Cheers. I was planning a ride with a load of friends who haven’t ridden AC before that weekend! I’ll have to change it. Will it still be busy on Sunday with people still hanging about? Parking etc? I know it is only on Saturday but wondered if people stay for the night? Cheers.

What weekend is Oktoberfest?

Head to Bristol. The new trails at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods should do the trick. Leigh Woods will be completed in November but Ashton Court has been going a while and its great for all comers. Not very hilly with a nice flow. There is an option of a red section if she fancies something a bit more challenging too but all very rideable.

Is any of the new stuff at Leigh Woods open yet or is it all closed off for a grand opening?

Got a facebook update this morning that they are putting in a trail diversion at Ashton Court which will be ready by the end of the week. Anyone know anything about this?

By the way, some good pictures available on the 1 South West facebook page of the new Leigh Woods stuff.

I’ve ridden 50 before in the dry and it was great fun but just couldn’t get anywhere on Saturday without coming a croper. It was a total mudfest from the heavy downpours. Only managed to postie myself on the crossbar a couple of times! Still, all good practice!!

Rode AC at the weekend and was very impressed. The weather was pretty grim at times and the trails held out well. Really enjoy the flow of the new trails.

Also popped down to 50 Acre but that wasn’t much fun as it was so muddy and the wet roots were no fun. Had a look at Leigh Woods too and saw some of the new stuff. It was all closed off byt you could see some numpties had been riding it.

Big thumbs up from me.

I’m still waiting to ride them! I was planning to wait for Leigh Woods to be finished but think I’m gonna have to have a go before then, maybe in the next couple of weeks. Numbers will reduce which will be good for me as I plan to use AC and LW for training during the winter months when the Quantocks are a mud fest.

What’s the word on the street as to what’s happening at Leigh Woods? Haven’t heard much about the developments there?! Have they even started?

It’d be good if the Bristol Trails Group could get some behind the scenes footgae like they did with Ashton Court?!

Good work Thurman. Thanks for the feedback. I’ll head up there occasionally as my folks live in Blagdon Hill but other than that I’ll stick to the Quantocks.

I’ll have a look when I get home mate. Thanks. Lots of sensible suggestions.

neninja – thanks mate, I will mention what you said to the shop and hopefully they will find something.

ahwiles – thanks mate but I live in Somerset so just too far to go! The brakes are Shimano M575’s.

I shop I took it to is normally does an excellent job so it’s a little odd. The mechanic there really knows his stuff but this issue just seems to be ongoing!

With it working better in the wet, and when you spray the brake with water, then that is odd. There just seems to be more purchase from the pad to the rotor when they are wet!

I used to have slightly wider cheap pads on so I’m wondering if that has had an effect?

I still haven’t had chance to ride the new trail yet. I’m really looking forward to it but am half tempted to wait for Leigh Woods to be finished too. Not sure I can wait that long though!

I hope it’s not too busy when I do! I’m sure it will calm down after a bit. My plans are to ride their mostly over the winter months and hit the Quantocks in the summer months.

Looking forward to ridng the new stuff. When you say Newbarn Wood Rock Garden, how rocky is it?

Can’t undersatnd why certain neanderthals would pull down the signs. I suggest that everytime you see someone going the wrong way then mention it to them and if we all start doing it they’ll soon change!

I think I’ll give the Mendips a go next, and I need to try the downhill that Mr Brightside mentioned on the Blackdowns down to Adcombe Woods. Quantocks this Tuesday for an after work evening session!

Never heard of Yettington, not even sure where it is?! The Orchard Portman stuff is well built etc. Not too much decent natural stuff up on the Blackdowns though. Quantocks are king.

Just thought I put a bit of feedback on here, as HareyDan and another mate of ours went for a Blackdown explore last night.

We started at Orchard Portman and that was pretty good, there are a couple new jumps on the downhills in there.

Then we climbed up the Herepath to Staple Hill which was a long ascent and bit of a slog up hill for a couple of miles. Hard work but nice surface for crusing along.

At the top we broke away from the Herepath and went over to The Holman Clavel, took the forest track opposite and went right at the junction where the other descent goes left. We went over a stream and hooked up with a trail which dropped back towards the left (Hawks Moor).

That was good fun for the first part but then was pretty unridable at the bottom due to the width, boggyness and amount of water down there.

At the bottom we skirted around to Adcombe Woods and there were a couple of good shortish descent in there, but the problem was they didn’t lead anywhere. We ended up hacking our way through the woods for about 30 mins to try and link up with another trail!

Right, so how long is a lap of AC taking, just cruising around and not pushing it?! I guess it’s a bit quicker than it used to be?!

LW is not due to be finished until November.

I thought Leigh Woods was due to open at the end of September?! Or has it been pushed back now?

How technical is the red section in AC?

I noticed on the Better by Bike website that AC is due for completion at the end of the week. Looking forward to doing my first lap although debating whether to wait for Leigh Woods to be complete too. Anyone noticed if the trails are more popular? It says on the website that usage is up.

Yeah, I think if you take the right hand fork it leads to Hawks Moor which I was saying about. Wehn I was kid it wasn’t possible to ride right through there but, looking at the map, it looks like it does now so I need to explore that too. I see on the map that it crosses a stream. You could eventually get to Adcombe Woods if you went down there but not by using the downhill you previously mentioned.

