Swinley Forest Options

[Muscleburn]

Me too, it's road vs MTB this weekend

I have the perfect 'best of both worlds' plan! I bought a Cross bike a month or so ago, plan for tomorrow is to ride from my house in Binfield to Goring on the road, pickup the Ridgeway to Avebury then a mix of road and bridleway to Chippenham, then a train back to Reading......

As long as it does not rain of course

[Kerr]

I posted a ride for tomorrow but I recon swinley singletrack will be grim.
So... I plan to ride out to swinley over to the ridges then blackbush airport then minley then round to tunnel hill and back to swinley then home. All mostly on fireroad/bridleways/towpaths. ickle bit of road in places.

Anyone feel free to join me.

Kerr

[Biggsy80]

I posted a ride for tomorrow but I recon swinley singletrack will be grim.
So... I plan to ride out to swinley over to the ridges then blackbush airport then minley then round to tunnel hill and back to swinley then home. All mostly on fireroad/bridleways/towpaths. ickle bit of road in places.

Anyone feel free to join me.

Kerr

Sorry did not see this post last night, and working today, looks like you have a dry ride!!

[Muscleburn]

I have the perfect 'best of both worlds' plan! I bought a Cross bike a month or so ago, plan for tomorrow is to ride from my house in Binfield to Goring on the road, pickup the Ridgeway to Avebury then a mix of road and bridleway to Chippenham, then a train back to Reading......

As long as it does not rain of course

So, I did it and it bloody hurt! Ridgeway is a hell of a challenge to ride at the moment, parts of it are OK, but in the main the chalky surfaces are still very wet which makes them like cycling on polished marble, the muddy bits are very claggy and stick to the tyres making them incredibly heavy, and a fair amount was still flooded! Just to make things even more interesting it is open to 4x4's again in sections, which have made parts almost impossible to ride! I had a pair of Sammy Slicks on the bike which turned out to be ideal, slick middles stopped them clogging up but there is enough grip around the side to dig in - I ran them at 40 PSI which probably helped.

I rode via tarmac to Goring, took the Ridgeway to Avebury and then cycle paths from Avebury to Chippenham, and then caught the train back to Reading (£20). It really is a great ride, its not a technically challenging ride (although there are a few downhills that could easily catch you out) but it will test your stamina and resolve!

My route is here, if anyone fancies giving it a go drop me a mail and I will send you the GPX file.

http://app.strava.com/rides/7928619

[Kerr]

So, I did it and it bloody hurt! Ridgeway is a hell of a challenge to ride at the moment, parts of
U it are OK, but in the main the chalky surfaces are still very wet which makes them like cycling on polished marble, the muddy bits are very claggy and stick to the tyres making them incredibly heavy, and a fair amount was still flooded! Just to make things even more interesting it is open to 4x4's again in sections, which have made parts almost impossible to ride! I had a pair of Sammy Slicks on the bike which turned out to be ideal, slick middles stopped them clogging up but there is enough grip around the side to dig in - I ran them at 40 PSI which probably helped.

I rode via tarmac to Goring, took the Ridgeway to Avebury and then cycle paths from Avebury to Chippenham, and then caught the train back to Reading (£20). It really is a great ride, its not a technically challenging ride (although there are a few downhills that could easily catch you out) but it will test your stamina and resolve!

My route is here, if anyone fancies giving it a go drop me a mail and I will send you the GPX file.

http://app.strava.com/rides/7928619

Man! 81 miles! In uder 6 hours!! Thats hardcore! I did 45 in 4 and 1/2 hours round swinley, tunnel hill, minley and blackwater.valley yesterday and thought i was hardcore.in all that mud.

[Vespa1871]

So, I did it and it bloody hurt! Ridgeway is a hell of a challenge to ride at the moment, parts of it are OK, but in the main the chalky surfaces are still very wet which makes them like cycling on polished marble, the muddy bits are very claggy and stick to the tyres making them incredibly heavy, and a fair amount was still flooded! Just to make things even more interesting it is open to 4x4's again in sections, which have made parts almost impossible to ride! I had a pair of Sammy Slicks on the bike which turned out to be ideal, slick middles stopped them clogging up but there is enough grip around the side to dig in - I ran them at 40 PSI which probably helped.

