best descent from Bicknoller post please.
weacombe.
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does that run down the left side of the staple plantation?
or is it the one off weacombe hill?
[url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=312315&y=140505&z=120&sv=312315,140505&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=654&ax=312315&ay=140505&lm=0 ]Yes - this one[/url]
At the bottom through the gate then turn right & climb back up through the plantation, over Beacon hill to do Smiths combe.
bridleway in the bottom of the valley. cross the ridge track from bicknoller post, drop down the grassy slope, mind the stutter bumps, then lay off the brakes for the next mile or so.
I did this ride a week or so ago. To me it hits the best parts of the north quantocks.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1107093342
Another vote for Weacombe. Sublime goodness
cheers gents.
what about round Timberscombe? rode there years ago, but memory has gone.
after a day in the Quantocks and staying in Watchet, we will be heading to Exford, and trying to plan a route with as much good stuff as possible.
pointers would be appreciated.
Little known fact: The Bicknoller post marks the site of the signing of the truce that would finally bring to an end the medieval ink wars, where the warring clans of Bic and Parker-Knoll fought for control of the lucrative quill market.
In the absence of knottie...
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what about round Timberscombe?
Not much, it looks good on a map but all those bridalways are crap, most of the stuff in Croydon woods is smooth fireroad & the 'cycletrails' marked on the map are not very good & only a few miles long put in by the landowner in the 1990's
But go a mile North (in the woods between Dunster & Tivington) & there's loads of good stuff.
do you mean timberscombe or triscombe?
Southern Enduro did the exmoor champs near there, was some awesome riding.
I was looking at Timberscombe on the map.
but to be honest, we can head for Dunster and work through the woods to Wootton Courtenay and then Luccombe and Hawkcombe. ridden all that in the past, and it is a good but roundabout way to head for Exford.
not trolling but... what makes it so great? I've only ridden the Quantocks once, and I did this descent (if it's the one on jam bo's strava). I'd just come up the Lady's Edge climb (great wooded singletrack descent down to there) and was chatting to a guy who came past, he was in raptures about the (I presume) Weacombe descent. It was good but not technical, is it just the speed you can get up that makes it so good? Will have to do it again and stay off the brakes if so (not knowing what was around each corner I was being cautious!!)Another vote for Weacombe. Sublime goodness
speed & flow. That strava segment I average >20mph and peaked at 28mph.
KoM averaged 28mph...
although it has widened out over the years. like most quantocks descents.
stert combe is my favorite by a long way.
Stert to Somerton my vote too - just as much flow but more technical
I'm not a big fan of Weacombe though if I do it I usually turn left at the bottom and do the nice contour-y bit then up past the quarry rather than slog up the plantation.
Agree with Jam bo about Stert though!
I think that is the wooded descent I mentioned that leads into the LE climb? Next to a river (couple of good splashy bits!), fallen tree on the way down that's made a great natural drop? That was the favourite trail I rode by a long way!stert combe is my favorite by a long way.
just studying the Quantocks on bikehike. there are ton's of bw's. looks great.
its small but perfectly formed.
I reckon you could comfortably do a 30 mile ride there with 100% singletrack descending, 50% singletrack climbing and zero road.
I enjoyed Hodder's combe too. Which one is stert please?
https://www.strava.com/segments/1171452?filter=overall
starts off as stert combe, turns into somerton combe.
Ta - this one ? http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=314410&Y=139180&A=Y&Z=120
I think we rode it (I did Seb Roger's photo course down there) but I'm not sure if we went up or down. Lady's edge is ringing a bell too. Also had a day out with Ambrose, I'm fairly sure we went up Lady's Edge that day and we say a herd of deer
probably down. its a crap climb.
It's also a bit of a victim of its own popularity, there are 2 parallel tracks in places as some riders try to avoid encountering any mud or puddles. Or maybe rocks...
What is the best car park (to end with a nice descent)? I parked in Holford before, so obviously started with a fair old climb (and the descent back was not very interesting, although there might've been a better one that I missed?)
no rocks on the tocks. everyone knows that 😉
Another vote for Stert into Somerton here. The rutted bit of singletrack just before you drop into the woods is great, plus there is the added bonus of a log drop and jump.
Was mucky up there this evening mind.
Bin combe is one o my favourites. Start with the wiggly ditch at great bear, cross the road by dowsborough, then back across at five lords.
Super tight single track through the trees. No simple way out though!
There aren't that many descents direct from bicknoller itself. Weacombe is good but I prefer going down lady's edge.
Fave descent is from dowsborough fort down to holford. Not technical but you can hoon it down (well almost all down) for over a mile.
Blackball hill into slaughterhouse Combe is a good one too
Had some great fun on a couple of short rides last week and did that descent a couple of times. Wish I'd tried the one with the log drop offs to Holford as well, only managed to climb that. I think the KOM /QOM may have been on a horse though!
Nice to see so many trails mentioned, goes to show that there are many different reasons to enjoy (or not) an off road descent on a bike. But the Quantocks has it all 🙂
Nice to see someone else enjoy descending Lady's Edge too. Most seem to climb it but I think it's an underrated descent.
Check out [url= https://www.trailforks.com/region/the-quantock-hills/ ]Trailforks[/url] - it has excellent descriptions for many of the descents, thanks to Canopy* of this parish.
(* and whoever maintained it previously)
My favourites have changed over the years as my riding tastes and skills have changed.
Weacombe and Smiths were my favs in the early days, but lady's edge 'sheep track' Bin Combe and some of the lesser used sheep tracks in Stert Combe and Lady's Combe are good these days - can be affected quite badly by deadfall though. Generally I prefer the 'Tocks on a hardtail too.
Regularly see loads of deer up there - took this near Longstone hill.
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Love the cheeky Singletrack down the northern bank of Frog combe.
Ton, there is so much goodness just keep riding up'n'down till your knackered, then stop for lunch and then ride some more.
Slaughterhouse Combe is a must do. Note the trail split at the top - right for the conventional way down, left for the steep stuff.
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Not ridden that variation of Slaughterhouse Dave, will keep an eye out next time.
we were going to be riding through the quantocks, on a a to b ride.
from axminster to watchet. we will now be driving straight to the quantocks and spending the day there.
looks awesome
Ton, it's bloody fantastic. The singletrack is superb. Bin Combe is my favourite