Ride report: Wednesday 9 June – When rides collide
Just to put you all at ease there were no actual collisions last night!
Myself, Jem and MarkT had opted to do a shortish, early ride in and hence met at Bocketts Farm at 6:30pm. We quickly hatched a plane and set off.
Up Admiral’s track and left into Wiggly Wood we quickly found a pace as we only had 11 gears between us and I had 9 of them. I was trying out a Maxxis Corssmark 2.25 on the front of my Scandal for the first time after finding the Nevegal a tad scary for my liking. I can confirm now that it performed excellently and Wiggly Wood was a great place to try it out. Jem almost overshot the left hand turn to take in “Keith’s tumble” and then head down via the road to the foot of Box Hill.
I couldn’t keep the SS boys in sight as we climbed the front face but I don’t think any records were in danger tonight. Time to have a brief rethink at the top and we decided to opt for a run through Headly rather than the proposed drop down Juniper Bottom. So, after popping out bythe Smith and Western Grill we took in the short road section before turning left again towards High Ashurst. Another quick right and we took in the route through the Heath in reverse fo what we did on Sunday.
Ending up at the start of Secret Singletrack we gave that section another hammering and agin the front tyre provided all the grip I could handle. Bracken height is now an issue and I suspect the trails days are numbered until Autumn.
Now it was just a short blast behind the stables to the top of Nower Wood and the run down the side of the golf club to the top of Alsation. Given the recent rain Jem and I both cautioned MarkT to take it easy down here and them promptly ignored our own advice and ragged it down the trail. Well we did until I spotted some finely honed athletes coming up Alsation and pulled aside to hurl abuse at the normal 7:30pm Mole ride coming the other way. There seemed to be some groaning from this group that we’d stood aside to let them pass.
Once that obstacle was overcome we finished the descent and MarkT commented on the “what was it like not to “take it easy” down there”. When you’ve got the grip, use it!
So we pushed on back to the farm and I was back inside before 8:30 I think (I confess I didn’t check but that feels right).
About the author
Dave's been riding seriously since about 1997 and is one of the founding Molefathers — along with Matt and Mark — that came up with the idea of a MTB website for Mole Valley riders.
He's had several different bikes but it's now mainly 29ers in Dave's stable, apart from an Orange 5.
Current Bikes: Orange 5, Salsa Spearfish and Kona Big Unit
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david how says:
damn. i got there at 7. and as i didn’t know what or who to look for went to crabtree road and parked there. my ride headed over ranmore was petty uneventful as i didn’t know any tracks. maybe next time ! dave how.
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Posted on June 10, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Matt says:
Sounds like a good blast and glad to hear some of the others got out too. I was unable due to a school commitment but wouldn’t have been able to ride anyway – my leg has been quite sore this week.
After thinking the knees were unscathed I’ve found a bruise across the kneecap which is causing pain round and across the knee. I’m cursing leaving the knee pads at home, don’t know what I was thinking.
Plus the deep 6 inch bruise on my thigh and others down my left hand side. No problems as such and small in the scheme of things but all rather uncomfortable.
It coincides with some bike maintenance and I needed a break anyway but I don’t recommend crashing!
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Posted on June 10, 2010 at 3:45 pm
paul901 says:
Bad luck Matt, not the way I would choose to have slower pace company on the Sunday ride.
I managed my mid-week Whyte ride on Weds too. After the 3-hour road-ride (Viner) the day before I just wanted a gentle peddle turn. When will I learn this does not exist off-road? From Oxshott down to the Stoke Road via Wren’s Hill off-road route, climb up to Bookham Common and explore that for the first time. Gentle stroll round its dry forest trail and back within the hour, nothing dirty, bike as clean as it was after the post-Sunday ride clean.
So much for theory. I quote “The commons consist of grassland – wet, low-lying meadows, woodland, scrub and 12 ponds. The ponds are home to all three British species of newt, including the rare Great-Crested Newt. The five largest ponds are man-made, formed for fish-production in the 17th-century” and “The site has a very well-recorded invertebrate fauna, which includes 611 species of beetle, 1140 species of fly, 146 true bugs, 201 spiders, 17 dragonflies and over 300 species of butterflies and moths”.
In other words I had two firsts tonight 1. boggy, muddy terrain and I tried to keep forward motion and not get sucked down to a stop and fall over sideways. I managed this. 2. cope with the high growth of stinging nettles. I failed this. I think I learned that you keep going and don’t worry about either issue. One dirty rider, filthy bike, stung legs and mid-week ride objective achieved!
Nothing a quick bike wash and shower did not resolve though.
Actuall, the reason the common caught me out appeared to be an issue I was reading about here http://www.surreyhills.org/The-Surrey-Hills/News/Illegal-off-roading-escalates-at-Coldharbour.aspx Telltale signs of motocross tracks were on the common so I am suspecting foul play at work
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Posted on June 10, 2010 at 7:11 pm
kc says:
I have often dreamt of having a trail named after me such as Keith’s Decent or Chanter’s Lightning but no, you have to ruin it all be naming it Keith’s Tumble!
Better than Keith Scouting for Boys though!
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Posted on June 11, 2010 at 6:45 am
Dave says:
How about we call it “Dazed and Winded” then?
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Posted on June 11, 2010 at 9:12 am
Matt says:
I’m thinking ‘Ribbed for Pleasure’ says something. I just don’t know what!!
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Posted on June 11, 2010 at 9:36 am
kc says:
Halucinations of Claudia!
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Posted on June 11, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Muddymoles says:
Ride report: Wednesday 9 June – Robbing Robs Routes
The regular Moles night ride meet the undercover Moles returning from an earlier sortie
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Posted on June 11, 2010 at 2:26 pm
tony says:
My favourite is Pamplona. My Dave’s bull running.
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Posted on June 12, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Related: Ride report: Wednesday 9 June - Robbing Robs Routes | Rides | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley