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Thanks for the invite Shep but unfortunately I have family duties in the morning but if it changes let me know what time you will be there and I will try to meet up. If i do I will be wearing a red jacket, black shorts and riding a black whippet(I might even bring my bike as well)
How did you get on today Shep?
Not too well at Alver Valley, lots of dog walkers and not that many good bits for my liking. The MOD area was a bit better but I ended up cycling along Lee seafront and going along the cliffs towards Warsash then back home.
An hour and a half was enough for me with the wind this morning... 😳
Yes, I was tangled up with dog walkers as well on Saturday. I didn't find a way in to the MOD section until I had to turn back for home but did notice a few fun bits off the main pathways. Will use it just while I am getting fitness back and then maybe once the fitness is back I will be able to ride it faster anyway which will improve what it can offer.
Can't wait to get back to long SDW fitness and to a point where those uphill switchbacks at QECP don't finish me off before I have even started.
Anyone out in hants this weekend? I am going to try my luck and get a pass out for sat and sun
Muddy! Pretty much all I can say apart from the new rear tire was better than my old one
There's plenty of areas where you can miss the walkers. It took me a few visited to know where to drop in and out.
Skirting to the right past the 16c village, then down across Apple bridge, out right towards Cherque Farm, then back across the heath into the MoD area then there's loads of routes, literally wherever you want.
Normally pop out across the duck boards by Kingfisher, down the river path behind then into the Bayside cabin for [s]cake[/s] [s]tea[/s] tap water 😛
Back then into the MoD and take your pick.
How do you get into the MOD area Hammy? I ended up climbing a style to get in
By climbing a big metal stile 😛
The main problem is that the areas and paths that are ok (mud washed away to show the gravel) have massive bits of mud to get through before you reach them (you found the mud that had moved of the good bit:-)). So much so that I retreated to the roads only to find that there was mud on them and a load of rivers/puddles. Still it was good to see some sunshine for a 2 hour pootle.
Going to attempt to get up stupidly early tomorrow and have a bash at QECP before the boys rugby lesson.
Went today, trails are in ok condition to be fair.
Slightly spoiled by my mech hanger snapping within the first mile. Bodged singlespeed lasted though!
Good to hear PJ266. We have been a bit remiss on the maintenance front this year due to building new trails for the blue. We will get back to red as there are a few bits we need to look at.
Any idea if I will have any car park issues if I turn up before 7am?
Will be fine if park by the centre. Open 24 hours.
Cool, thanks. Had a skills coaching session a cpl of weeks ago with Tony Doyle and I need to put it into practice before I lose my bottle again. I am aiming to ride all the drop offs which I normally ride around.
There are drop off a at qecp, where abouts mate. Can you get a decent loop in over there? Cheers.
Don't base my Idea of a drop off to be anything gnarrrr. Just riding off a curb scares me. There are 3 places I have always avoided on the red trail, the first comes I think in the second section following the initial climb just before a berm on quite a steep decent. The 2nd follows a cpl of humps( I am sure there is a technical term here) and the. The 3rd follows quite closely afterwards. None of them very high, just enough to make me bottle.
I did a cpl at a meter during the training session so feeling good.
Wouldn't bother with QECP at this moment in time following all the rain we've had. Last time I went was early December when the trails were running like it was spring, then came the wet weather!
I won't be back until it's been dry for at least two weeks.
Thanks, think I may go down in the near future as fairly local. Last time I was there it was just a couple of trails. The stuff out the back was good though 🙂
It's in chalk FFS - it's dry up there with the odd Slippy where the loam has been moved by the rain.
It's a dig weekend so areas of the new blue climb aren't in use but the rest is running well.
QECP has been running g very well this winter - in comparison to other centres and trails in south. The mud has washed off most of the lines, leaving chalk rock. Slippy yes, but fun and good for skills 🙂 In fact off there now!
The downed tree is back into its home Dave, the corner still needs tamping and some reinforcing 😉
QE is riding very well ATM, a bit of mud, what with it being a mountain bike trail and February but it's no worse than it ever gets at this time of year.
Last 2 rides last week were with Nobby Nick up front and Racing Ralph radar and I had no problems traction wise.
Nice to see this thread still going. 😀
(Not going anything to add!)
