Dont worry about sram power links ive got a few knocking about that you can have as im going 10 speed chain on the next swap.
Remind me at a swinley ride as i carry them in my car

Anytakers.... would love too, but I'll not make 7pm! I only have Thursday free this week. (Hopefully get back on forum ride soon)

btw, if you fancy a change of scenery, I might ride north of Reading mid-next week.

Brian

thanks for all the buying tips guys.

Kerr, i won't be able to make it tomorrow - cause of work commitments. but you have a good one. I want to go out more in the evenings - we only have 6 weeks of the summer left.

cheers

Maj

Yeah but winter is so much fun Think of all those freezing cold starts, rain soaked rides, mud covered bikes, slippery than an eel roots and best of all the hot cup of tea with a natter at the end of it all!

Summer will be gone soon!

Summer

Kerr

What Summer? It's raining outside... What happened to this being the hottest Summer for however long? I hardly think one week of decent sunshine constitutes a Summer somehow.

Let's be optimistic, there is still time!

BTW - Anyone up for ride on Saturday ?

(As per recent emails) It is my wedding anniversary and therefore as you pointed out probably not the best day to pick to go riding.

Following week i'm on 'ols so at this rate i'll see you all 2010 (anyone up for a New Year's Day ride?!?!? )

I am.

What would your planned start time be? Only thing is, I've a bash on the Thames to attend on Friday night so the chance of my attendance on time is likely to be inversely proportional to the number of sherberts consumed...



Expect you've probably heard this one, but just in case. If you want to save a few quid, you can also use a tube of tooth paste for this (empty of course). Cut the ends off, wash it out and cut the cylinder length ways. It also helps keep your saddle bag smelling minty fresh!!

Yes, I really need to get some exercise.

When does that new job start? You really need to get in as much riding as possible before your life changes for good!!!

Can't afford toothpaste... I use coal!

Yorkshire coal!

You yunans! You dont know yer born with yer "Toothpaste" and yer "Tap water".

In my day ....

I guess if you put coal in your tyres it would solve the problem of getting punctures, only problem is your teeth might rot...

If you don't mind me joining you guys, I've a few questions:

The what
What sort of ride do you do - XC \ DH \ Stunt ?

The how
How far?

The where
Where do you meet?

The when
When do you plan to start / finish?

It already has - I've been at it for a week. It was a situation whereby I had the interview last Thursday and started this Monday. It's going well so far - I appointed myself the company Sales/Marketing contact for the Microsoft Authorised Education Reseller Scheme today. Tomorrow I'm going to have a bash at the exam to become MS Certified. I'm doing some other accounts stuff as well and a bit of credit control here and there. I'm learning lots which is the good thing and I've heard on the grapevine that the boss likes me. I just need to get him to pay me more than tuppence an hour and I'll be away -- meanwhile I'm busy trying my best to become indispensable and make the company money/savings. Oh and there are girls too - I've organised a social this coming Tuesday.

Having a job is the greatest thing ever. I've got something to focus on, am finally proving my worth and meeting people. I feel like I'm approaching the light at the end of the tunnel of rubbishness I've dealt with for the last year. Yay!

Regarding this Saturday: I had a (car tyre) puncture on the way to work this morning (thankfully I had the plastic sheet I lie my bike on when it's in the car to kneel on to avoid getting the suit dirty!) and need to get it fixed this weekend. My weekend plans will be running around that basically but I'm hoping it'll be possible to get the work done on either Saturday afternoon or Sunday and still come biking, if indeed Saturday morning is the chosen time.



Everyone else does XC - I provide the stunts... albeit unintentionally.



Only about fifteen miles of small ups and downs but it feels more like twenty five.



The Lookout carpark on the far left.



That varies, but usually around 0845 (meeting) in the carpark to leave at 0900 and then get back at 1230/1300 ish and have a quick cuppa and a chat before leaving. Someone will specify the start time before the event.

Seems im now not working this weekend!

Is there a saturday ride? Or sunday? Or both?

Looks like the weather is going to be exellent.

Kerr

I heard the weather is supposed to be better Saturday although down South where we are the good weather might hold on until Sunday. That said, it's currently thundering and pissing down with rain so I wouldn't hold your breath.

Looks like I may have to get the car tyres done on Saturday morning so as long as nobody minds the potential for rain, personally I'd prefer a Sunday morning cycle. Why is it always more difficult to ride when you've not been out on the bike for quite some time?

