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  • Quantocks – Bicknoller
  • sambalaws
    Free Member

    Hi I’ve been browsing this forum for a while and have decided to finally sign up.

    I’ve noticed that there’s a few riders on here who ride the quantocks which is my local playground. Anyway last weekend I ascended up from bicknoller back to the ridge, which got me thinking that this would be a very fun descent from the ridge to bicknoller. However I’m not sure of the best way to climb out of here without re tracing my steps which is where I’m hoping someone can help and point me (literally) in a way of climbing out of here.

    Thanks in advance samba

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    Weacombe descent and then traverse around is a better route to get down to bicknoller

    Or there is the steep lose line down the side of bicknoller quarry that’s fun.

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Hi and welcome.

    Personally I find it a bit dull as a descent, wide and lacking in corners compared with Weacombe. So I use it as a fairly brutal re-ascent. It’s not a good idea to scoff a full Sunday lunch at the Bicknoller Inn before attempting to climb out – peas and gravy can come back up and out of your nose.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    You can always go east along the greenway a bit and climb up quantock Combe (I think). It’s no easier.

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Dat tru

    Ambrose
    Full Member

    Little Quantock Coombe is a horrid climb!

    sambalaws
    Free Member

    Thanks for all the great replies so quickly.

    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/site_info/route-guides-southwest-england/quantock-hills-somerset.htm?f_Cardinal=10 This is the route I was following which seemed to take me up a lot of climbs which I thought should be descents really, especially out of holford which I’m guessing was frog combe.

    The infamous weacombe was pretty much next on the list to try so ill take the advice and give it a go. Is it easy enough to find? And what’s the best way to climb out of here? I always take os maps with me but as we all know the Q’s does like to hide its tracks well

    Samba

    P.S I think that grass climb is where that route descended just to the left of halsway post, very grassy bumpy descent with a couple gates to go through and ends up at a road

    sharki
    Free Member

    Knoller is a poplier klimb, as well as bean a poplier walking route.
    It’s a veree rapid descent which doesn’t realee go together with other users of the coome.
    Also as Buzz said, it’s lacking features to rival other ways down into the western flanks of the tox.

    If you were to drop it, the only sencibal waaaahay back up, is to run back up the greenway to the base of Weeweecum and ass end up rand the plantation to the car park. Which technically aint a ROW.
    There r other ways up from there, but they’re a fools way up.

    As for that route. That looks to me like a classic, ‘look at a map and make it up with out riding the route or even the area’ one.

    Utterly dire and barely an introduction to the hills in a positive way. Get some free full days and explore the central combes more. And head to Triscombe for more steep and techy riding.

    Somewhere in the vaults of here is my trail by trail breakdown of the very bestest the Q’s have to offer. I’ll see if i can find it.

    sharki
    Free Member

    Ere you are.

    But here’s my brief guide to the Q’s top trails.

    I’ve always said Bincombe is my favourite, perhaps because it’s not overly rode. It’a a trail of subtle incline that once you get to know it, becomes a twisty playful ribbon of giggles, features to get you flicking the ass end out, jinking left and right as you hurtle inches past tree stumps and roots laying in wait for your bad forward vision. From top to bottom 3-5mins of shits and giggles, thrills and spills. Pure natural fun.

    Another fav will always be Somertons top section, but it’s been getting wider as the years go by as riders run wide scrubbing out a new rut. At it’s best it’s a fast and furious descent to the tree line along a moorland piece of single track, the worn shallow rut means that when the turns come, you can get the front tyre to stick so you don’t lose momentum, and after the slight pedally bit around back side the trail is just pure bliss as at speed you’ll get a little drift as you flick left, right, left, left and left mind the rock then into the trees, 80m and slight(18″ step) into rooty braking bumps, sharp right, moist butt and follow the wider track along side the stream, it gets pedally but crank it and enjoy.

    Weacombe, mind the drop to the right most the way along it’s mile and a half length, though it’s not on the trail itself, so eyes ahead(once they’ve stopped rattling in side your head from the stuttery first 150m) Pin it at your own peril, Weacombe is just waiting for the over enthusiastic it will bite, It’s non steep and non technical, it’s just FAST!

    Frog combe, traverse or Roller coaster. Not an obvious to find trail but if you survive the initial steepish rooty run in, the reward along the traverse is a very natural twisty piece of 400mm trail, that joins the main frog combe trail near the bottom. I like because it bit me tearing my ACJ and collapsing my lung, so i bit it back, harder.

    Smiths is a love hate affair for me. Love it because it has a good mix, grass, roots, stoney, hard pack and stream crossings.
    Hate because i always have a bad feeling about it once i let go of the brakes on the mid section. It’s not a comfy landing…And the climb out usually bitch’s at me.
    From Beacon hill trig, it’s a mile long.

    If you want pure speed, followed by a burger, you’ll be after the descent North of the Hill fort (Dowsborough) It’s wide, there’s a few bumpy bits on the first hundred metres then it’s loose stone till it rises for moment, about enough to gather your breath then it’s down, down, more loose stuff making a drifty left and then into the trees to a gate. Careful in there, there’s monsters lurking on the ground ready to spit you off course and watch the long right hander at the bottom, trees hurt.

    Did you say your favourites? Then let me continue…

    Slaughterhouse, Concrete block, Dead womans ditch north side, and te Hare knapp splits(two choices) even holly bush gives me the necessary smiles.

    And that’s just on the Heath and combe.
    The Forestry has alot on offer too but these aren’t named so are not so easy to find. There’s Sam’s track and the Chimney dropping into Great wood, then in Cockercombe there’s around 40 DH runs of varying difficulty, most can be ridden on a HT IMO.

    That’s enough to keep most people busy for a weekend or two.

    Enjoy!

    sambalaws
    Free Member

    Thanks sharki I have rode a few of those you’ve mentioned and was just wanting to try find some other stuff away from great wood and the combes leading to holford which I tend to rode most weekends.

    Sounds like weacombe it is for me, could you possibly give me a bit of guiding to finding it please, I know where it is just not sure where the trail head is of that makes sense.

    Thanks

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