I rode via tarmac to Goring, took the Ridgeway to Avebury and then cycle paths from Avebury to Chippenham, and then caught the train back to Reading (£20). It really is a great ride, its not a technically challenging ride (although there are a few downhills that could easily catch you out) but it will test your stamina and resolve!

My route is here, if anyone fancies giving it a go drop me a mail and I will send you the GPX file.

http://app.strava.com/rides/7928619

Wow MB, that's some ride and +1 on what Kerr said I was out around Goring yesterday but out the MTB, we must have crossed paths..... there was some orienteering rambler thing on which ruined my fav. descent.

I might ride the Goring bit onwards when things warm up

[Muscleburn]

Thanks guys, I have to say it was one of the hardest rides to date, I have to admit I ache today - I think if it had been dry it would have been much easier but some of the climbs on the thick wet stuff damn near killed me!

I came across a bunch of the ramblers (tonnes of the buggers) sat on on one of the descents eating lunch and scared the living daylights out of them by riding the lip to avoid a channel down the middle of it - trouble was they were sat along the lip! Also had a wry smile to myself when I overtook a bunch of about 5 or 6 other MTB-ers struggling up a hill, chirpy 'afternoon chaps' as I struggled by - legs were like jelly by the top of the climb but after overtaking them I realised I could not drop the pace for fear of a re-overtake! (note to self, don't be such a twat in the future).......

I did the ride on my cross bike which meant I really had to concentrate, skinny tyres and a rigid fork meant line choice was quite important, also having rim brakes was a bit of a challenge as I could smell the rims cooking on a couple of the long downhills! Definitely looking forward to doing it again in the dry!

[Stan Leigh]

Thanks guys, I have to say it was one of the hardest rides to date, I have to admit I ache today - I think if it had been dry it would have been much easier but some of the climbs on the thick wet stuff damn near killed me!

I came across a bunch of the ramblers (tonnes of the buggers) sat on on one of the descents eating lunch and scared the living daylights out of them by riding the lip to avoid a channel down the middle of it - trouble was they were sat along the lip! Also had a wry smile to myself when I overtook a bunch of about 5 or 6 other MTB-ers struggling up a hill, chirpy 'afternoon chaps' as I struggled by - legs were like jelly by the top of the climb but after overtaking them I realised I could not drop the pace for fear of a re-overtake! (note to self, don't be such a twat in the future).......

I did the ride on my cross bike which meant I really had to concentrate, skinny tyres and a rigid fork meant line choice was quite important, also having rim brakes was a bit of a challenge as I could smell the rims cooking on a couple of the long downhills! Definitely looking forward to doing it again in the dry!

With that amount of spare energy you should have competed in yesterdays Gorrick ' Swinley 100 ' !

Conditions were almost perfect . How Gorrick can make a fast dry coarse during the wettest spring in years deserves commending !

I did 3 laps of 10 miles , the big boys were doing up to 7 !!

[Kerr]

Thanks guys, I have to say it was one of the hardest rides to date, I have to admit I ache today - I think if it had been dry it would have been much easier but some of the climbs on the thick wet stuff damn near killed me!

I came across a bunch of the ramblers (tonnes of the buggers) sat on on one of the descents eating lunch and scared the living daylights out of them by riding the lip to avoid a channel down the middle of it - trouble was they were sat along the lip! Also had a wry smile to myself when I overtook a bunch of about 5 or 6 other MTB-ers struggling up a hill, chirpy 'afternoon chaps' as I struggled by - legs were like jelly by the top of the climb but after overtaking them I realised I could not drop the pace for fear of a re-overtake! (note to self, don't be such a twat in the future).......

I did the ride on my cross bike which meant I really had to concentrate, skinny tyres and a rigid fork meant line choice was quite important, also having rim brakes was a bit of a challenge as I could smell the rims cooking on a couple of the long downhills! Definitely looking forward to doing it again in the dry!

