Rough Stuff rides for LFGSS folk, join regular rides that avoid tarmac

And then it rained. A lot. The sun came out. We had ice cream and cake. At the end we had beer.

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It was brilliant. Wish I’d taken pictures of the streams, where paths once lay, we rode through. Or the puddle @Qebrus needed a gangplank to totter over.

Thanks for a great route @AlexB, and good company from you both.

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The worst of the mobility restriction devices we encountered, a pair of these blocking a short stretch of path … right next to a centre of horseriding for people with disabilities.

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Absolute corker of a ride! Cheers @Alex_B for the superb navigation!

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The difference between these two photos! One taken before and the other after the rain.

@Qebrus let me know when you’re poppin round to clean my bike?

I reckon we could make that route the basis of a regular ride.

But for the next ride, while summer is in full swing, @Qebrus and I hatched a plan as we bimbled thru Sarf London homewards. It involves plenty of riding plus an intentional soaking somewhere as the destination i.e. having a swim somewhere. I think it’s called ‘wild’ swimming these days. When I was a kid it was called ‘going to the weir’ cos that was where we swam. So this might be a shorter ride, and a longer stop, so planning could be a bit late to aim at catching sunny weather. Picnic. Etc. Hopefully within easy reach of a station so people have options on how much cycling they want to do.

Swimming location tbc, ride tbc, date tbc. So, big plans yeah. @Sparky might have some swimming suggestions, also a lurker friend of qebrus might help with possible spots.

Yeah sound, 15mins?

So up for this ride, had in mind a 30/40 mile loop(though would be depending on the swim spot)? Hopefully a nice wyld swim maybe cook up some food and a nice dordel back to the big smoke.

+1

Frensham Great Lake is a good swim spot. Sadly a lot of the lakes in Kent and Surrey ban swimming, or charge for it, or make you join some dreadful triathlon club. There are good river spots, I'm told, but I haven't tried many.

dordel

I like this.

Sorry, dawdle

A dordel is a ride to Durdle Door.

Nice one @Sparky! Investigating

At Frensham you can rock up and swim: no booking, no payment, no oversight. Nice beach to sit on. Cafe nearby. And some good bridleways nearby too - it’s basically on the King Alfred’s Way, but the Londonest bit.

Also river spots. No swallowing.

Also next ride, definitely need to remember that cameras are a thing and do some more documenting

To be fair, I'm amazed my phone survived that ride. My watch seemd sadly to have succumbed to the initial deluge. On the plus side, my crash helmet is now almost entirely sweat free having dumped all is accumulated salt into my eyes and mouth in the first rainstorm. The one where were more like salmon swimming upstream to mate than intrepid explorers following in the wheel tracks of our forebears.
So yeah, waterproof camera for the next ride.

It was an epic deluge.

@Sparky great, thanks for the tip.

Maybe Pilgrims’ Way from somewhere like Dorking, and then cut south on Bridles and whatnot. I’d be up for getting trains to to the sticks to start off.

Pilgrims to canterbury and Viking trail to Thanet

Pilgrims even had it’s own tribute to *that* off camber at Namur on Saturday. Was unexpected.

Pilgrims to canterbury and Viking trail to Thanet

Is a fucking long way.

Commentary is being recorded at Maidstone I hear.

keeping my (carrad)eye on this thread, after finally buying the rsf book recently. inspired!