Sorry been away for so long, the new job is really running me down and family time is in short supply now.

First chance I get to ride again and I'll be at a bloomin' wedding Saturday, a BBQ with old friends far away Sunday so it would only be the Monday as the free day to roll...

Fingers crossed I can get a pass on a following weekend and rejoin the gang.

Of course , we're not jealous!


Doh!


Saturday is the better of the days for me so sounds good. I could probably hang around a bit longer but suspect i'll be too cream crackered anyway.


You always seem to be waiting on bits


Will be seeing you soon then!

Cool, Saturday it is then.

I'll try and join you guys this week I think. What's the start time - 8.45?

Could see me dusting off the steel steed, which hasn't been ridden for a few years!

See you on Saturday 8.45 if my hand recovers from my kick boxing session i had today

Already signed up

Check the calendar entry, either via the calendar or via New Ride then click on the date of the ride.

Hope you don't mind if I tag along this saturday.

I normally get out to swinley on Bank Holidays on the Sunday but have a pass to go Saturday instead.

See you there pre 8:45am.

Everyone is welcome


You'll not see us pre 8:45, we gather between 8:45 and 9:00 (or later if your name is Max).

You're meant to block those with your elbows.

Can you click on My Controls then look on the left hand panel in the popup for the "Rides" section and click on contact info and fill this bit in? These details are only visible to the ride organiser but it means I can get your contact number etc. just in case there's a change of plan.

I have a bike now



Sorry - I forgot about the calendar function. I did try the new rides link before asking the question though, but couldn't find the time (didn't realise clicking the date bit took you there)...

Marcliam - I'm up for an extended session if you still have an extended pass.

Dr Bike - contact details updated, do you mind letting me know yours in case I can't find you guys in the car park

Looking forward to it.

I'll see how the legs (and everything else) hold up as not a whole lot of riding has been happening recently!

Details updated.

See you all tomorrow.

Tim will be coming too.

Thanks for a great ride today guys. It was good to meet a few new faces.

Special thanks once again to DrBike for some excellent routemastering.

Good weather, good company and superb trail conditions made for a good return to Swinley. My only disappointment was that my much reduced cycling in recent months has left me with legs that refuse to climb anything....oh well.....

Aye, great ride, thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Hopefully not too long until the next one...

how did the ride go? Gutted i couldnt get out this weekend!

Terribly - you'd have hated it.

was it anything like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bak41lBAnxY

wouldnt mind a bit of that myself

That's the Babymaker and (I think) part of Deerstalker which we didn't actually do yesterday but, yes, it was a bit like that. (That video's a great find BTW).

That's a nice bit of film!




Kinda...

So Swinley looks a lot like like Cannock Chase. Would anyone care to guide me around, or are there any rides planned for Saturday 10th October??

Or is it waymarked enough for a Swinley Virgin???

You will need a guide. Ive been a couple of times but still haven't a clue where I am when Im there.

You will miss lots of good stuff out and a good chance of getting very lost without someone who knows the trails

There is not waymarking at all at Swinley and it is tricky to find the good stuff and even trickier to form it all into a loop. Even after a year and half of riding there, I am still totally hopeless at finding my way round which comes largely from following Dr Bike (Andy) aka 'the human GPS'. It is very likely though that some of the Swinley regulars will be riding on 10th October 2009 (difficult for me to plan that far ahead).

Would be great to get some of the more northern ('ish) forum contingent down though, so hopefully see you there!

That'd be us lot then


What's waymarked?
There are very few signs - I think there's one from the car park pointing to bike trails over there somewhere and maybe another one somewhere else.

We'd most warmly welcome anyone - but especially you sir

Anyone About for a wednesday Night ride?

Kerr

If theres something planned for the 10th of October, then pencil me in. Elbow should be healed by then and i'd love to have my first forum ride out. However, be warned that i am a proper beginner so if im gonna slow everyone down or be a hinderance, i'll give it a miss. I'd love the opportunity to gain some experience though.

So shall I post a ride up then?

I take it there is enough riding there to keep going for a few hours??

The video looks like its just up my street, plus its somewhere new.

I'll bung it in the calendar. Should I presume that you're down this way for a weekend or are you just going to come specially to ride with us?