You considered doing the South Downs way 100 mile in july?

Kerr

[Muscleburn]

@ ST - well done, I have not taken part in a competitive event yet – I was tee-ing up for it last year when I crashed and was then off the bike for 2 months! Do you have a GPX file of the Gorrick route? I would not mind giving it a go one evening...... if I am quick enough I would consider signing up for an event or two later this year!

@ Kerr - funny you should mention it, the SDW is on my list of 'to-do's' this year, although I was thinking more of doing it as a solo, but - it would make a lot more sense to do it as part of an organised ride which backup/support etc - I will take a look!

[marcliam]

81 miles.......45 miles......! You lot have changed, I'm scared!

[Muscleburn]

81 miles.......45 miles......! You lot have changed, I'm scared!

I think it's called fighting middle-agedomism, 40 this year so trying to get the miles in before my body totally rejects anything too difficult!

[Jambalaya]

I know it's a way off (planning required for me though) but do any of the Surrey Hills/Swinley crowd have ideas or suggestions for the Jubilee weekend ?

[Muscleburn]

I know it's a way off (planning required for me though) but do any of the Surrey Hills/Swinley crowd have ideas or suggestions for the Jubilee weekend ?

Red, White and Blue bunting on the handlebars?

Sounds like a good excuse to eat cake to me..........

[Wan]

I have the perfect 'best of both worlds' plan! I bought a Cross bike a month or so ago, plan for tomorrow is to ride from my house in Binfield to Goring on the road, pickup the Ridgeway to Avebury then a mix of road and bridleway to Chippenham, then a train back to Reading......

As long as it does not rain of course

Many years ago when I lived in Swindon I took the bus to Goring (with my fully rigid steel mtb in the boot) and rode the Ridgeway to Avebury, then cycled on the road back to Swindon. It's a great challenge.

Incidentally, what gearing do you have on your cross bike?? I was given an old 7 speed CX bike with a 36 front ring and 12-28 rear cassette which is proving to be a bit trickt to get up steep hills.


By the way, some of the trails may be closed in Swinley this week for maintenance.

[deadkenny]

Cross bike! So basically running over the gnarly stuff instead of riding?

[Muscleburn]

Many years ago when I lived in Swindon I took the bus to Goring (with my fully rigid steel mtb in the boot) and rode the Ridgeway to Avebury, then cycled on the road back to Swindon. It's a great challenge.

Incidentally, what gearing do you have on your cross bike?? I was given an old 7 speed CX bike with a 36 front ring and 12-28 rear cassette which is proving to be a bit trickt to get up steep hills.
By the way, some of the trails may be closed in Swinley this week for maintenance.

It is a great challenge but it was so wet and slippery I want to do it again once the trail dries out, reckon I could do it a bit quicker!

My CX bike is currently setup with a 2 x 10, the front rings are 46/36 and the rear is a 12-28, pretty much climbs anything!!! TBH I only tend to drop onto the 36t front ring when the climb is impossible or the conditions are really boggy!

Cross bike! So basically running over the gnarly stuff instead of riding?

You cheeky bugger! The only time I lifted it was at Chippenham station when I put it onto the train!!!

Actually have to admit that it is easier to get off the ground that my hard tail, but that is because it weights naff all!

I have not taken it over Swinley yet, so might give it a go soon - I would imagine some of the trails might be pushing it but the stickler and some of the trails in Corwthorne Woods should be do-able.

[marcliam]

Sounds like a good excuse to eat cake to me..........

[RJ2DJ]

See picture of Swinley here (near the bottom): http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/05/08/w...35-on-sale-now/

Is that near the bottom of the corkscrew, or am I getting my views mixed up?

[Vespa1871]

See picture of Swinley here (near the bottom): http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/05/08/w...35-on-sale-now/

Is that near the bottom of the corkscrew, or am I getting my views mixed up?

Looks like the bottom of corkscrew. Good to see the guy from mountain trax in the shot too. top bloke from a top shop!

I'll be at Swinley tonight if anyone fancies it. 6pm start.