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Welcome to the Cotswolds edition of the winter 2018/19 #Jennride.
Whilst Tang takes some respite from organising, I’ve put myself forwards to lay on a winter ride, taking inspiration from Tangs past events & The Racing Collectives way of doing things.
The ride is set for 09:30, Sunday 6th of January 2019, what better way to welcome in the New Year & blow away the festive seasons bloated cobwebs!
The ride will start & finish in Stroud, Gloucestershire.
The route will be 50ish miles of the Cotswolds, a mix of on & off road, CX suited, with... a heavy focus on mud, slop, gloop, puddles & winter weather!!! I’m not sure on the % in distance of on/off road mix, but at a guess, with the right foul weather conditions under tyre, I’m hoping riders will spend as much time off road as on, taking in a mix of byways, bridleways, tracks, back lanes, showcasing some of the fantastic South Cotswolds scenery.
The concept is that there will be a ride meeting at 09:00 for pre-ride meet & greet & chin wag, the possibility of caffeine. The route will be a shared GPX file, not made available until a day or two before the ride. For those who use Strava, it will include several Strava segments, that upon completion of the ride will give a leader board of times. The first rider back gets the honour of buying a beer for the next rider back, and so, this system continues for each finishing rider. It’ll be a DIY improvised start from 09:30am, setting off as solos, or small groups, not a mass start as we need to spread out along the route, particularly the first few miles as its narrow-shared use paths.
The ride is free to participate in. However, your welcome to make a donation on the day, that along with any proceeds raised will go to St Gemma’s Hospice.
Charlies rules apply.
Is this ride for me:
YES:
Fancy throwing yourself into winters worst weather.
You love mud.
If you are willing to enter into the spirit of an ad-hoc improvised group ride.
Can ride through arduous conditions whilst remaining self-sufficient.
You want to ride solo or in small groups, giving way & being courteous to other trail users.
You can cope without support or sag wagon.
You can follow a GPX route.
If you don’t mind slip sliding, maybe falling off & having your 7kg pride & joy race bike weigh in at 45lb covered in mech destroying mud whilst you drag, carry, run with it through 8” deep hoof impregnated slop.
NO:
If you want to race the whole thing.
If you like litigation and or indemnity cover.
If you want support.
If you need guiding.
If you want a mass start.
WHAT BIKE:
Run what you brung. I’ll be on a CX bike with mud tyres, a 29er HT, SS, fat bike, gravel bike will all get you round fine, hopefully frame clearance will be the most needed frame characteristic. Hell, turn up on an enduro bike, it’s all riding.
Please register any interest on this thread.
I’ll keep this thread updated as things progress, a Strava club will be created for the ride & a GPX will be available from GPSies.
Cheers,
Martin / Qwerty.
Thanks for organising @qwerty. I'll hopefully down to enjoy the ride myself.
I am in!!
well done that man.
Sounds great, cheers Martin, it's in the diary.
Not sure on plans that far ahead yet but replying to register my interest in the hope I'm free
Yay great idea to far for me though 🙁
Registering interest 😀
Great idea! I hope to be able to make it.
May well be up for this, so I'll tentatively add my name to the list. Cheers qwerty.
In absence of anything unavoidable, I will be there. Great cause and a fantastic area to ride. And from previous experience, extremely slippery when wet 🙂
I'm in, but prob wouldn't be able to do 50miles this time of year.....
I shall try and pitch up too
As long as I no family commitments I will endeavour to be there.
I am defiantly keen for this.
Puts hand in air tentatively. New MTB required as the hardtail was stolen recently. I'll be competing with monkeyboyjc for last man home. (Now where did I leave my fitness)?
What sort of time do you expect it to take? Would be doing it on a gravel bike and would have to swap the tyres over to something more suitable!
*pencilled in*
Sounds amazing. I'll hopefully be there.
Will hopefully be there
Tempted... Start 2019 off with about 20% of the total mileage I've managed in 2018 in one day!
Seriously though... Will try and work up to it, 15 miles would hurt right now, 50 through Cotswold slop... Opportunity to use the mud tyres I bought but have never used!
I’m in. Wife doesn’t have anything on that day. I’ll be driving down from Derby on the morning. I’ll go and start a what tyres thread now!
Wife doesn’t have anything on that day.
*Considers going to robbo's instead*
This was the reason i got my Spesh Diverge, stuff like this. But now i'm presented with a possible ride, i don't won't to get it dirty. Hmmmm, need some CX tyres soon it would appear.
Its definitely new bike time if you want to keep the Diverge clean
Re what tyres: my little used monstercrosser has BIG Ones on it at the moment. Cant imaging they are any good in mud, let alone Cotswold mud, but CBA to change them for one day out.
That sounds like a perfect day out to me. 🙂
Shame it's so far away.
