The real challenge could well be self preservation to cope on Monday.

Pace yourself in all aspects and just go with it.
walking up hill us just as fast as trying to spin your legs off, there’s no shame in walking to save your energies to enjoy the other bits..

That’s my plan, I’m even thinking about borrowing a 29er to aid me in my excuses.

I’ll fly blind then for the last descent. Shouldn’t be to bad, the first time I did bincombe was without lights well after sundown..it was fun then and only got betterer

Just have a laugh.
This weekend im dragging round a group as their guide and I’ve not been off road in 12 months and got ridden a bike in at least 5 months.

What the worst that can happen?

Back in 2004 I got on a bike after a 5 year spell on not riding, straight into a wet steep dark DH run. That started an 7 year obsession..

Can’t wait for that passion to return, even if it means coughing up blood, dead legs and pounding heart…

Enjoy Wales..

And by then I should be back up to full power and drinking capacity to join you.

😉

I will and always do Dibbs, when i look down at the point. 😛

Carew or Plough for lunch me thinks, I’ve only used the Bicknoller once and 45min wait for a baguette impressed me little. Might contemplate the Windmill though as i has swings and slides there..

Not sure of meet time yet, but it’ll be around 10:30 no doubt.

I’ll be dragging the group(they’ll be towing me) out from Nether Stowey, towards Dead Womans ditch CP, so a rendezvous there perhaps?

Bob, another ‘Suicide’ drops into great wood near ramscombe top carpark.

Jambo, yes that’s the one, that was a rather chaotic group descent i seem to remember, i missed Brads berm and went off piste a bit.

hh45, that’s called Devils Gallop, Lures you in doesn’t it? You can pick up deer paths if you don’t drop into the gully of swedes and go right of it, but with either frog combe of DWD run as alternatives, leave it to the Devil to gallop down/up.

For something different, try and find your way to the ridge between Slaughterhouse and Somerton combes east off Lowsey Thorn and via an interesting rut you get spat out at the junction of ladys edge, slaughterhouse and somerton.
Worth doing just for giggles.

I’m in for the long haul, two days of riding and guiding and no doubt beer. 😉

Who are you riding with Sponging-machine?

we’ll see.
And i’m leaving the camera and binoculars behind to keep me moving..

i’ve got 27 of them and i’m prepared to use them all.. 😳

Bring a stretcher please. 😉

This could prove interesting..

Can i play?

I’m sure it fits in the rules somewhere.

I bring to the table a 1928 Ruston Hornsby AP engine, churning out a whole 6hp. le 6hp.

For sale if anyone fancies it..
Massey 35 here too and a slightly more modern McCormick GX50. 😉

Right then twiggers and team sussex, you got me if you’re still requiring a guide.

I’ll be putting on the knobblies, stripping off the panniers and cobwebs(bike not used in 6 months)and dragging it and my arse to Stowey to meet you on Saturday. Will do my best to give you all a couple days of mixed tox riding.

12mths off the trails should make things interesting for me and entertaining for you lot.

I’ll e-mail you with my number to arrange times and details of nearest A&E should my heart, lungs and legs fail.

See you on Saturday.

Buzz, you up for being my wingman?

The Aga one up there is in the lounge i’m sat in.

The other is in my winter hideaway in an apple orchard.
Little stoves in the kitchen and lounge/bedroom.
And loads of Apple wood to keep me warm.
Need to set the chainsaw on it this week and get it covered/aired.

So it’s just a location change. 😉

Presently in front of me, but in a couple weeks will be a pot belly stove roaring away.

Willy’s or three steps as it’s also been called isn’t as steppy as it used to be imho.
It gets an awful lot of horse traffic, therefore gets mulchy, it’s fast and as stated gets a bit dicey, though nothing dramatic, unless you fall left. I ended up using it as a climb more than a decent.

You could go in search of ‘Obilvion’ which is north off Longstone hill and spits you out at the junction of short combe and lady’s edge.

I’ve only done it a handful of times as it always seemed to take a few weeks for my heart to settle as i had a habit of leaving the brakes alone after the second drop and sharp turn.

It’s one for the ‘ Likes and little challenge’.

Not much else around the area worth losing height doing, unless you ride up there soo much, you fancy an explore.

I’ll have a bigger rummage through them all tomorrow once the apples are pressed and bottled 😉
I appear to have come across a collection of books owned by a Journalist and Author. Several articles, brochures, and stuff from Rugby teams in the uk, including things from the Barbarians 20 or so years ago. It’s going to be fun looking through it all. I’ll post up here what i find.

