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Let's be honest, I'll always think the Surrey hills is shite and full of knobs with ATGNI, and you'll never come up north as it rains from time to time, so were both happy really.
I agree Snowdonia is beautiful (but the riding I don't think is that good apart from a few bits) - and you still have to put up with Merseyside 😯
I live on Ranmore next to a Vineyard with great trails 500 metres from my doorstep, we genuinely have good flowing woodland trails here - if not the best in the country.
with one of the lowest crime rates in the country
you obviously rode the wrong stuff here..
Lodders - I love the Lake district (when it doesn't rain!)
I even spent 3 years of my life at university in Newcastle
S****s...
I live on Ranmore next to a Vinyard
I officially hate you Nick. No I do. How could you live somewhere like that whilst I live in a shithole of a city.
I live in Liverpool next to loads of crackhouses, murder scenes and burned out houses.
Or something...
Or do I live in leafy south Liverpool, with more parks than any other city, a crime rate so high I have never experienced anything in 37 years and equidistant between the peaks, lakes and n Wales.
But you have a vineyard close by...
Damn 🙄
Hora - Surrey Hills Brewery are moving into Denbies soon, so can get a nice pint of Shere Drop on a ride or dog walk! 😈
I honestly don't want to hear...
...Yesterday I had to restrain Bingo from attacking a Staff/Bull Mastiff cross. I say 'attack' it would have been more like throwing oneself into a tree shredding machine.
so were both happy really.
You don't sound that happy, obviously never ridden in Surrey.
Unfortunately I have 🙁
I used to live in Guildford.
loddrik, ok Guildford isnt the greatest but you rode ALL of the Surrey hills?!!!
Sorry, you must be well gutted, nevermind, maybe you can move back one day?
Pretty much, also lived round Haslemere for a bit. I will admit that Haslemere was quite nice.
Spend many a weekend around Leith, holmbury, ranmore etc. And if I am honest it nearly turned me off Mtbing, only when I came back north did I get the bug again.
Sorry, you must be well gutted, nevermind, maybe you can move back one day?
Yeah maybe....
I don't miss Surrey and Surrey sure as hell doesn't miss me...
turned me off
Why?
Haslemere
Is that Devil's Punchbowl? Not made over there yet.
I don't miss Surrey and Surrey sure as hell doesn't miss me...
Hold on a minute are you Clint Eastwood?
I am sure quite a few people miss out on a lot of stuff in the hills.
On Sunday I saw two apparently healthy blokes on what looked to be fully working mountain bikes ride past [u]on the road[/u] straight past the entrance of BKB and continue on, down the road, toward Peaslake. Now say what you like about BKB but I still reckon even on it's worst day it's better than riding down Radnor Road on the tarmac. I see loads of people riding down the bridleways while we ride down singletrack that is literally 10 feet away.
I don't get it.
You see, we don't mind a bit of rain up here...
That's 'cause you're all already wet 😀
Now now, calm down calm down. I'm only joking.
Lodders I would side with you on the scenery score and to some extent on the trails. Given the choice, I would rather have the Lake District than Surrey and if we're talking trail riding in North Wales, Peak and Lakes etc, then, yes, I'd most likely take that in preference to Surrey Hills but only (and only) if I was being asked to choose between them.
However, it sounds like you moved a way some ago and literally in the last two years, the riding around here has exploded beyond all belief. I mean seriously there is stuff here like you find on, an albeit very short, DH course in south wales. It's technical, steep, covered in roots etc. It's a good trail riders wet dream.
joolsburger - I think you're right, there are a lot of hidden trails, I wouldn't have a clue to find the trails I went on with the Nirvana sunday ride.
jools' Ironic thing is (about around there) is they probably didnt know that it exists. I rode round Leith Hill etc etc back in 01/02 and only rode a fraction of whats available literally inches away. Following a few people and 😯
I rode most of what it had to offer. Tbh there was one small trail on holbury which I thought was excellent. It cut across telegraph road and was quite steep and technical and ended up by the car park just up from the royal oak. Never did find out if it had a name. BKB ok, yoghurt pots et al, bollox.
loddrik, where do you like riding? Everyone is different I guess.
