Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Quantocks – what do you locals think of these routes?
  • DoctorRad
    Free Member

    Fresh from my scanner, from MTB Pro July 1996:

    http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1279811/MTB%20Pro%20Routes%20-%20July%2096%20-%20Quantocks.pdf

    What do you local folks reckon? And where's the food wagon to be found? Grid ref please? 😉

    Cheers,

    Dr. Matt…

    snaps
    Free Member

    Grub wagon in the Holford layby on the A39 but not always there!
    33 miler takes in all the best bits but thats a very long hard ride.
    http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=315753&y=140812&z=120&sv=315753,140812&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=608&ax=315753&ay=140812&lm=0

    Dibbs
    Free Member

    I haven't seen that for a while, some of the better routes on the Quantocks in my opinion (but then I would say that as I get a mention in the article for supplying the route info). 😉

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    langy
    Free Member

    5250ft climbing? that's gonna hurt in such a short distance!

    DoctorRad
    Free Member

    So are the BWs in the bottom of the valleys like Hodder's Combe and Holford Combe best avoided? If so, why?

    Thanks for the input folks, itching to get down there when I can 😀

    Dr. Matt…

    snaps
    Free Member

    So are the BWs in the bottom of the valleys like Hodder's Combe and Holford Combe best avoided? If so, why?

    Not really, all rideable – there won't be much mud but running water if its been wet & the bottom of most combes have stream crossings that are taken at speed so be prepared for plenty of flying water!

    DoctorRad
    Free Member
    sharki
    Free Member

    I personally think all those routes are terrible, but then again i am odd.

    DoctorRad
    Free Member

    Why terrible? And what else is available there that's better for you?

    Think I just need to get the map and explore, I used to have a really good nose for finding decent trails…

    Dr. Matt.

    sharki
    Free Member

    Route one – is climb forest track to road, along road to pick up the drove(a wide mostly uninteresting link track, ancient millitary marching route) then back down a forest track to the start.
    An updated version could incorporate some of the built trails off in cockercombe and greatwood, but not easy to mark on a map..

    Route two – takes you down a once lovely trail into a rutted horse ruined bridleway to a road, then again along forest track p to the main heathland, just to descend a wide grassyish track to the valley floor and ride up a bitch awful climb(ok, actually is a nice climb really) then throw you back along the ridge to the start…..because of the mess of Aisholt common trail now, i'd suggest just pinning it down the BW along the slades, staying right of the beech bank, or crossing the beech bank and seeking out the steep fun stuff the DH guys have created.

    Route three – really unsure what to make of this one…..starts off ok, taking you over to the a classic (smiths) then around to alfoxton on lovely swooping singletrack, then it all go wrong again, having to drag yourself out via the endless torture that is i believe granny's path, passing a few corking way into holford combe the route sends you down devils gallop, which starts off fast and full of potential, then suddenly turns angry as a three metre wide trail of fist sized rocks slows you down and bounces you down into an exit into a spring bog like area, then it's up, up, up to the hill fort, all that height gain sends you across muddy and WTF am i doing here tracks and then up a road and down another WTF track, another hundred metres you could've been on the great bear but no…here have this! all that height loss means a forest track traverse/climb for about 3miles, wow! back at cockercombe you'll now traverse the fence line and descend the previously mentioned slades descent, which is fast and furious in a wide eroded bed rock type of way.
    Then to your doom, you're back at the earths core knowing the only way back is up, up, up, these trails are ok, but the will to live would of left you by now and the next 5miles will be a test of mental strength as bad thoughts drift through your head and you'll be wondering why the quantocks have a reputation for being such a good MTB destination………..

    ………you've now a glimmer of hope as you have the chance for beer, the rising sun and further on the blue ball, the temptation to quit here and call a taxi will be quite high, but being the hard core rider you are you'll press on, up(WTF) triscombe combe descent! then across the drove and the ridge and down Bicknoller combe ascent!

    Back at base i suggest a hearty meal a shower and sleep, when you wake convince yourself it's been a bad dream and call me, knottie or Dibbs for a more fun Quantocks riding experience.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    as sharki say, that looks like a lot of miles and climbing for not a lot of fun.

    DoctorRad
    Free Member

    Heh, thanks sharki, I'll be looking you guys up when I can get down then I think…

    Rob_514
    Free Member

    Riding on the Ques is always tops. Only one thing id say is the last stat spose to say 5,2250ft of climbing??? Surely 5,250ft?

    sharki
    Free Member

    well spotted there, 5,2250ft?? haa haa!

    They did well to drag out the distance to get that amount of total ascent, my average 25mile loops give that sort of figure.

    knotties the best bet for a scenic well thought out loop, i hear mine can be a bit errr, intense…..

    chester
    Free Member

    rode a circuit aound the area on saturday – travelled up from south coast so dontthe area that weell. Noticed some singletrack sections in Great wood and wondering if anyone could tellme where there are good sections of man made singletrack. Cheers Nick

    sharki
    Free Member

    All the man made singletrack is not so much flowy, but more tight and twisty.

    The one myself and jambo carved is just off the track to the farm at cockercombe, that links onto an old secion of man made which turns to a forest drove then onto the chimney.

    further down is another bit of made made, this is mostly berms and kickers, with little drops and tight twisty sections and a final steep drop to the forest road to coast up or down or head straight over for more steep bermy riding. To find it, go through barrier at cockercombe, continue on past obvious right fork, then just as the forest track turns right, peel off left down a muddy forestry track, through the wet tyre groves and as the track climbs gently look out on left for the trail head.

    anything else man made is in off the singletrack by triscombe car park, but all is built and carved by DH'ers, trails on the north side of the valley are wider and faster to start with steepening as it drops to the forest road(these have little doubles and things to jump off, chicken lines are there to use).

    On the south side, it's tighter and twistier, with off camber roots and blind drops very common, trails are steeper the further west up the valley floor you head.

    I'd not really class any of these trails as singletrack, in the way most people on here would classify a singletrack trail.

    DoctorRad
    Free Member

    Realised over the weekend: this was the second lot of Quantocks routes in MTB Pro, the first being in the very first issue. Wonder if the routes in that were any better… anyone got a copy they can scan?

    richc
    Free Member

    Singletrack published a set of Quantocks routes which were pretty good.

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