[Closed] Westbury White Horse Ride, BH Monday

Wow, that sounds like just the kind of thing I'm looking for!
See you there 🙂

i will be there. I will even be able to join in the ride instead of staying in the carpark.

Hoping to make it, if not then Purbecks on Sunday if anyones free.

child minder booked, and the weather's looking promising - i'm in

can I ask - ride length / severity etc???

I don't want to hold anybody up!

Looking forward to this 😀

tsr - no, it's me that will hold people up!

c_girl, you we just a Ti flash past me on the Q hills!!!

Right on my doorstep but I'm down in Devon, sans bikes, on family duty.
Was up there on Thursday night for a quick blast. There was some nice slimy Wiltshire mud up there, but with a bit of sunshine over the next couple of days it will be concrete hard again I imagine.

tsr - I think you will find it was Mr Fart on his ti, he's a demon on the climbs!!

Am looking forward to this ride and seeing the White Horse properly.

Just aswell i noticed this thread, i will come along too, see you all up there!

i may come along with no pants on

Cg - it's a bit of a disappointment to be honest, it’s [b]concrete[/b]!!!

Cg - it's a bit of a disappointment to be honest, it’s concrete!!!

they concreted salisbury plain?? shit

may not be coming now.

Where's the meeting place? Please bear in mind i dont know this area at all, so road number and landmarks please. What time? any idea how long it will take from Poole?
Is there a food stop or are we packing sarnies?

Thanks, Rusty

Just been looking at the other thread about where to start from, you could all start from bratton in the pub car park, then we would have a nice big climb up to the top or a cheeky little number i have divised, still with a climb tho!

I'm not sure what gilles had in mind, but i have a couple of routes from Bratton going up the white horse, 1 goes over to erlestoke and is about 26 miles and the other goes from the white horse to Warminster then through the woods to shearwater[ all forest]and cafe stop, into longleat via a monster drop off heavens gate past the safari park into some quite country lanes, some more sneaky single track more forest then back along dirt tracks to Bratton, about 36/8 miles.

Over 30 miles would be pushing it a bit, especially if its a similar pace to last week with a decent lunch stop. Dont really want to be out that long.

The Erlestoke ride is about 2 hours and can be finished off with a nice lunch!!

leeson - please wear your pants cos there will be ladies present:D

I'm bringing my usual picnic and I don't know the area either rusty but it's such fun exploring these new trails! Definitely not up to 36/38 miles though.

Will pack a map and gps just in case 🙂

Probably not going to make this as stuck with familly tonight 🙁

(unless by some miracle I wake up at 6am....)

Can we have a final definitive statement on where we are meeting at 10am please.

Awww shucks CG you say the nicest things!!

26 miles in 2 hours doesn't really tally with my experience of group rides. I think we took about 6 to get that far in the Purbecks! Remember, eating is important to some of us....

Rusty/WCA, I think the link to the car park map is in the other thread, but Westbury is on the A350. The car park is up at the top of the hill Directly above the White Horse I think.

I'd agree with RichP, infact 13mph is faster than I ever go.......

Is there likely to be a codgers group and is the route figure of 8 etc (ie to allow people who want to drop out the ability to cut it short if it takes longer than anticipated)

Hi,

glad more people are coming ! From the previous thread, we agree at 10:00 am at the top car park:
[url= http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=ST+899+513&countryCode=GB#map=51.26076,-2.14612|14|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:51.26076:-2.14612:14|ST%20899%20513|ST%20899%20513 ]ST 899 513[/url]
I was planning a figure of 8 shape loop, down through the White horse path then join Edington (or push up to Erlestoke but I don't know well over there), go back to the top for a few briddleways then hit back the car park if people want to stop (probably 20k by now?). For people wishing to carry on, we will do the other side, toward Warminster, but didn't plan to go as far as longleat. Heathy, I think you were in touch with me in the past, with more local knowdledge, we can do something sweet hopefully. Cheers

Gilles. Yes mate i did speak to you before but lost yours and loads of other peoples numbers when i upgraded my phone. I will get it again tomorrow. Longleat is probably a bit far then, but makes a craking ride! We can easily make a sweet figure of eight and have a choice of 3 different food/pub stops if required. I will be riding up the hill from Bratton to the car park at the white horse for about 9 30 ish to meet you guys,so see you all there.
p.s if your looking for the white horse car park, you need to first get into westbury then find the B3098 sign posted Bratton,Devizes. Then when you are on this road look for a road Newtown, this is also sign posted white horse, i think one of those brown tourist type signs. This road takes you all the way up to the car park, turn left at the top!!

Grrrr looks like I am stuck at my mums for the night, cant even get a mobile signal 🙄

S'notfair I wanna come out and play! 😥

cant even get a mobile signal

Kinda nice to know there's some places left in the UK that don't! At least Andy, if there's no signal, they can't watch you...

There'll be other rides in, you know, 6 to 10 months or something 😉

Can't you do this next weekend, when me and HackneyMincer can come?

We'll just organise another! Same time same place, might just be you and him though.

Fred - have emailed you.

it was really nice to meet you all

World class accident - you don't have to live up to your forum name, better to save that drop for another day. just heard you are organising the big bike bash - you could of mentioned it ;o) (will try and come along)

Letch - Giles (and anyone else local) up for post work evening rides up on the plain or over Cheddar way - can sometimes squeeze in a Sunday ride as well

rusty trowel - up for a mid week ride around the purbecks - i'll let you know when i get a free tues/weds soon

Cheers everyone!

Got any pics ?

Captain, you in SPAM? Whereabaouts did you get to today then?

Nice to meet you all. The ones who wanted a look around Lordswood, email me (address on http://www.bigbikebash.co.uk/) and we can arrange a date. Saturdays and Sundays are fine, so is every other day until I get a job. Promise not to mention the Big Bike Bash! D'oh, I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it.

