I like to ride fast, but I'd like to enjoy it and not Race around so that I can't remember / don't see anything I've just ridden 😯
Ride the fun sections fast, have a natter on the bridleways/double track, tea, cake, go home.
Booked my permit BTW so I'm a definate!
Hang on so If I order a permit off here:
https://sslrelay.com/www.mbsawebsite.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1550c1d00bdf86d/shopdata/index.shopscript
does it get posted to me? do i need a print out or what?
(Excuse ignorance - thought id try and beat the 'crowds' buying on the day)
titusrider - its sends you an email which you print out and take on the day.
I'm up for this if you'll have someone unknown and not lightning quick?
I'm up for this if you'll have someone unknown and not lightning quick?
Everyone's welcome.
Doubt we'll have enough for 4 groups though (unless people want small groups?) so I'd propose fast lead by PaulD and 'slower' group lead by whoever turns out to be the least slow but with a vague route in mind, sticking to the most fun bits and probably doing them twice, I've barely turned a pedal for three weeks due to an upset stomach so I'll be sweeping at the back for that one 😛
I reckon Alzore would be good to lead the slower group 😉 knows the trails well and more importantly can navigate off the firetrack. Look forward to meeting some of you guys (I think ha 😉 )
I'm going to see if i can make it. I'll be riding in from the other side of the forest to get there between 9 and half past. I'd be happy to help navigate from mid pack of one of the more social groups - being a BOB* I know most of it pretty well** and can throw a decent loop together to take in all the highlights without too much backtracking and fireroad.
* don't hold it against me - judge me afterwards, not before. If you still think I'm a cock after, fair enough.
** Know it? i built (some) of it. And I own it as a result. There! that's the BOB prejudicial gauntlet thrown down 😉
Excellent. This will be an awesome opportunity to actually find some of those trails at Swinley I've heard so much about yet never managed to ride...
Tall guy with a black Orange P7, riding up from Martins Heron.
ok I've got my hand up for theotherjonv group, I only seem to have found fire road at Swinley about 8 years ago, I want to be entertained. 😀
Happy to lead a fast group and will see what I can piece together so the best bits get done twice...and the full Stickler both ways.
Probable route will be firetrack south from start and up into the trees to the 'new' trail, across to jump gulley, up to reservoir, Alpine route, left at the view of the Wall and skirt to exit of Labyrinth, up Wall 2 and down the whole Labyrinth, round to the reservoir via the Harry Potter Film Set, down the mini-DH to the Gully, over to Tank Traps and the Stickler entrance, Stickler both ways, Lower Star Post, Seagull to the Bench, Session area and Corkscrew, back to the cafe. Not my usual 90 minutes....sprint and gasp and some windbagging.
PaulD
Me and a few mates where considering heading to Swinley this weekend as Stamner park in Brighton is a tad muddy at the moment. Would we be ok to join you? Should imagine we'd be in the reasonably fast but happy with the odd break group
PaulD - stickler was still closed off with orange fencing this morning so you might need a alight tweak to your plan.
See you all tomorrow, look out for my mojo dandy horse, probably in the fast group unless ur all on carbon hardtails 🙂
looking forward to it!
looking forward to it!
Me too, even had a curry to celebrate.
Right, well the SS is in the boot, with inappropriate Mud X (too lazy to change)
Car's frosty already, so hopefully it'll stay crisp... picking a mate up in Newbury, so we'll sit nicely in the slow group enjoying the fun bits (and walking up the not so fun bits...)
IIRC the lookout does not open till 10am
Buy your permit online tonight so we dont have to stand around getting cold for an hour
many thansk
The Discovery Centre building including Day Permit purchase, toilets and cafe is open every day except Christmas and Boxing Day from 10am to 5pm.
He's right *packs standing-around-clothes*
Permit booked, see you all tomorrow.
Orange 5 - check
Mid thirties - check
Audi - oh bugger, BMW close enough?
Permit sorted, wheels attached to bike, alarm set...
Have fun you lot, I'll be living the dream at work...