To be honest, i’ve a home for all the barrels now, one contains cider, the others sulphate water having only previously been used for brandy(i think) I’ll know more next week.

Plenty of wooden taps here too, those i may be able to let a few go.

Cheers chap, i’ll get onto that.

Now, how about a getting rid of a 1930’s Ruston Hornsby AP engine in show condition and mounted on a trailer.

Or even a belt driven 3ft saw bench from the 50’s in rusty condition.

😉

8 traditional Oak Barrels, all water tight and around a dozen 260 gal containers.

😆

Knottie has been known to enjoy dragging people down there, i’m sure it’s for is entertainment only.

There is a trail, and widely defined at around 3-4 metres across, it gets steepish, rooty in places and kinda muddy haven been churned up by deer and horses. Also as you enter the tree line, there’s a fallen tree that you need to navigate around. It comes out just the other side of the stream crossing that you’ll cross heading up ladies edge.
If you like getting your balls stroked by knobbles of rubber, from excessive ass over the back wheel riding, and struggling to control speed due to lock ups and loose non muddy mud, then ride it.
If you prefer speed, flow and water crossings, go right of the ferns and do Slaughterhouse.

In fact if your riding mates hate semi steep loose trails, take them down the other and giggle at them.

Truth be known, he prefers a good curry and pint, this coaching malarky is just a front for his tue passion.

😉

You got email.
It appears i’ve had a twiglet in my Spam folder…

Knottie, Dibbs, Andy Bev, Brewer? Someone guide these guys, so my legs don’t have to make me grrr..

Quiet year so far for me in seeking out all thing Mycological.
I did grab some up to fry and even the initial test cut didn’t reveal to me they were yellow stainers. But once fried the revolting un ssshroom like smell advised me to NOT EAT them.

Redthunder, those up top are lovely Amethyst deceivers and very edible.

I’ve yet to get out properly with the little lens for photo’s. but i’ve seen, Mica Caps and Sulphur tuft, yellow russula, Porcelain fungi, birch polypores, jews ears, yellow antler fungi, to name a few. Too busy watching Red Deer rutting.

I’ll get out tomorrow and get onto it.
Here’s just a couple i’ve taken this year

Orange peel fungi.

Porcelain fungi

Nice Quarter bond too.

I’d be brutely honest with him and sack him off, he’s taking the pee and giving us bricklayers a bad name, with all the other so called builders from so many other countries competing for jobs, you’d be able to get someone in to do it in real time.
Plenty of retired brickies grateful of a bit of cash would get that up in a few days and have the roof on a couple of days later all tiled and in the dry.

He’s for the cull..

Yes, take the next left though and ride through the puddles to the lone tree in a small clearing at top of ladies combe. Look for a cutting in the bank, drop to the road from there, cross over and stay left of the bank. A few fallen trees are beginning to mess with flow further down the trail.
Most of all, enjoy.

Three options of ways out of bin,
1 straight along the muddy track in the bottom, through gate, over crossing up steps, left onto road, next right up over hill down together side, find pub.
2, down past the safe, under tree then up to the left, steady climb and after bob and Rog’s prickly hole, sharp left and mulchy climb up to Walfords Gibbet, then follow the road west back towards dead woman’s. ditch.
3, drop into old river bed at the bottom of bincombe, tother side of the embankment.(you shouldn’t of desended that side)and ride back the way you came.

Lovely and it looks like you found that dry day in September 😉
All the usual antics i see and great to see you remembered the cheeky link to get onto the great bear then to the ‘Bin’.

Gotta love the Campbell rooms for groups, you can’t get better..

Certainly a willow as Druid says. How about a pic of the whole tree

Mail me his Reg and Address.

I’ll pop him in the ‘To Cull’ list for when i’m in charge.
We’ll be culling out all the bad blood and he seems to meet the criteria.

I think I’d get by just fine.
But within a few days I’d of sussed the area well enough to know there’s civilisation nearby and worked out a way to utilise it.

Some Welsh water is a bit ropey, so I’d boil it off and filter it through charcoal before using, but as it rains loads, is make use of rain water.

Rabbits, I might make use of barbed wire to catch some, but would probably work on finding some wire and make a snare or two.

It’s winter so a good supply of wood needs to be gathered and kept dry.

Foraging wouldn’t be to bad, fungi, nuts, fruit can all be harvested.

However, its the UK, therefore its just a matter of getting mobile, and being self sufficient on the move, till you find help.(if that’s what you need).

