Just a quick note to Swinley riders – yesterday I came across a smouldering ‘camp’ fire in the forest – about 3 ft square built up against a tree stump.
Spotted a ranger picking litter out near the firing range and gave him a heads up.
Given the fires earlier in the year this was disappointing – and worrying given the recent dry weather, and light winds.
Is there a published number for the rangers in case anyone spots something like this again. I thought to myself that dialling 999 and trying to explain where you are in the woods without a GPS might be difficult – but a ranger would get the gist.
Also (rant on)I was with my S/O and another female friend (both competent – but not fast riders) and if you were one of the three male riders in their forties(?) who felt the need to get really close and force your way past on the single track as you raced each other from the ‘man hole cover’ away from the jump gully – I thought that was really bad form.
Especially as we had slowed down a bit to let a young girl decide what she wanted to do as she came towards us.
I mean, if you guys were really contenders, then you would be out at 7.30 am on clearer tracks, rather than at 11 am when the woods are getting full of people travelling in all directions within their own ability and pace envelope.
My apologies to the third rider, for giving you most of the mouthful – but you mates were obviously in a hurry and did not want to slow down to apologise for riding in such an aggressive manner.
If beating two women in their late thirties to the end of at what at most must be a 350 – 400 m trail section makes you feel young, thrusting and virile – then dream on.
Not into trail rage – and we did have a proper look for you at the cafe when we were done, as my wife wanted to dicsuss the matter with you. Just to let you know how she felt – and how that level of aggressiveness – getting right up behind female riders or any rider in fact), on narrow parts of a trail detracts from the enjoyment. And that by being either overtly or passively aggressive you put the less sure off their game, as instead of concentrating on what’s coming up – they worry about what’s going on behind.
But as we could not find you, so we assumed you must be out doing more laps at that pace to test your form for the upcoming race season.