Me too, even had a curry to celebrate.
Me too, could be breezy tomorrow. 🙂
will not be arriving until approx 9:45, hope im able to find y'all still hanging around
Sorry Jim I didn't catch your post did you catch us?
Urrrrrrrrr, my legs hurt 🙂 Hot shower, big pot of tea, big bowl of chilli, half a family bag of malteasers should solve that"
Thanks PaulD for leading, Mrs Poddy for the biscuits, Andy for carrying the biscuits and Mr Poddy for handing the biscuits out and everyone else for turning up and eating the biscuits.
Good ride chaps, and thanks to Paul for leading.
Stan. (White Yeti/stickler face plant.)
Which one was you 'spoon?
Good ride everyone, hard work but fun.
Well done for those that travelled from far and wide, especially the chap from Dorset.
Trails were in good condition given the weather recently and excellent leading guys!
Biscuits were super yummy!
Roll on the next STW meet.
Jonathan (black Yeti).
Yeah thanks for the biscuits! Was really nice riding out there today and good to meet some of you guys/girls in real life!
I was the guy on the spesh - yes who stacked it on that downhill bit 🙂 ha still trying to work out how that happened!
Aye - good fun given the conditions! Hope everyone got back to the cars in time. I measured 22 miles by the time I got back to my car the other side of the woods but they felt quite hard - wasn't much roll on some of those surfaces today. And when the surface was good PaulD had managed to ensure it was pointing upwards.
Jonv (white Trek XCal 29er)
Thank you all for making me feel welcome. I enjoyed myself even tho I'd not ridden for two weeks. I will certainly return to Swinley in 2013 when all the 'works' are finished. Thanks again.
The guy from Dorset
AKA keefus
Yeh, thought that was a really well crafted route. Joined up all the fun bits and introduced me to a few new trails... Well done and thanks Paul. Have to agree that the biscuits were a bit special too. All in all a nice, easy paced and entertaining ride and always nice to meet STW riders.
Enjoy the rest of your weekends.
I had a great time, though I doubt I could find my way back to all those awesome trails. Maybe I'll get better at it next year.
Cheers everyone for the company, guiding, organisation and biscuits.
Ed (black Orange P7).
Thanks for the show around Paul and tinas was good to meet U and get out to see some nice trails. My legs are letting me know about sprinting up stickler!
Cheers
(young looking mojo sl rider!)
Thanks for the ride. It was a shame I had to go back to my car with my mate, my mojo was flowing with the route you'd picked
Cheers,
Mark - Blue Gary Fisher SS bodge
Keefus - sorry you had to endure the delights of Bracknell town center* (you mentioned you stayed there)....next time you visit swinley stay in Wokingham! Nice place with loads of decent pubs to try and swinley only a short (ish) ride away.
*I live in Bracknell so perfectly within my rights to say the town center is a plop hole!
Thanks for the nice comments about the route guys. I deliberately missed the singletrack after Seagull up to the session area as I know it is a mudfest...I checked on Thursday.
Hopefully we can do it again in better weather and much faster trails...Stickler in the summer on an 8kg hardtail with Furious Freds was electric fast and fun. Jump gully did not quite live up to its name...more like velcro alley.
tinas, thanks for organising it and Peter+Kirsty thanks for the cakes.
PaulD
Yep, a big thanks to everyone, especially Paul for leading. My first trip to Swinley & it's left me wanting to return.
Short, fat bloke on old school Yeti AS-Rc.
Tunnel Hill, Frith and Porridge Pot were pretty much dry today - Swinley is such a swamp in the winter...
doncorleoni....advice taken on board. Wokingham it is next time. Many thanks.
Which one was you 'spoon?
Singlespeed Swift and a beard.
Tunnel Hill, Frith and Porridge Pot were pretty much dry today - Swinley is such a swamp in the winter...
Wasn't too bad actually, mini-alps was almost bone dry! Although maybe I'm just comparing it to the hub deep clag fest that is the Chilterns at the moment!
Thanks Paul , Quality ride as usual .
