COTSWOLDS POOTLE: 24th November; it's official.

It’ll be all off again for me if the ‘cross tyres I bought 10 days ago from a forum member don’t arrive in time.

I’ve put the appropriate phone calls in for the weather…

Does anyone like parkin….?

Is the Pope Catholic?

Does a bear shit in the woods?

Does a duck run away from a Frenchman with an orange?

I’m testing the first batch tonight. I’ll let you know if it’s suitable for general consumption. 8)

Its well gloopy in the Cotswolds but contains very little sand so doesnt hammer the chain/brake pads etc .Like the Peaks/Quantocks/Exmoor does.There will be plenty of water about rained all day today and more on its way tomorrow/Thursday night.Sunny Saturday crap Sunday so you have the right day for your Pootle 😆

First batch not suitable 🙁
(Too dry. Needs custard)

Second batch in the oven 🙂

Pete, just bring some custard.

I’m in! Poss +1. Other half has promised banana bread which went down well when I took it to a trail day at llandegla! Looking forward to it!

Monksie – I can bring you some cross tyres if you like, you can swap ’em in the carpark beforehand. Possibly easier for you than riding all the way here on knobblies…

Weather’s looking good for Saturday, although it’s a little damp today 😯

In answer to some questions I’ve been getting, the idea is that it’ll be newbie-friendly; the Maxgnarrcoreradtothepowerofsik factor will be fairly low and no MadSkilz will be required. We’re looking at 30-40km, pootle pace. Longish climb to start, but no rush to get up it.

I’m dithering a little about the route though – anyone ridden the descent to Hailes Abbey recently? What state’s it in?

Hope it dries up a bit, i almost drowned commuting in this morning the roads were so full of water and mud washed out of the fields

I seem to recall Mr Poddy bringing Cake to the Singletrackworld ride from Watlington a few years back. And very good it was too!
😀

I’m dithering a little about the route though – anyone ridden the descent to Hailes Abbey recently? What state’s it in?

smoother than the M5 , its ruined as a climb/descent now they’ve put the health n safety surface on it .

Boo 🙁 I knew they’d relaid it, I was hoping it might have cut up a bit.

Are you and the little lady joining us?

No , our dogs in a show on Saturday and i cant get away til midday ,
slightly pee’d off as i thought the show was on Sunday 🙁

I haffs made this

It’s ‘sticky ginger cake with lemon icing dribblydrizzle on top’. But I’ve never made it before and this one hasn’t been tested (if we tested it, me and Onzadog would inevitably scoff the lot) so I don’t know if it’s actually edible.

Although I guess put that amount of sugar and butter in (almost) anything and it’s be tasty.

I thought that cake looked familiar. Where did we get the lilac napkin under the plate?

Mr N! Thanks very much! Fingers crossed my Mud X’s are in the post but if I’m stuck, can I take you up on your kind offer? I’ll only need one though.
I’m right looking forward to this bike ride.

Only one? Are you planning on wheelying all the way round? Cocky ****t 😉

I know this is an awful question, but any idea how long the ride should take….?

I’m driving up from Southampton (one of Onzadog’s buddies :-)) and want to make sure I won’t be back too late! Basically I’m racing Sunday morning and need to wash my bike Saturday night – think of the extra weight otherwise 😉 !!

Extra weight might come from redwoods cake!

Me. This Saturday:

any idea how long the ride should take….?

Honestly? No. Depends on how many people show up, how many mechanicals/punctures, how fast we go… To be honest I’m struggling with it myself a bit in terms of planning a route. I would guess between three and four hours.

Whatever, the sun goes down by half four, so we’ll have to be finished by then 🙂

That’s good enough for me!! I know it’s a nightmare estimating times etc – it was just to get a rough idea 🙂

My train back to Manchester from Cheltenham is somewhere around 6:00pm’ish. Will we be anywhere near there by then? I don’t fancy riding home after riding to Winchcome as well. Not dressesd like that^ anyway. They’ll eat me alive going through Stoke On Trent 🙂

I’ll see if I can buy an extra jerry can. If we can fit it in the car, I’ll hose your bike off for you before you leave.

No probs Monksie, we should be well finished by then.

We’ll be coming off Cleeve Hill to finish anyway, which is between ‘Nam and Winchcombe, so from the top I can always point you down the ‘Nam side. Or, if we’re in plenty of time, you can come down into Winchcombe and do the 800ft of climbing over Cleeve Hill to ‘Nam just for fun 🙂

In fact, if you’re bored and you have time to kill, you could do some interval sessions on Bushcombe Lane, it’s not out of your way:

Distance 1.95 km
Start height 75 m
End height 232 m
Highest point 232 m
Ascent 157 m
Climb 1.95 km
Average ascent percentage 8.0 %
Maximum ascent percentage 27.0 % 😈

Bladdy hell! I don’t think I’ll have that much to ascend from my house to the start! Can I use the tunnel through this hill of which you speak?

If you dig it, yeah, feel free 🙂

Oh……….

I gather its hardtail territory? No point bringing the bouncy thing?

I put new brake pads in, in anticipation last night. I may have to rethink tyres. How muddy is it? It can’t be worse than up here, surely?

is the car park free or pay and display? (i.e. will I need a tenner in change for parking?)

It’s ‘sticky ginger cake with lemon icing dribblydrizzle on top’. But I’ve never made it before and this one hasn’t been tested (if we tested it, me and Onzadog would inevitably scoff the lot) so I don’t know if it’s actually edible.

That picture is the EXACT cake MrsPP made for my sisters wedding in September! The description is identical too.
I shall make a comparison!

Are we gonna need mud tyres??

My bike is a hardtail and will have normal tyres (CVPs) on. Make of that what you will.

I think the car park is a quid, but don’t quote me.

ta.

I was holding off fitting the winter rigid forks until aftee this but looking outside i think i might change that decision
bike is wearing Mud X already anyway

wish I could come 🙁

redwoods – that cake looks yummy.

Have a good one everyone.

You dont want to come down this part of the world at present.Winchcombe was not easy to get into today on some roads due to flooding and now the forcast has changed again mental rain tomorrow afternoon and now raining Saturday.Prestbury at lunchtime had water all across the road very like 07.Prestbury is a area of Cheltenham.Should think very carefully about traveling here.

Looks right enough on here http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2633860

Weather looks fine for Saturday – we’ve had a lot of rain but not biblical like ’07. All of the roads on the way home tonight had cleared and were passable. I’m not suggesting it’s going to be dry and dusty under wheel- it’s going to be wet and muddy but it is nearly winter! Most of the flooding was further south – devon and somerset. So, I’m game and still in – looking forward to a cracking ride and some cake. And maybe a cheeky Cyyyddder or two.