Pipehouse Lane (Nr Bath)

Can anyone ride up it?

Or down it, for that matter.

I can't do either!

down it with 3 dabs on a 140mm full sus (not to sluggish either)

up it, you must be joking!!

dispite saying that have you got an exact map location for it, ive only ever been led there and might not be able to find it again?

From the A36 above Limpley Stoke down to Midford. Slightly boulder strewn and had a stream running down it last time I went that way. I think I climbed through the hedge and rode down the edge of the field! Never attempted/contemplated going up it.

Is it map 155 or 156? About 770603 anyway.

Ahhh, the legendary Pipehouse.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=pipehouse+bath&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Pipehouse,+Freshford,+Bath,+Avon+BA2+7UJ&gl=uk&ei=HpD6S9KbF5X80wTK-uTpBw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA

We (the Weds Night from Widcombe lot) do it 'regularly' i.e. about once a year, long enough to forget how bad it is before the next year when someone suggests it we are daft enough to give it a try!

'Back in the day' (before suspension) we used to try to clear it with the fewest number of dabs. One day this young German lad turned up on one of the original Klein's (like Dave Hemming's) he was showing off, hopping up benches and stuff. "We'll show him" we thought and set off for Pipehouse. Without giving him any warning of what lay ahead (it starts off relatively easy and then there is a sudden drop in on the left).

He only went and cleared it all.

These days there are a quite a few people who can clear it. Finn does regularly.

One guy turned up on a Spesh 'Big Hit' a couple of years ago, complaining about how lame all the down hill was around Bath – it's not, there's plenty hidden away 😉 – we sent him off down Pipehouse, found him at the bottom, covered in mud and bleeding, broken arm. First hospital case we'd had in ages!

There's a picture of it in Nicky Crowther's book.

Out of interest for someone who's going to have a look this week (me) when riding down Pipehouse lane, is there a route that comes back round to the top/start?

Cheers

Swallow, the way to do it is get to the bottom turn round and right back up it!!

My record is 1 dab / getting stuck moment. I think its doable for me at some point so that means its not that hard. Everything is rollable. Slack bike and big grippy tyres seems to be the key.

Out of interest for someone who's going to have a look this week (me) when riding down Pipehouse lane, is there a route that comes back round to the top/start?

When you get to the bottom turn right, then a little way after right again. After a long climb you'll be at the a36. Probably quicker to push back up though if thats what your are after. Alternatively at the top of that climb take the bridleway left for a nice drop down into Monkton Coombe.