I feel utterly compromised by failing to ride down the slope. I have not done stuff before because I have bottled it but this time I just couldn't afford the possible consequences. I reckon if I had come off I would have lost a bit of skin and maybe broken a couple of ribs or an arm.

I don't think I would have fallen off so was willing to risk it until I imagined turning up to a job interview with half my face missing and my arm in a cast. I am really disappointed in myself for not saying 'f*ck the future, lets do it' which is what I normally say before visiting A&E.

As I promised, when I get the job I will stick a sensible front wheel on the bike and ride the slope. I will make sure there are people top and bottom to film it then maybe this feeling of shame will be lifted.

Shame I didn't see this! Although it isn't really, as I was busy out on the Solent in a nice yacht all day! 8)

Surely another SummerSalisburyPlainPubCrawlRide is in order? Lunch at the Swan in Enford maybe?

CFH - there was talk of a sneak preview BBB ride coming up. Cinnamon Girl is the one to watch.

Great to meet some new folk, and see others again. Thanks to Heathy, Captain Smiley and Gilles for the plan and the route. That Erlestoke wood is really very good fun. Thanks to Heathy for suggesting to CG where to go for cake, it was only right and proper that we should accompany her 😉

Mostly I concentrated on keeping up and not falling off on the woods many steepy bits, but here are the photos I did take.

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It's made from concrete!

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the group

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what would happen....

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Sir Steepy Bit Senior seen from the bottom.... WCA really wanted to!

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CG was happy! The best bluebell wood i've seen

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knottie we had a cream tea! poor dear rich thought the jam went on top for some reason. luckily i was there to put him right, and so avoid a life spent at odds with normality..... 😉

WCA, thanks for the heads up, will beep an eye on that!

Sir Steepy Bit Senior looks a bit of a doddle....! Nice pics, Anna!

BBB preview ride, please let me know!

i'm not suprised WCA didn't want to do that drop, his bike is so light he has to keep it on the ground as the wind might blow it away!

RD, surely the lightness of the bike is counteracted by the weight of the rider...!

😉

*Disclaimer - Same can be said of yours truly when on the NRS or the road bikes!

nice pics ! and that cream tea looks good too.

Thanks to Gilles, Heathy et al for making this such a fun ride 😀

Glad to have seen the "horse" but what happened to the chalk? Local information needed please!

I am so relieved that WCA didn't attempt that descent, he has his own room in the General but that couldn't be guaranteed in the local hospital 🙄

Heathy - good call on the cafe. The coffee cake was delicious and what a huge slab too 😀

Anna - good pics again and those bluebells - wow.

Rusty trowel - my email is cinnamongirl@btinternet.com so if you could throw up some dates and I will throw up some routes.

Yep, will be organising a Big Bike Bash preview ride so will post seperately.

Cheers.

The earlier Westbury horse was about 100 feet high and 100 feet long and faced in the opposite direction to the present one. It was destroyed in 1778 when Mr Gee, steward to Lord Abingdon, the local landowner, did not like its strange shape and cut a larger and more conventional horse. This measured 163 feet high by 166 feet long. This horse was restored in 1853 and again in 1873 when edging stones were put in place to help prevent erosion. In 1903 and 1936 concrete was added to the edging stones and the horse was completely concreted over in the 1950s.

Yep, good ride today and good to meet you guys/girls and just got away with the weather too. Glad everybody enjoyed themselves.
I had a look at the big bike bash site, looks good so have decided to take the whole family down.
Glles/captain we will have to hook up for more rides as your local!

Is it Of "Reema" construction Heathy? Lol

Glad you liked the DH bit You followed me on. 🙂

For a short push back up its an imense run.

Blandford sometime in the summer?

Chris

definetly - put my email in profile. Weekday evenings are usually best for me.

Cheers all, another good ride all round, finishing perfectly with cream tea 🙂

Must post up some info about the next Purbecks thing. Free music festival at the Square and Compass on 13/14th June. For some reason, the idea of music, alcohol and riding being combined into one event seems important to me.....

Those photos don't do justice to the steepness of that drop. That could have ended really badly.

Another good ride today, lots of ups and lots of nice downs. Nice to see you all.

Captain, let me know when you're free (Wed evenings 6ish and Sun mornings 10ish are best).

CG, will look into routes/dates for an Andover/North Hampshire day out.

i think one of those brown tourist type signs

There's a sign speshly for someone like me? Excellent! 😀

I'm going to come and graffiti that horse. Looks shit, just plain concrete.

Just wanted to post a quick thanks to the local guides and everybody else, excellent route, damn those hills ...... really enjoyed it.

Did find the bluebells with gf, as well.

Thnks for a geat day out.

Gus

Glad you liked it, and thanks again for Heathy and C_B for taking us over the wood down Erlestoke. Sorry for the concrete white horse, but if I told you that, nobody would have come...The Bluebell picture is great!

heathy - thanks for the local info on the gee-gee. Apparently there are 8 white horses in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire and there's a 90 mile walking route.

Anyone else up for this challenge? It could be split over a couple of weekends. Maps are currently scattered on the table so let planning commence 8)

Such nice smiley people in Wiltshire on Monday, unlike those miserable so and so's in the Chilterns on Saturday 🙄

CG you have great ideas for bike rides and plan ace routes! I hope one day I can do maps too. Yep, the folk were tops on Monday weren't they. Thought they were nice in Dorset as well. You should boycott The Miserable Chilterns and the miserable chilterners. There's enough riding where the happy folk are.

Thanks Anna!

Hey, don't knock the Chilterns too much though cos there's some really good riding. In fact, if you fancy a ride there let me know and I will happily show you around the parts I know.