"Mine seem to have been finished off by Stone lane"

Yeah it's quite a rockfest which one tends to hit a bit too fast. By then trying to pick a line is a bit pointless – it's hang on and hope.

has anyone got some spare thumbs? Mine seem to have been finished off by Stone lane …

Ahh, the delights of rigid forks?

😉

anotherdeahero: Yeah I was really impressed with your rigid riding downhill on that stuff. And then you rode home to Bristol – eeek!

I have to confess I was a bit concerned with the amount of serious machinery being removed from car boots Sunday morning, most of which was allayed when I started overtaking people on 5" travel full sussers on the rockier stuff ;o) Though I was trusting a great deal to luck …

Thanks for a great ride and thanks for everyone who waited for me up the hills and down the stony sections. Really pleased that I was made to ride through the stream being told that it was the only way – everyone else took the dry route round the top. For those that have a glut of courgettes here is the courgette muffin recipe – it only made 16 though and I did not include the nuts – there were plenty of them out on the ride!

Them muffins were proper nommalicious!

We have a few courgettes in the fridge that look like they might make their way into some muffins now 🙂

Who'd of though of courgette muffins? They were good!

5" travel full sussers on the rockier stuff ;o)

you didn't overtake me did you? 😯

With all the rattling going on buzz, it was a job to keep the bike roughly pointing in the right direction, without pausing to subject the riders I passed to too much scrutiny 🙂

It was more a matter of holding onto the bars in a deathgrip and hanging on for dear life than any kind of technical ability 😀

I was a little nervous when I turned up and saw so many riders

Me too – so glad it didn't disappoint. Isn't everyone nice though?

muddypuddle
you should have seen the fuss/mess most of us made on that bit.

Another vote of thanks to Buzz for ably discharging the duties of Glorious Leader (and MrsP for the muffins!)

the camera hides the terrified look on my face

Not half as terrified as PeterPoddy looked after committing to that same roll-in and finding ADH at the bottom helpfully clearing rocks away 😯 😀

Hmph. Arranging a ride on my wife's birthday. How jolly unfair.
Well you can't stop me going to the BBB next weekend, so there!

Not half as terrified as PeterPoddy looked after committing to that same roll-in and finding ADH at the bottom helpfully clearing rocks away

Oh yeah. That got the old ticker going. I don't mind crashing but taking someone else out is not good…..

😉

He he. I think your eyes came out on stalks Pete 😀

Its funny how a lot of people stop right in the line of the next rider.

We missed you GC, and Aleigh too.

ahhhh thanks buzz……..shame mr knottie didn't feel the same 🙁 😉

Ah um oh errrr 😳

Me ? hissy fit, not on ride no no . As for a Qs ride just say when .

Sorry to bump this, but does anyone know who those fine younger chaps from Salisbury-way are?

And do they think they could organise a suitable route on their patch?

i'm waiting for poddys pics

Hey everyone, this is my first post on the forum and yesterday was my first STW group ride. What a cracker of a ride it was too! I was really impressed with the riding on offer in the Mendips and will have to head back that way again!

Thanks to Buzz for organising the ride and also thank you to anyone who opened and closed gates or stood on corners as a human way-marker.

[Quote]Sorry to bump this, but does anyone know who those fine younger chaps from Salisbury-way are?
And do they think they could organise a suitable route on their patch?[/Quote]

I assume I am one of these "younger chaps", I was riding the black Meta 5.5 and did chat to you quite a few times along the way. I am sure we could sort out a route if your interested but it wouldn't compare to the stuff you guided us around yesterday! You really are lucky to have that sort of riding locally!

I look forward to the next ride 🙂

Theres plenty of good riding around salisbury. Annabanana sorted a cracking ride back in July .Ok it wasnt as rough but beautiful scenery and its all riding .

Flatfish – Here you go –
Sorry for the delay, I fell asleep on the sofa last night! 😳

Biggest cheesy grin of the day

Crappest wheelie of the day 😉

Juciest blackberries of the day

Our leader for the day

The rootiest bit of the day

The most serious 'race face' of the day 😉

And the rest are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_atkin/sets/72157621942187541/

Good job Pete. I do like this one (and well ridden too)

Top photo's Pete,

Thanks for making the effort to lug round a good camera – especially down the fun runs ..

Dave

cheers pete,

muddypuddle looks like she's in the middle of saying ooohhh sh*t

Heheee!
I think she was! She's a better rider then she thinks she is too, if you know what I mean?
😀

Look at her positioning on the bike in that pic: She's a naturally talented rider, IMO. She gets it right without seeming (To me anyway) to be trying too hard.

Question: where was PeterPoddy when he took the picture of Buzz
Answer:

Cor, you'd think some people would cheer up when they're out on a ride eh? 🙄

The most serious 'race face' of the day

Always without fail, in every photo ever taken (apart from when he's pissed) he has the 'MBR' gurn.

Tart.

🙄

So the upshot was that Mendip riding ain't that bad?
8)

Best ride this year for me I reckon. Although Rich P did beat hands down you with THE BEST PUB STOP IN THE WORLD in the Purbecks. 😉

I'll have to up the ante for my next one.

We should start some form of rating system, and have an award at the end of the year……
😀

Lilypool Cafe was convenient for that route, but its pretty basic – there are some half decent pubs lurking though.

If Buzz organises 'Mendip – The Return' I'm sure he'll work something in. He seems quite the pub connoisseur…
🙂

BEST PUB STOP IN THE WORLD in the Purbecks

If we'd stopped off at the Crown you might have changed your mind on that 😉

By the way Pete [boring question alert] what sort of camera bag was that you were using?

Mendip riding ain't that bad

About 3 weeks ago I was getting a bit depressed by trail conditions and considering calling it off. But Roland told me not to worry and the week of largely dry weather helped loads.
Visiting dignitaries from Salisbury/Farnborough/Shropshire said they were impressed with what they rode, that it was more techy than they expected.
I think the route worked well because it was 95% legal, varied and you felt like you travelled a bit. Including "Xmas Trees" was like adding extra chilli in the curry.

You and me both Buzz – I think because Mendip is seen as secondary to Quantocks – which is fair enough – the assumption is that it has nothing to offer at all.

Extra chilli in the curry – quite!

My camera bag is a Tamrac Adventure Zoom 3. I've got a LowePro mini which can carry more but is a bit too bulky for me. I might have to start using it when I get a flash though…..

Good effort. Nice to see folk enjoying Mendip trails.

(Feels the lonely pain of exile…).

Cheers Buzz for showing me round my local trails, it was good to link up sections differently to how I normally ride them. It was even better to meet fellow riders and make new freinds, you were all great company. I enjoyed the ride immensley, so much so thet im out with the LBS group tonight to do it all again! looking forward to the next one, Purbecks is it?
I was going to post a couple days ago with a link to my Garmin so anyone who was interested could see dstance, accent etc but unfortunatley its not letting me upload it (damn and blast technology). The other downside is my rear wheel snapping another spoke and in desparate need of straightening. Another email to Hope needed. by the way WHAT MUFFINS!? 😀