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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!
better change the thread title to Swinley knocking shop ride i think
So....
What Pub For Swinley Ride?
[i]better change the thread title to Swinley knocking shop ride i think[/i]
meow
rOcKeTdOg - you're just a trouble-maker. I don't need anyone to fix my punctures!
How about to buy the ladies their lunch!!
Taff - you must be on the wrong forum, this won't be an orgy! Having organised rides in the past, the one thing I've learned is that you never know how many will turn up. Will be riding til the light fades but I don't do night-riding cos I'm scared of the dark!
I'll try and do some research on pubs. I would rather "research" beer at home though 🙄
*moves troublemaking to other threads*
can you close the door behind you please? thanks!
[b]REMINDER - [/b]
Don't forget you can buy your day permit online, this will save time otherwise you will have to wait til the Visitor Centre opens at 10.00 am.
Hmmm, how does this linky thing work then? Sorry for being a bimbo 😳
[url= https://sslrelay.com/www.mbsawebsite.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=15495bb078032ba/shopdata/index.shopscript ]You have to use the aquare brackets with "URL" in them[/url]
Mark - that's what I used ... I think
Oh, and the Bonty Muds (very good tyres, I use them) are exceptionally tight on rims, and DT rims are about the tighest rims out there! Don't worry, I have to use tyre levers and a bit of force too.
[url=whatever] Title [/urlX]
Removing the X
Well, I decided I couldn't be doing with that faffing around, especially if I was on a solo ride in the middle of nowhere (and there's never a man around when you need one!) so I, erm, went tubeless! This is the only tyre I have had a problem with.
[b]ON TOPIC[/b]
Thought I had better clarify that this is not suitable for complete beginners with no off-road experience.
HI CG
I know this question ranks along with 'how long is a piece of string' but 100 riders would appear to be little unwieldly for one ride. Would be a bit like a motorway hold up with those at the back not going any where fast!
From your past experience how many do you really envisage will actually turn up?
I will be driving 2.5 hours to get there and want to be sure that any ride will be manageable in terms of numbers.
Thanks
100 riders? No chance. More like 20-30 max, I'd say. Less, if it's very cold, or there's a bit of moisture (IE, if it's pissing with rain, and looking likely to rain all day, I won't be schlepping all the way from London, I can tell you).
Hi puddle-rider.
Yep, understand completely what you are saying. Will try and answer.
I have previously organised some SheCycles ladies rides at Swinley. The first one I managed to totally underestimate how much interest there would be but fortunately, via the mtb grapevine, I ended up receiving lots of offers of help and support. Riders were divided into ability groups and each group had at least a leader and a sweeper who planned the route.
From memory we had 35 ladies turning up. The second year we had around 45 with 15 blokes for turning up for their own ride, which meant that we had 4 groups.
The leaders/sweepers/helpers I did not know from Adam but they were brilliant and it couldn't have happened without them. Take a bow, Tunnel Hill Trolls!!
Basically it meant a lot of work beforehand, particularly when I had my route sorted, a couple of days beforehand the weather changed so I then had to replan the route!
So ... rather than being dependent on people's good nature/time constraints etc., I thought it would be easier to ride as one group. I have been completely honest by saying that it wouldn't be suitable for racing whippets and that a sense of humour is essential. It's just to get people back into riding after too many mince pies, colds/illnesses etc.
Nevertheless, I am surprised by how much interest there has been and am grateful to the people that have offered to be "strategically placed" within the group. They will be given details of the planned route beforehand.
This is the first time I have posted on STW about a ride and now that I have made it crystal clear that I do not work for a dating agency/am not young and fit/am not hardcore, perhaps the numbers will reduce 😀
Folk always have the option of just staying for the morning ride and then going off themselves to explore afterwards.
So ... in answer to your question again ... I haven't a clue how many will turn up!!!