July Ride Dates

Summer’s here good and proper and there’s a heatwave predicted – bring it on we say, we just lurve those dry & dusty, fast & flowing trails!

Here’s the dates to get some of this action with Sussex Muddy@rse through July:-

11 July – Ladies Ride. This time a level trundle from Pevensey across the beautiful Rickney Marshes, alongside the river, dipping into Herstmonceux Castle singletrack and return the same way. I call it ‘The Lollipop’ ride. Meet here: Just Off Castle Road (alongside the Church), between Pevensey & Westham (on street free parking) next to Pevensey Castle.

12 July – Long(er), Faster(er), Hard(er) Ride. Venue tbc, but will be somewhere around Crawley, ride leader Mike G.

26 July – Club Ride. Sweet singletrack in St Leonards and Tilgate, ride leader Pete (Woodsman).

Inappropriate Bike Ride – 4th July now cancelled. Vote in the forum for your preferred new date in August. Go on, it’ll be a right larf and not to be taken seriously!

Check out the forum for meet places and ride on the above, they’ll be posted about a week before the ride. As usual, I’ll bring the coffee …you bring the cake 

Happy trails, Lisa

Club Ride Report: Around the Downs, UP and Back Down Again. June 2009

After assembling at the car park the ride started with a warmup along some gentle trails and cycle paths leading to the first bit of singletrack at the base of Wolstonbury hill.

Fun in the Sun!

OK, admit it, you never thought you’d see the sun again.  After 3 miserable summers we were all getting a bit ‘down’ with the prospect of another one.  But oh how we’ve been rewarded for all those soggy miles. 

 June has just been a blur of summer sunshine, stinging nettle rash, bramble blooding and DUST so thick you can barely see where you’re going.  Excellent fun!

 June has seen Muddy@rse’s busiest month ever with rides galore going on.  Starting off with our Ladies Ride to Bedgebury which saw the return of Jo (keep getting wellx) and a lovely dry spin round the trail, stopping at the visitor centre for a munch along the way, while the Boyz went a played on the northshore, and Rick apparently nearly killing himself in the process.  The ladies had an incident-free ride with plans afoot for a skills day at Swinley in August (check out the forum if you want to book a place).

 The LFH ride headed out from Boxhill.  Apparently it was a real killer with massive, massive climbs, technical singletrack and lots of miles, thanks to ride leader Rich.  A few mechanicals along the way but everyone stayed together while I sat on the grass and nursed the remnants of my cold/flu virus with a picnic and glass or two of vino.  Nice!

 Then it was my birthday trip to the Bothy.  A brilliant evening with 7 of us turning up via  different directions and means to Gumber Bothy, Nr Amberley.  A fantastic joint effort BBQ was topped off with midnight stargazing and a bottle of bubbly.  My new birthday pressie (BOB trailer) helping to carry the grub and grog there. Brilliant!

 Ming decided to be 40, so a ‘Surprise’ birthday bash was hatched between me and Mrs Ming.  Rick and I led a ride round Friston, taking in most of Ming’s favourite bits including Morticia, Shit Creek, Pentlands.  He loved it and I think it made hitting a new decade a bit less painful.  Mrs Ming then very kindly hosted a fantastic BBQ back at the Imperial Palace and many laughs/beers/burgers were to be had throughout the evening.  And I found a new love for margheritas (and no, not the pizzas).

 Then the good ole fashioned Club Ride today.  Tony put together a great mixed loop of about 25 miles starting from Burgess Hill, heading to the Downs via some sections of lumpy singletrack, up and over Wolstenbury Hill, up New Timber Hill, the Chattry for a shady munch stop, Ditchling for a well-earned ice-cream, then down a fantastic new descent named ??? Bostal then back via various bridleways (some lumpy) and wooded singletrack to Burgess Hill.  As a final surprise, Tony only went and brought along a coolbox of iced beers for the finish.  We were knackered and bloodied but hey, that got forgotten as we started to neck down the freezing cold drink.  Good man J   Everyone was buzzing from the ride and stingers and we slowly made our goodbyes.  Tired but very, very happy. 

So, June’s been a scorcher, June’s been a corker.  Thanks everyone for making it special.  Can’t wait for July….Lisa

 PS  As always, thanks to everyone who brought cake J

PPS  Check out the Google Calendar for July ride dates, further info to follow soon.

Club Rides: June 09

Summer’s here and there’s loads of top riding going on at Sussex Muddy@rse, here’s the dates for your diary:-

Ride Report: The Hidden Valley, 31 May 09

A “Classic Ride” on the South Downs was what Lisa and Rick promised us for the end of May ride and frankly, as most of us have been sampling the mountain biking in a lot of different areas of the British Isles over the last month, it was a great opportunity to get back to some of the fab trails closer to home.

Clear blue skies and the hottest day of the year so far brought out a good number of the regulars and few new faces (hi to Mark, Gavin, Philip, Fran and Mrs Ming! ) . The heat was obviously getting to a few riders as a couple of longer bikes (and indeed another bike that was, ahem, unsuitably heavy) were prepared at the start. So, Tandems one and two ready, Ming’s DH “Beast” prepped, suntan cream liberally applied, we headed off long the South Downs Way towards the radio towers.

Highland Fling: an Ode so hilarious finish!

An Ode to My Squeaky Toy

Little disc of squeaky goodness,

You ask for so little, yet give so much pleasure.

 

Found on the pavement, cast off by your owner,

You found me, I found you.  I’ll love you forever.

 

You sit in my pocket (lightweight!) and unassuming,

And when I need brightening, “squeaky, squeak” and I smile.

 

Your fun and frivolity radiates to all around you,

But your ‘piece de resistance’ was the sock puppet in Glen Nevis.

Donna

Clicky link for further explanation: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13519914@N00/3516215744/in/set-72157617822125763/

Funky weather to celebrate your birthday sir?

After an eventful windy night in our fab hostel (http://www.syha.org.uk/hostels/highlands/loch_ossian.aspx), the forecast for today was 90mph winds and white out blizzard conditions on the passes.  Really!  Our planned route took in a 5 mile bog, a mountain pass and the last stretch of the West Highland Way over 2 more days.  After lots of debate and discussion (including that today was Rich’s birthday) we decided to take the sensible option and bail out.  For me personally, I really didn’t want to call out Mountain Rescue for a 2^nd time in my life!  

It's my birthday!

But it was a tough decision because none of us liked to admit defeat except there comes a time when adventure can turn into nightmare and today could have easily been one of those days.  So with nothing to lose and everything to gain, we got on the train, crossing fingers the driver wasn’t Mr Angry from our Day 1. But we couldn’t have had a nicer man this time and our bikes and trailers were loaded in a flash (Donna and I ready to feign illness and crying if all else failed!).

Afan May 09: the trip in pics

 Clicky links below for more:

Alex’s photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/30246094@N04/sets/72157618834144790/

Guy’s photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/9462794@N08/sets/72157618678250971/

Bob: http://www.belugabrain.net/muddy@rse/commuter.jpg  

Cheers to all for making the weekend so great !  Lisa

Och, what a Beautiful Day!

Our spirits lifted from the perfect morning we’d woken up to we set off on the fantastic little singletrack that ran alongside the Loch. It was just plain beautiful, we were definitely having a true Highland adventure. The singletrack hugged the Loch for quite a while until it eventually became too boulder-strewn to ride. Not to be defeated though, Rick still had a go and unsurprisingly ground out the trailer …which had us in stitches.

Club Ride – this sunday

quick reminder 10 for 10.30 roll, meet at Firle Beacon car park (free) mileage about 17 with some ‘classic’ Downs climbs along the way…