Swinley Forest Forum Ride – 10th January 2009

rudeboy – i’m very flattered you wish to serenade me but it ain’t gonna happen!

Oh PLEEEEEEEEAAAASSEEEEE????

Go on. I’ll rub your knee, if it hurts, too.

I shall pop along with richtea in the morning. If it’s ok I want to bug out once the snake gets near surrey hill / bagshot way as I’m going to off to dig some trails near deepcut.

This ride had better produce a whole load of pics ! I hope it all goes well, I’ll be riding my local hills and feel im missing out big time.

My knee’s fine now 😆

Just cleaned my bike (with lots of warm water) and everything then froze up on it! Hmmmm.

Hopefully it’ll thaw out in the morning! 😕

Thanks Bunnyhop – the slabs of cake could easily be divided! The Cafe are used to hordes of mtb’ers!

OldSkoolKona – are you entering the niche bike competition? I’m sure you and Mrs OSK will enjoy the trails.

happysnapper – thank you!

thomthumb – is that your best offer??!!

Chalgo – has anyone mentioned Surrey Hill? Swinley is flat! Are you trail-building Tunnnel Hill way then?

knottie8 – you’re more than welcome to join us! Aleigh and I are hoping to visit the Q’s this year – may ask you for some route advice.

mboy – put it in front of the fire. Bikes need to be cossetted. Not long ago I had 3 in my bedroom!! Bikes that is … before anyone says anything 😉

just a bit too far away for me but I did consider driving up , maybe next time(when its warmer)..It would be great to show you the Qs routes anytime your down this way. Oh I think thats a good idea for another group ride.

Not long ago I had 3 in my bedroom!! Bikes that is … before anyone says anything

‘Bikes’, eh? That’s what you call them… 😉

CG, bike would be with me in front of the fire if I had my way! Sadly not my own place though.

I used to have 2 bikes in my bedroom, was almost 3 but there wasn’t enough room, then I sold my road bike.

Surrey Hill is the one the Labyrinth (Babymaker, Deerhunter etc) is on (at least I thought it was), I don’t mean the Surrey Hills (North Downs).

Yeah building on Tunnel Hill.

Chalgo – just teasing! Don’t want to give the game away for the fantastic route I have put together for the ‘sick, lame, lazy and Marin riders’ group that I shall be leading.

Thought I saw your post on THT forum, I lurk there too but with a different ID!

knottie8 – thanks. I would really like to have another crack at The Chimney, on a full suss this time!

Looks like hell lot of fun tomorrow,glad to be coming – I’ll be spitting my lungs out and complaining that my bike is faulty 😉

me too!

Actually the post on THT was by the guy I’m helping out this weekend. He’s not riding due to injury so needs a test pilot for his ideas.

I cant wait till tomorrow. I should be going to bed now but I am too excited. Just like Christmas Eve all over again.

CG – I have got the note from my mum to say that I have to go with the wheezy boys (and Marin riders) at the back and I have mixed up a flask of weak lemon drink and some fish paste sandwiches for the journey.

I have packed my gym kit ready to go aswell (clean white vest tucked in to my white y-fronts and black slip on pumps).

See you tomorrow.

Matt

Chalgo – oh I see, nice friend!!

bikey – gosh, I hope it lives up to expectations! Actually … consider it similar to Band Aid/Live Aid … you just had to be there!!

Fish paste sandwiches bring back memories … of birthday parties!

Auntie C_G will look after everyone, there’s a few girlies in the group for nursing duties but unfortunately Dr.P can’t make it. Am impressed with the gym kit too.

Hairychested – have heard all the excuses before! Have you got a note from your mum?

bike washed and lubed – check.
tyres pressures OK – check.
clothes including 50 layers/gloves/buff/glasses and STW jersey packed – check.
shoes and helmet packed – check.
food and drink made – check.
gps and bike computer packed – check.
money for Cafe – check.
discount vouchers for lbs – check.
maps for trail guides – check.
whistle packed – check.
sense of humour – check.

Have I forgotten anything?

CG, WOW you sound well organised! Don’t wanna swing up my way quickly do you, come and prepare all my kit ready for the ride? The bike’s washed and ready (providing it thaws out at least), and my kit is washed! I’ll let you pack it all ready in the car for me though 😉

mboy – I need to minimise the flack I might get tomorrow, damage limitation as it were 😉

I feel I have a responsibility of making sure folk have a really top day, am 100% confident of my route planning expertise and that the other trail guides will devise a great route too.

I have organised rides before, but never on STW which is a pretty terrifying place for a female, so am pretty chilled with the routine, been on the beer also 😀

Have I forgotten anything?

kitchen sink! … oh wait

LOL

Night then! See you in the morning.

Aha, hip flask! Mulled wine, been a bit slow with that recently!

Good call richtea!

Was planning on coming but had last minute change of plans so going to have to give it a miss. Will try and make the next one or at leats try and meeting up with some hampshire/west sussex riders in the near future. Have a good day!

Bike: got wheels that go round? Check.

Good to go, then!

I am SOOOOOOO excited! Little treat for me, really, isn’t it? 😮

As for all the Bottle-Jobs that aren’t coming; your loss!

Bike – check.
Hip flask – check.
Not enough layers – check.
Lack of fitness – check.
Stupid grin – check.

I’m ready! Got to defrost the car and get some petrol still but anyway……..see you at Swinely – woohoo!

Right, just got to finish feeding breakfast to my 10 month old, then go and get the bike out.

It is good and cold over here in Crowthorne this morning, with a little bit of mist. Trails should be in fine shape today.

See you all later then…

(Sits twiddling thumbs, waiting for chauffeur, who has only just picked the van up… :roll:)

It is possible we may not be there by 10…..

Van’s here! Swinley here we come!

Thank you very much Cinnamon_Girl for arranging a great day out. Me and my mate thoroghly enjoyed it, although we became members of ‘The Lost Tribe’
See the Garmin download at: , yes there are two loops of the Labyrinth.
Hope to see you all there again soon.
It was -7c to begin with it did warm up to a balmy -4C at the end, almost swimwear weather.
Thanks once again CG 😆
Saracens Ho!

I only realised how cold it was when I had my gloves off and rode from the cafe to my car. Good ride though. Thanks to all.

Big thanks to Cinnamon_Girl for organising the day – totally brilliant. Nice to meet you all too, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Amazed that so many people turned up too, must’ve been a good 40-50 people?!

Ieeze, was it cold, or what???? I could feel the icy hand of Death, trying to claw the very life from my little body.

Nice one Cinnamon Girl! Another good SSSD ride!

As for those moaning about ‘too many people’ or whatever, you really missed out.

Secondeded Rudeboy.

Pics are currently uploading. (Got a lovely one of a tramp in a puffer jacket)

Link here to follow soon.

Did you see the state of that tramp? Proper shabby, weren’t he? Right shifty looking, too. I was worried he’d try to nick me bike!

sorry rudeboy

i’ll freshen up next time

Thank CG for arranging, it was good to put names to faces and have a social ride, thanks to Atlaz for being the sweeper for the group I was leading that worked really well.

Look forward doing it again great bunch to ride with really enjoyed it.

I’ve uploaded some footage I took, mainly the trails a few with people but mostly the trails we rode today and some from the jump gully. The camera doesn’t seem to be square on, so some look a little lope side 🙂 The one’s from today all have STW Ride 10/01/09 in the title. Don’t forget on the right hand side of the video is a watch in high quality option worth watching that way.

Swinley Vid’s

Looks as though they’ve made some more trails since I was last there. Good vids – must go back!

Must have been a great day – wish I could have been there.