Coming from the NE we are lucky to have some very good biking on our doorstep but we though we would venture a bit further a field for a late break. We are presently staying between the Quantocks and Exmoor and after yesterdays rain got our first play in the Quantocks today and what fun! We followed a version of the ‘classic’ route in the SW biking guide, parking at Holford, climbing over the main track (loving a view of the sea when riding), descended Smiths combe (via one minor slide on wet roots) and a near over the top incident, back up the top, down the brilliant Weacombe, along the valley a bit, back up the top, along the main track to descend down a very fun singletrack to muddy woodland trail back to Holford.

if that was on my doorstep we’d ride it every week!

Anyway forecast is good for tomorrow….more Quantocks suggestions or should we head to Exmoor?

Quantocks are fantastic, not many places have such a density of trails in a relatively small area outside of a trail centre. Exmoor requires a bit more navigation effort to plan a route but is also excellent. A few suggestions here from an earlier thread…. I’d say grab an OS map and go for it:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-classic-exmoor-mtb-route-wanted

… don’t forget to give Dartmoor a spin next time you’re down this way 😉

The Quantocks is a massive great playground. Hit the main ridge and then descend any of the coombes and you will have a blast. Best ways back up are either Hodders Coombe, then Lady’s Edge/ Shephards Coombe or Holford Coombe then Ladys Coombe. My Favorite descents are all of them 🙂

on the Qs you need to ride down Stert combe and somerton combe , follow it all the way to holford.

Cheers – off to look at map!

Yep, stert combe into somerton is my favourite descent 2nd favourite is five lords but this one is easy to go wrong. Also 2 descents opposite the dead womens ditch car park are good, I prefer the track on the left (Their in the trees) Have fun

stert into somerton gets my vote, along with slaughterhouse and willoughby. i’d fine a route that included weacombe every time i went too.

as for exmoor – i hope you like climbing.

Where is willoughby descent?

Aye just looked at the map and stert to somerton was the one we went back down to the car. Was really good. Going to do a ride round the Sportsman Inn on Exmoor now and then Quantocks again later in the week.

ruscle, i can’t remember where, i’m not a local.

ahsat – i wouldn’t do that. the better exmoor stuff is definately around porlock/horner/dunkery

Small but perfectly formed, smiles per miles, etc, etc.

Aye, it’s not a bad wee playground, even better fun when you’ve got the legs for a full days playing.

Ruscle.

Holly Willoughbys Cleavage is off of longstone hill south of the Memorial trees above Holford. It’s a rapid ascent, pretty damn straight with 3 rooty steps part way along. Comes out by the ford in hodders. Much better climb though to avoid dogpound 😉

hmmmmm the Q’s tis okay I guess 😉

Sterts and somerton combe yeee ha

I wouldn’t mind coming down holly willoughbys cleavage.

Sharki, you around on the Q’s at the weekend?

should be cheez, but hope to somehow get to bath to watch a mtb film peek which will rule out Sunday morning and sat late pm.

haven’t ridden the tox in anger for over a month, in fact I’ve not ridden them at all in the time.

time I think to lay down some tyre marks.

Exmoor ride was pretty good in the end (and now too drunk to care. btw the bridge tea rooms in exford is excellent) – thoroughly enjoyed. Will look up Q suggestions for Friday. however will def be back again.

Sharki, YGM 🙂

Rode their on saturday on my singlespeed.. god damn that climb out of smiths comb is so not worth the descent!

Very, very draggy at the top and into a massive headwind.

We’ve given that climb a nickname (which is not repeatable here or i’ll get banned)

god damn that climb out of smiths comb is so not worth the descent!

two things –

a) i tend to agree. i think mbr have talked smiths coombe into being something that it really isn’t. i rarely bother with it when there’s so many other great trails that are more fun, more accesible and easier to get out of.

b) there’s a much easier way to get out of smiths by turning right after the initial steep horrendous bit and head for the trig point. then you can swing around and head for that post at the top of lady’s edge.

*awaits one of the locals to tell me that i’m confused and have part b completely wrong.*

TM, the easier way out from smiths is to climb out to the right, which is a bugger, but a short push up at worse. Then instead of turning right, go straight ahead hugging the far north of the hills.
The trail undulates at a ridable rate rather than the immediate and long ascent back to BP.

There are a couple short steep sections to climb and the trail takes you back to Holford either past Alfoxton house, or climb back up to the top of the dog pound and either descend that or willybees, or take the scenic route back along longstone to BP.
Smiths is slightly overated, but to do at least once as a visitor if you’re about for a couple day. I only do it now if i’m heading to Kilve for drinks, visit friends or for a cream tea and the chantry.

TM, the easier way out from smiths is to climb out to the right, which is a bugger, but a short push up at worse. Then instead of turning right, go straight ahead hugging the far north of the hills.
The trail undulates at a ridable rate rather than the immediate and long ascent back to BP.

you see, i’d rather just turn right and get it over and done with back to bicknoller rather than the up and down slog over to the dog pound and up past the house ( or is it a hotel). each to his own.

might be up to the q’s this sunday or next weekend if you’re around ? drop us a text.

I may venture up there saturday .

##edit## TM try going out to the left after smiths , just once anyway.

left you say ? does this bring you out back over towards the nt car park at the top of the weacombe climb out ? my directions are hopeless on the q’s

I went left out of Smiths once, had to push up.

yeah , the trail is ok but you end up going around the edge towards weacombe area but you can turn sharp left just past the first small copse of trees. Steep but doable climb.Take a peak at the map.

knottie8 – that is a great shot.

About to sit down with map and book to plan tomorrows playtime. Don’t think we will bother with Smith again – it was fun once.

Welcome to the mild mild west 😀

I have a few old spider maps of routes I have ridden years ago

.

Knottie, do you have those as gpx files? If so could you email them to me? (ashat’s other half!) email in profile

Cheers Knottie for that. Massive help. We are presently sat on the floor with the maps.

Can anyone tell us if the dead woman’s ditch trails are the marked bridleways or are we looking for random trails?

Cheers

Random trails, bang opposite the car park just in the trees over the road you will see the faint start of a trail and to the left of this (about 20-30yds) is another trail which goes straight down the ditch. I prefer the 1st one as it is twisty /rooty and rocky. At the bottom you only have a short climb to the left to get to the five lords (or bin combe) descent which is in my top 2 or you can keep climbing to the hill fort descent which is a fast fun blast at the top. As people have already said the trails are endless for such a small area.

Id do the concrete block rather than the dead womans ditch trail personaly

mark from the road by a “concrete block” and ends up where the dead woman ditch trails do . Followed by a long spot of combe/stream bashing all the way to holford.

and these two are defo worth a bash !

the one on the left is sweet single track but a bit slippy to get too .

Thanks all for your advice. We had a great ride today from Holford up Ladys Edge. Then down Weacombe along the bottom, up Bickernole. Down Ladys Edge, climb over to Holders but stayed high and climbed over the top of the hill to the main track. Along to Trimscombe car park, down quite a few bits of entertaining singletrack to the car park at the bottom of the hill in the forest and climbed up Rat Combe. Back along the top track and down suter etc back to Holford. Fantastic views, weather and (albeit very wet after yesterday) trails. We will defiantly be back.

Well done stw forum – we are here as everyone raves about it.

Sorry suter = stert. Haven’t got a map in front of me.