Tidworth had to rearrange their opening weekend, so we’ve done the same with our first club trip there.
A bunch of us have enter the excellent Root1 Round 1 race, which uses Sicknote as the course, so we will definitely be practicing that, along with 99 Beeches – a new trail that will be used for Round 2.
And we’ll also be trying the other excellent trails there of course.
Don’t forget, entry to Tidworth cost £7 for the day and you will need to sign up for a B1ke (free) membership in advance.
Meet in the car park/finish area at 10am
As Dave is off sunning himself, Lee Smith will be leading this week’s Tuesday ride. The full route to be determined depending on the weather, but expect around 35k with 400-450 metres of climbing over 2 – 2.5 hours. Mud and puddles are a given at this time of year so dress appropriately. Lid, lights and jacket required.
The usual Tuesday night ride onto the Ridgeway. The weather forecast looks wet and windy yet again, so we will be riding harder pack trails and a bit of urban – all subject to change according what weather actually transpires.
You must wear a helmet, bring lights (strong enough for the dark of the Ridgeway) and appropriate clothing (warm waterproofs at the moment).
If you have not been on a club ride before and are not a club member, you are welcome to join us to see what it is like before joining. Details on the benefits of membership and how to join can be found by clicking here.
We’re going to be camping down at the excellent Sparkhayes campsite in Porlock – just round the corner from both the town and from the beach.
The campsite has electric hook ups, a shower/toilet block with washing up facilities, a kettle and small microwave. There is also a communal fridge and freezer.
The cost is £9 per person per night, with an additional £4 a night for the electric hook up.
Let us know if you want to stay and we’ll do a group booking – we will be there from the Friday night to set up as well, but people are welcome to join on the Friday night or Saturday morning.
Don’t forget the Saturday and Sunday rides that are part of the weekend.
The Peak District is simple awesome for mountain biking – stunning scenery and brilliant riding.
I’ve done lots of riding up there and am putting together some of the best in one long weekend.
We will be based in the Hope Valley, which has a great selection of campsites, B&B accommodation, cafes and bike shops. Personally I’ll be camping and will make a recommendation for a campsite after sampling a few, but there are plenty of great B&Bs for anyone that doesn’t like camping.
For the riding, we have 3 days:
A scenic starter, along the Monsal Trail. Starting at Bakewell Station up to Blackwell Mill and back. This is a former railway line that has been converted into a bridleway, using all the old features, including a number of viaducts and 4 tunnels through the Peaks. This gives us the chance to soak in the gorgeous scenery along the route, as well as a stop to enjoy them with a drink.
Day 2 is an epic XC ride starting in Hope and heading over Mam Tor out towards Derwent Water and back. The views on this route are even more stunning than the previous day, but the riding will be amazing too, with some epic descents – this one isn’t flat! 😉 We will be doing 25-30km with 1200-1500ft of climbing (depending on the weather), but the pace will be relaxed.
The final day will be a trip to the brilliant (but short) Lady Cannings trails, which we will use to end a 10km loop of the local Blacca Moor, which is another Peaks “must do”. That should see us finish at lunchtime, on the Bank Holiday Monday.
If you are planning on coming, please register either on the Facebook group event or by sending an email to adrian@swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk – just so we know to keep an eye out for you before setting off anywhere.