Well I failed dramatically in my attempt to get to QECP! Alarm went off at 5.30 I put it on snooze, or so I thought, and the next thing I know it's 7.30 and I have missed my opportunity as H has his rugby at 10 which requires a 9.20 set off. This weekend it will happen I promise 🙂
Hi CG remind me agin where it is you ride, see if we can get something sorted out your way?
I did my first Hampshire based ride on Saturday, a quick spin around the Hamble and ferry back over. Lovely sunny morning 🙂 Will keep an eye on this and will be up for a QE trip and Lordswood ride too.
Flickr image embedding seems to be unavailable these days ..
[url= http://flic.kr/p/krqZx8 ]Hamble Ferry[/url]
Got it now, cannot seem to get correct code from mobile devices.
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Awe... My Home!!!!
Cracking place 😀
Lovely pic. Use that ferry a few times in the summer months, QE this weekend!
Hi CG remind me agin where it is you ride, see if we can get something sorted out your way?
Hi John. Unfortunately health is rubbish again but thank you anyway.
Up to you chaps to keep this thread going but don't think that will be a problem!
Sorry to hear that SG hope things improve soon.
Made it to QECP at last! My lord it was tough due to my current lardy and unfit state. Still, once I had dragged myself through the mud and up the hills I got a chance to try out the new skills taught in the coaching session a few weeks ago. Cleared the small table tops and flew off all the drop offs, yes, I know they are not huge but last year I fell off trying a tiny one and have bottled it ever since. Went back and rode the section over and over again, great fun.
[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/14440616@N03/12860520975/ ][img] http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/12860520975_0276fc8af4.jp g" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/14440616@N03/12860520975/ ][img] http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/12860520975_0276fc8af4.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/14440616@N03/12860520975/ ]QECP drop off[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/14440616@N03/ ]Caffinefree[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Thing about QECP is in photos it doesn't look at all steep, as we know it is very steep in parts..
Good effort.
I hacked my new roadie up and over the Downs today, blimey. Some lanes are in a right mess and still flowing rivers rather than roads.
Proper sunshine though 😀
That particular drop, looks like the one on Snakes & Ladders. Just after a pair of table tops. Leads into a left hand berm?
If so, it is a fairly tricky one as if you hit it at the wrong angle it can send you into the berm all wrong.
Off up there for a spin tomorrow morning, think I'm going to do the Red & a bit of SDW slogging.
Also, your bike looks very tasty. X
I remember that drop, gingerly nosing the front wheel off it after a few bigs falls in 2012
Then after a jedi session I'm happily popping off it (and equally happy taking a B line if I'm not "in the moment" so to speak)
Yes, that's the one matbee. It's a right slog getting to that point t the moment, think next time I will miss out the first mile or so.
Sunshine was nice wasn't it bikebouy 🙂
Mork, it's amazing the difference a session with him makes to your confidence, I am going to go back and take my daughter later in the year.
Cheeky way is to do first climb then start Electric Avenue, the bit after the fire track at top of climb. When the singletrack crosses a bridle way turn right steeply up hill on b/way then left at junction 20-30 m along. Follow that, with car park to your right & it brings you to where the climb out of a Snakes & Ladders (the bit you were sessioning) crosses the fire track. I didn't tell you that though, and if it's busy walker wise you'd be better off pushing the bike to avoid conflict.
As I understand it, the A3 section of trail is due to be destroyed by felling works at some point soon so no maintenance is being done to it, hence the poor state of that bit of trail.
... or first climb to the top, turn onto the road, up to Juniper car park and take the fire road over to session Snakes and Ladders.
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Good stuff thank you both.
@johnj - nice bike ! Look forward to catching up sometime, might not be back in UK till late March though.
Great ride this morning, QECP red trail was sloppy and slippy but good fun, Head Down (if I'd ridden there, which of course I didn't as just like all the other riders who were over there I know I shouldn't) was great, barely any mud on some of the trails but where there was mud it was hellishly greasy!
Mini Transition owners meet at one point, me on y Bandit plus another Bandit and a Covert, most I've seen in one place!
Thanks to the guy on the 456 who I had a chat with & who directed me to some trails I'd not ridden before too.
Now off for a nice pub lunch to replace the calories burnt off....
@matbee - as I said before I am up for being shown around and I'll bring the Covert for a re-union (although it shows me up for the mincing rider that I really am). Happy to exchange info re Surrey Hills and organise some rides there if there is interest.