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Group rides 'n tandems don't mix, but an exploraturium ride sounds good. We can piece a 3hr loop out over Pitch, winterfold and holmbury - but I'd still like to find that twisty on leith.
So, more importantly - who's bringing cake?
I know Pitch, Winterfold and Holmbury well, and know a reasonable amount of Leith, so I'm sure we can do something decent between us!
I'd really like to come along as well but I am sort of aware that I've been perhaps a little 'outspoken' at times. If I promise to be nice is it OK if I tag along?
I know the area really well including most of the 'secret' stuff on all three Hills and the really good stuff on Redlands ([url=
Alley[/url]) and the newer bits over on Ranmore Common ([url= http://www.nirvanacycles.com/media/Reformation.wmv ]Reformation[/url]). I am not fit enough to do a ride that takes in Leith, Holmburry and Pitch but would happily show what I know on Leith/Redlands or Holmburry/Pitch.
I know lots on all three hills so happy to join in the reasoned debate/bunfight on the 'best way to go'
But also keen to find stuff I didn't know about before 🙂
Well I still say Holmbury is the best meeting point, we can choose which way we go then. Ranmore being further over would possibly be a stretch depending on group size.
Geetee, yeah that's fine, I strongly suspect everyone is rather different in the flesh anyway!
Oh, and no bikes £2k or over according to a recent thread ....... 😉
This is absolute lunacy.
Surely you want to figure out which pub for the best post-ride beers and work it back from there? 🙂
Royal Oak's a safe bet, garden and good food!
Kings Head has the best beer in the Surrey Hills...
Well we're right on top of that too! At risk of invoking an angry mob... I don't drink, so I'll have to leave that to others discretion!
I think that the Peaslake PO ladies will explode at having to produce so many cheese straws and coffees!
geetee1972 - Don't suppose you have any Ranmore or Redlands GPS tracks? Usually just tool around Pitch-Winterfold-Holmbury and Leith so those two are a bit unknown but the videos look fun.
Oi, can we keep this on-topic please! It's long enough already 🙂
Grumpy bugger... how about this then:
geetee1972 - Don't suppose you have any Ranmore or Redlands GPS tracks so I can learn my way around and then guide on the day?
😉
I should be able to make it. would be good to get up there and ride.
Atlaz have sent you an email.
That's cool, suggest if we want to do Ranmore and North Downs then we need to meet further East and I'm not responsible for the ride!
I doubt we'd actually manage to do Surrey Hills and North Downs on a group ride!
Last time I did a group ride round the Surrey Hills was with the Nicolai boys out of HftH. We started in Dorking and went straight up onto Ranmore. We did manage to cover the Pitch / Holmbury / Leith hotspots but was a big ride. Have done it a couple of times with one or two mates, and it's a 40+ mile jaunt to cover the whole lot, and that misses out the Redlands stuff! Think you're sensible keeping it shorter!
Yes I'd certainly say so.
Wescott would probably be a better meeting point if we wanted to do the North Downs, gives the option of Leith, but as I say I don't really know that 'end' as well, so if someone else wants to lead then we could do that instead?
The better combination would be to from Westcott onto Leith Hill via the green lane and then head over to Redlands and do Mangrove Alley etc, then back onto Leith for a pit stop, the things like Donnie Darko and the other snippets of trail on the back side before heading back past the bowling green and towards Summer Lightening etc and back into Westcott. TBH Ranmore isn't really worth the hike. The trails there are really good but they are super short and there's only about two of them that I know of (the ones in the videos above) and it's quite a long way around to take them in along with Leith Hill.
have we set a date yet? I ws out around leith today (getting completely lost in the woods for several hours)
found some great singletrack though, well, as good as you get for the south...;)
can do saturday or sunday, just need a bit of warning!
I thought I knew all the good stuff round there but Mangrove Alley looks like something else 🙂 Well up for giving that a go
I'll be there.
The better combination would be to from Westcott onto Leith Hill via the green lane and then head over to Redlands and do Mangrove Alley etc, then back onto Leith for a pit stop, the things like Donnie Darko and the other snippets of trail on the back side before heading back past the bowling green and towards Summer Lightening etc and back into Westcott
That sounds like a good ride, but it won't happen in a group ride I don't reckon! Obviously it depends who turns up, but I think that may be a bit ambitious!
Pinches, I suggested Sunday, as it seemed to be the better day for most, but it depends who's leading really, I can lead a ride Holmbury way, but not on the Downs. If Atlaz or Geetee want to lead it then it depends when they can do!
i'm open to suggestion, i'll just have to swap a shift at work to do sunday.
Ok, well I'm definitely up for a ride on Sunday 23rd, meeting at Holmbury, and doing the Surrey hills.
If there are people who want to do the North Downs, and know their way around then we can sort that, so there will definitely be at least one ride on Sunday 23rd! I'd be quite interested to go back up there certainly!
sounds like a fun ride.
Can I just suggest though that it would be foolish and even a little bit dangerous to take a large group of perhaps 20+ riders of mixed ability onto a trail like Mangrove Alley.
