To the young lady descending from High Ashes Farm down “The Mother” towards Holmbury earlier today.

I was merrily climbing at my own (Slow) pace, and just before our paths crossed, I had just released an almighty trouser trumpet of the “Man who has had a massive fry up brekker” variety, which would have been waiting like some malevolent miasma for you to ride through. 😳 Sorry.

That aside, that was the only rider I saw out there all day! Lovely to get miles and miles of empty trails! BKB is riding really, really well at the moment. Well, either that, or the unlikely other option that I’ve suddenly become a riding god! It was so good, I went back up and did it again. And again.

There was the obligatory Five outside the pub in Peaslake, though. 😉

she probably thought it was the cows/ horses at High Ashes, they often stink – or she had the image of rutting livestock in her head – they always seem to be rutting at High Ashes – really puts me off my rhythm.
BKB is ok as a run-in to the shop, but I really dislike the berm section toward the bottom – it’s just too trailcentry, and as much as I like trailcentres it just doesn’t fit.
but you know what I re-discovered the other day? Summer Lightning. after a great ride from Dorking to Peaslake last weekend, on the way back I did Summer Lightning and the DH 2nd section is either blown out or someone’s thrown some rocks in there and it’s real good fun.

Lightning has got more rocky, hasn’t it? Was ace!

with you on the berms

don’t like the rubble on Summer Lightning myself, but it’s presumably a natural effect of the wear

the Black Star Citra in the KH is damn good btw, I’m assuming Flashy had just departed from there when he started up High Ashes.

How far from sw london to these trails you speak of? 🙂

Where is the rocky bits on summer lightening? I rode it today & don’t recall any?

I recently rode Charlie Bronson again which was nice, haven’t bothered riding down there for nearly 12 months but it was good fun.

Generally I don’t bother with the trails over Holmbury side. The only decent couple were apparently wrecked (wet & wild, crackpipe).

😆

Hoh nob, not rocky as in properly rocky but more rocky than it used to be! Seems the foundations of the trail are showing more to me.

it’s just full of light stoney crap really, a kind of natural rubble.

presumably it’s “natural” in sense of it’s what is under the surface and erosion has brought it to the surface, but I have been minded to propose getting rid of it. it doesn’t enhance a trail that is at heart flowy and artificial rather than technical and natural.

I think it’s a nice contrast to the first and last sections; and a nice contrast to other trails on the way from Leith Hill to Rookery Drive: rooty muddy bits, loamy bits, tree-covered bits slick bits, chalky bits, sandy bits – a real variety.

I don’t really enjoy it myself but fair dos, no biggie.

It probably helps slow down further erosion, other that bit would basically be a trench.

fontmoss – Member
How far from sw london to these trails you speak of?

SW London’s a big place 🙂 but I used to reckon 45 minutes drive from SW19

I like the variety of the mildly knackered SL. I didn’t mind the BKB berms at first but I’m no longer a fan – still they’re there for a reason. And the rest of it’s pretty darn good these days.

That perma-puddle by the small (holly?) tree on the climb out is my benchmark for how wet the hills will be.

Then I really like to go straight on, and eventually down to the left through the “rain forest” section to come out on the bway that drops down towards Broadmoor. (Years ago there was a low hanging branch across it that had to be ducked but it’s cut away now). No one else I know seems to ride that bit.

It’s fun riding new places but I also find a joy in knowing all the intricate details on one’s own patch.

@fontmoss look up Leith Hill Tower on Google Earth. 20 min drive from EDH to Westcott on a good day, and rideable mostly off road from Epsom Downs if you’re not in a rush.

It’s an indication of how long it’s been since I have ridden those 2 trails in that someone has put a cut through to miss the lake that always resided at the bottom of those 2 trails.

Pleasant surprise!

I ride W’fold/Pitch and Holmbury more that Leith just because of ease of access. So only ride SL every few months or so. Always seems to be changing (losing the little step jump in section 1) but I quite like the variety of he whole run. If only there was a way of avoiding the wet, gloopy section just over half way down. Did a demo on a cube 29 not that long ago. I had been out for over 4 hours and was getting knackered. Mark of the bike, that you could just point it down and let it go! The bike not the rider chewed up the rocky section!!! Hard to see why they sanitised the top bit, when that next section is potentially trickier?

Nice weather for a ride yesterday CFH. Must have been a blast.