I think I’d get by just fine.
But within a few days I’d of sussed the area well enough to know there’s civilisation nearby and worked out a way to utilise it.

Some Welsh water is a bit ropey, so I’d boil it off and filter it through charcoal before using, but as it rains loads, is make use of rain water.

Rabbits, I might make use of barbed wire to catch some, but would probably work on finding some wire and make a snare or two.

It’s winter so a good supply of wood needs to be gathered and kept dry.

Foraging wouldn’t be to bad, fungi, nuts, fruit can all be harvested.

However, its the UK,

my first in the underclifffs near Lyme Regis in very unsuitable habitat.

Then saw loads at the nature reserve from hides.

I’d not started Mountain biking till after the snip, but picked up the bike that got me into it on the way back from the Docs.

Think i rode it 2-3weeks later.
A straight forward procedure as others as stated, was wasn’t normal was me staring through the smoke rising up from my sack and asking the Doc if the smoke detector ever goes off..

And had to clear the pipes shortly after because the ex was a Nympho. That was sore and left my plums, well like giant victorias.

🙂

Everything becomes technical once you hit a speed above your ability.
But other than the concrete block trail(that’s not named on the map) everything mentioned has nothing that would cause an inexperienced rider issues.
The tree step on Somerton can be ridden around. I’d avoid Smiths though with that group. There will be roots on the trails as they all end up in the woods, but they an be seen easy enough and dealt with by most newbie riders.

Both of the Frog descents have roots that’ll make some new to riding roots clench their gluts.

There’s no harm in constructing it for potential future alterations.

A recessed external panel than can be easily chopped out afterwards so that the reveals don’t need to be cut cheekily use a weak lime mix on the panel to ease removal(A Wood panel may upset a jobs worth). Cavities can be closed with a plastic and insulated closure prior to the windows going in.

As for the lintels, so long as they’re of conforming type there’s no reason an official should complain (not that they’ll be able to see it).

And always use the Bullshit baffles brains concept.

If it’s a brick outer skin, then what’s so bad about a feature panel? 😉 Just make sure the weep holes, damp course above the lintel if necessary are in place.

So just go ahead rebel and tell anyone busy body, you’re making a feature in the plain boring gable.

Hiya.

The most northern place to stay within reasonable reach of the hills is the Hood Arms in Kilve. There’s a selection of types of accommodation and the food there is general of high Quality. I’ll be staying there this weekend so can up date on the standards next week.

There’s also the castle of Comfort near Holford, but i can’t speak for the food and service there.

The Carew is great but the climb first thing in the morning may bite a touch.

The old cider house in Nether Stowey is popular with mountain bike groups, but i’d try the Rose and Crown in the village too.

If you fancy self catering and basic living, look up the http://www.campbellroom.org.uk/ For large groups on a Budget, you won’t get better.

Or further from the hills
http://www.millmeadow.co.uk/

Hope that helps.

I’m not reading all that ^^ so here’s my take on Trail Centres.

Myself like most of you on here, cut my mountain biking teeth on natural trails and much prefer a wild natural ride than a trail centre. However!

Having ridden many trail centres around the country what i have seen is more families enjoying the simplicity of a trail created and waymarked to provide an mixed and therefore all ability centre for off road cycling.
This surely encourages more people into the sport whilst not over crowding natural and sometimes sensitive area causing excess erosion and damage to an already frail reputation given by a minority user group of whom we share the natural trails.
For many people the local woodland trails are to steep, muddy, lacking facilities, etc which puts off some riders old and young. Yes, there are plenty of kids that’ll still tear around down the local bomb holes, but there are still plenty who enjoy riding, but are a little more pampered to be allowed to risk injury on a piece of local land that’s not been constructed confirming to all the health and safety rulings that Trail centres should have.

Reassurances that every possible steps have been made to ensure the best rider experience without all the fear that could come from taking a ride out there in the every changing environment, far from roads, people, and therefore help should anything happens for the worst.

Many of us riders take for granted are own abilities and capabilities in the case of an incident to health or bike, therefore trail centres have there place.

A place to progress, to socialise, to nurture and to ride without having to think about a route.

Some of us ride daily, some weekly, some rarely.
We all need a place to ride, a place to suit the riding we like, with whom we like to ride with.

Trail centres open up mountain biking to many people and who can really complain about that,it’s gets people fit, it gets people out there in the great outdoors and it gets people riding bikes.

And we all love a bit of that.

Waffle over.

Sharki.