Lodders, people have been calling that trail Secret Squirrel.
If you like that (and I love it, especially in the wet) then there are two dozen more trails just like that now littered across the area.
Bit of everything, trail centre one week, Clwyds the next etc. No real preference really.
Secret squirrel? I really enjoyed it, and you're right about when it was wet, off camber with loads of roots, cracker!
I see loads of people riding down the bridleways while we ride down singletrack that is literally 10 feet away.I don't get it.
Most people most of the time are dullards? Particularly in Surrey?
You would not believe the difficulty I have talking friends out of buying hybrids on the basis that they're "the perfect bike for commuting and towpaths...". You know, be a man! Hybrids are for chicks.
Lodders seriously if you ever wanted to review the Surrey Hills and see what's new, there's a small group of us who love to ride the more challenging stuff who would be happy to show you around.
Secret squirrel? I really enjoyed it, and you're right about when it was wet, off camber with loads of roots, cracker!
if only there were more trails like that in the surrey hills eh?? LOL.
Exactament Horatio
Yes but that is the [u]only one[/u] let's keep it like that
secret squirrel - in the wet sorts the men out from the boys 😛
It's a definate tongue out stay loose kind of trail for sure, quite a few chicken lines developing I've noticed. Without a dab in the wet is a decent basic standard I'd say.
yes the "straight liners" seem to have had a go at it! Its actually easier and way more fun to drop into the rooty swoopy bits and trust in your tyres.
I would rather have the Lake District than Surrey
I am a litle the other way round, I love the greenness of Surrey and the little roads sculpted through the sand south of the A25.
Lake District is a bit samey to me and depressingly grey when wet!
Been going up there a couple of times a year for over 10 years now, staying in the mountainers/ramblers hut near Ambleside/Little Langdale.
I love it all, just wish there wasn't all that driving and mileage between the lot
And I also love the heathland - Walton Heath is my favourite golf course and the one I decided to give up golf on and buy a mountain bike 🙂
Ah but then what tyres for swoopy rooty bits eh eh eh??? Me I like Verticals but they are too cheap and I must admit to a sense of shame at the Peaslake Shop when everyone else is on expensive rubber and my tyres cost less than a packet of johnnies.
There's a lot of money at that tea shop of a Sunday.
oh err can't stand Verticals...
Minions 2.35 Front and Front for me
your right about the bikes though! My secondhand PA frame that i ride round here was 120 quid 4 years ago! and its seems to be faster than
alot of frames it meets on the trails....
although have just bought a Kobe Ti which will shortly be built..that was 300 quid 😯
Nah I love em 40psi and bobs your uncle. I'm not shelling out 60 quid for tyres sod that..
you would be amazed as to to how much better a minion is and at 30psi..so grippy compared (especially in the wet) I found the verticals such hard rubber tht sits on top of the trail not in it.
Yeah but I don't have any issue with them seem grippy enough to me. Might try something new come the summer..
[url= http://www.chocolatefoot.co.uk/journal/wa/archives/2003/08/000105-dialled_bikes_kobe_ti.html ]just googled Kobe ti, got this page:
[/url]
found my problem:
"Lightness requires very different riding technique... You skim and bounce, hop and dance, and when it goes wrong you're not just going to get away with it with a bit of momentum, it all happens very quickly!"
explains why I keep falling off, my FS is only 25lbs 🙁
My FS is just over 20lbs, and is just peachy on the Surrey Hills! Rocket Ron/Furious Fred combo FTW, 2", 25psi. Fast as anything!
Thats the Kobe - hopefully it should be a Helium filled ride after my PA which must weigh 30ish with coil pikes etc.
just looked at a furious fred tyre - they look bald!!! surely useless in the winter?
from CRC
"But be aware: It is not an all rounder. Grip is limited and risk of puncturing is high." 😯
Yeah totally useless in winter! I was joking, although they are awesome in summer.
Tend to just use whatever's on the bike in winter, Mud Xs, Ralphs, Rons or Nics, then Rons, then Freds when it's really dry.
A Fred on the back at least would be fine in conditions as it is now.