Muddy@rse Recce Ride: Queen Elizabeth Park

Today was spent putting together an upcoming Muddy@rse ride for 2008 beginning at QEP in Hampshire. A healthy dose of the newly built singletrack followed by a tour of the South Downs returning for a final whiz along the older established singletrack. Following the recent rain the chalky ground was very slippery and we all had a couple of dodgy moments.

Highlights included the new singletrack switchbacks in QEP - the berms were great fun but the bare chalk sections were deadly- followed by a serious rooty climb when we were defeated HelsBells told us that she cleaned it the previous day! The steep rocky descent into a sheltered and muddy valley was a challenge, we do this section a couple of times each year and it is steep and loose but today it was particularly treacherous and on the verge of too dangerous. There were also the usual step-ups and rooty sections. The lemon drizzle cake in the shop needs a mention - almost worth the drive on it own.

One thing we all agreed - a Muddy@rse ride for when the ground is dry.

Muddy@rse Ride 19th August

Another Muddy@rse ride today. Check the photo section and the Muddy@rse link for a report.

Muddy@rse Ride Whiteways 19th August Recce

The next Muddy@rse ride is at Whiteways Just north of Arundel on 19th August. The first half of the ride is a repeat of our last ride here in January but this time we have added more singletrack on the return leg. Total distance is approximately 20 miles but we have the option to either cut short or extend it depending how everyone feels on the day. We have cut out the painful slog of the Monarchs Way that caused a few red faces last time. There is nothing 'dodgy' on the ride and all technical sections have an alternative. As always with South Downs rides there a some hills but nothing remotely steep. None of us are racers and no one will get left behind.

As in January we start by dropping into the trees behind the cafe and snake down to the fireroad and through 'The Jungle', a section of little used singletrack that is covered in ferns and general healthy woodland growth. A few comedy moments here as we both ended up with undergrowth grabbing the bars. Up to the top of Rewell wood followed by the long open and smooth downhill to the bridleway cross-roads. At this point we deviate from the January route and head south west along a ribbon of singletrack with drop on the right hand side, for obvious reasons we often refer to this as 'Tony's Ridge'. A quick detour of 20 yards on the road and a cheeky route back into the woodland for a gentle descent ending in an overgrown rutted track. Now ride or push uphill for 20 yards for the 'Rim Ride' followed by the 'Panda Garden'. Through Slindon woods taking in 'The Drop' & 'The Tree' and then a steady climb to Bignor Hill. Return to Whiteways via the usual singletrack in Houghton Woods.

The cafe at Whiteways is well stocked but out on the ride there is nowhere to buy food or drink of any type. Carry plenty of food and drink with you.

Check the photo section for a taster of some of the new sections added to this ride.

Muddy@rse Recce Ride for 29th July

This weekend we did a recce of the upcoming Muddy@rse ride for 29th July. The last couple of Muddy@rse rides have been long, technical and with some stinker hills, this one is a much more 'group friendly' route taking in Friston Forest and some downland.

A ride of two halfs. Friston Forest was a little muddy but nowhere near as bad as it can get, I got through (with a few comical moments!) most of it on semi-slick summer tyres although if there is more rain this coming week I would recommend something with more grip. Despite the recent rain the trails out on the downs were dry and dusty just as it should be at this time of year, in fact I had to swap to a long sleeve jersey as my arms were getting sunburnt. The summer tyres were perfect for these conditions. The long section of twisty singletrack through Friston had a shallow coating of mud that made the corners interesting and the many logs and dips much more dodgy than usual. We had one incident involving a pedal and a tree stump and I managed to stay upright (just as my life was beginning to flash past me) while sideways on a chalky section.

Our speed was relatively slow with plenty of stops for food and chatting, in total we were out for about 6 hours. We should be in for a cracking ride 29th July if we have similar weather, on the other hand if it rains.....

Muddy@rse Ride 24th June

This was a killer, check the updated photo section and see the Muddy@rse link for a full report.

Muddy@rse Recce Ride: Devils Revenge

Devils Dyke to Ditchling Beacon is a simple straightforward run suitable for anyone with reasonable fitness and a little experience on a mtb. Not this ride, our route does not use the South Downs Way. The usual Muddy@rse Recce crew set off from Devils Dyke carpark just after 11-00am and we did not return to the cars until after 5-00pm.

