Due to the success of the guided ride a couple years ago, i'm offering another, but this time a full weekends worth.
For those new to STW,the general format of the seemingly enjoyed ride was joining one of three groups, and being dragged around the hills for a few hours one Saturady, we all met up at the same place for a lunch break, before going out for more ups and downs till everyone was either timed out, or wasted.
This time i' like to attempt to cram in a two dayer, for social reasons as well as to give you all a chance to experience even more of what the Q's have to offer.
Groups will depend on numbers, the more we have the more i can split you into different levels of ability/preferred style, this way nobody feels they're holding anyone up or other possible negative aspects of group riding.
If there's enough interest i maybe able to organise a mornings/days up lift service, where you can ply your skills on one of the 25+ DH runs in Triscombe if that's your kind of thing. All features can be rode around/ rolled so you don't need to be able to jump.They vary from steep, very steep to near vert. Smooth and drifty or rooty and off camber as. Session stuff or do full runs, nothing more than 3 mins, most runs less than 2 mins.
If there's not enough interest in DH, then it'll be a day out in the hills both days, with over 80miles of permitted trails it's just a matter of pacing yourself and riding till your weak.
As a guide a 18 mile ride will be around 1000m of ascent/descent and will take 2.5hrs for the average mountain biker.
There's a variety of B&Bs in the area though the best vfm is to hire out an old scout hut, it's basic, but has showers, toilets and cooking facilities for a self catering. I might be able to get someone to prepare a meal for us all at a cost.
So there's the offer, sometime in the next 4 weeks, or 8 so i can return to guide.
Check over your diaries, book the baby sitters, TELL your partners you're away for the weekend and get here. No car, no probs, there's a train station nearby and i'll find a way to shuttle you and you kit to the hills.
I've booked in some weather for all this year, so there's no excuse there..
This is not a race just a social guided ride on probably the best of the uk's natural trails. All you need is a bike and a little bit of energy.
Ladies and gents only!
count me in dude 😀
I'm in.
wmh
sounds good!
count me and mrs cheeze m8!
when u thinking of?
I'll be up for some riding.
I might pop down early summer sharki.
be rude not to seeing as it's local.. I'm there if I can spare the time.. 🙂
Sounds mighty fine, pleasae not the royal weekend at the end of april as Si is planning a gnarr attack of norf whales then
Think me and poss a couple of "local Louts" may be up for joining you..
only coz we've missed you. Coz as you well know, the Qtox are crap !!!
I'm up for this, if I'm free when it's planned.
sounds good to me, as ile be probably up that way anyway.
18 mile ride will be around 1000m of ascent/descent and will take 2.5hrs for the average mountain biker.
Wow I am massively slower than the average mountain biker! 😯
Hell Yes
Good start then.
Usual suspects and more.
I'm not setting a date at this stage, will let the idea and offer drift on here for a week, then will try to set a date. It won't work for everyone and that can't be helped.
I'll be out there riding all weekend, might as well drag a few others up and around for it, also i secretly get great pleasure from seeing them one by one collapse in a state of weakness, only for me to egg them on down one last descent. 😈
Grum, that's ride time and doesn't include faff and feeding.
when mate , me and mrs scrapers did the last one and had a brill time.
very interested providing the date(s) don't clash with anything else planned 🙂
Very tempted indeed. I bumped into a few of you on the last one, when I was visiting independantly with a mate.
I'm in as as long ad the dates work for me.
Any up for a cheeky bivvy??
I'll do my best to join you Sharki - glad to hear you're "back"!
Love to have another weekend down there. I'll see if it can be done once you set a date
FishBone brought this to my attention last night on our weekly ride, im up for it if I can get to you.
Hopefully travel with FishBone but if he's not available anyone able to swing by Yeovil and pickup me for some good petrol / beer / cider contributions??
I'm up for a bivvi. Near Triscombe?
Just imagine the smell of cooking bacon wafting throught the beech woods as the sun warms your sleeping bag, with a day of riding ahead of you 🙂
now i'm even more tempted.
I'm in, not far from me but never plucked up the courage to tackle it myself.
I'm up for it and I know someone else who is too, but it would have to be one of the first 2 weekends in May for me. I'll definitely come if I can though, it was brilliant last time!
🙂
hi sharki
yes me and Christine interested, esp if Scout hutting, but pretty busy this year, so date dependant,
cheers
mebbe, depends on dates, pretty full schedule
I'd be up for this too, depending on dates.
Sounds great..
....Me and Mrs.Stanley are up for this. Think the only weekend we couldn't do is the first one in May
Sharki: are you out at all this weekend? I may have a little free time and it would be good to catch up with you.
Yep.. I'm game. Enjoyed your expert guiding skills that last time i can out on a STW quantocks ride.
Do you reckon i'll be allowed to leave my camper in crowcombe car park over night?
I have camped over night at crowcombe carpark before and yes I'll be there to slow things down(my back garden too).
Yep, me too.
Haven't been out on a mountain bikes for ages so this would just the thing to lure me back to the other side. 😀
Pending date of course.