I've been suffering this week with something (dunno if it's Swine Flu or not) been feeling tired and achey so not sure if I'll ride yet (I'll see how I feel this evening). I've got a pass for tomorrow morning if someone does post a ride.



Nudge nudge, wink wink

Sunday is now out for me.

I will be at swinley 8:45 saturday "billy no m8s" if anyone is interested. Prob go off exploring if there is no one.
Ill add an event, and ill check it before i leave home.

Kerr

Seems the swinners crew all going down with a bug hey.

Can't make tomorrow as showing a mate local chilterns ST (7:15am start if anyone fancies it )

Need to get out with you guys again though, next weekend ??

hi im interested if you don't mind showing the new lad round.

edit- having got up im feeling pretty rough. so doubtful im afraid.

I'd Just like to say a big thanks to Kerr and Dr Bike for your guiding today - had a cracking ride thanks. Really glad I dragged myself up early enough, even though I felt a bit ropey.

Was good to meet you both and Tim and Vespa. Hopefully I'll be able to get down a few more weekends in the future.

When cleaning the bike, I noticed I managed to get a bit of damage to my rear tyre sidewall - guess, it must have been from a small stump - nothing major but there's a bit of a nibble and can just see some of the sidewall weave.

Traffic was a bit of a nightmare coming back up the M3 - a car was completely burnt out on the southbound side just after joining from Bracknell. Given it was completely burnt out and I couldn't see much in the way of smoke, I must have been only just in front of it on the way down which was lucky, since traffic was backed up all the way up the m3 to the m25 and then round the m25 for a few junctions.

I'm intrigued are you Swinley boys and girls trying to set a world record for the biggest single internet forum thread ever

maybe

Is any one up for a SDW ride next weekend i can do sat or sun.

Bah, missed another ride today. The car took far longer than expected (long queue) and then I had to go shopping which was seriously painful. I really need to get riding... if I leave it too much longer it's going to get to the point where I start putting it off.

Good ride on saturday.
Woke up expecting to be on my own and was blessed with small posse of great guys!

Thanks epic for turning up (nice bike). Hope your not a stranger.
Nice to meet andy's better half and daughter (bet we sounded like a right bunch of geeks with bike talk around the picnic table).

I still had to walk up the first dip on the rooty tree run (from west end of seagul). I need to sort my head out with roots

Vespa ... nice to see you again. I want to come over your way soon.... Do you ride midweek?

Heres the gps from saturday...

swinley 26 july 2009

If you want the actual gpx ...

20090726.gpx

Kerr

Cheers for another top ride on Saturday guys. (I'm glad I had a last minute change of plan)
Epic - good to meet you and hopefully see you at swinners again.

Kerr - I try to ride midweek too and normally ride up to Woodcote area from Caversham via bridleways and ST. Maybe arrange something next week or when I join the P7 light crew

Brian

Be good to ride with you guys again. When do you plan to go next?

I'm afraid much as I'd love to get out on the bike more, mid week is not practical for me unless it's a route around holmbury.

I'm debating whether to do Swinley again this weekend (if there is a ride) or do my local coldharbour / leith / holmbury circuit. Perhaps I'll do one on Sat and the other on Sunday.

I'd quite like to make a day of Swinley - not sure if you guys ever do this? Or are your passes set to auto destruct at lunch time?! I'm lucky that my gf is travelling at the moment so I currently have an unlimited pass.

Epic - Will have to hook up with you for a Holmbury ride (tend to do Holmbury/Pitch combination myself). Due to slightly different work arrangements I can't seem to get enough time (and admitedly energy) to get evening rides in at the moment.

I would guess that there is probably a 50/50 split on those who are able to do a full day at Swinley. Many usually have wifey / baby commitments during the afternoon.....

I have "permission" to ride every other weekend, but I imagine that someone will post a ride for the 1st August pretty soon (Max, Maj?).


The clock starts ticking and the foot starts tapping as soon as I step out of the door, if I'm home after my alloted time (usually 13:30) then I'm in big trouble.

Indeed we are We don't actually ride, just meet up, go for a coffee and cake and then decide on our story for the day. But in the meantime thanks for your contribution in making our thread just that little bit longer

Sounds good to me. Weekend or evening?

Evenings aren't totally out for me, but could be tricky - been getting sucked into some projects at work recently so been doing some silly finish times but having a planned time to do something in the evening works wonders for focussing the mind.

