. Although I have tackled Coombe bottom before that was on the old Raleigh 853 steel framed bike and it was almost a pleasure going up on the Bianchi Via Nirone (almost I said). It was great to pass a number of riders I would have classed as 'proper' roadies who were either walking or just really struggling up the climb. The other climb though was tough and was one of those climbs that winds on for ages, levels out, climbs again, levels out and climbs yet again. I was seeing spots at one stage of the climb and feeling faint but I pushed on and eventually the crest was reached. 1,250 metresof climbing (or almost 4,000 feet of climbing makes it sound better), 100km and a respectable time of 4 hours 20 minutes for me and Rob who came in a few minutes behind the other riders who got into a faster group than me and Rob after about 45 miles when we were both suffering a bad patch. A great experience shared with about 250 other riders who were all really good company.
For the official pictures of the event visit Phil O'Connor Photography and yes, that's me on the front page (all in black, standing on the pedals). READ
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