If you get a chance to ride the Quantocks in the next couple of days…

Grab it with both hands, the trails are about as good as they get, and its going to rain on Thursday 🙁

Might take some lieu time and go tomorrow then.

Tis true
Dusty trail on sunday

meh.

Its not mountainbiking without a bit of mud!

TJ, the dust is dry mud! 😉

Dibbs, you told the wife about your next whyte purchase yet? 😉

I'll ignore that comment young sharki 🙂

The chap that fell off going down the Chimney on Saturdays Marin Demo day ended up with 8 stitches in his knee 😳

poof

Ouch! i've only fallen off once down the chimney… when i first started riding mtb back in 04 i went down there, got the fear so grabbed a tree to slow me down, i spun 180 degs and disappeared into the forest..lol

The last time I rode the Chimney, 2 brusied knees and a swellbow! lmao

The chap that fell off going down the Chimney on Saturdays Marin Demo day ended up with 8 stitches in his knee

that says to me that either there guide was irresponsable takinig inexperianced riders down the chimney , or he should not of been out in the first place

ok I will get my coat 😳

I don't think thats fair.

Apart from the loose corner the chimney isn't that difficult. Its the sort of thing that can scare the piss out of relative newcomers, but they can still get down it anyway.

IME newcomers don't come on demo days anyway.

chippy, that's only half the Chimney 🙄

that says to me that either there guide was irresponsable takinig inexperianced riders down the chimney , or he should not of been out in the first place

We didn't force anyone to go down there and we took time to explain what to expect and gave them the option of the "Coach Road", most people trying out a two and a half/three and a half grand MTB don't want to just ride it on fire roads 😐

Hi Dibbs xx 😉

I find staying upright in the groove difficult and have yet to manage a top-to-bottom run without catching a pedal. It's a bit easier, if nerve wracking, to ride on the side.

Personal responsibility: Poo happens.

Why would you ride the groove?!!!?
😯

It's a bit easier, if nerve wracking, to ride on the side.

But, if everyone keeps riding the sides the trail will just keep getting wider and wider, and it'll end up not being the Chimney 😥
You should have seen it 16 or 17 years ago, no more than a couple of feet wide all the way from top to bottom. 😯

Ah rose tinted specs I love em ….

tbh

I do not like the chimney but my riding skills are at times er LOW 😳 and I am normally glad to pop out at the bottom

But I feel more comfortable riding the sides

BTW got ya Dibbs 😆

You just need more practice Andy 😀

Who's that fat-knacker playing in the dust and hiding a packet of Haribo Fruity-Frutti in his other hand?

I personally love riding the Chimney Groove 😀 And (touchwood) haven't crashed on it yet. Always one of the highlights of a trip to the Q's, for me. 'Course, it's always preferable to drop the saddle and do it with 5" of travel underneath me, but then we can't all be DH gods with skillz, can we?

Mmm, Fruity-Frutti…

Yes, luurvely conditions on the Qs. Just right for a walk down the Chimney 😉

Loved Smith's Combe, and Weacombe was even more fun 2nd time.

Numpty question alert!!!

I ride in the Qs quite a bit but don't know where the fabled Chimney is, can someone point me in the right direction please, it sounds just my cup of tea.

Cheers.

Dried mud sharki? Thats no fun 🙂

I'll get back there one day. Some great riding – I think Sharki led us down the chimney bit – we rode the gully bit and fell off after it

You should have seen it 16 or 17 years ago, no more than a couple of feet wide all the way from top to bottom.

Agreed. I workerd it out last night, I first rode the Chimney almost twenty years ago at the ripe old age of 11!

Richie

Right then chaps, Ive spent all morning reading about the 'Q's on tweb and reading this I need to go. Anyone got any GPX files of a good routes, I'm thinking of a weekend away and this seem to tick all the boxes??

As of yesterday a hill fire has engulfed alot of the Quantocks and subsequently is now out of bounds until further notice.

Rumours are that on sunday the sun reflected off knotties camera lens and caused a hot spot on the ground, This hot spot heated up during the Monday sun and eventually set fire to the hill near to the memorial trees, fortunately, the rangers were setting up there controlled burn site on hare knapp, so managed to spot it and take action.

With assistance from the fire brigade and a all terrain tender unit from exmoor, it was fought and near disaster was prevented.

Knottie is now being sought by police, for arson during a jealous rage because so many people were enjoying the Tox whilst he's injured.

I managed to sneak away from work early, and grab another couple of hours up there this evening 😀

Does it smell sooty?

Yes it does, and stop calling me sooty 😉

I've put the route from Saturdays Demo rides (gentle pootle) on the Garmin Connect website, you may need to register to see it
Marin/Whyte demo day

Sooty! i can't work out the bit after Ramscombe, i see two seperate rides out, similar route but WTF was the squiggly bit for around car wash? below dwd?

Ive never smelt sooty, isnt he a small Yellow bear with a blokes hand up his butt 😯

As previous (obviously un-noticed) post…

Can anyone enlighten me as to where the Chimney is, please? I'm sure I'l find it eventually but as a Yorkshireman far away from home I've probably ridden right past it, or even down it, and not realised.

A leg-up with directions from another friendly rider would be much appreciated. I'm sure it's not true what they say about Southern riders being unfriendly and keeping all the best trails a secret from visitors 😉

did Fynn from ATB bring bikes down & come out 4 the ride?

chimney is in great woods. from triscombe car park.

follow the singletrack that runs along the right hand side of the road. where the road bends round the the right go straight on into the woods.

pass a turn on the left, a turn on the right and then turn down a double track to the left. loose rocky corner onto some undulating singletrack. turn left at the end of it, roll down the hill about 50yds and you'll see the chimney dropping away to the left.

did we ride the chimney sharki?

i think there is video evidence.

Mmmm Im on a week off and really should get up there before it rains Arrgh! Anyone else got the week off?
Fin's with Rose bikes now so It was Lazyboy and a Whyte chap who came down for the demo.
Watching MTB Dvds is bad for me…. Neeeed to ride!

ah yeah I remember. I remember the sausage fest after too 8)

there we go.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=146870143377