Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who came on the fun, social ride. As ever on large group rides there was degree of chaos, but order was kept by a number of very helpful riders who knew the way – many thanks to them.

I'm a mediocre photographer, but my efforts are on Picasaweb (please make cheeky comments/add your tag name if you like): MENDIP FORUM RIDE PICS LINKY TO PICASAWEB

A few shots for the casual reader:

Looks great. I was disappointed to miss it ( I was one of the two roadies who turned up at the car park) but had to be back home by 11.

Another great ride done and dusted. I should add there was plenty of punctures, Andy had a big off and I bust my chain. I met a few new faces today and introduced my mate Brian to STW group rides and bent rear mechs(we can chat about it in work tomorrow now). A big thanks to Buzz and co for sorting it all out. So roll on the next one ! Where next ? Oh and im liking the pic of me fixing my chain.

click the above pic for more pics.

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This rider made this bit look easy, very smooth style.

Blimey you 2 got them put up quick ! Obviously you didn't ride hard enough ! Good day out ditto when's the next one !

Good stuff Paul – glad you got pics of the lower part of xmas trees/santas grotto.
Cripes Charlie's electrolyte "shot blocks" are probably the grimmest foodstuff I've ever tried. Probably why he wolfed down the vast plate of fried stuffs.

Lot's of smiles.

"Obviously you didn't ride hard enough"

I only walked to keep Rich company 😳

Oh and the muffins at the finish made with courgette , yummy .

OK then so you were his walkin ' bitch LOL !!!! .Rich forget the uplifts they ain't gonna happen !This isn't France ya know !

I do apologies about the lack of cake at Lillypool cafe. I rode much of the route last weekend to clear bits, check conditions etc, and popped in to warn them we were turning up today. And I made a special point of saying: "Make sure you have lots of cake!" 🙄

another big hurrah for the yummy muffins !

Rich forget the uplifts they ain't gonna happen!

Thats what you think, next time I hit the quantocks I'm bringing a van full of angry downhiller monkeys with me 🙂

Oh, and I am truly humbled by just how much fitness you can lose in a month.

Cheers to buzz and everyone else for a top ride, look forward to being first up the climbs in the Quantocks at times (those times will be when I'm driving the uplift van!)

looks like you all had a great day! i'm sorry i couldn't make it but i had my children back today so wasn't free.

hope to see you guys soon 😀

Ooo Rich that sounds good. I'm keen to improve my flaky, suspension flattered, downhill skills by doing lots of it.

Looks lovely, good photos Buzz and Knottie!

When's the next one? Purbecks, 27th Sept.

aleigh you have email

What an excellent turnout buzz – well done for organising 🙂

Looks as though you had good weather too!

we missed you CG !

We missed you GC, and Aleigh too.

😳

Thank you kindly!

Yep, lots of lovely people missing. And yet, lots of new lovely people 🙂

Cheers for the courgette cake kirsty, eating it now.

That was just top, thanks Buzz and co for waiting at junctions, holding gate, leading, encouraging, etc…brilliant ride!!!!!

yet anothere superb day out thanks one and all stw rides are the mutts nuts 😀

The courgetty muffins were a nice surprise at the end ta mrs pp

note to self must get alot fitter and practice my handleing er "skills" because they are er somewhat lacking (ok not blooody there if the truth be known) 😳 and I am abit sore at the mo

Anna I heard you were comming so I brought the bangers as promised guess what I have for tea

Mr Saladdodger!!! That's so kind…… I wasn't going then I was then I wasn't etc…. sorry. Bet you had a nice tea! Thinking about it, my own tea would have been perfect with the addition of a couple of sausages….. next time (please?!)

Thanks to Buzz et al for a great ride in great company. Nice to catch up with some old faces and meet some new.

Sorry I had to 'opt out' just before the café stop but Mrs Merman needed use of the car.

Chas_T

Chas thanks for solving the mystery .Wondered where you went to !

Yup, time was pressing on and though the all-day breakfast was tempting, I had to make like a tree and leave.

We've only got the one car, y'see. Nine bikes, but one car 🙂

Gilles , Thanks for directing me down the steps after the gate! you were pretty rapid down there!

vive la france! hehe

corgette cakes were real nice ! but tasted like sultannas to me.

Who was it who made them? to say thankyou.

directing me down the steps after the gate!

Bottle Bank that is. Did you make it down the evil root bundle?

Massive thanks for organising it. Great to meet up with so many riders. See you on the next one. Sorry I had to dash off home at the top of the yoghurt. Food at Lillypool looks as good as ever …

Dave

Yep we both did quite rapidly, I was following Gilles.

Santa cruz FTW. 🙂

Cracking day out, first proper ride on the new five.
Cant believe quite how quick it goes with such little effort. Still scaring myself tho, which is fun!
I managed to get back to taunton for 4.45 and go for a 20mile quantock spin too which was nice!

you realy are a git

here I am aching like hell and you say "such little effort"

salad x

Ahhh… it was only another another 2300ft of climbing with concrete block, dog pound, picnic bench, another puncture and climb out from weacombe back to lyd hill.
Add that onto the 3200ft for this ride and it was a good day out.
3 flats is a record tho i think!

GIT 😥

Two words tho…. Keilder 100!!!!! (more like one word, one BIG number tho…)

Two words ,,,,,"**** climbing" on a mountainbike!

Its not fun. Its a waste of energy.

signed

a roadie.

Morning chaps!

Super, smashing, lovely, great!
That was indeed a fabulous ride, you have some wonderful trails down there!

A thousand thanks to Buzz for leading and sorting the route and to the other locals for marking the corners when we got a bit strung out. That was seriously a one of the best rides of the year for me. Well worth the 2hr drive each way. Brilliant!
I even came away with a bit of a tan line on my arms, although nothing to touch Rich P's glove tan! 😉

I was a bit knackered last night, but I'll get my pics sorted this evening and post a link here.

Really enjoyable ride, nice to ride some local trails with lots of new faces (to me) and in some cases riding known trails in a different direction. Thanks Buzz and thanks everyone for an enjoyable ride.

A most enjoyable spin, thanks buzz, you've shown me a few mendippian delights I didn't know about.

Great to put some faces to names 🙂

has anyone got some spare thumbs? Mine seem to have been finished off by Stone lane …