Morning All,

Just sitting at work in Taunton dreaming about the Quantocks so thought I’d ask the question. Which three descents do you most enjoy on the Q’s. Obviously everyone is going to be different, some will like the fast stuff, some the technical etc. I’ll kick off although it’s very difficult to say.

1. Weacombe
2. The Motorway
3. Ashley Combe

Somerton Combe,
That new-ish techy singletrack over in Great Wood the precise location of which escapes me,
Deadwomans Ditch.

In no particular order.

Deadwomans Ditch? Is that the one opposite the carpark, over the road?

Yup. Starts off as a rocky, steppy, narrow trench. Gets faster and faster 🙂 Joins Holford Combe at the bottom.

Ooh, I went over the bars down there in slow motion!!

A mate has persuaded me to try a proper upfift day somewhere on the Q’s.
Going a week sunday and I’m bricking it If I’m honest.

Should I be?

What’s an upfift day?

Chimney (starting from Triscombe Stone)
Slaughterhouse Combe
Triscombe Combe (just because its so fast)

Somerton Combe everytime without fail

Chimney (starting from Triscombe Stone)

Actually, yeah. That’s a corker.

I would put Smiths Combe in there but its the wrong end of the Quantocks for me and its such a ball-ache to get out of 🙄

Don’t forget the one down to Durborough Farm.

There’s also a ST between Slaughterhouse and Somerton which I discovered by mistake.

Not surprisingly Smiths Combe doesn’t get much of a rating.

– Chimney
– “The log drop” – not sure the Combe, but you know the one I mean 😆
– Secret singletrack on Frog’s Combe

That new-ish techy singletrack over in Great Wood the precise location of which escapes me,

+1

I liked smith’s combe, but last 2 trips t’wife and I have both binned it in a not-quite ride-ending way, in almost the same spot. So not at the moment.

Stert combe.

Weacombe.

1. Weacombe
2. Singletrack that brings you out halfway down the Chimney, then down the rest of the Chimney.
3. Sheep’s Head Trail, or maybe Stert Combe into Somerton Combe

Lots of others could/should have also been there.

That new-ish techy singletrack over in Great Wood the precise location of which escapes me,

Anyone care to give a clue as to the location.

It’s OK you’re among friends here 😆

stert combe
frog combe(north side)
concrete block
original DH track at triscombe
Al Evans track at triscombe
weacombe.

thats more than three though….

Something like…

Frogs Combe into Holford Combe
Over moor then into Slaughterhouse combe
Smiths combe (but maybe Weacombe or Lady’s Edge – too many to choose!)

3? arse….

1. Weacombe, flat out fun.
1a. Stert/somerton combe. flat out fun.
1b. Holford combe from DWD gully run all the way to the bumps. Has a little bit of everthing, best ridden flat out with mates of a similar speed, switch lines through the trees and just damn well race from point to point. Super!
1c. Bincombe. swoopy feels endless mind the ditch..Nuff said never failed to make me smile.
1d. Triscombe ST not a true descent but damn fine run, losing it’s ST status now unfortunately.
1e. Mine and jambo’s, because of just that.
1f. Thorncombe ridge to opp Quarry. 80% grassy descent 40mph+ into sudden tight and twistness. just a blast.
1g. Hare knapp to holford car park. Flat out grass descent, slight climb, more descent into loose twisty, twisty loose and twistyness, then flat out line to gate, then past cottage dropping right into Car park via rock slab.
1h.Hare knapp to hodders. Same flat out grassy descent of cairn, then left down loose trail, onto ST, over roots and into switchback righthander.
1i. Lowsey thorn. off camber, rooty only to be ridden a few months of the year due to bracken(not an offfical BW, FP, anything)
1j. lower Danesborough(above ladies combe) a fun alternative to the wide run straight off the fort. left takes you to the frog combe/ladies combe junction, right then left take you to a burger van.
1k. Frog combe wide fast with a little root fest in the middle.
1L. Frog combe roller coaster, hell yeah! top section getting a little messy, then off camber left hander into flowing ST trail, (slight step down into the rocky stream bed.
1m. Alex evans track, steepish, tight, rooty, off camber. a good work out, and great for tuning your weight distribution/tranfer on a bike.
1n. Original DH run. Get lured into it at speed, then hit the hips, tables, doubles before a berm chucks you down the fall line through a rutted, rooty trail of multiple of sketchy line choices, 2 metres of crossing a forest road then into the dark abyss of more ruts, roots, broken berms and kickers…
1o. Any of the other DH runs at triscommbe, namely middle, middle middle. these runs have multiple lines, options to link, flick and rejoin others..
2. Secret heathland gully run down the ridge between slaughterhouse and somerton. because it’s daft.
2a. Longstone, from beacon hill to dog pound corner. Furious big ring gurning. Mind the gate.
2b. Willibees cleavage. just.
2c. knotties cheeky bits. Off beacon hill to staple plantation, through gate, right, past pickknickers bench and weave down, down, deeper and down to bottom of weacombe.
2d. Sams track, above greatwood camp. (crosses the motorway)from end of triscombe ST go straight on through(around barrier) follow forest road, pass ST by tree(link to chimney) pass main grassy link to chimney, take next left(muddy) follow for about 250metres, find trail head on left at slight incline. Berms, kickers, hips, steps, tight.
3.Slades. playfully long descent to knowhere.

Others Quantocks descents are available.

Trust Sharki!

Been nearly 10 years since my last visit but the Q’s are fantastic tandem territory. Smiths Combe was one of our favourites.

Recall doing it on the tandem with JonEdwards of this parish on our back wheel, listening to my shouted directions to Sandy so he could keep up!
Happy days, but now a long trip from bonny Scotland.

Was like asking to name three favourite cakes. 😀

“Deadwomans Ditch” akak “The gully of doubt”

1. Smith’s Combe – the most near-death experiences I’ve had cycling. And it’s no good whinging about the difficult re-ascent.
2. Jambo and Sharki – it’s tricky, I fall somewhere every time, and it leads to the lower chimney
3. Everything else

Ah the Gully of Doubt!

3 cakes?! Hmmm.

1. Cheesecake
2. Black Forest Gateau
3. Tiffin

(licks his lips)

Doubt? only doubt i’ve had is at the bottom during the filming of quantock sessions TM, i doubted i turned the camera on, Shame really as Jambo had never ridden it and say the run was fast and messy would be an understatment :)Run two he got a puncture which resulted in me getting sore nuts..Note to self, compact cam attached to lid has very wide lense, means riding far too close to the target riders, which in this case, was blind..
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQhFeRYYL9Y[/video]

*sniggers*

Mine used to be Slaughter house, Smith’s and the natural DH in that order.

Ow! 😀

“dropping right into Car park via rock slab.”

I keep looking at this rock. Not attempted yet. Cars parked underneath put me off. I haven’t found Sam’s track yet either. It’s on the list now.

trust sharki to list just about every combe !
Stert/Somerton and Slaughterhouse are my favs.

PS Im up there tomorrow !

Sharki’s 2C

thats knotties picnic bench trail tis brill

Weacombe is ok just have to stay on the bloody bike 😳

The place is fanfuggingtastic shame I cannot remember any of the names 🙄

1 smiths
2 ah smiths
3 the decent Thurman Merman introduced me to the last time I rode the Quantocks

knottie.

That’s because the whole of the tox is just one big descent.