I went for my first proper ride on the quantocks at the weekend. I was a little disappointed as I followed a route from a magazine and thought it would be good. I went with a friend and we both agreed that smiths combe was the best bit of the whole ride. Are there any better bits than this?
tonnes, you need to hook up with some locals ...
Am sure the ride you mention sends you up a good descent !!!! Go explore
Smiths Combe is my personal fav because of the way it develops. Are you looking for more tech or more flow/length? Weacombe for more flow, Triscombe DH for more tech IMO.
Sharki guides for cake 😀
like adh says loads, but then if you were one of the guys riding through Holford, topless and shouting ... you may need to speak very nicely and get dressed first before the locals show you their best bits. 🙄
smiths combe is way down my list.
best bet is to bribe sharki with cake...
Smiths is great.... but there is so much more!
You need to borrow a local for the day, they'll show you the best climbs and the best descents!
No ART I was riding with my top on. I did go to holford though for my cream tea at the plough inn as there was a wedding at combe house hotel.
Buzz- I think I am looking for a combination of both. I ride alot in the peak district where there is some technical stuff. But i think i prefer smiths combe to that. I think I'll have to try weacombe soon.
weacombe and stert are my favourites. nothing scary or techy, just flowy fun. quite like all the foresty stuff over by triscombe too which is a bit more scary and techy. never quite sure why smiths is so highly regarded, excellent trail but there's much better stuff up there.
Slaughterhouse combe ! Stert/somerton combe...borrow a local....
why smiths is so highly regarded
Personally, it’s the progression: because the grassy, innocuous start encourages excessive speed which leads straight into the nasty section where the bike suddenly rockets down out of control, I cant even brake effectively, hanging on to the bucking bronco or die! And then it gets all flowy but with blind corners and stream crossings.
... before rupturing your spleen trying to get out and back onto the top again 🙂
XC stuff aside, how gnarly/technical is the triscombe DH stuff? Compared to say something like cwmcarn DH course? My missus lives in Taunton and we've up the Quantocks a few times on the bikes but struggled to find decent routes.
[i]I went for my first proper ride on the quantocks at the weekend. I was a little disappointed...[/i]
I was disappointed with my first ride on the Quantocks too.
.
Disappointed I didn't live nearer!
You need a local to show you round, like what I did wiv knottie8. Fab riding.
Oh well that's just fine then 😉 Plenty of suggestions there to keep you happy. Tis always difficult on new rides, areas like the Qs need lots of exploration to realise the full potential. Hard to get bored with so much variety on offer.
Krag.... drop us a mail when your next in the area and im sure we can show you a few of the better areas!
Its not mega tough, or big like cwmcarn, but has some very good techy sections.
Coombe sydenham is better for the larger drops etc... only 15 mins up the road from town.
I love Smith's, but the climb out is a ball-ache. I normally stretch it out and make it a bit more interesting by following some singletrack to Holford.
For me, the Quantocks isn't so much about one specific descent being the best, but the fact that there are so many brilliant sections that link together into a loops so well.
If I really had to pick a favourite, I'd say Weacombe for the flow.
how about the great bear into the concrete block then holford combe all the way to holford. A bit of everything for three miles ish.
Slaughter house, it is the definition of fast flowing singletrack.
Smiths is nice but the climb out makes it a toughie.
Get Sharki to show you, half of them don't even have names.
Here's a bad squiggly map to get you going, I was there for 2 years and still finding stuff.
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krag - if you know where to look then triscombe has some of the hardest DH tracks I've ever ridden.
super-tech, super-steep. very, very well hidden...
there are three main areas at triscombe. the original track which has been there for about ten years. its seriously beaten up and could do with some TLC.
then there is north side of the valley, they are smoother and flowier tracks, you get to them off the singletrack that runs down the side of the road
then there is other side of the valley, a lot longer, techier but still flow reallly nicely. the easiest way to them is to ride past the original track and follow the path along the fenceline for about half a mile. it takes you round the head of the valley. follow the obvious track up a slight rise and three tracks start from one place.
as for the really hard stuff. i'm not telling...
[url] http://www.pinkbike.com/video/93692/ [/url]
the vid was from a roadtrip we did on the weekend up there.
I loved my first ride in the Q's, got totally lost and didn't care, found some great riding. I went back again and followed ( I tried) a route from a very small book (you know the one), and it was a dissapointment.
Local knowledge or just explore not caring if or more likely, when you get lost - is my recommendation. 🙂
Cheers for all the pointers, I'm gonna have a bimble around Saturday morning and see what I can find.
Bring cake and a bike on sat morn and i'll happily release the little knowledge i may have of the Quantocks trails, DH and mincetastic.
Hmmmm! cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111
sat? i thought it was sunday?
The proper ride is sunday, sat is my warm up day so looking for victims to drag around for a few hrs...
Lydeard Hill Car park, 10am Saturday.
about 10.30-10.45 at Crowcombe park gate.
Sharki, these times suit?
Im loving Picnic table right now, everyone I take down it thinks its sooo much fun!!
Any news on whether anyone is riding tomo?
Where is picnic table?
out of the plantation car park!
I'd be up for tagging along tomorrow, those times above sound alright if I can find the car park. I'll be seriosuly over-biked and mincing around on an 8" patriot but it's all I've got at the mo.
just watched your vid jambo, bloody hell, those trees have fairly grown 8O(just realised it's over 10yrs since I first rode the old DH track at triscombe) do you know if rich, daz, damo and that lot still ride?
Shouldnt be a problem! Could be a mix from SS to all sorts.
Lydeard hill CP is around the TA4 3 area on a map!
Damo still gets out and about when he can, dont see much of the others tho!
Saw Daz at Glasto. Think Rich has a bike again, but not seen him out for a while.
Daz at glasto? now, that is a scary thought 😆
doubt I'll be back down that way for a long time, tell them Gary was asking after them.
Saw Rich out on a kona HT last summer and seen him in ralphies a few times.
Think he's holidaying and doing MX most of the time.
Used to see him in the Pen and Quill alot too.
Krag, see you on sat, i'll be seriously under biked but it's all riding.
Alors, is there a ride tomorrow? I guess so. Is it ok if I come along too?
I will be at the gate for 10.30 with mrK
The one that my friend calls baby's head combe is my favourite.
GW
Daz is still riding and I see him on the Qs every now and again. He's still one mad ****er.
Andy
10.30 at crowcombe top carpark as usual. Grub wagon route ?
is it wise to do the grub wagon , I was under the impression they had sold out of all stocks after oldfarts visit.
worth a try though
Thanks Saladdodger. Do you mean by the lodge bit on the map or the open space where people park their cars?
he means the open bit where the cars park. White vw camper.
Cool. Thanks. See you there.