I used to ride Holmbury a lot but only been there a few times recently. Now I tend to ride from Dorking and do Coldharbour and Leith. Don't think I've ever done Pitch hill well not knowingly anyway! So would be great to go there too.

My pleasure, oops done it again

Probably need to be a weekend at the moment until i'm back working a tad closer to home. Off on hols at the end of the week but need to get back in the saddle as soon after and try and get some form of fitness back so I'll post something on the stagnating Surrey Hills thread when i'm back.

There's some interesting bits and pieces around Pitch Hill and a little bit further to the west towards Winterfold (difficult but not impossible to string into a loop)

OK. who's up for Sunday morning?

Swinley/South Downs with Gezzza/further afield?

Doesn't really matter where I'm just desperate to get out. it's been 6 weeks since I’ve touched the mountain bikes and the tarmac is beginning to get boring.


Huw

I'm tempted. I did swinley last weekend - but I'd be more than happy to do it again. Where do you start for the SDW?

Love to Gezza - but my bike is in bits at the moment - I have installed some tubeless strips but now i am having trouble putting the tyres on. Its a really tight fit and after spending most of last saturday breaking tyre levers and bruising my knuckes - i am going to go give it another go this weekend.




Epic i would'nt mind doing pitch hill again - i have been to leith hill a couple of times but never managed to find any decent trails. Marc knows it really well, he was involved with building some of the routes - (correct me if i am wrong marc) so it would be good to drag him out but he is full of excuses at the moment .

marc, kerr , thanks for the info on sdw. definitely interested - we will talk about it the next time we meet up.

DrBike - any more news on chiltern ride?? or does that seem unlikely


hope to see you all soon.

Maj

It's funny - when you don't know the routes you can think that somewhere is rubbish, but there are some nice little tracks just a stones throw from the tower!

Mostly correct - I've been involved quite a lot over the last year or so, rebuilding and repairing various bits of trails mostly on Barry knows Best and Yoghurt Pots. We also built the new entrance to Yoghurt Pots.



Oyy! All perfectly legitimate excuses!




Ah ha - you could probably help me out then. Even though I live closest to Leith Hill, just a quick scoot from Westcott up Wolvens Lane, I don't know the Leith trails well at all. Seem to have spent most of my exploring time on Holmbury and Pitch.

Now anymore talk of Surrey Hills and we must reconvene on the Surrey Hills thread - this is the Swinley one after all!

Maj - put a bit of dish washing liquid (or liquid soap) on the "last" bit of the rim, it'll act as a lubricant and you should be able to slip the tyre of reasonably easily.

also once you have one side on sit it in the middle of the rim to get the other bead on.

do you still have the rim strip on the rim? if so remove that to give you abit more room.

I thought about that but was worried that the washing up liquid my mix with the latex solution but i will give it a try.



yes, thats what it says on stans website. i left the blue rim strip that was already there and put my rim strip on top. I can get one side of the tyre on ok but the other is virtually impossible. I am thinking of "warming" it up a bit next to a fire.

Might well do with the wife, whats the conditions like there at the moment I havn't been since the start of June.

Its a complete longshot I know but Ill be at Swinley tomorrow. Its been years since I was there last so would welcome some "knowledge".

How boggy do you think it will be following the recent weather?

Any concencus? How about Swinley @9am?

I can't make Swinley this weekend but will be doing a Winchester ride for a change on Saturday morning. Probably some variation of this one. If anyone else fancies it, I'll post it up in the diary and we can agree a time to meet.

Bob I'm up for that just let me know what time your thinking of, early is good for me ( not to early tho as I'm at work till 05:30 ) any time from 07:30 is good




Use washing liquid as it will help get the tire on and it is what seals the bead
try dropping the rim strip and fitting it will save you a couple of mm and make the tire slip on, my Continental supersonic's are a very loose fit on both my sets of wheels and Ive never suffered and burping, pain in the arse to inflate from scratch but with a few F's wound in to them for gentle encouragement they inflate

OK, in the calendar for 09:00 for now to see if any others from further away want to come.

A quick ask. Is anyone at Swinley late Saturday afternoon? Ive got a test drive in a car booked at 1.30 in Aldershot so Im not that far away
What time does the carpark at the lookout shut?

Cheers

Darren

I think that the car park shuts at dusk, if you think you'll be longer you can always park across the road at Coral Reef World. I dunno if any of us lot will be there - maybe Max as he's a late riser