The route meanders down, up and around the hills between Devils Dyke and Ditchling Beacon. There is a dose of sinewy singletrack that must be ridden with commitment, a couple of downhill sections that can really be blasted, some wooded singletrack and more than one brutal climb. The ride finishes with a gentle singletrack descent leading to a steep grassy bank pock-marked with rabbit holes and grass tufts followed by a final climb up Devils Dyke.

This is a tough ride, see you all in June.

Photo Update 30th May 07

mtb-Nomads on the trail. A couple of recent additions showing some of the great singletrack around Brighton, join us on the next Muddy@rse outing if you want to ride it!

Muddy@rse Ride 13th May. St Leonards & Tilgate Forest

Great day out, fantastic singletrack, rain, thunder, watersplashes and mud. Who could ask for more?

We all made it back to the carpark very wet and muddy but with enormous grins and the unquenched desire to meet up next month to do it all again in the South Downs.

Read the full details of the ride on the Muddy@rse link from this blog.

St Leonards Forest & Tilgate Forest

We took advantage of the warm sunshine and dry weather to have another Recce of the Muddy@rse ride of 13 th May.

The singletrack is great fun and the bluebells were out in force. We repaired a couple of sections which we hope will enable everyone to avoid the buried barbed wire and clean some of the obstacles such as the forked fallen tree. The downhills were a blast and even the short sharp uphills were dispatched without too much pain. We explored some new sections and generally had a great day out.

If you want to know where we went join us on the Muddy@rse ride at leaving at 10-30 am on Sunday 13th May from Roosthall carpark on Hammerpot Lane on the south side of St. Leonards Forest. Check the Muddy@rse ride link for more details.

Muddy@rse Ride 29th April 07

Another great ride. This ride was led by Nick and was a relaxed trundle along the South Downs in fantastic weather. The hills were relentless and got steeper as the ride progressed, there were many punctures which gave us ample time to recover from the climbs and catch our breath.

Check the link to the Muddy@rse link for full details and report.

Summer Evening Trundle

No photos with this post I'm afraid we were too busy chatting and enjoying the sunshine.

A quick blast with a few deviations up and down the southside on the South Downs and we arrived at Blackcap above Lewes. One of our gang had to 'phone-home' to check the domestic situation would enable him to continue with us, it didn't and he left no doubt to the pleasures of more housework or more accurately housework that meets the standard of his girlfriend!

In the distance we could see the hill of death that climbs from Kingston up onto the South Downs Way. The chalky glint from the bright sunshine was constantly catching our eye, mocking and taunting us to 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough'. Our ability to resist everything except temptation is well known so biting the bullet we arrived at the base of the hill after the necessary detour through Lewes and Kingston. Off with the extra jersey, eat an energy bar, lighten the weight by having a pee and we were ready. The first steep section didn't seem too bad this evening and the following grind provided time to recover before the final kick. It was a great relief to arrive at the South Downs Way and look across the hills to the ocean. These climbs kill me but my buddy just skipped up despite being in recovery from a torn leg muscle!

At this point the breeze from the ocean had a cutting edge so it was on with the windproof layers before a race home against the clock of the rapidly setting sun. We did not have any lights but fortunately the last mile across the South Downs to the car-park in total darkness passed without incident.

Directions
Join us on the Muddy@rse ride 29th April and all will be revealed.

Muddy@rse Ride 25th February

Another great ride with loads of hills, mud and plenty of coffee and cake and to cap it all the rain held off. The climbs were relentless and the mud was very muddy. A couple of guys who cycled to the start point from Eastbourne were already demuding from their bikes with sticks before we had even set off. The first climb from Jevington up to the top of Friston Forest had the field strung out and this pattern was repeated all the way through. The ride down from Friston to Folkington manor was a blast, runny mud that got progressively thicker and deeper as we descended. The final part used to have a deep rut with a number of steps and drops but this has now been levelled with gravel. A blast down the South Downs Way was topped off with coffee and cake together with puncture repairs at the Badger tea rooms in Alfriston, very bike friendly in the back garden.

