Route one – is climb forest track to road, along road to pick up the drove(a wide mostly uninteresting link track, ancient millitary marching route) then back down a forest track to the start.
An updated version could incorporate some of the built trails off in cockercombe and greatwood, but not easy to mark on a map..
Route two – takes you down a once lovely trail into a rutted horse ruined bridleway to a road, then again along forest track p to the main heathland, just to descend a wide grassyish track to the valley floor and ride up a bitch awful climb(ok, actually is a nice climb really) then throw you back along the ridge to the start…..because of the mess of Aisholt common trail now, i'd suggest just pinning it down the BW along the slades, staying right of the beech bank, or crossing the beech bank and seeking out the steep fun stuff the DH guys have created.
Route three – really unsure what to make of this one…..starts off ok, taking you over to the a classic (smiths) then around to alfoxton on lovely swooping singletrack, then it all go wrong again, having to drag yourself out via the endless torture that is i believe granny's path, passing a few corking way into holford combe the route sends you down devils gallop, which starts off fast and full of potential, then suddenly turns angry as a three metre wide trail of fist sized rocks slows you down and bounces you down into an exit into a spring bog like area, then it's up, up, up to the hill fort, all that height gain sends you across muddy and WTF am i doing here tracks and then up a road and down another WTF track, another hundred metres you could've been on the great bear but no…here have this! all that height loss means a forest track traverse/climb for about 3miles, wow! back at cockercombe you'll now traverse the fence line and descend the previously mentioned slades descent, which is fast and furious in a wide eroded bed rock type of way.
Then to your doom, you're back at the earths core knowing the only way back is up, up, up, these trails are ok, but the will to live would of left you by now and the next 5miles will be a test of mental strength as bad thoughts drift through your head and you'll be wondering why the quantocks have a reputation for being such a good MTB destination………..
………you've now a glimmer of hope as you have the chance for beer, the rising sun and further on the blue ball, the temptation to quit here and call a taxi will be quite high, but being the hard core rider you are you'll press on, up(WTF) triscombe combe descent! then across the drove and the ridge and down Bicknoller combe ascent!
Back at base i suggest a hearty meal a shower and sleep, when you wake convince yourself it's been a bad dream and call me, knottie or Dibbs for a more fun Quantocks riding experience.