That whole area is at best a set of 'cheeky' trails and I think that could fairly be classed as an 'extreme' trail.
Woodwork is regularly broken up on the Surrey Hills and the only reason that area has survived so long is because it's not very well known.
I'm not one of those 'keep local trails secret' guys. Ride it by all means on a different day in a small group but don't draw attention to it with large groups or potential injuries please?
There's more than enough other trails in the area to keep everyone happy on the day.
I'd be up for a Surry Hills ride on the 23rd and may be able to get some mates to come along as well.
I agree with bialled dikes suggestion though that some people (myself included) may feel a little out of their depths on a trail like Mangrove Alley, although i would like to know where it is so i can explore it at my leisure another time.
It would be nice to find some of the "different" stuff of Leith/Holmbury as i normally just ride the same trails Yoghurt Pots, BKB, Telegraph Road etc. Nothing wrong with them but it would be nice to explore some others especially given the tree felling thats going on at the moment 🙄
If we could get enough ride leaders would it be an idea to split it into smaller groups depending on ability like CG did on the October Swinley STW ride, it worked really well and would be easier to manage rather than having 30+ people hairing down trails at different speeds. Someone is bound to get lost if the group is too large ❗
Bear in mind that some of us coming by train will have journeys our end too. To and from stations will add 15-20 miles for me, so a 40+ mile off-road ride is out of the question. I'll be farooked!
So, possibly a shorter loop/option to bail out might be a good idea. Or a London Massive route that brings us back to whatever station we need?
I'd like to come - can I get a lift if anyone is traveling from Brighton?
Yes 40 miles is probably out of my comfort zone! I've been to Leith Hill a few times by train, there's plenty of good riding, no need to rack up so many miles 🙂
I bake a mean brownie BTW!
Woohoo! Just checked my roster, I'm off 21-23rd May... get in! 😛
I'll be there, might even be on my retro Ibis Bow-ti by then 8)
And for the London massive: Gomshall seems to be the closest station. How about, we use that, as it's not far from Holmbury St Mary. There's a nice pub with lots of outside seating just down the road from the YHA, which would be ideal for post-ride pints. Then it's just a couple of miles back to Gomshall. With careful timing, we can meet up at Waterloo, and be back at Gomshall for the train home if they're only every hour. Dorking and other stations just seem a bit of a slog when you're knackered and have had a pint.
There's a chance some people might look at us a bit funny, too, so every opportunity for a nice fight! 😀
Alternatively, maybe we could hire a mini-bus or a vayn? Just a thought...
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Yes, please don't take large groups down Mangrove alley -
Redlands stuff is well cheeky and the landowner needs no more excuses to knock the Northshore down. It took countless hours by Tatoo Dave to build and would be a crying shame to see it go....
If we could get enough ride leaders would it be an idea to split it into smaller groups depending on ability like CG did on the October Swinley STW ride,
Definitely a good idea! I suspect we'll just have to see on the day, who actually turns up and who knows their way round!
I also would be training it from london (being one of the london massive), so if anyone wants to network with me to meet at a station (waterloo or victoria for dorking) please email me
Gomshall is a lot closer than Dorking, but does involve extra changes though, and there's no more than one train an hour on Sundays, possibly less.
How about starting in Westcott in that case? Easy run from there up to Leith, bash over to Holmbury, trails there, maybe Pitch if people have the legs and if not, back over to Leith, usual trails then down summer lightning back to Westcott and the pub.
OK Redlands will be out of bounds for a group ride. Nick, we won't go anywhere near it (are you the Nick that rides the Spesh Pitch that I met one time with the Freeborn lads?)
Sunday works for me.
Have we decided that we should meet in or around Westcot and go over Leith Hill first? It would make the most sense for those that are coming down by train as a Peaslake meet is hard to access by train I think? Leith Hill to Holmburry and then Pitch is still a pretty long ride and the section back from Holmburry to Leith is long boring climb.
I am able to pick up at least two people from a station in a car, as long as at least one of the bikes has a 20mm through axle fork as that's the only bike rack fitting I have.
Possibly count me in. Its my birthday on the 24th and the Surrey Hills would be lovely to ride again (to treat myself) 😀
As long as you don't talk bollocks Hora...
I think you'll have that area nicely covered already 😉
Yep, could do Westcott, I've only ridden from there once, I come from Cranleigh, so it's the 'wrong' end for me, but I'm sure enough people know their way round. Dependant on group size I still think Holmbury would be unrealistic frankly, but we can just see on the day. Atlaz are you volunteering to lead?
Nick, we won't go anywhere near it (are you the Nick that rides the Spesh Pitch that I met one time with the Freeborn lads?)
Was that me, or freeridenick?! It's not me certainly!
I think you'll have that area nicely covered already
Pfft. You'll be at the back anyway, pushing your bike, so it won't bother me.
Think yourself lucky Juan's not coming, or you'd have to wear a dress and ride this:
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I'm quite surprised Juan hasn't chipped in to point out that the riding isn't 'proper', I expect he'll ride up from Nice for the day, rip our legs off whilst riding no handed wheelies all day, then be home for dinner!