[Closed] Swinley Forest Forum Ride - 10th January 2009

Hi
Another first time poster here (waves hello).
I bought myself a very nice bike in order to enjoy the outdoors and get fit, however it has been pointed out to me that I actually have to get out and ride. With that in mind I would like to join you on the ride if there is room for a wheezing bloke at the back.
I like the idea of 'gently' easing into good habits and the 'social' pace appeals

Another first time poster here (waves hello).

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*waves back*

you'll never be at the back as i normally end up there!

With enough notice I could be up for a SFFR Part II. This is the same date and time as the Chieveley Leg og the Evans Ride It series so a few may be up there. Out of interest anyone from round near Newbury?

i'm swindon way

XC_PK I'm Burghfield so not a million miles away, my cycle club is Newbury.

Mostly I reckon. Too many, I might not though, done my fair share of humongous rides.

Nice to know I am not here all on my own! You two mainly ride XC? Im a bit of a wimp when it comes to jumpy stuff!

Blimey, 86 posts!!

nicko74 - yes, well spotted. From experience, I know that blokes talk a lot, faff a lot and fettle a lot. You don't really want me to act as the Faff Police do you? 😉

WCA - this is not good news, anything to do with your newest niche two-wheeled object? Seriously, do hope it gets better soon as, after all, the BigBikeBash needs its organisor. Do you want to post the flyers to me? Send me an e-mail and I'll give you my address.

Soma_Rich - sorry to hear you can't make it but hope your big wheels enjoy the Plain tomorrow.

Dr.P - will we see you? Conditions are great at the moment, much better than at the Mulled Wine Ride!!

Welcome Strangelove, this is definitely the ride for you! We are expecting a few wheezers with New Year resolutions so come aboard!

Gus - will you honour us with an appearance?

XC_PK - this is the ride to do, much more fun than those others. Who wants to race when you can behave badly and have a lot of laughs?

Hagh Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Waves to pants 😀

Look forward to seeing you again Cap'n!

i normally gatecrash rides 😆

do you know how many to expect on saturday? sounds like an epic turnout by the sounds of it!

i'll let c_g answer that - she's been getting loads of emails!

unlike me *walks away sobbing* 😥

shteve - from past experience, you can never tell with these things. The conditions are so good at the moment so gotta make the most of them!

yeah even the riding up north is good at the moment, looking forward to trying some new trails for once.

i'm not now coming, due to facebook bullying! 😡

yay - i was right!

RD - you better get yourself and your bike down to Swinley next Saturday. Auntie C-G will look after you ... especially if you're wearing velvet ... leopard print ... skinsuit, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

100 8)

Check out the FREE SLOE GIN offer on the Hip Flask thread!!!!

can you supply me some next week for my camelbak?! 😉

Way to go Aleigh!

But it's so far away from Wales and I'm Irish!

where are you in wales?

tankslapper - Quality riding with quality people 😀 Make a weekend of it!

Hey aleigh - tankslapper invited us to Wales didn't he? On the borders IIRC.

oh yeah

*whispers* i don't know wales very well, is he cardiff/swansea way?!

Nah, further north I reckon

well it will be a bit of a drive then i reckon

Think it's mid-Wales, Montgomery possibly? Lovely scenery though, and stone circles, and mountains, and rain.

I would really like to come to keep the weezy slow people company, but I don't want to jinx it as I have had to pull out before due to illness. However I have been feeling much better and may even try a commute to work next week.

curtis - see how you go. An option is always to ride one session, ie the morning, which will be a couple of hours then we return to the Cafe. So you're never far away to bail out if needs be. It's not a race!

The good thing is that there will be some locals riding so you can always be directed back to the centre, it's not a huge forest.

Can't wait! I am off the meds and my cough has almost stopped. I am gonna cancel my rugby next week as well, as this sounds much better!
Now just have to decide what to put in the hip flask.

aleigh - Member

i'll let c_g answer that - she's been getting loads of emails!

unlike me *walks away sobbing* 😥

That's cos she posted her email address up!

