Thanks. Just bought one. Love Icebreaker stuff and cheaper than a Baa Baa

All routes beginning at the Lookout is not much use. My route to Swinley sees me enter the park just south of the reservoir. Quite handily just by the Deerstalker etc.

It’s a very rare trip for me mind you as (mentioned above) there’s far better riding in the area and it’s actually rideable from Swinley.

PS – Have had a few almost head on Seagull moments so would happily see it go 1-way!

Yep. Go a size up. My singletrack shorts are a large and i’m a 32 waist

Unless you have a really short upper body then the small will be way to small for you. I’m 5’8 and have a small Nerve XC and it fits just right although I reckon a medium would have worked too (with the seat shuffled forward a bit).

Go for the medium would be my advice

Gore Powers are my winter gloves. Really comfy and great for all but the coldest days. Zero impact protection though

Only time I’ve ridden it was on an Evans Ride It event. Despite the fact that I live less than 5 miles away I’ve never bothered to go back. Pretty good if all you want is cross country type riding but it’s all pretty samey and the sand is a real pain in the ass.

Far better stuff a few short miles further west.

Find that surface quite harsh and tiring. Doesn’t really seem to be bedding in that quickly either.

Love that trail though although it does need a bit more variety

My wife has just got a pair of prescription Half Jacket transitions. The clear black iridium ones are the best to go for in low light. Apparently they let up 66% of the light get through in darker conditions – more than their other lenses (GR40/V50 or something). She rides trails and does archery in them and they go almost as dark as her normal Oakleys and are happy in the middle of the forest.

Trouble is this limits your choice of frames. Am looking at a pair for Xmas and most of the frames don’t come with this lens. Think I’m going to end up with Radar Paths.

My wife has just got a pair of prescription Half Jacket transitions. The clear black iridium ones are the best to go for in low light. Apparently they let up 66% of the light get through in darker conditions – more than their other lenses (GR40/V50 or something).

Trouble is this limits your choice of frames. Am looking at a pair for Xmas and most of the frames don’t come with this lens. Think I’m going to end up with Radar Paths.

Have just come back from an hour our so around Tunnel. Trails are drying nicely (although it’s due to piss down tomorrow!) and the trails that have been swept have also had the worst of the puddles drained. Those draining channels should sort out tomorrow’s rain as well.

Couldn’t ride the whole course as I kept losing it on the fire roads. I also had to turn round at one point as I nearly hit a squaddie in a fox hole right in the middle of 7/11.

I’m going, haven’t raced Tunnel hill before; I’ll be on a rigid 29er SS. (It’s my raciest bike…) Will i die?

Last time I went out with the Trolls on Tunnel hill the guy on a rigid SS 29er showed most of us up – certainly me. And the trails we were running were more technical than most I saw today

IPA – got mine from Maplins (mentioned above)

They do though become quieter soon after a mud bath (also mentioned above)

Cheers all – on ebay now looking at Kyle straits in large – can be picked up for under £30 as long as you don’t mind the slightly girly black and purple colour.

They are the ones I have – you don;t really notice the colour. Measured my legs and same up slightly above large (I’m not)….should have got the medium I think as they are bigger than I need.

Still, hardly notice they are on and they don’t slip.

Just as well I saw this as I didn’t realise there was a race on this weekend.

I ride Tunnel a couple of times a week, was last there Sunday morning. The trails are holding up pretty well – it tends to drain really well up there. Just puddles here and there in the dips on the singletrack. Running a couple of Nobby Nics at the moment and have had no problems with traction anywhere.

I think the only real issue may be the huge puddles (few inches deep – you wouldn’t want to plough through them) on the Old Guildford road – the road that goes along the spine of the hill. Could be fun if a few riders head through there at once. Not sure how much a ‘xc’ route would touch this though.

Singletrack keep me warm on the trails when it’s below zero. Work for me

hmm must look closer next time. Rode Tunnel this afternoon and noticed nothing different in the trails. Most are pretty well used and so are kept clean all year round.

Rode both ‘gullies’ (if I’m understanding you correctly) and both were in their usual state. Looking forward to new trails on tunnel and porridgepot when they come around.

Singletracks? I’ve got the trousers and the shorts and the missus loves her 3/4s. Bit more heavy duty than the Humvees. No liners but I use them with my Sugoi RS shorts as well.

Phantom … love mine BUT if the OP is off them then I can recommend pretty much any Gore softshell. Pricey but you get what you pay for. The missus has a Fusion jacket which is a similar jacket to the fusion (feel slightly thicker and is a slightly looser fit) and loves it. Same windstopper fabric which really does do the job

I always assumed it was going to be a victory parade and to thank the fans. Thing is though they look like they can’t be arsed to even put on a show for the fans. They are the biggest team in it by miles but may not even get a top 10 gc place

Cheers. Singletrack jacket on its way

I watch here : http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-6.php

BFe?

