Ride Report – Sunday 6th Aprile 2014 – Wet’n’warm
The first rule of riding (at least for me) is don’t venture outside the house when it’s tipping down. So when I ventured into the utility room to fetch some gloves and it was tipping it down I almost went back to bed.Instead I checked the forum to find signed commitments from BigAl and Karl that they would be at the start. So I ignored the text from the Grand Mole stating his intention to baton down his burrow and got dressed and headed out into the, by then, mist.
Chris was also at the start so after a few choice words from BigAl about the non starters (you know who you are!) we headed off up Admiral’s track to head towards Leith Hill. BigAl and I set the pace from the front on our one geared wonders while Chris and Karl on bouncy geared bikes kept pace at the back.
We took in Pampaloma (not Paloma as Al called it) and soon reached to the top Ranmore so we could slide down Landrover and into Westcott. Landrover was slowed by a walker near the bottom and the top was a bit sketchy anyway so probably not a bad thing. The Rookery climb was conquered by Chris while the rest of us threw the towel in early deciding it was a long ride ahead.
Soon we were on Leith Hill proper and BigAl began to show us his legendary trail knowledge which lasted for a good 30 minutes before he hit a bit of “making it up as I go along” phase which somewhat interrupted the smooth flow. A group did try and hang on the back of us at one point but I don’t think they lasted long in the twisty undergrowth.
Tea at the tower meant that the way home on most of the new Summer Lightening was just ahead of us. It’s all quite pedally as trails go but I’m starting to get the hang of the tight turns at speed. It’s almost as good as the stuff that used to be there anyway. In fact one bit might be a tad better! ;o)
The recent rain had softened the trails up and one corner on the new section was already really cut up while some of the natural stuff on waggledance had its bared roots waiting for the less confident rider to fall on. All in all though not too bad grip wise.
By the time we got home I’d managed some 26 miles and 848m of climbing.
About the author
Dave's been riding seriously since about 1997 and is one of the founding Molefathers — along with Matt and Mark — that came up with the idea of a MTB website for Mole Valley riders.
He's had several different bikes but it's now mainly 29ers in Dave's stable, apart from an Orange 5.
Current Bikes: Orange 5, Salsa Spearfish and Kona Big Unit
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tony says:
Contrary to my somewhat (deserved) reputation as a slacker……………….. I had to work this morning 🙁 Glad you got out and enjoyed it.
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Posted on April 6, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Big Al says:
It was good to get out this morning even in the rain . One of those rides where your glad you made the effort .
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Posted on April 6, 2014 at 7:19 pm
tony says:
Two days on the hills in a row! Well done that man. Sorry I almost missed you on heading up to BKB. My glasses were steaming up and I could only just make out four MTBers, not who they were.
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Posted on April 7, 2014 at 8:52 am
KevS says:
Wasn’t feeiling the force this morning and the rain just dampened my Mojo further at 8am so it was back to bed for me 🙁
Good to see a few got out and upheld the honour of the Moles Sunday posse.
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Posted on April 6, 2014 at 8:15 pm
KevS says:
Have you gone all Francophile or somfink? “6th Aprile” 🙂
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Posted on April 6, 2014 at 8:19 pm
Matt says:
Maybe he’s just a cunning linguist?
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Posted on April 7, 2014 at 3:25 pm
JR says:
Today another hour in a warm dry bed beat out in the rain for 0830. Yes – I was a slacker. So I headed off to Leith Hill at 0930 and was probably on my way up the hill as you were tearing down SL. Sounds like it was a good ride – let’s hope for a dry Sunday next week.
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Posted on April 6, 2014 at 9:36 pm
Karl says:
Thanks for the fat ride report dave, and for leading the ride Al.
A slightly surreal experience on Leith being enveloped in mist and riding through the quiet of the trees. Very enjoyable..
Loads of mud splash in the eyes, and plenty of damp to make every root a slithery trickster.
Loved the techie riding north west of Leith, and plenty of conversation on the way..
Whats not to like?
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Posted on April 7, 2014 at 7:40 am
Matt says:
Earlier in the week I was forced to take a day off work to look after my son who was threatening to throw up during the previous night (he didn’t). I was left thinking he’d pulled a fast one to get a day off school as he seemed OK the next day.
Saturday night, out of nowhere I found myself with a huuuge headache and felt like I was going to be really quite violently ill (I wasn’t), so spent most of Sunday in a stupor. I guess my son was genuinely ill then.
You understand this was quite unlike any other Saturday night/Sunday morning experience I’ve had don’t you?? 🙂
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Posted on April 7, 2014 at 10:46 am
ChrisH says:
Many thanks for the ride chaps. Really enjoyed it. Maybe I should have saved my energy for pedalling down the hill, because I really felt I needed it trying to follow some disappearing Moles!
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Posted on April 7, 2014 at 3:51 pm