Stick your email address up and I'll bother you some if you so desire 😉

Oooooh, and you live in Swindon, not that far from me!

if you're that close you can pop in for a cuppa! 😆

C-G; Afraid i won't be able to make it 🙁

I've got tonnes of work to do for an exam a week later, and if my practice papers are anything to go by, I [b]need[/b] the work more than a ride!

Once jan's over though, I'll get a 'dirty Dorset weekend' on the go!

DrP

Hi DrP - sorry about yesterdays ride. Hopefully in the warmer weather etc...

I'll do my best to turn up. If my lungs stop hurting and producing green gelly men 😉

BTW I've been off the bike for 5 weeks now, will it kill me?

not at all - i didn't go out on mine for a good month until a week or so ago and i did better than normal 😆

Since there's in excess of a hundred people turning up for this ride, someone's bound to forget something or have a mechanical. Therefore I think it's best if I tell you about Bracknell Cycles, which will be open all day should you need anything - just 2 miles away down the A322. Yes, you can borrow any tools you need, or a pump, and yes, I've got loads of spares in stock, tubes, mechs and disc pads should anyone run out. There may even be tea, if I'm not too busy. I'm there all day, hence I can't make the ride, so say hi to the trails from me. Cheers, Giler. 😀

Reluctant - I will bring some Sloe Gin for you 😉

that's if there's any left after you've filled up my camelbak! 😉

Thanks WCA! Aleigh, is it a 3 litre Camel? If you're too drunk to drive home there's always cardboard boxes at the back of the shop! 😕

It is actually! Thanks for the kind offer - do you have any bubble wrap that I could use for a pillow?! 😆

aleigh - Member

if you're that close you can pop in for a cuppa! 😆

Just the other side of Cheltenham.

The question is do you make a good enough cuppa? 😉

Of course I do......after all I am a woman 😉

After all you're a woman?

Honestly, you'd be surprised. Have heard stories of mugs full of cold water with a tea bag in being microwaved by some women! One ex GF of mine was so inept in the kitchen, the only thing she knew how to cook for herself was Cheese on Toast!

Well I can safely say I can make a good cuppa with a tea bag along with hot water (from a kettle!) OR from a teapot. 😀 I can also make a mean coffee although when I have one it usually gives me a bit of a buzz........which I guess means it's too strong - oh well, I like it! 😆

i luv cheese on toast, number of your ex please mboy?

rocketdog, you're welcome to her mate! Though in fairness, I wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy. Madder than a box of frogs!

i love frogs.........er

Back on topic

Aleigh, what's your email address? I've spoken to Cinnamon Girl via email about the ride, I'd like to come, it's just a question of finding any mates to come along too really. Unless you know other people in my area that might be going that I could catch a lift with.

My email address is in my profile. If it doesn't work or you can't see it I'll post it on here. 🙂

Is there anybody going who'll be driving down A316? It'd be nicer to fetch a lift than a train from [url= http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/prisoninformation/locateaprison/prison.asp?id=364,15,2,15,364,0 ]Feltham[/url].

I'll be there as well, looking forward to stretching my legs.

Hey beaker! Looking forward to seeing you again!

Hi beaker, hope you can stay for the whole day this time! There's some great trails to ride.

Is there any chance of a pub-stop afterwards, for those that want to? Nothing like a nice pint, after a good ride.

sounds like a plan 😀

Hip flask and cake for me!

To be honest Rudeboy I wouldn't know where to suggest that mtb'ers would be welcome.

Anyone know if The Golden Retriever on Nine Mile Ride is welcoming?

Reluctant - meant to have said, thanks very much for your kind offer.

Hhm, well I've been to a place in I think it's Windlesham, but what we want is somewhere where we can sit in the warm! It seemed friendly enough, and has a little car park next to it, and we saw Zammo out of Grange Hill in there.