Let me know how you et on this weekend if you do any exploring. I was chatting to a mate of mind saying how it would be good to build a trail next to where the Holman Clavel descent goes. I reckon there is scope there to do something!

Embrace the new stuff. It will be brilliant in Winter. I’m sure that there will be opportunties to develop other off-piste trails for those who want something more challenging, as there are already. There are loads of little cheeky trails running through and bisecting LW. Not so many in AC.

I rode down the Holman Clavel descent through Priors Park Wood last night and it’s been ruined! The old single track that went down has been replaced by a muddy wide track, the mud is fairly compact, where they have been doing forestry work so now it’s no fun at all, until you get about a third from the bottom. The last part hasn’t changed and is still nice and quick.

It was very muddy last night though so maybe it will be better when it dries out. Hopefully, over time, the single track will start to emerge again. It’s good for the wood though as they’ve felled some trees and planted more to try and increase the amount of plant life in there.

I’ll try another route next time. Those woods have real potential for some cheeky trails.

Mr Brightside – just had another look at the map to see if I could see the downhill you said about and I think I’m thinking of a different one.

If you can, look at Bing maps and pull up the Ordnance Survey layer and zoom in to the area. Am I right in thinking that the one you suggested goes down through Adcombe Woods?

The one I thought looked possible is down through Hawks Moor, it starts higher than the one you suggested (at the junction of the road where you turn left). Ever seen that? It also looks like there is a steep one further down from where you suggested, and that one goes down through Murlinch Wood. I’d be interested to hear your opinions on these?

Mr Brightside – you are a legend. I have seen that area on the map and wondered if there was anything there. I was thinking when I got up this morning that it’s gonna be too wet. May ride it anyway as I need to put the new frame through it’s paces. I’ll have to try that one you suggested out at some point too.

I’m gonna do the Holman Clavel descent tomorrow night as I haven’t been down there in a couple years. I’ll let you know what I think.

Thanks Mr Agreeable. I’ll have to drag myself up there again.

Cheers Milkie and Mr Agreeable.

Mr Agreeable – just been looking at the map on Bing and think I see where you mean for a larger loop. Are the tracks fairly easy to follow. need to have a good explore around there. Where would you enter Leigh Woods if coming from Fishponds?!

I’ve only ridden Ashton Court and Leigh Woods a couple of times, but before the new trails were built.

Thought I’d ask the question, how are people incorporating 50 Acre in their loops of Ashton Court? With the trails running anti-clockwise like they used to it was fairly easy to include it in a loop, by cutting through the wall and heading down and around 50 Acre, then climbing back up the lane and hitting the Quarry section. I don’t tend to like repeating trails so the new direction is making it difficult to include 50 Acre now.

It’s not a moan, just wanted to know what others did? I also don’t want to miss any decent parts out.

Nice. Can you ride around Otterford? Haven’t been up there for a good few years.

Any movement forward with the new trails over the last week or so? Can’t wait to ride them. When will they be starting on Leigh Woods, or have they already started?

My fault the weather is crap this weekend as I’ve planned a group ride on the Quantocks for Sunday! The last 3 I have planned have been wash outs. Last year we had baking sun every time so swings and roundabouts I guess. Itching to try out the new frame – I’ll keep an eye out for Sharki in his tent!

Oxy – strictly summer dry riding in the Blackdowns, so I am told. I would strongly advise giving the descent opposite The Holman Clavel a go though, it just makes you smile! Have you found any half decent spots?

Heard people mention Culm Davey before, saying there is some okay riding there. It’d be good to try and work out a Blackdowns super loop incorporating Neroche, The Herepath, Orchard Portman and the Holman Clavel descent. HareyDan and I are planning on going to see what we can do. On a map it is possible to link it all up but we’ll see.

Culm Davey and Culmstock Beacon are out on a limb a bit, away from the rest do that could be combined with Wellingon Monument and some of the stuff on the spine towards the Merry Harriers.

Good work – I’ll have an explore around the area. Didn’t know there were actual man made downhills in those woods. The one opposite The Holman Clavel is an ancient road for horses and carts I belive but it’s much narrower now, single track.

Mark –

The downhill opposite the Holman Clavel is a speed fest bit of single track that lasts a good 5 mins. Literally cross the road from the Holman Clavel, down a stoney lane and chuck your bike over the stile, then follow the fire road but branch off to the left when you see another (sometimes overgrown) trail head. Drop down there and follow it all the way down.

Its not very technical but great for speed and good fun, with a couple of gnarley bits and stream crossings. Keep going until you get to the gate at the end, after which you can either follow the track across the field and join a country lane which eventually leads to the Lamb and Flag in Blagdon Hill, or turn around and climb back out/explore.

If you do explore let us know what you find.

I don’t think many people know about the HC descent as it’s not obvious as a MTB route but when I introduced HareyDan to it he loved it too and went back the following week just to do that.

Surely there are locals out there who ride them?

To be fair, I think the crack in mine was there from the start as I did mention it to them when I picked it up and they said it was just the lacquer, but it was only little and lasted two years. I’m presuming it was the same crack as I didn’t actually see it, cos the shop sent it back straight away.

The new frame did take 3 weeks to get delivered though which was poor.

IdleJon – Keep hassling them, I’m sure they’ll come up with the goods.