To the trail fairies around Bath

If anyone who’s done some trail work on the south side of Bath is on this forum, I say GOOD WORK
What a brilliant ride I’ve just had, 17.5 miles, 2045ft vertically(yep I counted) and a descent that until I know the real name of, I’ll just refer to as the freakin impossible.
All before 11:00!

Not sure where you mean by the “south of Bath”, but to the east the woods were perfect this morning, a cracking 2 hour ride 😀

a descent that until I know the real name of, I’ll just refer to as the freakin impossible

Sounds like Pipehouse!

Did it drop you into Midford?

edit: Similar thinking awh!

Midford is fast at the moment, and bridleway all the way to the bottom now!

I am just outside of Bath by 15 mins and wouldnt mind to see those trails if you guys are free for a ride one day, make a change of regular visits to Burrington Combe.

A Bath area ride sounds good, especially if I get to see the mystery trails transapp has found!

My usual route is Sally in the Woods, Uni then to Pipehouse – Awesome descent! doable but hard.

Well, being new back to MTB, I have litrally no idea if I’m just finding these brand new places or if I’m finding bits everyone is bored of!
So, Freakin Impossible is out back of the uni (being vague on purpose), there’s plenty of routes down there however this is freakin impossible (hence the p
name). If you can’t take a 3′ drop through the tress, you have no right being there! I can’t take the drop (i pushed downhill!!) so I have no right…..
I went up through Sally, it was brilliant. Best ide since those so cold it’s dusty rides of January.
Anyone want to do a Bath ride (to show me around a bit) then I’m game, as long as you don’t mind me pushing up the hills and on todays evidance, pushing back down again!
Where is Pipehouse?

Pipehouse is near Limpley Stoke. Follow the A36 south and you’ll see Pipehouse Lane. Up that and when you get to the end of the road it turns into the trial.

The students have been busy, always new lines when I go through!

thanks awh, I’ll go check it out. I may also spell the odd word right if I try hard enough, Long boozy lunch in the Wheatsheaf followed by Bath Leicester match. I can’t really see the keyboard!! 🙂

If anyone who’s done some trail work on the south side of Bath is on this forum, I say GOOD WORK

8)

Re Browns, please be ultra sensitive, you’ve probably seen, the owners, a Wildlife Trust have taken to felling trees across the trail and making other ‘modifications’ to discourage use by bikers. Please steer clear at weekends 😀

Plenty more to be found. There’s a group of us who ride Weds nights, 6.30pm from Widcombe if anyone fancies joining us. Another group ‘The Others’ 😉 also, from 7pm different meet place each week.

The Avon Wildlife Trust’s website suggests getting to Brown’s Folly by bike but the warden didn’t like me pointing this out when he found me sitting with my bike looking at the view!

It all seams very stupid, the impact of bikes is much less than all the clearance work that they do. It’s heavily managed to promote certain species they want to encourage, not a completely natural habitat. I’m amazed there isn’t a bridleway, the stone from the mines must have been quite heavy, you might want a horse to help! Rant over.

I wasn’t aware the Browns was so sensitive, I’ll steer clear at weekends as you suggest.
RE wednesday evening rides, I’ve seen you guys getting ready at Widcombe, normally I’m doing Taekwon-do at King Edwards, but would like to join you for a few rides. I’m going to stop TKD for the summer in about 4 weeks so will get in touch

Yes browns/sally is footpath, easily eroding, plus some special rare flowers or something.

It’s a rubbish trail anyway. I never ride there. Nobody does. Especially with all those rocks and roots all over the place. Who would want to? If you ever happen to see me grinning at the trail exit on the Bradford road, it’s because I’ve just ridden up the road and I really enjoy a climb.

Hmm, rooty single track (although not the best I’d agree) v’s a road climb on a piece of road notorious for accidents. I’ll take the roots, or failing that, past Warleigh Manor then steep track / bridal way climb to about the same place

It’s a rubbish trail anyway. I never ride there. Nobody does. Especially with all those rocks and roots all over the place. Who would want to?

Nor me llama 😆

awh – Member
The Avon Wildlife Trust’s website suggests getting to Brown’s Folly by bike but the warden didn’t like me pointing this out when he found me sitting with my bike looking at the view!

It all seams very stupid, the impact of bikes is much less than all the clearance work that they do. It’s heavily managed to promote certain species they want to encourage, not a completely natural habitat. I’m amazed there isn’t a bridleway, the stone from the mines must have been quite heavy, you might want a horse to help! Rant over.

You said it awh, we’ve (not) been riding there for 20 years. About 15 years ago they bought it, drove a bl00dy great big logging track through the middle and took out all the commercial timber (management plan my a**se). A few years later they have this idea to re-introduce sheep grazing and erect a horrible nasty modern fine wire mesh fence around the central area, not to restrict access you understand, to keep the sheep in. The sheep lasted a year or two. The fence is still there.

We have approached them about an access arrangement. “Absolutely no way” was the answer, instead extra “no biking” signs 👿

Transapp – looking forward to seeing you out sometime 🙂

The ‘no biking’ signs even have pictures of little mountain bikes on them!

Also (not) riding the folly since the 90’s and it certainly wasn’t me up there the other night.

In my hungover state I didn’t realise how many people weren’t enjoying Browns.

Might not go up there tomorrow night, failing that certainly not on on Friday!

To add, I found a couple of the faries today, increasing berms sizes. Good work again! Totally foregot about pipehouse until I re-read this thread. I think I’ll visit on Tuesday evening (no chance tomorrow, my legs are wrecked!)

There are some dangerous trees up at Browns Folly, they grab your bike and throw you over the bars….broke my hand up there last week. That’s what you get for riding on footpaths!!

I’ve just been in the wood behind the nature reserve bit of Brown’s Folly. I had to keep stopping to remove large logs that had been moved across the tracks. Some were placed at the bottom of the bomb-holes. I also found a large screw in my tyre while I was there, could be a coincidence. Watch out everyone!