Well I just booked myself a weeks camping holiday in the Qs, so I might be there anyway, or I might miss you all!
Would be well up for this mate, keep me informed of dates etc and I'll see if I can come!
If I'm free and the dodgy knee is up to it, I'll do on day or 'tother from Brizzle, thanks!
well mr poddy n andy are trying to sort something out so i may well be around .
Aye, Pete and I are heading down on the 14/15th May
7-8th may is good for me .
bump...
Looks like its going to be rather nice this weekend, I may have to go up there for a pootle later 😛
So?
Who's in for the 7th/8th May.
Start time: 9.30am for a 10am start.
Place: Crowcombe park gate.
Distance:ride till you drop.
Terrain: Varied ups and down.
Pace: casual.
Stops: as many as needed.
Duration: Till dark Sat and till 5pm on Sunday.
Accomodation: BYO
I did a 50 miler this Saturday so getting nice and fit for ya'll 😉
I can't make that weekend 🙁 - I shall be backpacking in the highlands 🙂
I seem to have booked up virtually every weekend until sept
Sorry mate I can't make 7/8th May as I've got the Cornwall MTB club coming up to Dartmoor for a blast 😥
If you arrange another one sometime I'll try to attend if possible.
Only just seen this! We have just switched to coming down on 7/8th so hopefully see you there!
Edit: whats the name of the local campsite please anyone?
No can do. I'm riding in the lake district. 🙄
So?Who's in for the 7th/8th May.
Start time: 9.30am for a 10am start.
Spot on! See ya there! 😀
dagnabbit
sorry Sharki, visiting a mate in Essex that weekend, ho hum, hope it's sunny, cheers
That weekend works for me.
Same start time each day? Or just the one ride?
If we bring lights does that mean saturday and sunday will become one long day??
provisionally count me n mrs cheeze in!
again, need phone number of cheap/nearby campsite.
working that weekend 🙁
i'll try for some a/l
Dartmoor the weekend before though 😀
8th is good for me. Heading down next Sunday if you fancy hooking up Sharki?
Sharki has limited internet use so may not be updating this thread that often but its a good chance to meet lots of STWers and get local riders to show you the best bits of the Quantocks over two days. Im guessing there will be a pub/beer evening too . I'll offer to lead a slow group should there be a need/want ?
a few pics here to intice you down ....taken on an easy low key ride. http://s1107.photobucket.com/albums/h392/knottie/
the calender is empty.. I will be trying very hard to make at least one day if not both.. 🙂
As its getting nearer the date I thought it would be nice to remind people of this great chance to be guided around the Quantocks by Mr Quantocks himself(Sharki).
I have been granted a weekend pass!!
If anyone else (soma_rich already counted) wants a lift from the Southampton area just email me. Room for 3 more including bikes.
sharki - if you have any deer antlers (the more the merrier) please could you give it/them to Andy?
Red, roe, fallow - am happy with them all!
Thanks very much. 😀
Me 'n' Mrs cheeze + young miss cheeze are all booked up at the campsite..
Looking forward to it, see you on friday evening!
Which camp site have you booked? Contact details?
C_G - Any use?
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Aw, poor thing!
YAHOO got a pass to play too
Sunday Andy ?
WCA [url= http://www.millfarm.biz/ ]this[/url] is the one I was going to book, but haven't got round to it 🙄 . Must give them a call tomorrow
we're booked in at moorhouse campsite near holford
google ftw.
Andy, book it NOW!
I've just done it, they fill up fast apparently!
Ah yes Moorhouse is what Knottie recommends. What site are you at Pete?
EDIT Ah, just got a text from the Pods, who has already booked. Right Mill Farm it is then. They all seem pretty near the pub anyway!
9:30am start! That is before I normally wake up and I have a 2.5 drive before that.
I hope this is as good as I expect
so . . . traditional campsite, or, theme park . . . eenee meenee mynee mo
Mill farm booked here. Moorhouse looks a better campsite on reflection, but hey, it will be less of a walk to the pub.
NB am taking the vayn down so have room for two more from Reading, if anyone wants a lift 😀
Might get down there Friday night - depends what time soma_rich knocks off work and if I am in Holland. Will book tonight / tomorrow for the noisy beer site
I've just finished 4 days of riding up there, over 100 miles worth of trails ridden.
can confirm that everything is running really fast and loose.
I hold no responsibility for any injuries caused by uncontrolled drifts or other causes of crashing.
I'll attempt to be in holford pub Friday evening for hydration purposes.
See yer there, or at the top car park as planned.
The 9.30 time is to allow for greetings and raft,.so If your bike is good to go from the off then arrive as close to
10 as you dare
Don't forget to take some pics Sharki - I want to see what i'm missing out on 🙂
Postcode for the carpark?
Gonna try and make Saturday morning, my back permitting that is (have done some real damage to it it seems!)...
Cheers qwerty, but my SatNav doesn't do grid references...
It does Post Codes though, if anyone knows it... 😉
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