If you love very tight, narrow, twisty, flowy, technically challenging woodland singletrack then this is the ride for you.
This is not a ride for the fainthearted though and at 22 miles it is a bit of a killer, with just over 600mtrs of climbing those tempting little trails are deceiving. But we think it’s worth it and to add to the fun there are a few water splashes and logs / bridges to negotiate and some steep loose decents all through beautiful bluebells – nice !
It’s safe to say a good level of fitness and technical ability up and downhill is essential for this ride to keep the Group together. So, if you’re not confident descending on technical singletrack then maybe this ride isn’t one for you, sorry !
Mileage: 22
Technicality: High
Climbing: 600mtrs plus
Food Stop: None – bring PLENTY of your own supplies please
Time: 10.30am
Where: Roosthole Car Park, Hammerpond Lane, Horsham
Map Link: Multimap
(Red circle is now the correct location)
You’ve got the location correct, it is the blue ‘P’ sign nearer to ‘The Glodings’. A two forest ride including both St Leonards and Tilgate , hopefully the bluebells will still be in bloom! :-]
Thanks Pete…have moved the circle to the correct place. I should be at the ride, fingers crossed
Well, if this area and ride is as good as you guys have all been saying then I’m up for this, see you there
Can anybody offer a lift from Eastbourne?
i would love a lift from brighton if possible…( looks at nomad-mike pleadingly! )
Offer of a lift from Haywards Heath from 9:35 Eastbourne train, let me know via thread.
I’ll see you all there.
sounds good. can you conntact me on my mobile number 07974439780. thankyou
Hi Jim
Looks like Martin is linking up with Tony.
Contact me via mtb-nomads e-mail address and we can arrange where to meet. I can collect you from home if you give me directions, I’m in Brighton just off Surrenden Road.
Well up for it… except I’ve just found a crack on my frame :-O
Hi all,
Looks like a good bit of interest so far then. I’m just back from a fallen tree clearing ride in St Leonards, a ‘billhook axe’ just fits into a back pack! Don’t worry, there are still plenty of logs and trees left to negotiate/practice your riding skills on. Still, it gave me the opportunity to open up an overgrown deer track I’ve had my eye on, and after the fourth attempt at riding it, I ‘cleaned it’ well, almost if it weren’t for a minor tree hugging incident that is! Be leaving that one out of the Sunday ride me thinks…………unless of course anyone has the energy at the end to give it a go…. ;-]
Ouch…thats a pretty big crack Rich
Lucky it didn’t let go on that mammoth hill we chose to ride up out of Lewes!
Got a spare bike to ride? I assume its a warranty job…
Cheers mike, i’ll email you asap.
Rich – i have a very old ( 2000 ) marin full suss frame sat doing bugger all you can have if you need it – the bushings are a bit shot and the paint has had better days but its yours if you want…
Oh thats a bummer Rich. Dont worry if you swipe Ollies frame, theres nothing wrong with very old marin full sussers…I rode all of the MBR trail at CYB with wrecked pivot bearings no prob , bike was a bit wobbly/squeeky at the end though.
:0)
I’ve got a fully rigid Merlin malt1 with project 2’s, V brakes and slicks you can borrow if you feel like a (painful) challenge on sunday…hmm, perhaps on second thoughts….
If you need to, try one of the decent bike shops in Brighton or Worthing (Rayments, Quest etc) as they have demo bikes you might be able to borrow or rent for a few days.
Offers are very much appreciated guys – I’m hoping to be sorted in time but will keep you posted!
Worst thing is it looks like my forks are in need of a total overhaul too!
(
looks like we’re in for a technical mudfest then…sounds good!
Jim, it’s not technical as in a Leith Hill big drop stylee, more tight and rooty, a bit like some of the tucked away singletrack at the Stanmer woods is probably a good comparison but more of it.
Hopefuly weather permitting I will ride it tonight and give you all an update as to the conditions, don’t think I’ll make Tilgate unless I’ve been a really good at work today!
Shouldn’t be too muddy as it gets little traffic(fingers crossed) and hopefuly the trail pixies haven’t carried out too many ‘repairs’ to my lovely trails!!!!!!
Friday afternoon trail report, well surprisingly although I got wet from above the trails aren’t that bad, a few psi less in the tyres is all I would suggest.
Another ride with an axe in the backpack, I’m looking after you lot!
excellent news Pete, we can live with getting wet up top but muddy trails would be a real shame for these little gems, really looking forward to Sunday. PS You worry me with that axe, remind me never to upset you with that in your backpack lol !!!!
Pete, Stanmer is my back garden so know what you mean – thats sounds rather good fun to me!! I havnt had a chance to test the michellins im running in mud yet – its been dry the month and a half ive had them so this could be interesting…
I’m not worried about the mud, just as long as there’s Malt Loaf at the end of the ride again we should be fine
Looks like I’m sorted on the bike front so hopefully see you all tomorrow!
If the weather is unkind to us early on I know enough of St Leonards to change plans and keep you all occupied for 2-3 hours without venturing over to Tilgate, although bailing early will be the last resort of course!
Erm, sorry guys – unexpected hangover + rain = no show from me! Poor effort I know!
I would have attended but unfortunately being oncall this weekend has proved somewhat of a disaster (250miles driven and 11hrs worked on Sat) and then up at 0500 Sunday to reset the computers at Ashford!
Ride stats here
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=123082&unitSystemPkValue=1&episodePk.pkValue=2717974
35.87km, 553 metres climbed and dropped in 3hrs 13 mins (i’d guess the software needs more work as it has me climbing @ 76.5kph! and it seems to have us travelling on the south bound carriageway of the M23 for a bit).
Brilliant tour of St Leonards
Well done everyone, I thought you all did brilliantly, that’s a tough ride in the dry! Hopefully show you all round in dusty and sunny conditions sometime, if you haven’t been too scarred by the experience that is.
May even show you my new technical ‘wilderness trail’ ;-}
after that “off” this afternoon , the only thing damaged was the front wheel!. Not so much as a hint of bruising on the leg, just a few scratches. I’m a very lucky chipmunk cos it could have been worse. But hey …..the riding and people were great today so see you on the next one, bring on “The Maltloaf”
check out a write up of today’s ride on the ‘Blog’ page, just uploading some photos now. Got any to add then pls e-mail them to me at lisabowell (at) tiscali (dot) co (dot) uk. Cheers & thanks again for a fab, if not a little tiring, day
Hmmmm, Wilderness Trail is my appetite whetted ?!?!?!?
Tim – was your rim dinked ?
aye just a tad ,nothing a spoke spanner and a hot chocolate can’t sort out
well done mate, you are the hero of the day
Great ride guys (this is starting to become a trend) er, just a tad wet and muddy but I guess we have all been a bit spoilt by the hot dry spell in the last 6 weeks so it had to end at some point! Now a bit tired out and have flippin work trip to look forwards to tomorrow
Boy I needed that malt loaf at the end…
Anyway, there should be a short vid on youtube in the next couple of hours on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbZTge66rUE ( or type muddy arse stleonards ride in the search field)
lots of video to trawl through now, I’ll post some more asap.