Hmm, 6am start from Cheshire and I'd have to have a stop over to enjoy the drinking, but that sounds just like my kind of thing. Will join the Strava club.
Don’t think I know anyone of this parish these days but I’d love to join in!
I'll put a tentative hand in the air, all sounds most agreeable.
I might be in, although possibly on the cheat bike, weather dependent.
Conditions are looking perfect 👌 lets hope the weather holds 👍
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Possibly interested having just moved to the area! Will see how much riding I get done over the next month or so. I'll base my decision on that. Would be on a CX also!
The planned route for #Jennride, Cotswolds, 6th January 2019 will be 50ish miles, just shy of 5000’ of ascent.
Janette at the Upper Lock Cafe, Wallbridge, Stroud, has kindly agreed to open an hour early, at 09:00 in order to serve coffee & cake, ready for our staggered start around 09:30. She'll also stay open to offer warmth, food & drinks (she sells 🍻) post ride.
The route will be “challenging”, building its gained ascent into the latter sections of the ride. The route suits itself to those who have the fitness & speed for the “full loop”, AND, to those who wish to complete a part of it, it offers options of cutting short a few sections, missing bits out, or bailing (National Cycle Network, Route 45 offering a flat escape route). The Strava segments are spread out in all sections, so to achieve all segments, the whole course must be ridden. It’s an opportunity to get out into the countryside, enjoy nature, be challenged & hopefully raise some funds for two very worthwhile charities, regardless of ability.
Expect to be overwhelmed in parts on a CX bike & underwhelmed on others on your full suspension.
The ride is free to participate in. However, your welcome to make a donation on the day, that along with any proceeds raised will go to: St Gemma's Hospice & Macmillan Cancer Suppport.
Remember: on January 6th 2019 the day light will fail fast. I’d advise as a minimum that you carry a set of be seen lights. It’s winter, please don’t turn up in just a skin suit, dress to the weather forecast & carry a bit more. Your riding on public roads, my local trails & sharing paths, don’t be a dick, maybe fit a bell, expect every blind bend to have a free-range child on a balance bike behind it, anticipate other users.
#6
This is a fully self-sufficient ride, please ensure you’ve read the first post of the Singletrack forum thread to realise the extent of your own personal responsibilities & ensure you've read my forum post on 01/01/2019.
The route & segments (that you’ll need to add to your Strava starred segments) will go public on 01/01/2019.
Please signify your interest by joining the Jennride Cotswolds Strava Club & add yourself as an "i'm in" when you commit.
I'm looking forwards to meeting some new faces,
Many thanks for your interest,
Martin.
Qwerty - what 700c cx tyres can you recommend for the mud? Currently running Schwalbe G-One Speed so don't think they will cut it! They are 38c so plenty of space for mud clearance although will have to remove the commuter mud guards!
robbo1234biking - Tyres is a tricky one, i'm not even sure myself! I currently have two sets (Clement PDX & WTB Nano). The PDX is great in mud but slips on rock, roots & greasy roads. The Nano has more vomume / comfort, rolls well, holds mud on the sides, offers less clearance. The route has only a couple of sections that could be potential mud fests, the rest may be a bit messy, there is road, track, limestone, roots. I don't think any one tyre will be best. I'd say go with what you know........... sorry to be vague! It'll depend on conditions on the day, if its minus 5 it'll not be an issue, if its warming up after weeks of rain - it'll be gloopy, if its rained heavily for weeks it'll be loose like silt.
Cheers qwerty. Have used wtb nano in the 26 x 2.4 form on mtb before so might go with those.
Tyre quandary for me too. Currently have choice of G-One All Round or Gravel King SK both of which I don't think will be up for the challenge. I was thinking either X-Bite All Round or PDX.
Hopefully will have the bamboo bike ready and built - it's giving me something to aim for. As for tyres I've some 32c mud cx tyres I'll be running and going for mud clearance over grip.
Possibly.
Deffinately count me in, Love some mud.
I don't like mud.
Does it not get cold enough to freeze round there ?
Where I am in the north west of England there's a good chance the trails will be frozen at that time of year, at least on the high ground, maybe lower as well
No it freezes, then the top thaws. When this happens it creates the perfect sticky Cotswold slop that glues grass/leaves/everything to your tyre, which now weighs a kilo more and won’t turn because the slop builds up around the fork. Perfect
I would love to do this but I may have to wait and see if I have any family commitments first. I have fond memories of the mud round there from the mean and dirty xc races, shame they haven't been run thereat couple of years
Sounds amazing. I'm in.
we get frozen mud in the bases of each of the 5 valleys surrounding Stroud, but it thaws on the sunny sides. So let's just say conditions will most likely be variable throughout the day.
Also miss the Mean and Dirty races, although that slippery loam on a camber was a challenge...