Had a great day out today. Only one incident really when a seat bolt broke ! Thanks Elaine for a great day out . Comments ?

click the above pic for more pics.

I love Wiltshire. The chalklands roll like whale backs across a beautiful, bountiful sea of fertile land.
Lovely.

Good pics as usual knottie 🙂 Twas a good day (could have been warm though), lots of laughs especially around the bomb holes and the cream tea was absolutely delicious! Thanks everyone 😀

Cap'n – poetic words indeed!

Where are the woods shown in the pics? West woods / Collingbourne ?

It is a place which inspires poetry. There really is something special about the chalk. Pratchett writes about it far better than I could hope to, however. The way the light falls across the Plain is like no other place on earth. Quiet, desolate and yet so very alive. Just as the silence of the place hits you, a Skylark rises high on the summer winds, full of song.

It is a special place, and a place to be treasured. I will do all I can to join the Wiltshire folks on a ride and if it is on the Plain, I would be proud to lead it! Just need to find a suitable weekend when I'm out in the country with nothing else on!

thinktank – Collingbourne Woods.

Cap'n – it's a lovely landscape. Have you read any Richard Jefferies books? Would definitely be interested in a Plain ride – it's like a vast wilderness in the South!

Muddy – you wouldn't believe the size of those tractors! Cream tea was excellent and would highly recommend it – The George in Vernham Dean are very hospitable.

Cheers for posting the pic of me making it out of the bombhole, rather than the 3 failures 😳 Aleighs vertical dismount would have made a quality pic too…

Another good ride with plenty of fun stuff. Looking forward to the Q's tomorrow. Have packed the pads and fullface too, just in case of accidental DH at the end of the day….

Do you have a map of the route? I recognise bits of it, but not enough to piece together the full ride?
Thanks

richardk – we started from Vernham Dean, through to Fosbury and climbed, with Haydown Hill on our left. Headed past Ash Tree Drier then dropped into Rag Copse to Collingbourne Woods for some singletrack fun. Then headed back along the Roman Road.

If you need more detail, just shout 🙂

Hmm thats unusual a picture of me eating 😀
Now whats this about you falling off ?
Good pic of me and rich playing tug of war 😛

Collingbourne Woods are lots of fun
Looks like a fine day

Nice snaps, knottie. I recognise a lot of those bridleways/woods from various "Test Valley Hot/Cold" challenges I used to do way back. Do they still do them?

Great pics. I rode the "Wessex Way" earlier in the year, 270 miles from Weston Super-mare -> Eastbourne all offroad and the best bits were the Mendips and the Plain (including some areas in your pics). A real remote feel and fantastic views.

I also help out organising the Test Valley tour events and love spending time in that area, like stepping back in time to a more relaxed pace of life.

"Test Valley Hot/Cold" challenges"

Oh yes they still do them.

andywhit – you must belong to the BOB club then?

Yes, agree with the relaxed pace of life and remote feel. I could quite happily live there … except I couldn't afford to buy there!

Aleighs vertical dismount would have made a quality pic too…

Ahhhhh yes……I'd forgotten about that haha. I really don't know how I managed to avoid tumbling backwards with the bike you know!

Thanks CG for a great day and of course introducing me to that pub, I will be going back there that's for sure (if I can find it!) 😆

"Aleighs vertical dismount would have made a quality pic too…"

I didnt take that pic as Ali's mood wasnt to good and I didnt want repercusions , lol

I was in a better mood by then believe it or not….but I guess you're right – never take that chance with a mardy lady! 😆

Looks good, was over that way with SPAM a couple of weeks back for a fun ride.
If anybody is after an organised event/ride on the otherside of the plain in a couple of weeks time:
SPAM Blast Salisbury Plain Ride
The course is out being ridden now, but I think it will take in some of the singletrack in Erlestoke woods (used for the SPAM Set2Rise event of earlier this year) with a few longer open stretches over the plain – and as many 25Km laps as you like!

>andywhit – you must belong to the BOB club then?

Yup.

Thankfully no pictures of me laying on the floor with a seat post stuck in me.

I was born in Wiltshire, so agree it is a magical place 😀

Is no-one else going to comment on

lots of laughs especially around the bomb holes

????!!! 😆

Rusty
that was a nasty incident.

Aching everywhere today, from such a small get off. Could have been worse, at least i didn't need a trip to casualty to have a bike removed from my bottom.
40 miles an hour down that road with no saddle was potentially lethal looking back on it. Never mind, at least i was first in line for a scone.

I reckon the bolt went in the bombhole 😯

feels like it!

bomb hole = bum hole…lol

Poor rusty 🙁 I think we were all seriously impressed with your MTFU attitude – respect! Hope your evening went well but did you let on?

andywhit – Member

Great pics. I rode the "Wessex Way" earlier in the year, 270 miles from Weston Super-mare -> Eastbourne all offroad and the best bits were the Mendips and the Plain (including some areas in your pics). A real remote feel and fantastic views.

Sorry for the slight threadjack, but how did you find the WW Andy ?
did you follow the Tim Woodcock route….

WW was superb, we took 6 days to complete it and yes, followed the Woodcock route. Camped for three nights then hostels for the last two nights, we had a support vehicle to carry tents/bags etc for us which helped loads 🙂

CG – i was tucking in to the starter about an hour after leaving the pub, no problem (apart from a sore bottom).