My Bender Fender probably cuts out around 90% of the stuff flung in my face. Well worth the few quid

Bagshot station to Swinley is about a 5-10 minute ride, a few hundred yards along the A30 and then head right up towards the church – Vicarage Road leads into Swinley from there. You’ll be right at the south side, furthest away from the Lookout but you will be nearer all of the ‘downhill’ stuff if that’s what you’re after.

I have an 18″ LTD Pro and my inside leg is 29″. Fit is excellent.
Build is weight-weenie at under 10kg with 27-speed XTR and XTR brakes.
Whole bike is very suited to Swinley, Minley and Tunnel Hill terrain.

PaulD

That’s exactly where I ride mine, Swinley and Tunnel anyway. You’re right about the weight of some of the OEM stuff. Saved over 100g just by putting a Thomson seatpost on and almost another 500g by putting decent folding tyres on. Mine’s down at nearer 11kg now and only spent around £100 on it. Less than £900 for the full build – the joy of buying ‘last years model’

30 inside leg here and I ride a small (LTD Race). The top tube is longer than most which to me is more important than the stand-over. They come with quite long (90mm) stems and set back seat posts so you can shorten the reach there if you feel the need. I wouldn’t say they are on the small side,just a bit stretched out as is the norm for XC bikes.

Mine has Fox forks with the Formula brakes. The brakes are great, a bit noisy but never had any issues with them and pads take 2 minutes to change. Good stopping power too.

Yep, my 100mm hardtail copes fine with them

Virtually all of the more steep stuff is right at the bottom of that map where there is a lot of red squiggles. Deerstalker (or left-left) is there along with another 3 or 4 runs that all start within a couple of metres of each other. Some of them merge into the Labyrinth for a longer singletrack run which is good as none last very long.

Singapore Air every time. Good prices (use the Flight Centre) and they really look after you. Singapore airport is a nice place to kill a few hours as well – take the bus tour through the city if you are stopping over for 4 or more hours.

Can’t comment on bike transport as I hired when I last went (Queenstown, Hamner Springs and Rotorua). Queenstown (DH) and Rotorua (trail) had particularly good hire setups.

UKGIRO40 …. it’s no secret, emailed to everyone on their list

Very happy with my Selle Italia C2 Gel Flow. Wearing in nicely after a few miles

Avenir (Raleigh) ones. £20 4 lenses – clear, yellow, dark and polarised dark. Easy swap lenses and actually look okay.

They do steam up a bit on the climbs though

Go to the THT website. All the rides are posted, well certainly the start points are.

Am not sure sure whether more or less riders will be a positive although I doubt 4 more will make a huge impact on the results. Fewer riders = less impact, more riders suggests a need for some area to ride.

I do think though that the less impact we all have on military exercises in the area the more likley the MOD are to be lenient in their rules.

Been fine recently – I ride there 2 or 3 times a week. Been on Tunnel and Porridgepot/Windmill in the last couple of weeks – passed the Landmarc vans and got smiles and nods from them.

There’s gonna be a few people from the Trolls on Tunnel on Monday surveying anyone using the area (walkers, bikers, horsey types) to help the TAG negotiate with the MOD regarding any new rules. As far as I’m aware nothing definite has been decided yet but stupid acts will make their decision easier.

Usual rules apply – see a squaddie turn around, be polite and leave if asked to.

Grapefruit. Fresh and zingy

Woolie Boolie – comfy and long lasting

Right on the edge of the MOD land at Pirbright ranges. Riding carefully these days

While the event organisers may not be greedy, the fact that the MoD allow events to be held on their land does increase the number of people that ride on that land at a later date.

True. The Gorrick race at Porridgepot just before Xmas last year made a huge difference. Most weeks before (and again recently to be honest) I saw nobody – riders or army, and I ride there and Tunnel several hours a week. The week after the race you couldn’t move for people following the trails.

Rode Porridgepot this morning. There are still just the normal ‘polite notices’ for MTBers saying be courteous to the squaddies you meet and leave an area if asked to. I see patrols etc. about once every month and never at the weekend. They usually wave me through or I turn right around. Same at Tunnel Hill and Frith

I spend around 4-5 hours a week there and see dozens of dog walkers but hardly any bikers. I’d have thought any problems with interrupting exercises lie elsewhere.

Only one of each fork available – more publicity than anything and doubt its a scam.