At this stage everyone was feeling the effects of the mud and climbs so the route back was changed and we climbed the SDW up to the top of Wilmington Long Man. A couple of the more hardy guys put an extra loop on through Friston Forest while the rest of us headed back to the car-park to more coffee and cake.

Thanks to Mick for putting the loop together and leading the way both up and down the hills and Lisa for cake and coffee.

Muddy@rse Ride 21st January

Today saw the 4th Muddy@rse ride hit an attendance of 34 for a ride through Whitesways singletrack. As well as the usual Muddy@rse crew we were joined by many new faces and a contingent from Sussex MTB. Due to the number we split into 2 groups which inveitably meant a little waiting at strategic points. Despite this everyone had a great time and the varied terrain resulted in both easy and challanging sections for the individual riders.

The ride began with a couple of sections of gnarly singletrack through trees and over stumps and logs followed by a traditional Muddy@rse South Downs climb. The woodland bridleway was a couple of inches deep in viscous mud which was an effort. The climb along the Monarch's way was as tough as usual with a couple of energy sapping stinker little hills. We ended on a high with a blast through woodland singletrack which was a great medicine to take everyone's mind off the climb up the Monarch's way. Back to the carpark for Malt loaf and coffee.

Thanks to everyone who turned up and especially Ronnie from MTB Nomads and Jimbo from Sussex MTB who led the groups at various stages.

We hope to see you on the next Muddy@rse ride, details will follow.

Muddy@rse Ride 30th Dec 2006

Today witnessed another 'Muddy@rse' ride. We started at Bo Peep carpar on the South Downs Way and took in the South Downs just north of Seaford. As usual the ride was a sociable event rather than a race (either formal or informal) there were plenty of rest times for both faster and slower riders and no one was left behind.

The ground was very muddy and wet in some places which added to the sense of adventure. Highlights included the singletrack descent between 'The Comp' and 'Blackstone Bottom' which was muddy, slippery, rooty and next to a barbed wire fence, the following climb up to 'Cross Dyke' will live in the memory due to the slippery mud, rocks and gusting sidewinds. The rain held off until the final 100 metres back to the carpark although we suspect that the Ollie and Sally got a little damp on their ride back to Newhaven.

As with previous Muddy@rse rides this was a great day out riding at a relaxed pace with likeminded people. If you fancy a relaxed ride with a group of friendly people come along to the next ride which will be 21st January 2007 at Whiteways carpark, West Sussex. Thanks to Lisa for organising and Rick for leading.

Muddy@rse Ride 18th November 06

Today saw the second Muddy@rse MTB ride, this one taking place in Friston Forest and the surrounding South Downs hills. Great fun was had by all on a very relaxed and sociable event.

We started from the main carpark near the visitor centre and headed north along the main track parallel to the road towards Alfriston, this was an ideal muscle-warmer. The road turns right into the forest, we regrouped at the bottom of the large chute and turned left for the slog of a climb up to the bomb holes. This climb was a taster of what was to come, thick gloppy mud that stuck to all bike parts and covered everyone in a veneer of trail. From the bomb hole we followed the 'Technical Trail' back down the hill via a short section of sweet slippery singletrack. Emerging on the main track we turned right and then left to drop down, cross the gravel road and climb up the other side. It was during this section we 'lost' half the group, a couple of scouts were dispatched and after a short delay we all linked up further down the gravel road. The climb through the forest to the A259 above East Dean was very muddy and slippery; however instead of worried looks and tentative riding everyone was enjoying the relaxed pace and sliding off the trail into the undergrowth held no fear just a source of more laughs. A quick zip past the carpark on the road to Crowlink and then over Went Hill brought us to the Tea Rooms at Birling Gap, the perfect setting for replenishing food and drink. At this point we had to cut short due to 'home' commitments and headed back through the forest. No doubt the others enjoyed their extened run.

An excellent day out riding with a group of people who were sociable and relaxed. The riding was steady but in no way too fast, and there were no heros out to impress. If you fancy a ride (not a race) at a steady pace where no-one will get left behind and eveyone is relaxed and friendly we highly recommend the next Muddy@arse Ride. Many thanks to Lisa for arranging and Grant for leading.