We are 3 riders now.

Looks like we're going to be successful in fixing at least one ride a week for a Tuesday evening ride, maybe a couple if we can manage it, mostly evening / nights in the week & perhaps to include a Sat / Sunday where possible which'll be in the day.

Anyone else around this area who'd like to hook up for some local rides?

Where are you going to ride?

I live in hemel, and have 2 mates who live in watford… They may be interested in a night ride. Where do you ride locally? I have only ever really ridden in Whippendel woods which hsa some fun jumpy bits. Is bricket wood common worth exploring? One of my friends lives preety much next door to there.

I'm just outside of Hemel and usually ride in Ashridge Woods and across toward Ivinghoe beacon. I'm finding a few nice little bits in my more immediate area as well (Briden's Camp/Gaddesden Row). There is a Tuesday night Berko nightride which I often have the intention of getting to but rarely do. On that basis I'd like to say I'd ride with you guys some time but can't really commit to a regular weekly thing. However if you can cope with having another Ti29er in your midst…

Hi there. I'm down the road in Radlett. Not normally home from work until 7.30pm so evening rides may be out, depending on the time you plan to head out – however could well be up for weekend rides. Email in profile – pls keep me posted! Thanks, Nim

I livei n Watford but not sure I have found much to ride at other than Whippendel Woods as mentioned above.

Bricket Wood is nice but nothing too exciting, I have been riding some routes there with a couple of guys from here OTT MTB

I would be interested to know where you plan on riding and I might tag along as long as slowish riders are welcome 🙂

I have a few routes around these parts.
I think the other guys from Watford and Little Chalfornt will know some routes also.
Try this?

Try this map for some ideas

For me rides start down the Ebury Way, then either a left down the canal tow path, or right towards WDWoods as you all know well.

My email is now live in my Profile, so drop me a line.

Done the canal path all the way to Uxbridge, gone past the Ebury way to Rickmansworth and back on the canal to Watford but they are very mild trails really.

VRPAN.
I think you've missed the point.
Ebury Way and the canal path are linking routes that take us to the trails. Nothing more.
Check out the link in my last post for some ideas.
I rode a 2.5hr XC route last night around here-ish
The wood to the left is good and has plenty of scope if you go off-piste a little!
I always use the rectangle around the farm, to the left it's a fast decent and a middle ring fast climb on the incline up to the farm itself. I do this more than once each training session. The decline / incline from / to the Uni on Shires Way to the south of that link (which is always a great swooping bridleway whichever direction you chose to ride it) is always good.

I'm in Radlett – there are some reasonable rides out from here, mainly loops northwards round London Colney, N Mimms or right round the top of St Albans. Tuesdays evenings aren't good for me, weekends would be with a bit of notice.

Bricket Wood common is quite fun, gets a bit muddy when its wet but its main peaty stuff, not the thick clay you get in some places. If you're feeling cheeky there's also an old disused gravel pit to the north towards Chiswell Green. Worth wearing eye protection, there are a lot of holly bushes in the woods.

gravel pit you say… is there any built stuff there?

I live in northwood and cycle at the weekends (and sometimes in the evenings) in the local area. Also cycle with a club that a friend set up in the local area.

There is a nice loop out of the northwood area that covers the chess valley, round into chenies and out the back of chorleywood area. Its about a 30 mile route for a nice sat afternoon.

Also ride around ruilsip woods and associated area – however know most of it so would be up for other rides…

Post up here if you do plan anything…?

Disben.
I think I might know some of what you're describing.
Would be useful to have some routes above and beyond my own and that of the Watford crowd and that'll take us further out towards Latimer and the Chess Valley.

We are having a ride this evening, which might be a wee bit short notice.

How are people fixed this weekend?
tim at t-f-p dot com
Maybe we can hook up and thrash out a 50km-ish route, collecting people as we go!

lyons, what do you mean by built?

mmm – sorry missed your post – im riding this weekend with some mates (on the road) however might be around in the future…

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3422125

have a look – this is the route i have done several times – takes about two hours but there are some bits you can play with to extend – havent done it at night though – would be up for it…..?

Tuesday eves or sats are best for me although not always free!

Three of us from STW went out last night.

Watford – WDWoods – Sarratt – Chenies -then 6, 40, 5 on this map. A drink at the Coy Carp, then back along the tow path to Watford.
Looking for more of the same.

Disben – some of yours is the same as last night's. Like the look of the woods up the hill from the Coy Carp – any good? Notice you miss thend of the Shires lane out back to the C.CARP.

I live in Abbots, there are some good trails if you head out towards Latimer then onto Chesham, you can come back towards Flaunden. Then there are some nice trails that lead back to Belsize. Back up though Chipperfield common, and then the bridleway through valley and back onto the road into Hunton Bridge. Easiest way to get out that way is from Sarrat find the church, and their is a 'footpath' across the fields that drops down to the river Chess.

Go here if you like jumps…

It's nothing special but if you're in the area and like to get your wheels off the ground.

To make it obvious for my post above, the entrance is just to the right as you look down the laneway to Little Munden Farm.

My favourite bit of singletrack Best taken North to South finishing up in Radlett

Cheers Andy_B I pass there on my commute and will check it out.

