Sticking with my “ride SS through the winter” theme I managed 3 hrs worth of Qs riding before my legs cried for home. The skies were all misty so not much scope for pics. Still some mud about but the bike only had a quick hose down when I got home. Comments ?

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Knottie,
Nice pics, gunna be there next weekend with 9 other dudes,Night riding Friday, day rides Sat Sun, what are the conditions like ?

Nice pics and nice bike! Single speeding definitely looks like the way forward for winter riding. I got one a few weeks ago, ridden it a few times and really enjoyed it. Ratio is perhao a little too hard for me though! 😳
Just out of interest, what ratio do you run and how hilly is it where you ride? (Are you very fit?!)

Mine’s also only currently set up with Vs, which haven’t been nearly as bad as I expected. I am looking forward to getting a disc on the front though, and then gradually upgrading it all up over the year. By next year probably everything on it will have changed! Hey ho – so much for a ‘ss hack bike, ey?’

some mud but all rideable i’d recomend a rear mudguard as the combes have plenty of water running down them.,I should be up there next weekend aswell. last sunday was great.

sharki’s forks must be really bad now, every photo i’ve seen of him recently is a look of sheer terror….

what a sublime shot of Bicknoller Post, a real crowd pleaser!! 7/10

sharki has new forks now …

I ride 32-18 and its short sharp hills on the Qs .I still get off and walk mind. Its easier to keep clean than multigears and you dont have to worry about knocking off a rear mech…ummm not sure I’d ride with Vs anymore.

“what a sublime shot of Bicknoller Post, a real crowd pleaser”

I thought of you as I propped my bike againt THE post…lol

Thanks Knottie, no I certainly wouldn’t want to ride the trail centres with Vs! I’m really only taking the ss around tame reasonably flat stuff at the moment so they’re alright – really wouldn’t want to come flying down a Whytes or Cwmcarn with just them to stop me though! 😯

That’s cool about the ratio – I was thinking about going for that anyway (have in fact just bought an 18t off here). With my current 32-16 when it’d muddy I’m ending up standing up even on the flat! Bit too much like hard work! Hopefully the change down will make it a bit more enjoyable. Cheers!

Jambo, that’s the my god i’m riding a ridged bike like i did the 5 expression, soon the be sorted.

I’m also riding ss at 32/16, what’s it like???????? very sociable riding!

i’ll be up there all weekend and if you need a bit of guidance on the friday night or sunday i should be mostly alive to help out, saturday i think i’m dragging bristol uni lads/lasses about which could be interesting….

Here’s my brief evaluation on quantock conditions right now…

‘Well it’s present state is wet, during the hard frosts, the moisture that would normally drain well has been held in the top 4 inches of ground, now as the top bit thawed the bit below remained frozen, during which time the new years period hunt followers and riders ponced around on this soft surface making it softer and slightly more draggy in places, now it’s been a few weeks without a hard frost and with some reasonable wind it’s draining properly now, which as a result measns the water crossing in the many combes are running fast with in effect has widened them and changed the course in places(but nothing major).

The drove between crowcombe and triscombe stone is having it’s surface repaired in places, this means tracked vehicles are using it and making this draggy but mostly clean.

Triscombe singletrack is as expected boggy in places mainly due to it being the access trail to many of the DH trails in the area.

The Chimney is fine, just look out for the small length of tree in the gully just after the sweeping left hander, but it’s not blocking the line down through the gully.

Great bear is a mess, but that’s normal for 10 months of the year.

Somerton is fine just a few loamy spots on the hill traverse, the big ass fallen tree has been cleared(not the one that forms the drop) but be careful of the line through it.

Smiths is unchanged.

Weacombe is running well, if a bit of a stream, please keep to the original trail and stop creating a new one on the right, lets keep it singletrack down here please, yes it’s a bit stoney but come on………

errr….Slaughter house isn’t a bridleway! but as you enter the tree line beware of the mulch you’ll be riding in, there’s rocks and branches lurking…. so stay loose.

ummmmmmmmmm…….nothing else to note really, other than don’t go in the Plough inn for a pint or coffee as he’s pro hunt/anti mtb and will assume you’re sitting outside….either use the combe house hotel(where you will need to sit outside) or better still go to kilve via pardlestone hill and enjoy the hospitality and fine ales in the hood arms.

Just one more thing, it’s not any flatter up there, if you play in the puddles and wet bits the sound your bike makes will possibly be expensive.

Tyres of choice would be rubber ones with knobs on, don’t bother with mud tyres though.

And finally enjoy it.

“Slaughter house isn’t a bridleway! but as you enter the tree line beware of the mulch you’ll be riding in”
Last time I rode Slaughterhouse I had to pedal quite hard to keep moving on that bit – I wouldn’t mind but it’s quite definitely downhill!

now that looks like a nice place to ride

i wouldn’t bother, it’s highly overated.
I only ride up there because it’s 15mins from where i stay.

That Chimney Pic, 😆 😆 😆 looks like ewe got long hair there Sharki ! 😀

I have! i combed it up from my ass.. it’s a singlespeed thing.

Hey you were on a ss on saturday………………………..

I’ve gotta have a blast down that “Chimney” at some stage, is it particularly long?

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Tis a cracking trail.

Not really, just a dried up water course with the trail on the edge or in the gully, your choice both narrow, one section just above that pic that’s bed rock, then a long left into a varied line choice to a sharp right scree corner then more gully/edge action to the bottom…

About 3/4 of a mile at a guess.

I video i found, it’s not mine so is a bit sloooooooooooooow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lQfDpQjFm4

looks like it could be a bit of a laugh, hmmm tempting!!

And I’ve still got me own hair !
Won’t be out 2moz tho, gotto go and eat/drink beer to celebrate old mans 76th B/day at the Boat and Anchor, 😥
Enjoy yourself up ther.. should be starting to dry out now, thanks wind !!

It’s one of the ‘classic’ trails down here better with speed though, do it slowly it’s as rough and sketchy as ****…in fact with too much speed it has a similar feel but errrrrrrrrr quicker.

Yeah it’s starting to dry out a bit now.

And hell bob, your dad had you when he was young!

Ah bless, u gonna get such a slap next time i see ewe ! If i can find someone fast enough to catch and hold on to ewe you wirey little focker ! 8)

Go as slow as you can, i’ll be eating mud along the trail at some point you can have me then.