Can't say more than that, really. You can buy food there I think. I know you can get crisps.

Assuming work doesn't muck things up I'm up for a ride. I will be staying @ Basingstoke Canal Centre (camping) on the Friday night. If anyone else is camping or in the area and fancies a pint do shout!

Cheers db

Check the Old Manor in Bracknell. Not too far, large outside heated seating, car park on site. It's a Weatherspoons so food and drink are both cheap as chips.

would they be able to cope with a convoy of cars/bikes?! 😆

Whetherspoons? It's not full of cheapos and old winos, is it?

'Cheapos'- sorry, I meant students!

Just to put a spanner in the works, I'm not prepared to leave my bike in the car if we're sitting inside. My bike and I are inseperable!!

Can I just ask, apart from Cinnamon-girl and Aleigh are any other women turning up for this ride? There seems to be an awfull lot of flirting and banter going on between CG/AL and just about every other male going on this ride. Was it all a cunning plan to end up being 2 roses between potentually 100 thorns? Are you both single by any chance?

Matt

Heh! What do you think???

Anyway, I think CG is engaged, no?

Car park is visible from the outdoor seating area - but you're damn right CG, you shouldn't leave a bike unattended, specially not in Spacknell. It's not what I'd call a nice pub, but I think it's big enough to squeeze in a few dozen turning up en mass. So might be appropriate for what you need. There's a website with pub reviews on somewhere, can't remember what it's called - might be worth checking out the Manor and maybe see what else is in the area.
Oh, full of winos? I dunno, can't say I mingle with people round here much - them's far too wierd.

Only just found out about this STW orgy. How many people are actually thinking of going in total - about a couple of dozen? In the second part f the day are you just staying out as long as the light last or are you gearing up for some light and motion action?

bikey - yes, there is a lot of banter going on but Aleigh and I do know quite a lot of the folk on here so we are just mucking around!

There are definitely other ladies coming on the ride. This is not sponsored by www.fitness-singles.com or anyone else. It can be pretty hard when you're a bike riding lady and there's only so many ladies that we can ride with. We are in the minority.

I'm pretty much an old cynic but I can honestly say that over the years I have met and ridden with so many really nice folk who have just accepted me for what I am and see beyond the grey hair and wrinkles 😯

If blokes want to use the ride as a way of meeting other blokes/ladies and ladies want to meet other ladies/blokes, that's fine by me. At the end of the day we're doing this cos we like riding bikes.

Any questions? 😉

When the suggestion of meeting up at Swinley first went out late last year there were a few ladies coming along - whether that's the case now I don't know. C_G may have a better idea.

Anyway, this is about a group of like minded people having a laugh isn't it? And for the record, I am single and happy with that - I've had enough trauma from you men to last me a life time 😉 😆

I hope to come along again, too.
Does anyone from Bristol want to share a lift?

C_G & Aleigh, thanks for organising it all.
Moses

And for the record, I am single and happy with that - I've had enough trauma from you men to last me a life time 😉 😆

Dear oh dear oh dear, I'll get my miniature violin out, and play a tune just for you. Show me a man that hasn't had enough trauma off women to last a lifetime, and i'll show you a liar! hehehe

FWIW, I think the girlies have organised the ride cos they don't like fixing their own punctures. They figured if 100 Chivalrous men turn up, any puncture will be greeted by a queue of said gentlemen with pump in one hand, spare tube in the other, ready to fix that flat in no time 😉

(Tongue VERY firmly in cheek by the way, before anybody says anything!)

Shucks - I've been caught out! 😆

Hi Moses - we'll have some different trails for you this time!

mboy - thank you for lightening the thread! I needed a laugh! Just don't mention "Bontrager Mud" tyres - I had such a problem with getting the tyre on that I was forced to post on here 😳 Fortunately I wasn't having a bimbo moment cos other people said they had the same problem with DT rims!