Found it on a map so think I can find it, just wondering if its any good? I'm sure someone on STW has recommended it as one of their favourite descents.
Its good in the dry but it tends to hold on to the mud a bit & there are several steps created by exposed tree routes that will be difficult to see under piles of leaves this time of year.
The stream crossing at the bottom can be daunting at first sight but its not that deep & you need to not slow to much as its fairly wide!
snaps - Member
Its good in the dry but it tends to hold on to the mud a bit & there are several steps created by exposed tree routes that will be difficult to see under piles of leaves.
So do you suggest its best left alone this weekend as never rode it before and revisit it next spring when its dry again (fingers crossed) I do like a challenge though and will just plough into it with hopefully not too much thought as this can slow you down!!
No, just take it steady as I tend to get front wheel slides if I go down it to fast in the wet.
Maybe I will put a little thought into it on sunday then, just so I don't come a cropper as not too young anymore so no longer bounce as well!!
It looks easy to find on a map being first left after the split in the track as you climb up longstone hill, hope I'm correct in my assumption.
Last time I went up Longstone Hill the track had a lot of Holly on it. Tried to squeeze past but was quite tricky..as I'm sure you can imagine.
It was clear about a month ago, if you come up from the dog pound, turn left as you come out of the trees, its about 300m along the double track 100m south west of the memorial, its gravely singletrack that curves down to the right at the top edge of the treeline.
Cheers everyone, always look forward to expanding my Quantocks knowledge of descents
its gravely singletrack
Not gravelly for long, when it's wet and with the leaves down it's like Slaughterhouse in that you need to keep pedalling or you grind to a halt. Best left until Spring IMO.
Are there any other good descents over that area as I have only rode up longstone hill to get to Bicknoller post?
Misread the title as Willoughby's Cleavage...
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Doubt I'd have much success going down there either 😆
Willy's or three steps as it's also been called isn't as steppy as it used to be imho.
It gets an awful lot of horse traffic, therefore gets mulchy, it's fast and as stated gets a bit dicey, though nothing dramatic, unless you fall left. I ended up using it as a climb more than a decent.
You could go in search of 'Obilvion' which is north off Longstone hill and spits you out at the junction of short combe and lady's edge.
I've only done it a handful of times as it always seemed to take a few weeks for my heart to settle as i had a habit of leaving the brakes alone after the second drop and sharp turn.
It's one for the ' Likes and little challenge'.
Not much else around the area worth losing height doing, unless you ride up there soo much, you fancy an explore.
It is good but only 40 seconds worth and would be much better if dryish. The stream certainly isn't a problem. It forms part of my fave loop after going down Smiths, around the perimeter path (with 2 short but killer climb challenges if you include that immediately out of Smiths).
I 'discovered' a new descent last month. From the track that runs from Dead Womens Ditch car park west to Halsway Post there is a path off to the north starting at 153383 on OS 1:25,000. starts off as boring grass path, looks utterly forgettable but after 300 metres the speed has built up and it drops into a 6 - 8 ' wide path that drops steeply into Holford / Lady's Coombe. Its a mass of tennis ball to baby head sized rocks, no ruts or bedrock or drops to speak of, just a loose mass and fairly steep. Sweet carving singletrack its not but it was quite fun nonetheless.
Did Willy's on Sunday and is was quite good fun, a little chewed up but not to bad. Is the start of Oblivion just further up the Longstone climb from Willy's going straight down the side then cuts in left to end up at short combe? I can remember you pointing it out to me from Hare's Knapp a while ago Sharki but we never rode it.
You could go in search of 'Obilvion' which is north off Longstone hill and spits you out at the junction of short combe and lady's edge.
I've only done it a handful of times as it always seemed to take a few weeks for my heart to settle as i had a habit of leaving the brakes alone after the second drop and sharp turn.
I think that's the one I used brads? rear wheel as a catch berm...
Hh45: I know that one. It drops down to the junction between Lady's Edge and Somerton Combe right? I call the mental bit at the end of it "Captain Chaos! " theres several interweaving lines all rather chaotic. The rut line is full of debris and you feel like a pinball in a slot machine. Probably should be called slot machine or pinball wizard.
We used to call that one Suicide !! Steep, loose,and funny as fubk as everybody bails out by the last tree drop..(including me !)
Willy's or three steps as it's also been called isn't as steppy as it used to be imho.
I'd agree. I was there a few weeks ago and a lot of the step sections seem to have been filled in with mud.
Bob, another 'Suicide' drops into great wood near ramscombe top carpark.
Jambo, yes that's the one, that was a rather chaotic group descent i seem to remember, i missed Brads berm and went off piste a bit.
hh45, that's called Devils Gallop, Lures you in doesn't it? You can pick up deer paths if you don't drop into the gully of swedes and go right of it, but with either frog combe of DWD run as alternatives, leave it to the Devil to gallop down/up.
For something different, try and find your way to the ridge between Slaughterhouse and Somerton combes east off Lowsey Thorn and via an interesting rut you get spat out at the junction of ladys edge, slaughterhouse and somerton.
Worth doing just for giggles.