We normally meet at 8:45/9:00 but I'm sure we can work something out to fit in with your schedule.


There's lots of stuff there, mainly XC singletrack. It's not all like the stuff that's in the vids but there's a lot of trails there. We normally ride for 3.5/4 hours (but there's quite a number of stops for folks to catch up and also cos there's a risk of people missing turns or going the wrong way).

Deerstalker, Babymaker and the Labyrinth are the best bits but they've got quite cut up over the summer.

Just went down to Swinley this afternoon and it was bone dry. As you alluded to, Andy, Deerstalker is seriously cut up at the moment. Just adds a different element of difficulty though.

I can be there for 8.45. Will be a day trip, as its only a couple of hours for me.
I take it its pretty easy to find?
I will be on a singlespeed Voodoo Wanga with rigid forks.

To be honest i think the stuff in the vid would be too technical for me anyway! I was just looking on YouTube to see what Swinley was like. I love the vid, but that wont be me anytime soon!

That looks great! I'd like to give it all ago, except the big drop. Swinley forest is pretty far away though

Meddy - don't worry about things being too technical, we always tailor the ride to whoever is there on the day and if we have newbies then we either skip out the most techincal bits or "hand-hold" you through. As for the jumps and stuff - we normally have a look and sometimes stop and watch the kids "playing" but most of us prefer to keep at least one wheel on the ground.

How long before you think your arm will be healed enough to ride? If you want we can post a "newbies" specific ride.

Meddy, I really want to give swinley a go. If you fancy a noob day one weekend let me know, we are not that far from each other. I will have to get the train up (I don't drive ) . So if you fancy it let me know.

I know mbelf had mentioned having a few mates who might be interested in a newbie ride....

There's a growing posse of folks from S'oton who come on the Swinley rides, although one of these is Gezzza who's the utlimate XC whippet/weight weenie. Let's see when Meddy's arm is fixed and we'll sort out a newbies ride - I wouldn't recommend going "blind" cos Swinley is a veritable maze of trails.

Cheers dudes!

It makes me feel a little more welcome. Having not been on a forum ride before, i didnt want to tip up and be the slowest rider and annoy everyone.

I'd love to come. The fracture in the elbow should be healed in 3 weeks. I've got most of my range of movement sorted now anyway, just gotta work on straightening the arm.

Will obviously have to get out on the steel steed to see how i get on.

I'd love a noob ride out! anything to gain experience on the trails really. Ive done QECP twice. Did the purple trail which was a doddle and nothing great, just a small incline trail followed by a big downhill fireroad. Did the Orange trail and struggled up the hills with the wet roots and chalk, but whilst i was nervous, i loved the rest of it.

Thinks i might change to flats thought, to save any embarrassing moments!

Yep, sounds like a newbie ride out would be right up your street!

Normally would be a goer for a night ride, but it's a bit far for a week day

Nay, no can do after work. Sorry.

newbie ride would be good for me as well. I'm ok on smooth and jumpy bits (like most of that track at FOD which has those nice smooth jumps), but very slow and unsteady over anything rooty or rocky. Need a few good riders there to push us I think!

edit - needs to be before 29th september though and preferably not interfering with the next hopton ride as I really want to go to that!

Sounds like its a date then. I'll leave it up to Dr Bike to put in the Calendar. I wonder if Bob's up for it, as he lives down this way. Not that i've met him yet!

Hurry up elbow and heal...!!

welcome back mate. maybe do a Swinley night ride in a few weeks time.

Kerr, whats with the picture?.

Marc, Yeah thanks for reminding me - If there is going to be a noob ride - i would like to invite my buddies along - i have been meaning to bring them to Swinley for ages but never got round to it.

Is anyone riding this weekend?

Its tumbleweed

I am about this weekend. watch out thou .. I ve got 15 days of increased red blood cell count. Not sure what difference it makes.

Dont think I wil be going to swinley tonight. Will wait until tomorrow and see if its a bit dryer.

Kerr

I will be up for any noob ride just put it on the calendar. I need to justify all the money i'm spending on my bike soon.

Im happy to lead a Newbie ride if you want. I know time at Swinley is precious to some and me being on first-name terms with most of the trees, Im happy to take this on.

Had a date been decided?

Kerr