BathMTB: Ride Report 1.2.12 and ride this Sat 9am from Cadence

[DES ESCIT-SSS AS (Stewart, Andrew C1)]

Hello all,

 

Slightly delayed ride report from Weds:

 

Andy, Ben, Chris, Dave, Henry, Kevin, Richard 

 

Armadillo Trails - crunchy on the outside, soft underneath. Like hardpack with some 'give' in it. 

 

Rode up the old Foxhill to Combe Down, along Sheppards Walk (the singletrack path that comes out on the main road near the Cross Keys), a bit of road and then the descent across the fields down into Midford.

 

It used to be a fanatic fast swoopy descent with jumps over grassy mounds. We did it once last year and it was bad. This time it was worse. Incredibly badly trodden. Super deep mud under the thin frosty crust.. as Kevin found out.. I'll let him explain for those who weren't there. Suffice to say we might have a contender for crash of the year already!!

 

>From there we did the loop around the top of the fishing lake (the off-camber singletrack) then more singletrack along the old canal into Midford.

 

Elected to do the road climb up to Lympley Stoke corner then a bit of the main road to get along to Pipehouse.

 

As some may have read on the facebook page Pipehouse has been re-surfaced!! Tonnes of type 1 material dumped on top of the rocks and steps from bank to bank and rolled flat. Must have been done a few months ago as it has already become severely rutted in places already.

 

Ben hit one rut, or possibly a sharp rock?, and got a double pinch flat near the top (trying to keep up with Rich who was on the front). Took a while to fix his flats as his spare was holed too (another prize winner?).

 

Richard and Chris (who rode down to tell him) wondered what had happened to us.

 

>From the bottom of Pipehouse we headed along the old railway line to the Tucking Mill viaduct, down the steps and onto the Lane.

 

Along to Monkton Combe and up the steps.

 

Ben was stuck in middle and nearly cleared it (I got in the way) and Dave I think cleared it with one or two 'hand' dabs.

 

Through Rainbow Woods along to the Uni. Amazing contrast with last week, the mud was frozen nicely.

 

Did the 'round the back' descent through the woods down to Dry Arch (the main road) (same as last week). Dropped down to the canal and into town for a pint.

 

Top ride. Not many opportunities to ride 'frosty' trails...

 

But here's another: this weekend is the 'first Saturday of the month' so the plan is to ride from Cadence at 9am and do some Lansdown Loops finishing back at the café opposite Cadence to join the roadies at about 11:30. I know Aileen, Kevin, Chris and Dave can't make it so I might be on my own though! Unless some of the roadies fancy a 'safe' off-road ride instead of risking icy patches and bad driving on the roads????

 

Andy

 

 

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