The singletrack behind Pips bench was gloopy last time I was up there.
Very enjoyable day out , and surprising not that muddy.
Rob
Black ano 575
gee - sorry swinley was no where near a swamp.
funnily enough we had riders all over swinley today from Surrey hills as its such a bogfest over there and being ripped up by too many riders at the moment, oh and swinley is not my back yard.
each to their own though 🙂
funnily enough we had riders all over swinley today from Surrey hills as its such a bogfest over there and being ripped up by too many riders at the moment, oh and swinley is not my back yard.
tunnel hill/porigepot/firth =/= Surrey hills
They're usualy quite dry but that's mostly down to them being Swinley's lesser known neighbours so the mud doesn't get churned in. You can just about do a big loop all the way down via Cesars Camp if you've got the legs (40-60 miles depending whether you just tick them off or ride almost allthe singletrack). Maybe an idea for the summer when everyones got their fast legs back out of storage?
I am up for that summer ride.......
Enjoyed yesterday. Nice to ride the woods in a different order to how I normally do it...plus putting names to sections that my usual riding buddies call something else.
Nothing much to clean as well....happy days.
G
(Ridgid SS Scandal)
Thanks guys,
Great ride.. legs feeling it on the commute this morning!
Rich (Turner 5 Spot)
I am up for that summer ride.......
Cool beans, the summer one will have Slow, Fast and Epic groups then 🙂
thisisnotaspoon - MemberCool beans, the summer one will have Slow, Fast and Epic groups then
Just for my personal reference for next time assuming there are groups to choose from, which of those ^^ did you rate Sunday's ride at then?
PaulD summed it up as sprint and gasp I think. His pace was the same as ever, but we had longer stops.
If I put together a longer route we'd have to go at a slower but more constant pace I reckon, although it's an out and back allong a C-shaped course, so bailing out isn't actualy too far.
Keep thinking about what you were saying singletrackmind in ref to cornering speed.
Despite what I said on Sunday I actually think Tyres won't be a magic bullet. I think the focus is probably getting forward into that 'capital D' arms shape and getting the bike lent over. Maybe try some time on flats in a bit of a foot out flat out style!
The main thing that made me think this is remembering back to my skills course with the Athertons where gee was cornering at mad speeds on Tyres pretty much the same as a small block 8
Anyway just trying to help out, have fun pushing it 🙂
e and getting the bike lent over.
Which is what I was doing on Stickler milliseconds before I landed on my face.
I think you were about 3 behind me, I heard you go down but knew there were others behind so not worth stopping.
Looking, footwork, speed/braking. All add to a rubber side down cornering experience. Simply leaning the bike over if you haven't got the footwork and weight distribution to match doesn't work.
I know I've met Jedi.
We all get it wrong from time to time - I wasn't criticising what you were saying btw, just stating that co-incidentaly the last thing I was thinking before the off was about leaning the bike.... 🙂
theotherjonv - Member
I think you were about 3 behind me, I heard you go down but didn't care so not worth stopping.Looking, footwork, speed/braking. All add to a rubber side down cornering experience.
*swoons at the orsumness of the big V* 8)
We all get it wrong from time to time
Not me. Errrrmm....... 🙄
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/do-you-think-itll-polish-out
Guys,
Check out this week's Cannondale Wheel Test....filmed at Swinley Forest...see the Corkscrew and Session areas.
PaulD
Sounds like iot was a good one! UI'm due to meet some friends on Saturday morning. It'll have been dry all week since the Sexy, then rainy on Friday.
any thoughts? one to avoid, or should it be alright?
ned,
The north and west corner is a waterlogged mudfest, corkscrew excepted.
Aim for Seagull, Stickler and the Labyrinth.
PaulD
Aim for Seagull, Stickler and the Labyrinth
The section of seagull nearest the gate is now fenced off with trail building work going on. Stickler is still fenced off at both ends so is as closed as when a load of you rode it at the weekend. And Satan's grotto is getting mashed by forestry work so is a non starter. Labyrinth is all good tho!