Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

Likewise

Dehydration was ridiculous

Going home and having a bottle of wine while cooking probably wasn't the best idea though I guess! Ah well!

Rehydrating with booze is always big and clever.

For even more fun and excitement this weekend, there is the Evans Ride It on the North Downs. There are off road options for 15, 25 and 30 miles on the Saturday (and for those strange roadie types, 12/30/60/90 mile sportives on the Sunday). I would realy like to do one of the longer off-roads but I'm not sure if it would be wise with the day before an enduro race!

PS: Is something broken with embedding links. The post editor gives me a clickable 'Evans Ride It' link but the post just comes out with the full URL text instead?

Okay, now it's not even showing up with a link at all!? The URL is:
http://www.evanscycles.com/ride-it/dorking-2nd-3rd-july-2011

We need to start getting some night rides sorted, Epping/Swinley anyone?

http://www.natwestiowresults2011.com/Sports/CYCLING/default.aspx?SportID=5&EventID=239

Go team IoM.

The way up

The route down.

live downhill
http://uk.freecaster.tv/mountainbike/1014892/uci-world-cup-2011-dhi-4-mont-sainte-anne-can

The enduro event next weekend is the Army's annual Are You Tough Enough event. As mentioned, there is even a single speed category.

You guys missed a good race. The route was 8 miles long and quite varied in terrain from lovely hard pack to soft and squidgy to (very short bits of) tarmac. Fortunately it was all dry but on the other hand, it was very dusty. Pretty much everyone came out looking decided blackened! There was certainly plenty of flowing twisty stuff to have fun with and one or two evil climbs. Great fun :).

Fortunately, the sun didn't really put in much of an appearance but I still managed to empty my 0.75l bottle of energy drink and a 2l Camelbak! Those 3l Camels are definitely looking tempting right now...

I managed 4th in the 2hr singlespeed category. I did manage to pass the third place guy on the last lap but he dug deep, pushed a bit harder and took the place back again. Alas, even though I dug deep too (to the point of practically collapsing after crossing the finish line!) I couldn't quite catch him. Ah well, maybe next time...

Curiously, if I had been in either the standard 2hr male category or even the 4hr male category, I would have placed 22nd. It seems quite a few in the 4hr race were a bit too ambitious with their entries and couldn't manage to stay the distance.

Also curious is that pretty much everyone's first lap was their slowest. It seemed to be that the fastest people off the start line were then the slowest through the twisty stuff. The first third or so of that lap must have been about half the pace it should have been. Grrrr.

Over all, a great day and I'm well happy with my 4th.

Definintely to be recommended for next year.

Anyone up for an evening ride tomorrow? Or a Sunday ride this weekend?

Count me in for tomorrow evening, where?

I was just thinking of going for a pootle around Swinley Forest. Note, I'm also thinking evening rather than night. I don't have any off road lights so I'll be heading home when the light starts to fade.

Hmm, I suspect it's a bit late to get something organised now. Plus, I'm stuck at work and likely to still be here for at least another hour or so :(.

Anybody up for Sunday then?

was thinking saturday

You can think about Saturday all you like as long as you come out riding on Sunday...

I need to be in London (Battersea area) by noon on Saturday so can't really do much riding before unless it is a pretty early start. Plus there is other stuff I really should be doing on Saturday morning. So I would definitely prefer a Sunday ride.

I was just thinking of going for a pootle around Swinley Forest. Note, I'm also thinking evening rather than night. I don't have any off road lights so I'll be heading home when the light starts to fade.

No worries, i'll be heading out tomorrow evening to Epping if any of you folk fancy coming along.

We need to start getting some night rides sorted, Epping/Swinley anyone?

Wow didnt relise people do offroad night rides sounds (dangerous) but bloody awsome!

Yeah, night time mountain biking more or less has its own cult following. You just need some stupidly bright (and stupidly expensive) lights. There are quite a few enduro events that include night sections too - dusk 'till dawn, 12:12 (12pm -> 12am), 24hr, etc.

Re Epping Forest. It's a bit far for me for an evening ride. 50 miles around the M25 would probably take about two hours straight after work! Would be fun to go somewhere different but I'll pass on that one for now.

PS: On the subject of somewhere different, I've got a GPS log of the AYTE route if anyone wants to give it a try. It's mostly/all MOD land but I think it is all publicly accessible. Although you do get back ground noise of explosions and gunfire from the firing ranges! It means getting the train to Brookwood rather than Martin's Heron which is one train an hour to/from Woking. Or you can do Frimley but it's a bit further out.

Friday afternoon anyone?

Afternoon? Are you one of those strange people who doesn't have to go to work?

they were right. It's been funded by all the wind turbines they put up there. I love that trail!

Got lots of tables in the new bit which are ace fun but spaced a bit weirdly. Found it easier on my hardtail than the full suss too..

awsome photo

Was in Epping today for a good 6/7 hour ride, perfect conditions. Nice clear skies but the ground was still very muddy in parts with some huge pools of water in the middle of the trails.

Afternoon? Are you one of those strange people who doesn't have to go to work?

In the constant pursuit of letters to follow my name, I'm in college every now and then, which means I finish at 4pm. If I've got an exam, that can be more like 12pm.