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

Here's to a speedy recovery for that hip flexor.

26 x 2.1 Kenda Small Block 8 for me, with not much clearance on an early 90s MTB.

They roll really well and handle loose stuff ok, but get bamboozled by proper mud. Have been surprisingly puncture resistant even running them tubed... that's me well and truly jinxed now, isn't it?!

40c! Eesh. I’ve really shot myself in the foot with this frankenbuild. Reckon I could do a 38 with knobs - but no close fitting mudguard. On the other hand, I picked up enough clag after the woody parts of NCN 21 to realise that arrangement isn’t going to work in the mud anyway.

Cheers! Hip is calming down a bit.

I am wondering if I should just own up and convert this back to a 26er. I've enjoyed riding it and putting it together was a giggle [or, maybe I can mullet it).

Next up is following through on a long-delayed buy of some G-One TLEs. Assuming they're still sitting in Amey's lockup.

^ Not motion blur, just hella downsampling.

Are you talking about this:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33564288

Which 'chunk' is the Shipwright's Way?

Not quite although that looks like a great multi-day (for me at least!) ride. I just did the point-to-point from Bentley to Portsmouth:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20446849

Nice one, thanks. I'm looking for some London-ish routes to test out the new tent and I'd not heard of this one before.

Ah
https://www.walkingenglishman.com/ldp/shipwrightsway.html

The Shipwrights Way is a long distance walking route in Hampshire which follows the journey of an oak grown in Alice Hope Forest to the historic dockyard of Portsmouth. The way came about as the result of a partnership between East Hampshire District Council, Hampshire County Council, South Downs National Park Authority and the Forestry Commission, who pooled their resources and expertise to bring about the route. Along the way the route links inland villages and towns to the coast through beautiful Hampshire countryside. The Siprights Way passes through Bordon, Liphook, Liss, Petersfield, Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Staunton Country Park, Havant and Hayling Island en route from Alice Hope Forest to Portsmouth.

The big one doesn't appear to share much of the Shipwright's Way at all...

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Ha, certainly used a bit of creative license there!

It also goes the wrong way. I might reverse it and join the two so it does the proper Shipwright's Way and keeps the rest then use it for an overnighter.

Last minute call for anyone with no plans tomorrow who wants to join for a section of North Downs Way, aiming to set off from Oxted around 9:30 and amble along to Hollingbourne.

Howditgoeh?

I've got an eye on doing the first 20-odd of the Hard Day in January 2022 route to see if my legs can still singlespeed it at my 'town' gearing. All roads, sure, but there's a bit of the Pilgrims Way in it, so it's not entirely VERBOTEN here.
Train to Beckenham Jct and a very sorry sore train back from Hever, 23.5 miles later, is the plan.

So many reasons why this is a bad idea (including shimming a shoe to test if one leg is shorter than the other), therefore it must happen.

Hola! Rough climb pretty much straight out that had had forestry work done... But they hadn't cleared all the debris yet. Proper hike a bike over fat branches/logs, to be fair it was so steep and loose I'd have probably walked it even if clear. After that not a huge amount of rough stuff. Still took me through a few nice bridleways, saw some sheep and had to do a slight detour because had no interest in going through a really nasty #shitfromabutt section! overall a nice day out, someone with more local knowledge than me could probably amend the route to make it more 'Rough Stuff' appropriate and could just ride it out from South London and join at the top of Beddlestead, which I should have done if I'd actually looked at the route!

The Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne was a nice place to finish, bike friendly section with benches outside, good pizzas and cold beer.

Re HDiJ '22, I'm on the same boat, no idea if I can make it around with current single speed set up so keen to join a test ride, will PM you.

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^ Nice work! Have responded to the PM and looking forward to ‘A Mild Half Day in October’ [fx. bleating sheep/clucking chickens]

Still wondering about that Cambridge ride mentioned a while back. Who’s route is it? El Gonzo perhaps? Might try it on the 14th Nov. On knobblies I expect, given we’re getting plenty of water falling out of the sky these days.

Think it was @PeteJChurchill with the Cambridge route?
I reckon I can do 14th.

Link to Cambridge:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/517155424?ref=itd&share_token=aKF51HL8Is3tbFGgCVJcHY9BEN1ikf5cd9CyZ3GC0AaryTFM1K

I suggested it to a mate not on here and he responded with a different one inbound (Ely to Archway) that looks fine on a map but also screams HEADWINDS-ALL-THE-WAY if you go on the wrong day (end of November for that one).

Going to vaguely pencil in that one, too.

All very vague for me too… but would like to do some more mud & stuff so why not aim at something … thanks for route

Thanks @ElGonzo for remembering it was Pete who posted about that.

Ooh yeah. Been a bit manic recently, but actually can do the 14th. Trying to remember how muddy it was now. I think it should be ok actually. That said, I haven't ridden it when it's been properly wet. But hey, can always go for a walk with my bike, right?

The end 20 miles or so are nice quiet, flat Essex/Cambridgeshire lanes and you get a view of Duxford at one point, so something to look forward to.

Wonder if we could miss out the bulge on that route in north west London and pick it up later, maybe razz up the River Lea/Lee for the Londony miles?

Great!

Could do, there's some good fun proper gravelly bits from mile 20-25 though, so maybe pick it up from just near Broxbourne?

I'm easy though. Lea is about 10 miles east for me, but no biggy.

Yes after Potter’s Bar looks like fun. Maybe a rendezvous for east people and west people could work at Broxbourne…

Sounds good. There's a convenient car park at the start of the section through Broxbourne Woods that might work nicely.