North Face Trail – Grizedale

Fancy a bit of a road trip ?  Then why not try making your base the beautiful Lake District (bit of a drive but worth it), we like Keswick in the North Lakes it’s got the big mountains, the big views and loads of outdoor shops   It’s also nice and handy for some fantastic biking both natural and manmade in England & Scotland.  You’re in spitting distance the 7Stanes which boasts some of the best riding in the world.  IMHO better than all the welsh trails and well worth the trip.

Care for Connor Appeal – His Bike’s On Order

Friday saw my little nephew, Connor, get fitted up for his adapted trike. We (me, Rick, Ollie, Sally, Kerry, Alec & Mike) raised £1372.00 for Connor by cycling the South Downs Way in a Day on 12 August and it’s thanks to every single person who kindly gave money that we have been successful in getting Connor his trike. The trike is costing £1,061.00 and the rest will remain in a Trustees account for Connor’s future equipment.  To see his little face light up made every single mile (100 in total) worth it because when he sat on the trike he was able to have independent mobility for the first time. Connor is 5 1/2 yrs old.  He’s now officially our youngest Muddy@rse member

Ride Report -30th Sept 07 (from the horses mouth)

The tradition for Muddy@rse rides is to alternate monthly between a singletrack fest and a downs run today was a downs run starting at Firle Beacon. About 30 of us gathered in the warm sunshine to make the most of the dry trails, fill our lungs with sea air and partake in the usual post-ride cakes and coffee. Rob from Havant maintained his record for the furthest distance travelled to join a ride but today’s champion commuter was Andy who rode from Brighton to Firle Beacon did the ride and then rode home, respect!

Calling No. 64 !

Yes that’s my number, it’s official and it won’t ever leave me.  No. 64 …that’s the Wasdale Head Mountain Rescue 64th in 2007 …and will always remind me of the day I decided to completely tear my calf muscle while only 50mtrs away from the summit of Scafell Pike (England’s highest mountain) during my recent trip to the Lake District. 

Ride Report: Telscombe & the Hidden Valley, 30 Sept 07 (armchair version)

Gutted, gutted and treble gutted.  That was me this morning because I’d been quietly harbouring an injured calf muscle from my walk up Scafell Pike in the Lake District last week (which saw me being mountain rescued and extreme-sledged all the way down to Wast Water, very embarrassing !!).  Today though we had to put on a Muddy@rse ride and I couldn’t … enter stage left Rick my knight in shining armour.  We had to have a ride the sun was shining, we had a great group together and this ride was one of my fav XC routes around here, so the show must go on.

After all the ribbing you lot gave me I waved farewell and watched enviously as 25 Muddy@rsers (great to see so many new faces) snaked their way up to the beacons at Firle for 18 miles on lovely dry autumn trails.  Me, I popped round to the parents for some tea and sympathy!

Ride Report – Ladies who … ride !

15 September saw our first Muddy@rse Ladies Ride (partners welcome) and how lucky were we ? The weather was stonking, just perfect for riding. Ladies came from far and wide to try out what Friston Forest had to offer, I don’t think they were disappointed.

But first a trundle to the sea, why ? Because it’s there of course ! Oh and it was a good leg warmer for the singletrack to follow. A few of The Boys decided to ruin their bikes by cycling through the fast flowing estuary (we girls are much more sensible) and even after getting very wet feet on the return were still laughin like kids (erm and so were we J ). So it was back into Friston and off onto the purple signed mountainbike trail.

Night Ride 27th Sept 07

Our evening rides are arranged as a means of 1) getting out for a ride and 2) enjoying the late summer evenings while it is still relatively dry and not too cold before winter sets in.

Jim and Tony were on a mission blasting the climb up to Black Cap (training for D2D chaps?) while the more sedate of us had a couple of close calls with badgers.

Club Ride: Telscombe, 30 Sept 07

This weekend’s ride will be taking in the Telscombe area, meeting at Firle car park. Sorry for late confirmation, Lisa has been having computer problems. Hopefully she will manage to get online to give further details.

Hi, Lisa here I’m back from the twiglight zone !  Thought I’d give you a bit more info about the next ride. 

It will about 18 miles long, on typical open South Downs trails, nothing technical and no singletrack but there will be some classic SD climbing involved which means great views – so get your spinning legs out.  From Firle we’ll head to Telscombe then via a stretch of quiet road we’re off onto the hills again, taking an amble along a beautiful ‘Hidden Valley’ that eventually climbs out via Castle Hill Nature Reserve, then it’s a blast along the SDW and back to the cars, of course leaving the best til last – Southease Hill !  Not sure which hill this is ?  You won’t forget it by the time you get to the top

You’ll need to bring everything with you for this one because there’s no tea room / pub en-route. 

Cheers, Lisa

Where: Muddyarse Ride, Firle
When: 10.30am

Mid Month Pedal – Wivelsfield Green, Sept 07

We didn’t know how popular these rides would be so it was a really nice surprise to see 15 new and old faces turn out today in the September sunshine for our first Mid Month Pedal. 

These rides are shorter & less technical than the monthly Club Rides (although not a doddle) and we’re hoping they’ll encourage people onto the trails, enjoying the fab riding we have in and around Sussex.  We weren’t disappointed in the 10 mile route Muddy@rser Tony had put together, literally starting over the road from home (you lucky devil!).