Ti29er, will drop you a line regarding evening rides as I work in the area.

Andy b, cheers, I'll check them out…

Would anyone fancy a ride round ashridge way? I know it very well, and should be able to put together a fun route, even with the mud. We can have a cake stophalfway round as well..

Maybe the weekend after this?

We ought to set a date and try and meet.
Richard, of this parish and I were out this evening for 2hrs.
On Thursday James, also of this parish, will be joining us.
We're very Shire-lane based, from the Coy Carp in the south to the Chess Valley / Sarratt in the north-ish.

But we're getting out more, each of us has events in the summer or Easter for which we have half and eye on, 3x rides a week at present, so we should be able to do a few rides and meet.

I will be up for some riding when the physio has fixed my patellofemoral syndrome… Maybe a month away though!

Did anyone from here went for a spin yesterday? Saw a couple of guys geared up (one on a Trek) riding down whippendel road and thought maybe there was a meetup. Wouldn't mind following it as it is right where I live.

What time?
One on a Cannondale and I'm on an On-One.
Would be about 18:45 if it was us.

Probably not, one was a white on-one I thought but the other am sure was a Trek and it was right before 6 I saw them.

Andy B – that's one of my favourites too – haven't yet worked up the bottle to jump off the end of the footbridge.

This bit is good too, best done SE – NW. Old line of the B556 running from the side of the white farm house at Ridge Hill parallel with the new road.

http://tinyurl.com/y9hwydo

swamp_boy – that ones a bit stinky!

This footpath is also fun. I've got away with it so far. Head towards the park.

Bricket Wood Common – head for the railway bridges and find the drops back down to the flat. It's crap really though.

I'll think up some more later.

Likely there's a night ride this pm, Thursday evening.
Meeting either at the Whippendell Woods main car park or in Sarratt.
Unsure of times yet but likely 6:30 or 8:pm
Will keep you posted if you fancy a 2hr trundle 'round the woods.

7:45 on Ebury Way
8:15 at the main car park in WDW.
I think we're going for a few laps of WDWoods as neither of us wants to be out for too long this evening.
Let me know and we'll know to look out for you.

I would be interested in meeting up with some of you folks as I live in Berkhamsted. I am moving house this weekend but have the following week off, so if there is anything going on…? What pace are these rides at, as I am very slow and steady? LOL

I live near Hemel and am keen for joining in a local ride. I'll drop the relevant people emails.

lyons – I'd appreciate a local showing me round Ashridge. I've done a bit of riding up there but stuck mainly to the (not very interesting) bridleways. A bit of cheeky riding would be good.

curtisthecat – I just moved from Berko to Felden. I'd be up for very slow and steady if you fancy meeting up for a ride (email in profile)

I think the more people we have on this post, the more the spread of abilities.
At present I am the slowest of the 3 from this parish, the others being James and Richard.
All three of us have events planned from Easter onwards, so time is pressing. We're out 3 rides a week, but more as the days get longer.
I've signed up for the Brass Monkey this Sunday.
R & I are out this evening for a slow-ish pootle 'round WDWoods as I for one need some decent recovery time before this Sunday's folly!

I think you are right. I, for one, am not "race fit" having done bugger all riding for the last couple of months but I am also very happy to tag along at the group's speed until I get dropped and then find my own way home (the joys of gps). However, I am also happy to join a slower group.

I would be keen on learning some local trails though as I am newish to the area.

JFeb, send me an email to andrew.bourne1@hotmail.co.uk and we can arrange something through that… I'll let others know, as there is some really good stuff in ashridge, it's just hard to find…

Perhaps we should organise a date and those who can, meet up.
WDWoods seems a logical start place and we can all park up with ease.

Any thoughts?

Andy_B,

It doesn't seem that bad to me, but then I do live up to the name sometimes. Doing the whole thing without dabbing can be entertaining, especially if the old tarmac is wet.

One I mean to try sometimes is the one below. Footpath is in the field, but there's also an ORPA that follows the stream bed under a tunnel of vegetation. Been in a few yards from each end and it looks rideable. Most of the time there is a few inches of water in it so it is one for the summer.

http://tinyurl.com/yjgg59v

Busy for the next few weeks but would be good to meet some local people some time.

swamp_boy, that one's a bridleway which literally turns into the river. The best part of it isn't actually marked on the map. The river is actually usually rideable to the point where you reach oakridge lane. I've seen some one do it but I wouldn't bother. It's for daft people and horses.

The farm tracks to the southwest of this point and then around the sewage works are generally worth exploring as they've got the most gradient in the area. You can drop down to Munden house from the sewage works or Blackbirds farm.

There's a very cheeky trailhere (head northwest) and turn off early to the right so as to avoid upsetting anyone.

Are you planning a ride for later this week?

Andy, I know that cheeky bit round the wood, came at it from the lower end in the past but haven't been there lately. Those steep-ish bits of Oakridge Lane and down to Munden are nice but it's a shame they "repaired" the bit down towards the junction with the river. It is starting to erode away again.

Might be out later on, should be good with the full moon and a light dusting of snow.