Tuesday Night Riders!
We are planning to ride for the first time in 2010 as normal at 7pm from the Horse & Groom in East Woodlands. However, more heavy snow is predicted so I will post something here before 6pm in case we have to cancel, please do check back…
Category: Weekly Night Ride
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Tuesday 12 January Night Ride
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Homework.
At the moment each committee member is working on a project.
My project involves improving the Allotment as a riding environment for the XC side of the club. My idea is to build a singletrack link from the site of the skills area (close to the main fire road) to the point where the ‘Moron’ DH section meets the fire road that runs up to our current three downhill trails.
The trail will be possible to ride both ways. In my head I imagine the style to be similar to the section that runs parallel to the Center Parcs drive – so sweeping corners, gentle climbs – fun!
This project will hopefully achieve a number of things:
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To encourage XC riders into and through the Allotment.
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To allow more varied loops of the Allotment.
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To have more traffic through the Allotment, which will hopefully decrease the number of non-members and littering.
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Winter night-rides going down a storm…
It was a clear moonlight night; was it our imagination or was Chris looking a little bit more hirsute than normal? Time to get that razor set to No.2 for a quick once-over? Having set off at a spanking pace, everyone was warming up; until an unexpected shower set in and did a great job of cooling everyone down. The route was chosen bearing the conditions in mind, so it was far from a horrific mud-fest. Maybe I should have borne the conditions in mind a little more instead of blasting down the last descent at my usual speed and taking a horizontal approach to the ditch. May have to add a brake-lever repair to my list for my lovely local mechanic tomorrow! The pub was cosy with spd shoes and 5/10s drying nicely by the fire. The craic was as good as usual, with some enthusiasm for additional rides and event dates being planned for next season. Watch this space!?
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The Secret Diary of Ian Crook aged 27: Night Rider 12/05/09
18:41: Arrive at Horse and Groom, due to bad parking there are far fewer spaces than there should be. Fit lights.
18:44: Al arrives.
18:51: Al leaves – he’s forgotten his shoes.
19:07: We set off, Simon tries to hitch a lift from Marjory on the first hill.
19:12: Sheppard’s Woods, the trails are bone dry and bluebells are everywhere.
19:40: Al returns to the group, with shoes.
19:45: Reach the Allotment, most of the group ride BBMS, Mark rides 143 in full for the first time, then begins planning for his imminent DH bike purchase.
20:08: Singletrack down to Center Parcs, skids and hops off mounds are the order of the day.
20:19: Fast descent down to Shearwater. Attempts to force Chris off and overtake him are futile.
20:43: Chris leads us into Singletrack that is cut short by felled trees, we abuse him then continue.
20:51: Finally dark when in the trees, nearly crash when I completely fail to notice the final large sleeping policeman.
21:00: Sprint down Longleat drive.
21:03: Still recovering from sprint down drive.
21:08: Final section of off road in Sheppard’s woods, it is now pitch black which makes a simple descent much more challenging and a steep slog just as tiring.
21:15: Return to the pub, throw bike in car, enjoy pint of Landlord, good chat.
22:45: Bedtime.
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Night Rider
14 people made it out on Tuesday, we were lucky enough to have (mostly) dry trails and yet more light (anyone would think the days are getting longer)!
We took a few different options to normal and so made it back to the pub a little later than planned, but still got to devour plenty of chips, cider and beer as reward for our efforts.
Paul managed to do a “180 mud slide to face plant” in the final stages, popping his pedal bike crash cherry (he’s more used to his 144 KTM than his Pitch Pro) but saw the funny side. His left side – caked in mud!
One newbie was quoted as saying “that was the best ride ever!” whilst others commented on my “evil route”, either way everybody seemed happy and eager for next Tuesdays Night Rider. ….
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Night Rider
Tuesday’s Night Rider was ace! The weather was great, the trails were dry and there was more light than we had remembered was possible.
15 of us made it out and enjoyed every minute of it, well apart from newbie Jim who suffered a mechanical 1/4 of the way around. Still waiting for us in a pub couldn’t have been all bad.
Fancy joining us next Tuesday?
Remember even if you’re not a member you can do up to two times before committing to the ‘not so significant’ 49p a week that membership works out as.
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wet wet wet
Tonight wasn’t dry, in fact it was horizontally wet at times. We took a few short cuts due to a couple of mechanicals and numb hands all round. The pub was as welcoming as always, though we had to provide the not so roaring fire. Chris made it round despite his recently “popped” shoulder and was later seen sporting a rather fetching ‘Starsky & Hutch’ cardigan whist trying to look a little less blue in the face (Marjory looked better in it though). Our friends Beer and Chips made a welcome appearance too, though we’re all looking forward to their friends Daylight and Dry Trails joining us in the not so distant future…
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Night Rider
We’re famous! Well pub famous. Actually we had to put this poster up to explain why we turn up muddy and smelling of sweat and horse poo each week. Good ride with 2 newbies and some nice chip butties to finish with…
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Night Rider 23/12/08
Tonights ride will be starting from the Horse & Groom, East woodlands at 19:00.
See you there!
