Sorry to have missed it, sounded like a good one. I went up there a little earlier to miss the traffic and the heat.

Must have been up there early then. I was out not a million miles away and was melting by mid-morning.

Either some bitey insect liked me, or I disliked some vegetation we passed….absolutely covered in really itchy red blotches on arms (fore arms and inside of elbows), a few across my chin – I reckon vegetation from thast pattern….but also a few acros my chest 😕 Really bloomin itchy, although antihistermine seems to calm it….was it just me?
I don't norammly suffer from bites or stings 😕

Still itching now….antihist is wearing off.

Something nibbled my leg slightly, but nothing out of the ordinary! I wouldn't have thought there was much up there that objectionable!

Was out at 6.30 back in the car by 10.30 it's just too busy/hot otherwise.

I was surprised by how quiet it was actually, I thought it was gonna be horrific. Got stuck behind some riders on BKB, but hardly saw any otherwise. Admittedly we didn't do Leith, but even Peaslake wasn't that busy.

Leith was quiet as well. Perhaps, for most, it was just TOO hot to trot…

njee thanks for the route, didn't make it in the end but would be following it soonish. How noobie proof is it? Am gonna take a friend with me who has only done 3-4 months worth of mtbing and would rather not scare the heck out of him 🙂 Thanks!

Vrapan – hope it's OK to chip in and answer the question. There's nothing on that route that you couldn't easily get off and walk down if you weren't happy to ride it. The bomb holes over on Winterfold might well be a little foxy for a newbie (and for many experienced riders it would seem). This section is tiny though and you can easily ride around them.

Some of the sections will be more technical than they will have ridden as well; the section from Pitch Hill down to the graveyard will be challenging but not scary. I am not 100% sure of the root they took off the back of Pitch Hill down towards Winterfold, but there are one or two steeper drops that would probably stop a new rider. Again, nothing you couldn't walk down.

Do you know where you're going or will you just be following the GPS?

We didn't do anything scary. From Pitch we just rolled down the tarmac drive into Peaslake, rather than do Graveyard Shift. The three bombholes on Winterfold are the only thing I can think of, even then it's only the third one which causes problems, and there's a very obviously defined trail to the left of them.

I did Parklife and Telegraph before I joined the group too, hopefully that won't be too confusing on the route! If PeterPoddy or similar has a 'clean' copy that may be easier to follow if you don't know the area.

The route is all pretty much rideable, I've done all of those trails either on my cross bike or the tandem (except the bombholes as the tandem would have been stuck like a seesaw).
Just use some common sense when you're out there.

geetee1972: No problems, was directing the question to njee only cause he uploaded the route and all but any feedback is welcome. I will be following the GPS, I wanted to come to the group ride to get a feel of the place and get a rough idea of where to go before dragging someone else along but that is a mute point now.

njee20: A cleaner version will be cool but I am sure I can follow yours no problems!

Thanks to both of you for the info, the ride sounds fine to me, he has to get his teeth into something more than the woods around Watford at some point anyway :p

I'd say it's a great place for him to learn. The trails there all get harder as you ride them faster, but nothing is difficult at a slow speed.