Hi all,
A group of us have a Scottish trail centre trip booked for later in the year, with the significant-others also coming along to ride. We're looking for some trail-center style loops on Dartmoor or Exmoor so they can get a feel for similar riding terrain rather than the usual disused mine-workings we usually play on.
We were hoping to get to Afan this weekend, but that's no longer practical.
Can anyone suggest a loop in the SW of medium distance and difficulty we could use as a warm-up to more polished singletrack riding? With the cold and wet weather for the next few days, well-drained and less exposed trails might be better.
GPS tracks would be a bonus. Oh, and a moon-onna-stick please...
I'd say quantocks for polished trail centre like trails(but better) singletrack.
A prince town loop would be good but not for singletrack.
Exmoor has little to compare to a trail centre, though descending off dunkery to brockwell then take the dunster path to horner wood is about as close to trail centre you'll get on the moor.
Or down near haldon play on the berms and hack back to Kenn via St Andrews lane.
If you want trail centre like stuff then go to a trail centre, too much variety with sw natural trails imho.
Quantocks sounds good so far - what are the conditions going to be like up there after a wet week?
It was dry and getting dusty prior to last nights dap spell, there was a little snow early this morning and maybe getting some more over night, it's not ben to wet this week so far TBH, and other than extreme snow the tox are pretty weather proof, the biggest thing you'll notice will be the wind,, with strong gusts coming from the west any descents that side of the hills will be hard going and weacombe into a head wind is not the best way to enjoy it.
Any amount of dampness we've had will be sucked up quite quickly and with the continued spell of windy and mostly dry weather up to saturday mid afternoon, the ground conditions should provide the perfect level of grip and relatively clean riding, you'll still get a wet arse and feet from the stream crossings but that'l happen anytime of year.
Sunday is going to be uber grim torrential rain with 40mph+ gusts, nice.
Any one have any decent GPS routes of the area? Looks like we'll be going up on Friday to try and beat the worst of the weekend weather.
I just follow my pigeon round, wanna borrow him?
I think snaps has MM routes for here.
If I were you I'd offer cake to Sharki and get him to show you the delights of the Qs in person.
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Just dont stand infront of him with a camera !
You're safe now, i'm no longer sketchy now i've forks that go boing when i expect them to, unfortunately this means i'm getting quicker again.....
Hmmmmmm, CAKE!
I've got plenty of routes but no where to host them!
You can't go wrong with some of these [url= http://www.mtbsharp.co.uk/routes/sw_england/somerset_dorset/index.html ]ROUTES[/url] plenty of MBR ones in there as well.
Thanks for all your help - we've had a look this evening, and think we have a plan - early start friday, coords for a convenient car park, and seven routes loaded on the GPS to choose from depending on the weather.
Fingers crossed the rain (snow? wind?) holds off.....
oh, and good call on the cake. cake.....
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Don't think this is uptodate anymore. Did the MBR one once and it was alright. Better off getting a local guide. No me as I live 100's of miles away now 🙁
What we need is a knottie spider map....
plymouth (cann woods) was a shite fest tonight, good slidy fun but uber muddy, so south dartmoor would be a no no im guessing.
Yo jonb, how's newcastle?
Yeah we miss the spider maps of old.
And i second the local guide thing, i hear they like Cake!
Newcastle is good, although it's been surprisingly snow free all winter, just muddy, very muddy.
Plenty of riding in the area but even after trips to the lakes and Scotland over the last few weeks I get jealous when I see knottie posting up photos.
It's also wet and muddy, what's that all about? I quite got use to year round hard trails.
Mostly riding with [url= http://www.midaircrisis.co.uk/ ]midaircrisis[/url] but have been meening to meet up with Gosforth Road club if they'll take me with me triple, peaked helmet and unshaven legs.
Smith's isn't on that one, neither is Somerton combe.
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=ydn8df&outx=800&quality=70 [/img]
those were the days(pre MM)
Coming right out by the grub wagon, Mmmmmmmm! greasy nom noms....
Hi,
I'm on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, my school's been closed today due to snow, following a dusting tus/weds overnight, and heavy rain on monday night.
The fields I'm looking out on are now very wet, which is a bit of a b*gger cos it had dried up nicely!
I suspect there's little on the moor proper currently that is ' well drained and less exposed...'
looks like knottie might be a better bet....
Q
I'll report back in with pics on the conditions of the Q's.
3-4 inches of fallen snow on the high moors and drifts up to two foot around dartmeet area...
Bu66er. That's torn it.
indeed.
to the OP, make sure your partners are kitted out with crud catchers if you go to the quantocks and want them to enjoy themselves for more than 20mins. they might look gash but only a select few enjoy a gritty wet crack IME.
waterproof footwear quite important too.
FWIW i'd say the q's are probably your best bet down here for what you want.
Not thought about riding the Saturday???
Me and Sharki could be up there then to give you a hand!
pretty much all the snow is gone below 400m, inch or so still on the ground at princetown but that'll go tomorrow.
suprisingly dry and there is hardly any water in the rivers. the dart is still pretty low apart from a surge on wednesday.
Dartmoor lots of snow.
mendips snow.
Blackdowns up to 6 inches of snow
brendons snow
exmoor snow
quantocks
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and after 4hrs of playing my shiny bike got soiled.....
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and then the sun buggered off, roll on the summer evenings
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